Heyo - No where does a clock move more slowly than during the off-season; unless of course you're not ready to go racing - then it's one fast SOB! Today marks 30 days until testing; February 28. Somehow between now and that magic day, I need to convince my boss that it's a good idea to let me have two consecutive Fridays and a Thursday off with the possibility of a late Monday morning the day after the March Meet. No mean feat considering what's going on at work, but that's another story and quite boring to boot. My current job is to make things happen there and to button up this first quarter so I can go racing without anyone riding my butt about work. I'm close to accomplishing this - thank you, God.
So the last time I spewed forth a post, I discussed the necessary ingredients for a winning race crew. Long winded for sure - as is all of this, but hey, that's what passion is all about....obsessive overkill. Anywhoooo; we are down a cylinder head guy. We nearly had a new replacement that we were all giddy over, but for whatever reason, he wasn't making the call. After three attempts to demonstrate his commitment and ability to do what he said he was going to do; it didn't work. Kind of a bummer, because he's a cool guy and most likely knows his shit - no judgement, I get it; I'm just bummed because it would have been a lot of fun with him on the team. So Ronnie and Huggy are talking to other potential guys and hopefully they'll land someone who has the same passion as the rest of us to do this deal.
Since the last time I checked in, the car has received; two, brand new, back wheels - they are frickin' gorgeous, too! Blue insets that'll match the paint and black wells - serious beauty. Additionally, new gunmetal valve covers have been added with a new set of heads arriving any day. The valve train has been upgraded, racks are being built, and pit needs like flooring and a solvent sink are being addressed. My job is to meet up with the guy here locally that wants to sponsor us in a minor capacity and seal the deal. We hope to gain a few thousand dollars over the course of the season to help finance this venture. We'll be selling t-shirts in the pits this year and I need to get this ball rolling now so we're ready by testing to sell. A portion of the profits will go into the Horan Racing Crew Refreshment Fund. (HRCRF) Donations graciously accepted.
I've been told to be ready for an entirely different year come the end of February. I'm ready for some hard work, long hours, greasy clothes, bad food, even worse language, frustrating times and many, many good memories. I'm one of the luckiest people on the face of the planet and I'm going for all it's worth...see ya in the staging lanes.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Team Chemistry
Without question, January is the most difficult month in racing. Primarily because we aren't racing and everyone is itching to do so. This is the month where lots of little, off-season preparations are being handled. Parts and supply inventories are being tallied; new equipment is being brought on (if budgets allow); and team commitments are finalized.
Since what we do is nearly all-volunteer; considerations have to be made for real-world jobs and obligations. Unfortunately, many of these get in the way of racing and when they do changes to personnel on a team take place. Team chemistry isn't something that you can go and buy OTS; it takes awhile for everyone to get to know each other and gel with the pace and work styles. It's a delicate balance that is either there, or it's not - similar to dating, but way more important.
The single most important component in any team is commitment level. Everyone needs to be focused on the same outcome at the same level - ALL IN!! If you have half-assed commitment; then you're going to have a half-assed team and no one wins. Passion other than drag racing falls into this category; drinking, fighting, other forms of "f'ing"; we could add to this list based on the individual, but you get what I'm saying. Bad ju-ju if you come to win races....
Then there are the challenges that come in the form of unavoidable, external circumstances that are just a part of life, but interfere with the task at hand. Bosses, relationships, bills, alimony, child support, mortgages....need I continue? This is where you have an opportunity to support your boy by letting him blow off steam, complain about the ol' lady, whatever.
It all comes down to the individual team. It helps (a lot) if everyone likes and enjoys spending time with the other people they're working with day to day. A weekend of racing can be six consecutive days of 12 to 16 (and sometimes more) hours every day. You have to have skin thicker than an elephant, an ability to laugh at yourself, but mostly at others; forgive a slight but never a prank and don't ever, ever, ever let your team down. If you tell them that you'll be there - by God, you better be there - doing what you said you would - exactly when you said you would. If another team badmouths one of your boys; you better be prepared to kill that MF'r. It doesn't matter if your boy just kicked his grandmother - not saying it's right, just saying you have to have his back and be willing to take an ass-kicking for him. Fortunately that doesn't happen too often, but you'll know when you have to do it.
