Sometimes Memories have to be shared.

     Years ago, when I trained horses in Oklahoma I had a horse friend Janet, who became a horse customer.  We had some great adventures for a while.  Some of my favorite memories are from when I travelled with her.  The good people, good horses, and good memories are what make the horse business worth it. 

    I had a two year old pleasure colt for Janet and I helped her with her driving horse from time to time and we decided to head to Omaha, NE to show at the fall futurities they had at Ak Sar Ben,  For one reason or another we left late and decided to drive up the turnpike go through Kansas City and on into Omaha.  On the way through Topeka there was road construction and we had to detour through town and traffic sucked and we came upon some people picketing.  Keep in mind this would have been in the early 90's and they were holding up signs with sayings on them like "aids is gods punishment for fags" and "death to gays" and such and you guessed.  It was the Westborough Baptist Church.  Well I was looking in my mirror at Janet behind me and I could actually see this incredulous look on her face her mouth was gapped open.   You see Janet was from California and Kansas was a little more far religious right than she had experienced before.  I saw her pick up her phone and I answered and she said where the hell are you taking me,  get me out of here before we get killed.  and we wandered on our way to Omaha.  We both were showing yearling lunge line, various pleasure classes and Pleasure Driving.

My grandparents had driven in to watch us show and we were showing the driving while they were there.  We were both driving stallions and I had a decent go and for some reason Bubba was not in the driving mood that day and Janet was not happy.  We headed out the arena and up the ramp and my grandparents were at the top waiting.  Janet said I'm going to drive and your coming with me.  Now this is where the story actually gets fun.  Instead of un hooking and putting Jess away.  I asked my grandfather if he wanted to ride along.  He climbed in and off we went.  I need to explain at this time that my Grandfather knew how to drive. He had driving working horses when he was younger and when we were growing up he had shetland ponies and they all knew how to drive.  4 in Hand he did parades and such and took us for rides all the time.  We headed out to the track where we werent supposed to be and proceded to drive around it for a good long time.  Grandpa and I in one buggy and Janet in her buggy with me giving her guidance trying to get Bubba to come to the party.  At some point she side to get in her buggy and just drive him so I did.  My grandpa had watched me drive numerous times at shows.  I had never asked him, or even thought to ask him to drive one for me or for any help.  He was just happy to go along.  I quite stupidly asked him if he could "handle" driving Jess and said to just jog around until we finished.  I climbed in with Janet and off we went.  We had driven for a good long while jogging and road gaiting and working on various things and I was absorbed in what I was doing trying to bring Bubba to the party and we started road gaiting around the track.  After a few minutes Janet said dont look now but your grandfather is right behind us.  I hadnt given him a thought after getting in Janets buggy.  When I looked back he was roadgaiting just to our left, leaning back and over the shaft like a pro.  Jess was taking these huge strides with his shoulders up by hes ears pointing his toes, his neck hung out perfect just singing along .  I was crying in seconds.  The person in the world I loved the most driving the horse I loved the most.  It was like a moment frozen in time.   We continued aroud the track at the roadgait a ways basically until I gathered up my composure and then slowed to a jog and watched my Grandfather trot some circles and pivot around on one wheel back in a circle and basically put an a short driving clinic.  Just as matter of fact as breathing.   We headed back to the stalls trying to get there before dark where we found my grandmother sitting on a tack truck waiting patiently like she always did. 

     I have many many great horse show memories but that one will always be my favorite.  I enjoyed showing with Janet very much and feel terrible that we havent kept in touch better.I've never had the chance or taken the time until now to thank her for that moment.  If Bubba handn't been a dick, and she hadn't been frustrated I never would have had the opportunity to share driving with my grandpa.    Time and life get in the way and keep us from taking the time to do and say some of the things that we should. 

The Soul of America.

The Soul of America

     Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Michael Bloomberg and the rest of the Democrats have all used the phrase they are fighting for the soul of America.  True words.  The problem is they seem to have forgotten  what the soul of America is. 

     They are quick to judge and say that Republicans and Trump supporter are Deplorable, less Educated, ignorant, dont have college educations.  Just their very statements should be example enough of why we should be afraid of electing them.  We elect them.  They work for us. They are not there to impose their ideas and beliefs on us.  They are their with the express responsibility to govern as we see fit.  They have forgotten what the soul of America is.

