Dawn Sanchez

so....

I raced my first race Saturday night.

I have been going to the track several times a week practicing and practicing as much as any new person who works full time can do and trying to learn all the significant set up changes my mechanic is making (thanks Sean!) and have discovered that I like traction on a dirt track. Slippery really sucks!! He's doing his best to explain things and all I know is if it turns right and the back end doesn't slip out, I'm ok. He keeps asking me how its handling... no idea... but I think he's figuring it out by watching me.

Saturday, after many days of contemplating if I am ready, I signed up for Novice Truck racing at SRS. I was sure I wasn't ready to race with other people, (I'm too concerned about breaking somebody else's stuff) but Sean assured me that I'll be just as bad as everybody else and he's taught me things that most new folks never think of.... like lifting before a turn.

I go to sign ups and give my name and frequencies. As a novice, I had an alternate frequency.. amazing, huh? (Sean has really cool racing stuff!)

so, the time comes... Novice is race 1. I get my truck and radio and go to the driver's stand. My stomach is flipping sideways and next to me stands a six year old boy asking me if I'm in the right place. I look at him wondering what that means and I think maybe he wanted my spot on the drivers stand. So, I asked him... and he replies... "girls don't race."

Great, the sexism in this hobby starts early, doesn't it?? LOL

So, I learn where to place the truck for starting and Sean's only advice to me on starting is "PUNCH IT!". The tone rings and my hands are shaking so bad, I can't grab the throttle on the radio. But, I punched it... and ended up using the wall as a berm to make the first turn. Typical novice pile up at turn 1 but we managed to get out of it ok. I cleared the first triple (double, single) made the turn, up the table top, around the funky bumpy part and hit my favorite jump just perfect....

wow!! I can do this....!!

Then ..... cars are piling up.. now what do I do? Do I go around and get stepped on by the marshall? Do I let others by so they don't crash into me? After all, I don't care about winning just finishing.... I choose to drive conservatively so I can finish without any wrenching needing to be done for the next one.

Sean is sitting below my feet giving me driving tips... punch it, let go, turn, let go, off throttle, on throttle... these are helping because I'm only listening to him and pretending I'm practicing again. My hands are shaking, my stomach is flopping and my face hurts from smiling so big....

this is FUN!!! Who cares how I do? All I know is nobody is gonna stop me from doing that again... I loved it.

So, end of first qualifier ever.... 8 laps, 5:22. The winner of the qualifier was 9 laps 5:13. So, I got some work to do....

Second qualifier... too much confidence in myself and the track was slick. Needless to say... I sucked even worse... 8 laps, 5:45. Qualified 4th in the B main. OH well.....

Broke in the main just when it was getting fun.... stupid ball stud thingy bent to heck.....

next week....! I'll be better.... 8 laps 5:00 or hopefully 9 laps??


Your comments and notes would be appreciated on this thread. Maybe, talk about your early days in racing... remember when the bug bit you?

WARDO

Sweeet, you are ready for 8th on road.Dawn you were probably the only one who doubted you.

Orange

ah hem! Don't be telling her that! LOL. She has already said she thinks she is ready for that and it will be to the expense of my 1/8 car!

She was! It was pretty fun to watch! quote of the night "My hands are shaking"

Seriously though, she did great! she will do better next time as well!

Dawn Sanchez

I think I want to master this electric thing first before I start messing with WAY more horsepower!! But, Sean has this awesome 1:8 on road fuel car that I am dying to try out.... he won't let me in the same room with it.

I doubted that I could race. In fact, I'm still wondering if I have a competitive spirit or not... we'll see. And, gotta get my hands to stop shaking.

WARDO

There are people out there that shake so bad, they have to change their antenna out. And they have been doing this a long long time.

Orange

Gil Losi Jr. shakes extremely bad. Sometimes I wonder if he notices it though.

Dawn Sanchez

Mine was adrenaline. I was so excited to race that car and I opted to drive conservatively.. killed me.

