SLUF
03-26-2007, 11:12 AM
This is from an article I have written for a couple of national club publications. I seem to be having problems getting the pictures associated with the document to attach so if anyone could help me out with that I'd appreciate it.
<div align="center">A DREAM FULFILLED
</div>By: BUD SCOTT
I have always been a car/motorsports junkie for my entire life. Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s my heroes were men with the last names of Unser, Foyt, Andretti, Stewart, Allison, Petty, and others of the era. Media coverage of the day meant waiting on delayed reports in Road & Track or a few snippets on Wide World of Sports. I just knew someday I could go racing too!
Fast forward to August of 1981. I had a friend that continuously bugged me about this motorsport called “autocross”. Did it once and was hooked (addicted!) for life. It seemed to me this could be the entry path to my dream. As usual life seemed to get in the way of getting my dream off the ground. Four children later I thought my dream would never become a reality. I continued to participate in autocross activities and even built a Pro Rally car or two along the way keeping my dream alive but still just a little beyond my reach. Pro Rally proved the closest to my goal but still wasn’t wheel to wheel combat in close quarters as my heroes had done at Monte Carlo, Indianapolis, Daytona, or Sebring. I did make all the children enter autocross events to sharpen their street skills. My youngest, a son (Trey), was also a hope for me to possibly participate along with me one day in the pursuit of my dream.
Fall of 2006 proved to be the commitment point of making my dream a reality. I had a BMW 318i with which I was participating in track days and other activities. This fueled my desire even greater to make my dream a reality. No turning back, the decision was made to enter the St. Louis Region’s spring driver school and race in March of 2007. My son suggested he needed to be involved as well. We decided to rent a car for him as the RX-7 under construction was not ready. I didn’t think about him being entered too much but that would come later. The BMW spent the winter months getting some final race car touches in preparation for the event. I located by chance another BMW in a faster class that was available for rent and committed the funds required. Once again, no turning back!
All preparations completed we arrived trackside with both cars and much apprehension. I had been on this very track in all kinds of conditions and logged many miles at track days. I was only a mess with Trey being involved! He only recently mastered the skill of shifting a manual transmission in a street car and I was understandably nervous how a 16 year old would cope with all the pressure of this event. The weather did not contribute to the situation as day one was off and on rain and terrible humidity making life in the cars pretty miserable for most entrants.
Trey had many difficulties in the morning sessions and spun off course numerous times. He could not get the car started after several of these excursions and was flat towed back in. After one of these offs I could tell his frustration was mounting. It was time for dad to step in and give him a pep talk. His instructors also sensed this and had beaten me to the punch by the time I pulled in from the session. We made a few changes to the car to get some more grip in the wet. I also decided I would just throw away my next session and have Trey follow me around the track at a reduced pace. I figured this would inspire some confidence in him and he agreed it would be more comfortable following me. It worked! My son sprang to life behind the wheel of that Bimmer! I had him hitting the wet line on track and getting faster with each passing lap. As track conditions improved his confidence level soared. We finished the session and broke for lunch. At the next afternoon session we discussed a similar plan. Trey would follow me around for three or so laps and then I would cut loose to focus on my own problems of learning how to race. During this session is when my racing epiphany happened.
I was working the track hard learning how to deal with traffic and passing techniques when I caught sight of Trey just ahead before the oval and front straight. I closed on his bumper to a foot or so. We both made eye contact and he just floored it. We passed beneath the starter’s stand and it hit me. I was on a road race course at triple digit speeds drafting my son! Words really cannot do justice to the feelings that overwhelmed me. I kind of paused momentarily but then turned the race car driver back on as I dove under him going into turn one for the pass. At that moment I decided my life was complete. Somehow I knew how the great Dale must have felt watching his son duel it out at Daytona for those brief moments before he made the ultimate victory lap. When we returned home for the evening I think it may have been the first time my wife saw me get pretty emotional. Grown men really shouldn’t do this in front of their spouses where race cars are concerned. It is after all a macho thing is it not?
The weekend could not have progressed any better. The weather cleared up and the track conditions were fast. I monitored Trey’s progression with a little more jaundiced eye as his lap times were now getting near mine. Uh-oh! Just to prove he knew the score he managed to cut me off at Gateway’s turn 2, turn 6, and turn 7 all in the same lap while holding me at bay through the infield complex. Fast learner this kid! I watched him from afar and through his instructors this kid growing into a young man before my eyes in the most unlikely of places, a Midwestern race track.
Race day on Sunday was the culmination of the school’s activities. My entire family with the exception of daughter number 2 was in the paddock to watch father and son race. I WAS GOING TO RACE A RACE CAR ON TRACK WITH OTHER CARS AND MY SON! The race proved to be everything I thought and dreamed it would be. Even daughter number 2 was involved by cell phone as Kitty (my wife) held up the phone and said “There goes your dad, there goes Trey”. I was happy!