Republicans and Trump supporters may very well be less educated than their Democratic counterparts.  So be it.  If believing in the American Dream, that America supplies the opportunity for you to live your best life.  To Work hard enough to find your American dream.  To live in a country where you can own a gun, either for protection or to hunt or as a private collector.  To live in a country where we can earn enough money to pay a reasonable amount for health care and insurance and be able to purchase a home.  To live in a country where we can enjoy hobbies, camping, racing, horses, hiking, etc.  To live in a country where we can have Choices on how we live our lives. 

The American dream does not include making enough money to pay for others to recieve free health care. It does not include making enough money to pay for other people to attend college and make bad life choices.  It does not include letting the government take our hard earned money and give it to those who refuse to be responsible for their own bad decisions.  The American dream does allow for us to make enough money to donate to causes that are near and dear to our hearts.  Which will all come to an end when the government takes that money and makes those choices for us.  Free health care due to catastrophic illness due to cancer or disease is one thing.  Free health care due to ones bad life choices is something entiely different altogether.  I already have to pay a premium due to other peoples poor life choices while I was growing up, I dont intend to spend more money for others peoples poor life choices now. 

According to the World Giving Index the United States ranks Second in the most benevolent countries in the world.  Seems to me that we do a pretty good job of giving money to the less fortunate already. 

When the Democrats talk about being in a fight to save the soul of America they are most definitely correct.   The problem is they are the ones that are trying to steal the soul of America and turn us into a welfare country.  They would be perfectly happy iif the U.S. turned into one giant slum filled with happy yet ignorant individuals educated by a system with lower standards, giving no time to cover the history of this country so that we can continue to evolve by looking back on our past mistakes. 

This is probably the most important election of my lifetime.  Win or lose I do not intend to let the government and racist, bigoted, single minded individuals take my civil rights away from me. 

America's Racism Problem

     I have been trying to avoid stating my opinion about this race problem we are having, but after the last two mass shootings, I think its time.  

     America didnt have a problem with racism until Barack Obama was elected and declared things are going to be different in America now.  That was true, and he saw to it.  The media chimed right in and for 8 years we became a nation manipulated by ones mans anger.  Anger that his black father abandoned him with his white mother.  To be raised by a very affluent and influential family.  He started his presidency against gay marriage and then changed his mind seeking votes.  You fell for it.  He said " if I had a son, he could be Trayvon"  That is a lie,  he would never have allowed his son to be walking home after 9pm through the projects.  His daughters have had a private education their whole lives.  He made the police out to villians every time they shot a suspect.  No matter how bad the crime, how bad the non compliance of the suspect the police we at fault.  He came from a city with the highest crime rate in the country.  So bad that they choose not to disclose black on black violence in there published crime figures.  In every speech he gave he decried the plight of the black American and how white people are oppressing them.  The country and the rest of us were made to feel that if we disagreed with the media and Obama we were racist.  He spent 8 years trying to convince mainstream America that White People owed Black People.  The gay community upon finally achieving equal rights laws has continued to push and push their own agenda.  Using litigation to try and force acceptance on anybody who refuses to bow to their beliefs.  

    Enter Donald Trump.  The man the media said has a less than 2% chance of getting elected.  He is brash, rude, crude socially unacceptable by 100% of the left.  Totally not politically correct.  He also doesn't give one shit if anybody likes him or not.  He is an unabashed Nationalist.  The lefts open repugnance of Trump leads them to systematically block every move he makes.  They use every shooting, every foreign conflict, every drop in the stop market, every military action as an opportunity to wail about what a racist White supremacist his is.  The left is pushing so hard against equality and declaring any white American a racist.  

     This is not the country I grew up in.  I love this country.  I love Memorial day, Labor day, the Fourth of July.  Columbus day, southern History, etc.  Where I grew up we used to have a huge 4th of July parade.  Fireworks.  a Water cannon contest between two fire crews from different fire stations.  People used to wave American flags and follow the parade and be proud to be an American.  I grew up seeing bumper stickers on cars that declared.  "America, Love it or Leave it"  Normal everyday Americans of every color are under attack daily by the media, Hollywood, the Democrats, Illegal Aliens, Universities, the Millennial. and Foreign countries who are unhappy with our new Nationalism.  Everyone not a Democrat is labeled a racist, a bigot, a white supremacist, a Nazi.  

     I believe some of the latest mass shootings are because of fear.  Fear that our very way of life here in America is going to be taken from us.  Fear that jobs, health care, food, cars, everything that we enjoy as Americans will disappear.  Simple people who have trouble expressing themselves feel they have to way to cope except to cope with violence.  Ive said it before.  Be careful how hard you push because the push back is usually much worse.  

