TXE36

it's been 10 years and I'm not even driving, just instructing.

Looking forward to seeing friends and teaching my student how to hoon properly on a race track.

-Mike

pu911rsr

I remember when Rick Mears fell asleep in the car on the grid for an Indy car race

Thundermoose

I ended up waking up at 2:30 before my last trip to Mid Ohio. Got up,made some coffee and said f it, let's go. Was on the road by 3 AM.

DTMiller

The day I stop being excited about going to the track is the day I stop going to the track.

Veloce Raptor

This

Paul Solk

I can usually fall asleep fine, it's the waking up every 15 minutes and giving up around 5am to just get up that kills me....

dgmark

Planning a 3 am wakeup time for the 800 mile drive to VIR in a week, Nothing better than seeing the sun come up un the road.

LuigiVampa

I F-ing hate my brain for this! It's like "hey, just so you know you have to get up in a few hours and I just wanted to remind you. I'll wake you in another 15 minutes just in case you forget. No, no, you don't have to thank me."

F you brain!

I normally go to bed really early and take a Z-quill the night before to help with this.

LuigiVampa

Except when you are towing, the sun comes up, and you freak out because someone is tailgating you, only to realize it is your own F-ing car in an open trailer. When I used to tow with an open trailer it happened every freakin' time!

Ahhhhhhhh! Oh, that's my car.

I'm an idiot.

Paul Solk

No different than my brain and bladder when I get to grid...
You have to pee. No I don't I just peed. You have to pee, you have to pee you have to pee, damn, now I have to pee... Run to bathroom, pee, run back to grid, strap in... Brain and bladder giggle and go "you have to pee"

TXE36

Either that or that's when the grid boss walks up and down the rows of cars saying it will be 5-10 minutes while they clean up the track from the previous run group...

BTW, referencing earlier in the thread, alarm set for 3:30AM, saw the clock at 2:35, 2:50, 3:10, 3:15 - oh alright already!

The best thing about 4AM - no civilian traffic.. Goto a F1 track, talk my student into going as fast as he can while trying extended passing at the same time. Witness nothing, no offs, no black flags, no drama. At the end of day driving home in the Caddy lead sled, cruise set at 80 MPH (posted limit 75 MPH). Intersection stop signs for cross traffic comes up - two cars stop and just pull out in what felt like 100ft in front of me, one takes the right lane, kid with a load of teenagers in mom's car takes the left lane. Neither actually really go, find out the Caddy's brakes are better than I thought while going through my sailor's dictionary while leaning on the horn and noting how good the traction was on the shoulder. Of course, zero cars behind me and visibility is about a mile for everybody in broad daylight. SMH.

I swear 95% of the time the most dangerous incidents I see with cars during a track weekend is on the drive there or back and a trailer is really just a "kick me" sign.

-Mike

dgrobs

Same as all the above posts. If I make it to 4 am night before the first track day of a weekend, I consider it a good nights sleep.
An ambien or a zqyill and a glass of white wine usually help if I remember to take them before bed.
Obviously not all 3 at the same time, but they do work.
Something about the excitement of going to the track.
Gets in the blood.

winders

Funny, I sleep great before and during race weekends. I get a little sleepy in my car waiting on the pre-grid too. Of course I am purposely breathing deeply and doing my best to relax.

LuigiVampa

l will one-up the weirdness.

I've had to poop really bad on grid to the point where I was going to abort the race.

I take the green, finish the race, and didn't poop until the next day.

Where did the poop go? It's racing magic!

Frank 993 C4S

I usually sleep pretty well before a race day, but I tend to wake up early allowing me to do at least 50 laps in my head before it’s time to get up. There is nothing worth losing sleep over for a DE day.