TrickPonYracing

iTrader: (2)

when in doubt punch it and hold on for all it's worth... only lift when you clear the mess or it sounded expensive...never close both eye's unless your fully sponsered,one will do,, never pass on the outside unless your sure it will stick, never be the slowest moving hazzard, other cars can be use for a berm at any time or place on the track but the pits, there is no substitute for horsepower,tires or pure talent when in doubt hit the pace car and by all means have fun at all cost..glad to hear your hooked now.. try on road so one day we will meet on the track

BlackKat

Dawn: Don't worry. The "stand jitters" are normal. I've oberved they only happen when your doing something new (ie: I shook quite a bit during my first race, first nitro race, first Expert Stock race)

What made the shaking even worse in my first Expert Stock race was taking the lead! Then again, I also shook pretty badly the next race knowing I had to prove myself worthy of my win the previous week...LOL (I'd say second place isn't too bad for my second Ex.Stock start...eh?)

8-9 laps in 5 min? Pretty giant track!

Dawn Sanchez

no, stock guys are at 12 to 13. Novice has been averaging 7 to 9, according to the track manager. I wouldn't race until I knew I could do at least 7 in five minutes.

I like Trick's advice....

Dawn Sanchez

ok, so now I'm determined to race again this Satruday night. I'll sign up in the novice class again because that's what is appropriate for my skill level...

but, yesterday, I went to the track and with some changes to the truck Sean made and some better front tires, I had overwhelming confidence that I could get around that track at least 10 times in five minutes. Now, I don't know if I did but I can say that was the most fun I have had... great practice! The truck was awesome and I felt confident to push the limits of speed in more places. Sean stated that I wasn't going much faster but it sure felt like it and I felt I was driving it much smoother.

Several areas on the track give me problems but I was learning how to fix those problems depending on where I started out... I was fighting the truck last weekend to get it placed right where I wanted it to make a jump in the middle but I found yesterday if I hit is off to the side, I could correct it and save my landing.

Gotta say... this stuff is MAJOR FUN! This Saturday, I think we talked a friend of ours wife, Andrea, into racing Novice as well. This will be great fun!!

Boomer

Funny story about shaking - which I do whenever I'm near the lead or competing with someone even for 6th or whatever.

I qual'd first for B-Main sportsman pan car, and a very good friend qual's third. Second crashed out at the start so now it's him and me, me leading.

My right hand usually shakes a bit so I turn my expo to compensate (makes a dead spot in the wheel).

But now I start to really shake since my friend is pressuring me pretty tightly. All the A-main guys are standing right behind us, heckling me (Thanks MarkA and Thirdplace. . . ) and I start to shake even more.

For the ENTIRE main, you could have tossed a towel over both cars - he was never more than 3 feet behind me.

by the end of the race, my knees were literally knocking against the driver's stand, Jim Blauvelt (owner of SoCal RC and calling the race) had to set down his mic because he was laughing so hard. Several A-Main drivers set down their radios since they were trying to stop laughing so hard. The ONLY two things that were not shaking were my head and my left hand. . .

I ended up winning B-main and it was a blast - but boy did I make Gil Jr. look "stable". . .


Good job on your racing! Keep it up and you'll shake less!

Boomer

btw - faster isn't necessarily faster.

Make it around the track cleanly and slower can be faster!

Dawn Sanchez

Agreed....

I love that story Boomer!! I saw Gil Losi Jr racing - once at Cactus (was it Cactus?) and once at the Mod Nats in ABQ and I couldn't believe that atenna didn't fly off.... I don't think I was shaking that bad but I'll bet I will the first time I actually get to lead a race... LOL

JKA

iTrader: (4)

This thread is what its all about! I miss the days when I didn't have to run right over to the results and check lap times. I liked being excited about getting 3rd in one of the qualifiers! lol

I'm probably going to race 1/8th offroad this summer, never done it before, hopefully I'll have those jitters again!