The Gentleman Racer

     I have been thinking about writing this particular piece for a long time.  Since last November actually.  At first I thought it wasn't my place.  Then I thought maybe if I discussed some of my thoughts someone in a more prominent position in the racing community would take up the cause, but I finally realized that nobody was going to say anything and it was time I took the time to express my thoughts. 

    I have been involved in racing for over 10 years now with two clubs. This is an opinion piece and in no way includes the views or opinions of the management of the clubs that I race with I have not consulted with either of them before writing this.  When I say racing, I mean  actual door to door racing.  This piece deals specifically with door to door racing.  I don't participate in Hot Laps, or HPDE enough to entertain having an opinion.   Each club has its own particular attributes.  Some good some bad.  Each approach racing their own way.  In the last 10 years I have seen a marked decline in the Gentleman part of Gentleman racer. 

     That's what we are supposed to be.  Amateur Gentleman racers.  Lets be honest.  Nobody is graduating to the ranks of professional making enough of an income to live on, nobody gets tires, gas, repairs, or sponsorship at the local club level to even entertain the thought that you're a professional.  When I first started there were respected racers with years of experience and a wealth of talent that guided the race group.  Not from an actual position of group management, but from more of a position of mentorship or fatherly advice.  Chad Nelson, Don Uhler, and Mark Alger  seemed to be the guiding hand that kept the race group under control.  They were fast, respected, consistent, safe and when they took the time to talk during a race group meeting or in the paddock during a race weekend people listened. 

     When I first started racing I was getting my ass kicked at the starts of the race.  To the point where I was frustrated and complained to one of the officials that one talented racer was jumping the start every race.  Basically video was used to make me look like an ass and I deserved it.  The other thing that happened was Chad told me how to start a race.  What to look for, what to do in the car and how not to make a mistake.  Those three gentlemen also took the time to see that I learned to make good racing decisions, to be humble and to work on my race craft always. 

     What I have witnessed this last 12 months and specifically since November both on track and watching multiple videos of our races and racing incidents  has made me realize that its time that somebody, I chose myself, should speak up.  I have had contact with 1 car in 10 years due to me running into the back of a car that was running out of gas in front of me.  When one individual has been involved in three racing incidents since November, and another has mechanical breakdowns every-time on track its time to take notice.  You see,  we all pay to race together.  The same amount.  We are spending the same on gas, tires, entry fees, travel to the track, food etc.  When some individuals  through their own negligence don't maintain their cars, they cost us track time.  When some individuals are involved in on track incidents three times in 6 months, they are causing damage to cars other than their own, and putting other racers in danger. 

     The other issue that has become a glaring problem is blatant cheating at the start of a race, or passing late going into a corner going two or four wheels off to make a pass.  When the car being passed needs to take evasive action to keep from being hit, That might as well be blatant cheating as well.  Consistent erratic driving, failing to drive a racing line, changing lines drastically throughout corners, swerving towards other cars while being passed and continually blocking faster cars is not only disrespectful, its talent-less racing, and above all its dangerous to other racers and yourself.

     At the start of a race drivers are required to stay two by two in line until the green flag waves.  Slightly moving one way or another to see the starter is totally different than getting completely out of line and getting a jump on everyone else.  Blaming your make and model of race car on your inability to run fast lap times and maintain the racing line is nothing more that an excuse for your lack of driving talent and total lack of respect for the very people, and the club you are racing with.  Not racing cleanly does not make you a winner.  It makes you a bad driver. 

     There are racing rules written or unwritten that need to be followed.  On track contact REQUIRES  that you report it to the race director.   EVERY racer needs to have at least one camera in the car during the race.  It can clear you if you honestly believe you are not at fault, and more than anything else is allows you to study your racing when the weekend is over.

     Please don't think that I believe that I am the best racer out there.  I certainly am not.  I have competed in one form or another my entire life and pride myself on knowing just exactly where I rank.  Being a Gentleman racer comes with some responsibility, to your fellow racers, to the club you are racing with, and to yourself.  I intend to marshal other respected individuals into helping me in guiding the race group into the future.  You see I have a choice to make.  Keep quiet and keep  my opinions to myself, or work to make sure that the hobby that I have grown to love so much continues to grow and be available for myself and others in the future. 

Joe Biden is Exactly Right

     Joe Biden announced his run for Presidency.  When making the announcement he made the statement that this election is about the soul of America.  He is exactly correct.  While making his announcement he took the opportunity to incite racial discourse right from the start.  Blaming the Trump administration for current events instead of taking responsibility for his own previous administration for shaping the events to come in the future. 

