Racing

So this weekend was the start of the NASCAR racing season. And as usual I'm playing my fantasy racing. It turned out very well and I'm in a good position for the start of the year.

It also happened to be the weekend I was supposed to sell my race truck but the guy had some trailer problems and couldn't make it. So I spent the day remembering the 3 full years of racing and then 1 year racing part-time that I got to experience. I really enjoyed racing. There is no feeling like there is racing. I have never been skydiving but I'm sure the same principles apply when talking about skydiving. There is just no way to simulate the feelings of a race and there is just no way to describe it without at some point telling the person you just have to try it to understand.

As a regular driver, I feel like it has given me an awareness that I never had before. I have this "sixth sense" about what other drivers on the road are about to do. It also has taken away my security in my car. I am always looking for an "out" (the place I'm going when everyone starts wrecking) when I'm driving. The funny thing is people view "racing" as a very dangerous activity my life insurance costs doubled. BUT once you've raced and you've wrecked in a race car you realize how much more dangerous driving your car around town is. People just don't realize how quickly wrecks unfold and how little time and control they will have in the situation. It is actually a learned skill and I wish everyone had to race one season before getting a license. I'm convinced it would slow everyone down.

I don't speed! Especially in neighborhoods, again because you don't realize how quickly things can unfold in front of your car and how likely it is that you'll be unable to do anything or in most cases you don't know what your natural reaction will be. MOST people's natural reaction is to avoid by swerving. THIS IS DANGEROUS!! You never know what you'll swerve into and it is usually worse than if you didn't swerve. It is usually better to square up, slow down and hit whatever you're about to hit (unless it is a kid.) but the goal is to be able to make a good decision on the appropriate action. It takes practice (which is why I think everyone should race) to reprogram your natural tendency to swerve. Plus it take practice for everything to slow down enough to where you can make a decision and react appropriately. The first time someone threw a baseball at you, you probably missed it and even if you got lucky and caught it they were also throwing the ball slowly. Precisely how to teach and condition people and yourself how to catch objects. As you get better you can catch things moving faster. The same applies to driving.

This guy is coming on Tuesday to buy my race truck, I'll be sad to sell it. I know it is the right decision, lots of people are not in the position we are in and this will strengthen it. It will prepare us to make and execute GOOD financial decisions. I am thankful for the way it brought my family together but it is going to be tough to quell the desire to turn a car at 95mph left, a foot behind a guy and a foot in front of a guy all doing the same thing. The feeling of braking as your turning and having to "feel" the chassis to see if it wants to start to spin, then getting hard into the gas and feeling the g-forces push you into your seat all the while having to perfectly maintain pace or risk being passed. There is no feeling like being under the lights, feeling the power and competing against others for the same prize... as plastic trophy. It is really something special and much harder than is possible to imagine.

PS. If this doesn't make any sense or flow well it is because I typed it out as a stream of thought.