07/27/2021
Happy to be a small part of this awesome story.
HEADS UP: This is going to be a long one, with multiple points to get across.
Two pictures. Just two simple pictures have put things into perspective.
April 18th, 2020 and July 23rd, 2021
Racing is not a sport for the faint of heart or those that are easily discouraged. It can be a cold hearted bitch with a laundry list of issues constantly circling back just to say “I told you so”, yet it can also be the most rewarding thing you’ve ever done in your life. It’s easy to appreciate a race car just because it looks nice, traps a high MPH or runs a low time in the 1/4 mile but it is much, much more than what’s on the surface.
It’s the long nights spent turning your nose to the grind stone trying to last minute fix sudden breaks that occur during testing the night before a race.
It’s spending every god damn dollar you have to travel half way across the country to race, only to “maybe” take home a win and put enough cash in your pocket to cover the expense of even getting there in the first place.
It’s the strain it puts on your personal relationships, because as we all know, “just a few more minutes” frequently turns into, “I’m sorry it just needed to get done”. Missing dinner, family gatherings, birthday parties. If you can name it, it’s been missed, maybe not always- but it happens.
It’s waking up and skipping breakfast, because if I don’t start now, it’s lost time.
It’s eating meals alone that are brought out to you because it’s not just a 9-5. Work doesn’t stop, so why should we.
It’s a constant questioning yourself “what the f**k am I doing?” after a rough night at the track, shooting for improvement but it turns into a night of hitting brick wall after brick wall.
It’s the physical pain you are in after countless long nights of hard work and no sleep. A pain that you can feel in your bones that worsens everyday you choose work over rest.
It’s choosing to work hard day in and day out because even if you let yourself down, you cannot dare stand to let down the ones who look up to you every single day.
It’s maybe one day looking at everything you’ve hard for fall apart in the matter of seconds.
It’s making the choice to either walk away, or grab the Bull by the horns and keep at it.
Nobody tells you the rabbit hole your jumping into when you develop that first true love of racing but one thing is for sure, I wouldn’t change a damn thing!
Every thought has gone through my mind, I’ve wanted to give up everything- but I’m here to say don’t stop pushing. One day the blood, sweat and tears will all be worth it.
Everyday there’s something to be grateful for. The family you make out of the people you meet while racing, the friends who have your back and are right there with you at ground zero ready to rebuild, and more. As always, it’s hard to put into words just how appreciated each friend, family member and supporter truly is.
Here’s to a comeback.
Black Magic Clutches
G-Force Transmissions
Turbosmart
Haltech
Billet Specialties, Inc.
Dougherty Racing Cams
Trick Flow Specialties
Racers Edge Fiberglass Composites
Chapman Performance and Racing LLC
Schneider Precision Motorsports
Bullseye Power Turbochargers
FunctionWerks