     The 2020 election is most definitely about the soul of America and her future stature in the world.  Americans are going to have to choose between fighting for the constitution and all the beliefs that our forefathers fought so hard for.  We have to choose to fight for our economy, our wages, our homes and our industry or giving our very way of life to be dictated by popular views from failing countries.  An intelligent search of the web will bring you news of economies failing in Britain, and Norway, and France.  Socialist Democracies with skyrocketing health care costs on top of Nurse and Doctor shortages.  We only have to look to our own state of California to see how devastating those policies are.  Exceedingly high taxes, a shrinking population, shrinking industry, skyrocketing fuel and health care prices. An education system that is completely broken.  A farming industry slowly being chocked to death by government intervention.  Industry and Economic policies that are slowly shrinking the tax base and income.  The largest percentage of homeless people in the country.  Cities that were once flourishing economies now filing for bankruptcy. 

     We have an  education system that is not only woefully behind, but also disgustingly expensive and partisan.  We have government intervention in raising our children.  We have a Congress that wants to give themselves a raise and fund it by increasing the estate tax.  Parents work hard to build those estates with the very belief that they will be left to their heirs.  They have already payed exorbitant taxes while building their estates and taxing and taking them from their heirs is wrong. 

    We have the chance to stand up to big government and stop the assault on business and industry.  We need to promote higher education with emphasis on technical skills, and vocational education.  A population with an emphasis on Liberal Arts degrees is partly what has gotten us into this situation in the first place.  Not everyone can be in an industry with a white collar job. 

    And Finally, We are fighting to keep our very American way of life.  Our failed immigration policies are literally going to destroy this country by lowering our standard of living to that of third world countries.  We are allowing an entire population into our country with no place to live, no job, no English language skills, no health care, and no education.

    Joe Biden is right we are in a fight for the very soul of America.  We are in jeopardy of losing the very country that our forefathers fought so hard to build.  Donald Trump is not the big joke in America, our elected Congress, and Senate is.  Our media is. 

     We have allowed a past president to breed discourse and hate and segregation and racism in this country do to his own inadequacies about his heritage, and his childhood.  We have allowed a past president to run amok with racist comments and false guilt.  We allowed a past president to bring shame on the American public. 

    Joe Biden is exactly correct when he says the very sole of America is at stake.  Its time to vote.  To speak, to defend ourselves, to fight for the very way of life that we have struggled for.  The fight is just beginning.  We need to be diligent, and vocal and literate and never stop making our voices be heard.  If we don't we will find ourselves with no voices at all. 

An Unlikely Brand Ambassador

     This weekend was a new experience for me.  It started as a typical race weekend with ProAutoSports, but turned into a 4.5 hour 13 session marathon.  I never gave that a thought when the weekend started.  I just slogged through and frankly had a great time doing it.  Sometimes, very often life is everything about who the people you are surrounded by. 

      You all know that I had back surgery exactly two months ago.  The photo above\ starting from the right.  My Neurosurgeon Dr. Abdulhamid,  His office manager Lina, from Royal Spine Surgery, of course the Shrek is me, Her oldest son, her youngest son and his friend, and The office manager from his other surgery office.  They were there because Doc has been on track before with various rent a ride experiences.  Lina's sons are interested in racing and I offered to entertain them if they came to the track.  Not pictured is a gentleman who works in the front office for the Miami Dolphins.  Ex College football player and we were quite a site both of us big carcasses stuffed into the Vette.  Doc and the rest of the group had no idea that we actually raced door to door before the weekend.  They just assumed we did laps for fun and time. 

      With this surgery being my second, I have attempted to obey all the rules this time.  Not lifting too much weight, no twisting, exercise, and I have been going to physical therapy.  The first time I thought I was active enough that I didn't need physical therapy.  This time by going I have learned just exactly how wrong I was.  Currently I have some stiffness.  No pain.  Even after climbing in and out of the car all day long for two days.  The bone jarring that goes on pounding the curbs and the tight back and forth of the ProAutoSports Configuration on Wild Horse Pass main track.  I still am pain free.  I think part of the reason that they came to watch was to see if club road racing was really all I said it would be.  Basically I spent the weekend being a brand ambassador for ProAutoSports and I thank them very much for allowing me to race, and drive all those sessions giving joy rides. 

