Wow.  The culmination of weeks and weeks of finalizing deals, making sure designs were done and printed, and getting everything a new Pro 4 team needs to have done finshed, down to the wire, before my very first race weekend in LOORRS is finally over!  In the midst of magazine and radio interviews, photo shoots, and TV interviews, I never really had time to get nervous or wonder what I had gotten myself into, so going into the first round of the Lucas Oil Series as a Pro 4 racer was fraught with much less anxiety than I would have thought.  My stress was all leading up TO this race - being in the truck and sitting in staging for the first time was almost a calming time for me.  I am familiar with staging.  I am familiar with the feeling of being strapped into my seat and having the rumble of the engine in my ears.....it was almost soothing, in a way.  This was what it was all about.

So how did my first weekend go, you ask?  It was good.  Very good.  I have apparently underestimated just how many fans we have out there, and how many friends and industry peers support our program and love what we are doing.   I mean, I knew there were a LOT, but had no idea just how many!  I was overwhelmed (in a really good way) with the outpouring of support we received at our first race!  For all of you who came for the weekend, for the day, or even just for a few hours - THANK YOU - from the bottom of my heart.  Not just for supporting OUR program, but for supporting the series - without you wanting to come to our races, we would have no series. 

FRIDAY:

Friday’s practice was pretty uneventful....I took the opportunity to get familiar with the track, and how the truck felt on it - everything felt really good, and I was looking forward to qualifying!

For qualifying, I knew based on previous experience that it was important to make sure I had a good solid TIMED lap under my belt before stepping up my speed.  You don’t want to wreck or break on the first lap of qualifying......that’s a good way to start in the back for race day!   I guess knowing that and DOING it are two different things, because I went out in qualifying and promptly snap-rolled myself right on over in turn 2.  As I’m rolling, I’m counting how many times I go upside down.....one.....two.....and back on my wheels!  Fired it back up, and took off - tentative at first, until I knew the truck felt OK, then I started working for a decent time.  Qualified 10th overall, but bested my best time by a second!  (baby steps....)

SATURDAY:

Practice on Saturday went well.....I just took it smooth, since it was a pretty slippery track, and we cranked out 3 laps pretty quick.  I had a decent time, and was ready for the main - might as well get this whole “first race” thing over with!  Me and my bright yellow “rookie” bumper were ready to go!

Before we get into the race recaps, I feel it’s important to share my goals for this season.  I’m not one of those super talented drivers who can go out and drive anything fast with little to no seat time.  I have to work at being fast.  And I tend to do it in steps - I set small personal goals that push me, but don’t pressure me into doing anything too stupid.  My goals for this first weekend were to 1.) Finish each race, 2.) not roll or wreck myself, 3.) Not wreck anyone else.  If I could manage a top 10 in there, then that was a bonus.  Now, these aren’t the lofty goals that some people had in mind for me, and I’m sure there are plenty of fans out there who figured if I was a Champion in the SR1 class, that I would be able to hop right into a Pro 4 and get on the podium pretty quick.  While I appreciate the confidence (very much!) in my abilities, I also know that I have probably taken on the biggest challenge of my life with this class, and while I’m totally ready and excited for it, I’m also realistic about it.  Do I think I can be competitive in a Pro 4?  Absolutely.  Do I think I can get there in a couple of weekends?  Heeeeeeellll no.  Not only do I still need to learn full control of my 900HP beast, I also need to learn how to do it in a field full of other trucks without taking anyone out because of a mistake on my part.  This will be a full season of learning for me......of growing as a Pro 4 driver......of learning how this class interacts with each other.....and of learning just how far I can push my truck before it pushes back.   I may progress slower than some in this class, but when I get there, I will be good. 

So...where was I?  Oh yes.....so,

I was too busy talking with the media and fans to really get any butterflies, and soon enough it was time to strap in for my very first Pro 4 race!  We lined up along the front straight, two by two, and after one parade lap around the track, the green flag dropped, and all 15 of us went racing into the first turn, 900 HP engines screaming and fans on their feet!  I was careful to not get caught up in several wrecks right off the bat, but two trucks wound up slamming into my driver’s side, bending my a-arm.  I knew something was wrong right away, but I kept going.  In racing, you just run it until you can’t drive it anymore, and that’s what I did!  I made a couple more passes before my front a-arm snapped in half, and I was forced to end my race early, since it made it impossible to steer.  I still wound up with a 10the place finish, and some lessons learned in Round 1!

SUNDAY:

Our crew fixed the truck Saturday night, and it was good as new for Sunday morning’s qualifiers.  Once again, the gates opened and tons of fans milled around our pit, anxious to see the new truck and setup.  “I love the Tilted Kilt!” could be heard, as well as “Do you guys have any shirts for sale?” which let us know that we have a great fanbase that is looking to show their support for the team (t-shirts and giveaways are already being planned for the next round)!

Qualifying went better than on Friday, as I managed to keep all four wheels firmly on the ground this time!  I beat my previous best time, but so did the rest of the field, so once again I would start towards the rear of the field for Round 2.  Since I still have so much to learn in this class, I didn’t mind being near the back, and when the green flag dropped, we all shot forward into the first turn once again!  Learning from yesterday, I didn’t poke my nose into the pack until it started stretching out, as I didn’t want to have any contact that would put me out of the race again.  Avoiding wrecks and broken trucks, I made my way up through the field one by one, and had some fun, door to door battles with a few of my competitors, while still learning the finer points of throwing a 4000lb race truck into the corners and over the massive jumps.  Just as I was making some good headway up through the field, I spun out in a tricky turn and lost my position before I could get straightened out and going once again.  Despite that setback, I still raced hard and took a 9th place finish overall.  There is no doubt the guys in the Pro 4 class race hard and fight for every position they can get, and I’m looking forward to getting faster and being just as competitive as they are in the not-so-distant future! 

I was in for one more surprise as I drove back to the pits and got out of my race truck – a line of people had formed around my truck, all of them asking if they could get a picture with me and the race truck!  They thought it was awesome that a girl was racing in the Pro classes, and was holding her own.  I spent the next hour or so posing for pictures and signing just about everything people could get their hands on! 

All in all, my first race weekend was a good one, and I was already looking forward to the next two rounds!