That time of year again.
It’s that exciting time of year. Things are starting to happen. It’s the most mentally taxing to me, because I have no idea how we are going to do on Friday. I know what I want to do, and that’s win. I want to win every race I run, and that’s just my competitive nature. The uncertainty that this time of year brings always brings out the nerves in me. I know that our car is in good shape, and I know the work we’ve done in the off season should prevent any disasters. I don’t know how I am going to do though, and I don’t know what everyone else is going to do. When the cars hit the track, its a free for all and I don’t think anyone can predict what is going to happen.
The romantic language I use helps convey my apprehension. It’s not really that bad, and there are logical ways to break down the chaos. But in the end no amount of thinking will calm my nerves, especially when I am sitting on the grid waiting to get out on the track. It’s not that bad. I think every racer has experienced them at one time or another. It’s all a part of this thing we call racing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I always have this moment on the backstretch before we go green, where I think to myself, “am I really doing this?” The answer has always been yes.
Three days to go.
There are only three days left until I race for the first time this year. Plenty of work needs to be done between now and then, but we are ready. We have done far more in far less time. I am as ready as I will ever be, with a great team behind me, and the blessings we get daily. On Monday we prepared tires. I taught Nate, our greenhorn crew member how we grind our tires. In total we did eight of them, in short enough to be dangerous. While our rear end gets re-built, dad is also having the carburetor tuned by a local racing guru. Everything that has happened this week has given me confidence that we will be dangerous at the track. As always, no matter the confidence, the nerves are still there.