     I don't know how to just give a track ride.  My lap times were basically the same during the ride along as they were while in race group.  I hope that every one feels the exhilaration that I do while on track.  I love driving the main track.  It was the place where I had my first on track experience and Pete Creek was my instructor.  He has a way of making every lap more fun that the last.  Confident and relaxing and amazing fun all at the same time.  I try very much to do the same for my students and those that I give a ride to.  This was the first time for Brian to drive the main track without including the Bondurant track.  Its so much faster at the end of the main straight and the carousel is so fast.  Brian did his usual awesome job.  He learned the track quickly and while he didn't feel comfortable enough to race because it was his first time there, those walls on the drag strip can be quite intimidating when lined up door to door for the start of a race. 

     It was fun showing Doc how successful that my surgery was.  He has a Porsche Cayman S and while he will be in Europe for the next event.  I am pretty sure he will be on track before the end of the year.  Time for the shameless plug.  If you are having back pain.  The kind that is keeping you from living a full life.  Give the staff at Royal Spine Surgery a call and see if they can give you your life back like they did me. 

From the worst day to the best

     This weekend we raced at Arizona Motorsports Park,  normally one of my favorite tracks.  Its big, wide, safe,  and fast.  There was no reason for me to not have a good time.  Except one.  No Hannibal.  I know it's been a month, and I know I am supposed to be an adult, but everything is different about my life now.  Everyday and every routine has changed.  Specifically on race day we had a routine.  Out the garage door while I would put the last of my stuff in the truck and the Hannibal would try and piss on as many tires on the truck as possible before he would growl at me while I picked him up and put him on the back seat.  I always put him on the back seat because I knew it pissed him off and before I even got out of the drive way he would be whining at me to jump up to the center console.  When I finally let him up there, which usually only took a few minutes.  He would lay down and snuggle against me as I rubbed him on the back of his head.  He would go with me to the drivers meeting and to go and get lunch.  He had his own set of buddies where ever we went.  Some people like the Hannibal considerably better than me.  I spent the whole day in a funk and frankly the only reason that I did not just go back home is because I said I would instruct.  

Truthfully for me it was my worst day at the track.  

   Thankfully Sunday started bright and sunny from the moment the alarm went off because Brian was excited to go and get on track.  The plan was for him to practice and qualify and I would do the qualifying race and the main Cup race.  I have wanted him to move up to race group, and we have been talking about it for some time so I decided if he was getting along with the car after his two sessions I would ask him if he wanted to do the qualifying race as well.  I am a stickler for using my tires up before we put new ones on so I raced on Saturday using a completely WORTHLESS set of Toyo R888R's  they still had some tread on them, but they were like driving a dump truck on ice.  

My best lap time was a 1.58 and some change.  I put on an old set of Nitto's for Brian to practice.  He hated them and wanted to put a different set on but he was still faster than I was the day before.  For Qualifying and the Qualifying race we put on a set of Continental slicks.  They were new when we bought them, they were not very sticky but they stayed consistent until they were completely corded.  They were probably not the most optimum tire for the car but they got the job done for three weekends.  

 Brian qualified 2nd in class and 6th overall.  Which was good for the tires and he was again faster than before.  He ran within a half second of his fastest time at AMP.  When qualifying was over is sprung my idea on him that he should drive the car in the qualifying race.  I told the guys racing around him that it would be his first time and he and I discussed how things might go.  He did awesome.  He got a little too big a gap between himself and the car in front of him, but Tom Hutchins stayed even with him and he got a good side by side start when they waved the green flag.  The Silver supercharged brick passed them both by going two off when they waved the green flag but after that t was just a matter of running fast consistent laps.  He gained a spot when one car went off track and he lost it back when he went wide and went off track.  I knew it was coming because he was starting to catch the car in front of him and I knew the tires were at their limit.  He finished with a huge smile on his face and proclaimed the tires were done.  Yes in fact all of them were corded in some spot.  We changed tires for the third time to a slightly used set of Nitto Nt01's for me to run the cup race on.  

 I had the best race that I'd had in a while.  The car was fast, and solid as it can get.  I had great fun Chasing the supercharged silver brick and made a bad choice working through lapped traffic and got passed by a BMW.  Everything is different now that Brian is racing the car as well.  It was the best day for me. I also ran my fastest time ever at AMP.  I dont know when I have been this happy and it gives me the added incentive I needed to get fast again.  When you are part of a team you have to hold up your end of the bargain.  As I said before I never imagined that I would have a partner that I would be able to share my passions with.  

It was an awesome day.  There is nothing like close racing and having your peers come over and shake hands and talk about how close and how much fun the racing was.  Learning race craft and growing into somebody that is competent is a really great feeling.  

I cannot wait for him to get some more seat time and we cant wait until next month when we get to race at WHP main track.