News - Modified Production Number 8
Cathy's first race meeting - Charlton Raceway - 7/11/09
It was a mixture of nerves and excitement when we arrived at the track for my first race meeting. I was also wondering if I was crazy to think that I could race in a Modified Production race, but given that that is the class that Rodney races in, and I really wanted to have another run in a race car, I didn't really have a choice. It was either this or miss out. It's been almost 8 years since I raced, and that was in Division 2 bombers, so this was a huge step out of my league, but Rodney was so encouraging and supportive. It was time to swap rolls - me in the car and Rodney on the bank with the kids, videoing the racing. I figured my worst fear was that I wouldn't keep up with the pace, so my goals going into the night were to: A. Finish each race; B. Not damage the car; and C. To try and keep up - to not finish last would be like winning to me.
I started off the rear in all the heats. Heat 1 saw an extremely greasy track, reminiscent of the old "bomber" days. It was a struggle to get any traction, and to keep the car from spinning out, and going into turn 3 with the sun blinding you and hitting the wettest part of the track wasn't all that fun. I stayed on the lead lap to finish 5th.
Heat 2 and the track was better, but turn 3/4 was still quite wet, especially on the pole line. Super Sedan driver, Colin Hockley gave me a last-minute pep talk telling me to go high to fly, but I was still a little cautious of turn 3/4. I was able to capitalise on a mistake from Kerry Lack when he went too high in turn 1/2 and got underneath him and made up a place to finish 6th. My first passing move!
Heat 3 was a fast track. It was smooth and fast...it was an awsome track. I did struggle to keep up with the pace, though I did manage to keep the back of the pack in sight. I was a little worried at that stage how I'd keep up with the feature race pace.
I was allowed to start out of my position based on points for the feature race, so I started out of 9th with a few cars behind me. To be in the middle of the action was a little daunting at first, but when the green light comes on and everyone was going flat-out into turn one, I wasn't going to give in easily. I lost a spot on the start to Spider (Shane Dennis) and was under challenge from Travis Barron for the first few laps. I was able to hold onto my spot and in a few laps got underneath Kerry Lack and then had to close the distance to Darren Ciesiolka. Rodney's only advice to me was to either go high or go low, but don't go in the slick stuff. I found a nice groove down low where the car was quick, although I was a little worried at times that if I got any lower on the track I'd be racing on the infield - a favourite spot of Rodney's! I closed the gap to Darren Ciesiolka and got underneath him in turn 1/2. I stayed in that position till 2 laps to go, when I put the car exactly where Rodney said not to in turn 1/2, right in the middle of the slick line, and had a half spin. Travis Barron was close enough to capitalise on my mistake and I had to settle for following him home in 9th place. Trappy (the race leader - had a huge gap on the rest of the field) got around me with 4 laps to go and Nathan & Shane Mac (2nd & 3rd) were right behind me on the finish line. I was stoked - I figured I'd get lapped twice in a 20 lap feature race, but I'd managed to keep up better than I expected, and I passed some cars, so I didn't finish last, I felt like a winner!
Thanks to our sponsors The Open Range, NB Refrigeration, S & S Genrich Painting Contractors for all their support this season and thanks to my sister-in-law Lisa and Jo Ernst for their encouragement and for sitting with the boys. I need to say a HUGE thankyou to Rodney for being so encouraging and supportive, and for being so generous to step out of the car so that I could have a run. He encouraged me and had faith in me even when I didn't. I may have been way off the pace of the big guns - Trappy & the Macs, but gee I had a blast!!
During the race meeting I was feeling quite under the weather, feeling sick and very weak and weary, but put it all down to nerves. I woke up Sunday morning covered in chicken pox, so now I wonder, could I have possibly done a little better in the race car if I was feeling 100%. Hmmmm.. I can't wait for the next race meeting to find out!! I will hopefully get another run on December 12 at Charlton.
Cathy