I think you need to pick some more realistic goals than winning right off the bat. When I first started racing my goals were to go to some of the bigger races, like the Glen, and make it onto the first sheet of the timing results. Later, the goal became, as Manny puts it, to "be above the fold" on the sheet. I picked large competive classes and they taught me a lot. Now I'm usually competitive, especially if it's wet, but probably one of my favorite races ever wasn't one that I won, but one that I was disqualified for.

Two or three years ago at the Glen, they threw a full course yellow just after the hour mark in the enduro. They finally decided they couldn't clean up the wreckage so they checkered the race under yellow. Since I, and a both of other racers, hadn't done our manditory 5 min stop in the pits, we were all disqualified. So much for a podium ... But the 45-50 minutes at the start were some of the most memorable racing I've ever done. There were 5-6 E stock cars nose-2-tail for those laps. We were all racing for probably 5th thru 10th, but it didn't matter. Every lap I would pass 2 or 3 cars and be passed by 2 or 3 cars in this qroup. Somebody would make the smallest mistake and boom 2 cars were by. I'd get balked by a slower car for just a moment and there be another E car past. For 45 minutes my heartrate must have been pegged. It was totally insane and huge fun. That's what's club racing is about.!

 

Cris Brady's a cool guy.

 

I believe Manny's team is called "Above The Crease Racing".

 

Dave, the checks already in the mail ....

 

Not win???

UNPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You dye your hair pink, post crazy/bizarre things about your droving skill and John H. gives you your own forum for all here to taunt you in

 

It puts the lotion on itself....

 

It drives around the track spewing oil, ignoring the flaggers madly waving every flag in the bag and not noticing the thick billowing smoke

 

Seriously, that story made my day.

The orange haired salad tosser is the gift that keeps on giving.

I CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH HIS PRO CAREER UNFOLD!!!

 

I understand wanting to be competitive but the reality is all you need to do is FINISH your 1st race and that is one in the WIN column! I doubt your first day in DE was anything special, and most out there were faster than you, but you kept plugging away, learning/practicing/reading/asking... Racing is no different in that regard. What I found out in my first race (4/27) was how much I DON'T know.

I haven't been able to stop grinning since getting out of my car following the Enduro on friday...

 

We don't all win, or are all that serious about getting that plastic trophy. Heck, I won my last race and didn't even stay to collect it! My last race in my RX7 (11/05), I pulled it out of storage after 8 months with 2.5 yr old bald tires, drug it to the track, checked the oil and tire pressures (like it mattered) and went out to qualify midpack. I came back from lunch late and started the race at the back AFTER the green flag was dropped! It was still a blast. I drove from way behind, driving off track a couple times on cold tires trying to catch up. I still ended up midpack after some fun passing and the leaders never caught me. It's all about the fun, and that race was more fun than any other.

David

 

I'm surprised these responsive have been as "tame" as they have...I for "won" don't know that I want to be on the track with someone who doesn't even know there lap times from DE to be concerned about how bad they will feel if they don't win

Believe me. You are not as fast as you think. You have way more to learn than you will ever know. As a newbie, it is very unlikely that you will win with any mildly competitive club racers.

This is not meant to be a slam by any means. It is meant to put in perspective what we are doing here. If winning is your criteria for determining your level of enjoyment from our hobby, my guess is that racing is not for you. There are simply too many variables to on any given day to let winning be your measure of success. Good luck to you whatever way you go.

 

i like racing because you get swarmed by grid girls when you get back to the paddock, even if you do not have mad skillz

 

How true TD...the nice part is that you don't really have to win, just buy a suit, walk the paddock and have Race Drover embroidered on the belt.

 

You do have one advantage Randy, You had me for an instructor!!!