Sometimes in life we dream and wonder what if. Sometimes we wonder about different life choices and how that would affect our lot in life. Sometimes, in a glorious twist of fate and circumstances and opportunity, we get to live our dream!
<div align="center">A DREAM FULFILLED
</div>By: BUD SCOTT
I have always been a car/motorsports junkie for my entire life. Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s my heroes were men with the last names of Unser, Foyt, Andretti, Stewart, Allison, Petty, and others of the era. Media coverage of the day meant waiting on delayed reports in Road & Track or a few snippets on Wide World of Sports. I just knew someday I could go racing too!
Fast forward to August of 1981. I had a friend that continuously bugged me about this motorsport called “autocross”. Did it once and was hooked (addicted!) for life. It seemed to me this could be the entry path to my dream. As usual life seemed to get in the way of getting my dream off the ground. Four children later I thought my dream would never become a reality. I continued to participate in autocross activities and even built a Pro Rally car or two along the way keeping my dream alive but still just a little beyond my reach. Pro Rally proved the closest to my goal but still wasn’t wheel to wheel combat in close quarters as my heroes had done at Monte Carlo, Indianapolis, Daytona, or Sebring. I did make all the children enter autocross events to sharpen their street skills. My youngest, a son (Trey), was also a hope for me to possibly participate along with me one day in the pursuit of my dream.
Fall of 2006 proved to be the commitment point of making my dream a reality. I had a BMW 318i with which I was participating in track days and other activities. This fueled my desire even greater to make my dream a reality. No turning back, the decision was made to enter the St. Louis Region’s spring driver school and race in March of 2007. My son suggested he needed to be involved as well. We decided to rent a car for him as the RX-7 under construction was not ready. I didn’t think about him being entered too much but that would come later. The BMW spent the winter months getting some final race car touches in preparation for the event. I located by chance another BMW in a faster class that was available for rent and committed the funds required. Once again, no turning back!
All preparations completed we arrived trackside with both cars and much apprehension. I had been on this very track in all kinds of conditions and logged many miles at track days. I was only a mess with Trey being involved! He only recently mastered the skill of shifting a manual transmission in a street car and I was understandably nervous how a 16 year old would cope with all the pressure of this event. The weather did not contribute to the situation as day one was off and on rain and terrible humidity making life in the cars pretty miserable for most entrants.
Trey had many difficulties in the morning sessions and spun off course numerous times. He could not get the car started after several of these excursions and was flat towed back in. After one of these offs I could tell his frustration was mounting. It was time for dad to step in and give him a pep talk. His instructors also sensed this and had beaten me to the punch by the time I pulled in from the session. We made a few changes to the car to get some more grip in the wet. I also decided I would just throw away my next session and have Trey follow me around the track at a reduced pace. I figured this would inspire some confidence in him and he agreed it would be more comfortable following me. It worked! My son sprang to life behind the wheel of that Bimmer! I had him hitting the wet line on track and getting faster with each passing lap. As track conditions improved his confidence level soared. We finished the session and broke for lunch. At the next afternoon session we discussed a similar plan. Trey would follow me around for three or so laps and then I would cut loose to focus on my own problems of learning how to race. During this session is when my racing epiphany happened.
I was working the track hard learning how to deal with traffic and passing techniques when I caught sight of Trey just ahead before the oval and front straight. I closed on his bumper to a foot or so. We both made eye contact and he just floored it. We passed beneath the starter’s stand and it hit me. I was on a road race course at triple digit speeds drafting my son! Words really cannot do justice to the feelings that overwhelmed me. I kind of paused momentarily but then turned the race car driver back on as I dove under him going into turn one for the pass. At that moment I decided my life was complete. Somehow I knew how the great Dale must have felt watching his son duel it out at Daytona for those brief moments before he made the ultimate victory lap. When we returned home for the evening I think it may have been the first time my wife saw me get pretty emotional. Grown men really shouldn’t do this in front of their spouses where race cars are concerned. It is after all a macho thing is it not?
The weekend could not have progressed any better. The weather cleared up and the track conditions were fast. I monitored Trey’s progression with a little more jaundiced eye as his lap times were now getting near mine. Uh-oh! Just to prove he knew the score he managed to cut me off at Gateway’s turn 2, turn 6, and turn 7 all in the same lap while holding me at bay through the infield complex. Fast learner this kid! I watched him from afar and through his instructors this kid growing into a young man before my eyes in the most unlikely of places, a Midwestern race track.
Race day on Sunday was the culmination of the school’s activities. My entire family with the exception of daughter number 2 was in the paddock to watch father and son race. I WAS GOING TO RACE A RACE CAR ON TRACK WITH OTHER CARS AND MY SON! The race proved to be everything I thought and dreamed it would be. Even daughter number 2 was involved by cell phone as Kitty (my wife) held up the phone and said “There goes your dad, there goes Trey”. I was happy!
Sometimes in life we dream and wonder what if. Sometimes we wonder about different life choices and how that would affect our lot in life. Sometimes, in a glorious twist of fate and circumstances and opportunity, we get to live our dream!