The biggest single factor is trust. I trust that you will do your job and you trust that I will do mine. We'll do it correctly and we'll check each other's work because we want our driver to be safe and our race car to be fast and get the job done.
I didn't even get to tell you about the changes that are taking place in our camp! Well I guess I'll just have to save that for another time.....
Since what we do is nearly all-volunteer; considerations have to be made for real-world jobs and obligations. Unfortunately, many of these get in the way of racing and when they do changes to personnel on a team take place. Team chemistry isn't something that you can go and buy OTS; it takes awhile for everyone to get to know each other and gel with the pace and work styles. It's a delicate balance that is either there, or it's not - similar to dating, but way more important.
The single most important component in any team is commitment level. Everyone needs to be focused on the same outcome at the same level - ALL IN!! If you have half-assed commitment; then you're going to have a half-assed team and no one wins. Passion other than drag racing falls into this category; drinking, fighting, other forms of "f'ing"; we could add to this list based on the individual, but you get what I'm saying. Bad ju-ju if you come to win races....
Then there are the challenges that come in the form of unavoidable, external circumstances that are just a part of life, but interfere with the task at hand. Bosses, relationships, bills, alimony, child support, mortgages....need I continue? This is where you have an opportunity to support your boy by letting him blow off steam, complain about the ol' lady, whatever.
It all comes down to the individual team. It helps (a lot) if everyone likes and enjoys spending time with the other people they're working with day to day. A weekend of racing can be six consecutive days of 12 to 16 (and sometimes more) hours every day. You have to have skin thicker than an elephant, an ability to laugh at yourself, but mostly at others; forgive a slight but never a prank and don't ever, ever, ever let your team down. If you tell them that you'll be there - by God, you better be there - doing what you said you would - exactly when you said you would. If another team badmouths one of your boys; you better be prepared to kill that MF'r. It doesn't matter if your boy just kicked his grandmother - not saying it's right, just saying you have to have his back and be willing to take an ass-kicking for him. Fortunately that doesn't happen too often, but you'll know when you have to do it.
The biggest single factor is trust. I trust that you will do your job and you trust that I will do mine. We'll do it correctly and we'll check each other's work because we want our driver to be safe and our race car to be fast and get the job done.
I didn't even get to tell you about the changes that are taking place in our camp! Well I guess I'll just have to save that for another time.....
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
2014 Championship Starts TODAY!
I started getting jacked yesterday I think, after I had a chance to speak with Huggy about the work being performed on the car. Shawn and Carl were doing some work in the hauler and Ronnie was doing something in relation to the headers. I could tell immediately that this year is going to be stepped up and it is on.
Unfortunately, we found out that Rupert and Hale are both running the full IHRA circuit this season. It didn't come as a surprise because that's where the big money is right now. I was just bummed to know that we won't be facing them at every meet. Both teams will be at Bakersfield; like everyone else in the nitro nostalgia racing universe, but Rupert may run two cars.
Testing begins in 58 days at Famoso. Open MM testing falls over the weekend of February 28, March 1 and 2, this year. So far, rain has been practically non-existent, but once again we're talking about the March Meet in Bakersfield. I'll start monitoring the long range trends later this month, but for now, it's too early to freak out over anything.
So for the next 50-something days, we'll all be working towards completing our lists of parts to get and things to be repaired, watching the message boards a little bit closer and making final preparations to unleash the beast that none of us can tame, much less keep at bay. The 2014 NHRA Heritage Series Championship in nitro funny car should be highly competitive. Lots of new comers to the ranks as well as many of the familiar faces that we faced last year; no matter what - we'll hit it with everything we got and hope when the clutch dust settles - we're hoisting that dust collector instead of the guys in the other lane. Let's Boogie........
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