But I’m Afraid My
Girlfriend Might think I Look Stupid because I’m New at This!
The truth of the matter is,
she already thinks you look stupid because she
has seen how you drive. Go ahead and admit it, you're just like the rest of
us used to be, a need for speed and you want to impress your friends and
girlfriend. But at the same time, you think you may look "Not so
skilled" if
you let them see you at the track. It's probably the fear of the unknown
also. I was afraid that if I went to the track that I would wreck my brand
new Viper and then I would really feel dumb, so the next best thing was to
drive it fast where I thought it was safe......on the freeway, right,
......WRONG. Like I said, it was the fear of the unknown. The truth of the
matter is you are not going to do a big burn out on to the track and then
head into a corner at over 100 mph and then get passed by some guy in a
formula car. On the contrary, you will start off the morning meeting your
instructor and go to a drivers meeting. Then you will head off on a "Ride
Along" around the track so that you will get a general idea of what the
track
looks like. Later, you will drive your car with an instructor in the
passenger seat at a slow rate of speed and NO ONE will be passing you. You
will be learning "THE LINE" and braking and shifting points. No one
will be
asking you to impress them with your "heel and toe" abilities or how
well
your car will do a four wheel drift around a corner. What you will be doing
is getting the feel of what it feels like to use all of the track and how
simple it is to ask questions of your mentor or instructor. Before long you
will be out on the track (when you feel ready) by your self familiarizing
yourself with both the line and the track. Later the passing will come and
only when it is safe and at first only in the straight a ways. Everything has
it's place and time and learning to drive your car safely and quickly is no
different, you will learn how to "GO SLOW" before you learn "TO
GO FAST." By
the way, girlfriends are more impressed by a guy that learns to be a
"BETTER"
driver than one that "NEVER LEARNS" to be a better driver. Just like
when you
were born, you had to learn to crawl before you walk, well it's no different
on a racetrack, once you master the basics, then you take the next step. So
after all this, why wait, you don't even need a fast car, so why worry about
what class or what type of car you are going to race, just learn the basics
and by being around the track and the other racers, all the rest will fall
into place.
Have fun and stay safe, Gary Faules #44 PS2