My Trophy Life by Corry Weller

From Champion to Rookie!

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 13:10:41 -0700

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!

I’m Just....Me.

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

As this new race season comes closer to kicking off, you can imagine our whole world is about to be turned upside down, with the new Pro 4 ride and all that comes with it.

We never would have gotten here without the hard work of our team over the years, without our sponsors seeing something in us and believing in us, and without our fans who have been there for us through good weekends and bad.

Now, more than ever, as we stand on the cusp of the unknown (but an exciting unknown), I get messages and e-mails from people that let me know how much they look up to me, how much their daughters do, and that I’m a great role model for the sport. To read those things is humbling, for sure......because when I look at myself in the mirror, I just see me. With all of my bad traits, quirks, and normality - the same as everyone else, except I just happened into a streak of luck in my life that has led me to this place. That is the ONLY thing that makes me different from anyone else, and it’s hard to see myself as anyone to really look up to, because - honestly - I don’t feel any different than I did when I was a geeky 12 year old girl with freckles and kind of a bad haircut.

There are plenty of other drivers out there who would do amazing in the Pro 4 that I am lucky enough to be racing this year. There are plenty of other people who are just nicer and better people than me, who deserve to have the same opportunities that have somehow found their way to me and my team. I hope I never forget that. I hope I never feel comfortable enough in what I do to ever take it for granted, or to not fully appreciate it every single day. This is truly a dream come true.

I hope everyone realizes that it is an honor for ME to meet my fans, and for me to be able to talk to those “not yet” racers who have that gleam in their eye, and who want to do what I do someday! I am honored to be able to work with a bunch of great people who have made it their goal to be sure I go through this year with as much success as possible - my crew, my team, my sponsors, my friends, and everyone else who believes in our program and who can see so many possibilities for our future.

If anything, I am the one looking up to all of you. I am the one that is being inspired by the outpouring of support and good wishes coming from people who have never even met me. I hope I am fortunate enough to meet all of you someday. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll get YOUR autographs at the next race! :)

First Week as a Pro Driver

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:00:18 -0700

Well, it’s officially been one week since I quit my regular job at MINI (which was a great place to work, by the way!), in order to concentrate full-time on my “now official” Pro 4 race program.

Last week we announced that I would be driving a Pro 4 Unlimited truck in the Lucas Oil Off Road Race Series for the Tilted Kilt in the 2012 race season. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this program - which we have been working on since July of last year - has actually come into fruition, and I will be racing a Pro 4 this year. Not just any Pro 4, mind you - but, Carl Renezeder’s 2009 Pro 4, which is a championship winning truck. And.... it’s Carl Renezeder’s. You know.....just my favorite driver!

How do these things happen?? Well, with a lot of sacrifice, debt, blood, sweat and tears, actually. We have been working towards the goal of a Pro truck program probably since we started racing UTVs in CORR in 2008. Even when we were pitting out of our unfinished enclosed trailer, and I was washing my hair out of a bucket early in the morning so no one would see (so-o-o-o-o C-O-L-D in the winter, btw!), we still made sure our Rhino was clean every time it hit the track. We made sure we took care of our sponsors. We went into debt the first year we raced and put our finances in jeopardy in order to finish out the season, because we gave our commitment to the series and to the companies that supported us.

Most of all, we raced and we gained experience, and we watched the teams we looked up to and tried to learn from them. How were they presenting themselves? How did they treat the fans? How did they handle winning and losing?

We took this information and applied it to the next year, and the next, and slowly our program took shape into something that we were very proud of. It’s a good feeling to feel like you are a welcome part of a series, no matter what class you are in - and Jason and I have felt that with LOORRS, pretty much since the beginning.

The Tilted Kilt came on board with us when we were just starting our SR1 program, and it was just the shot of support we needed. I was on the podium almost every round after that, and we were aiming for that championship in 2011. Things had just sort of clicked for us in 2010, and we knew what we had to do in 2011 to get to the top of our class - and we did it.

The timing for this truck program couldn’t be any better, since LOORRS has eliminated the UTV classes from it’s program this year. If I wasn’t racing a truck, I don’t know what I would have done without the chance to continue to race in a series I love so much. LOORRS is our racing family, and I’m so glad we are able to continue racing with everyone this year!

So, have I been relaxing since I quit last Monday? Ummm....quite the contrary! I have been busier this past week than I ever was at my regular job! There are race suits to design, canopies to order, trucks to decal, shirts to create, press releases to write, blogs to maintain, sponsors to find and tons and tons of people to thank for getting us where we are today!

And that was only this week!

I Woke Up A Champion

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:48:56 -0700

Well, WE DID IT!! After a long, hard season and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we sealed the 2011 SR1 LOORRS championship during the final round of racing at Firebird Raceway this past weekend. I can FINALLY relax, and allow myself to enjoy the fact that we accomplished what we set out to do. And we did it without cheating….without pushing the limits of the rules. No dirty driving. We did it with a 4 year old race Rhino that gave us all it had to the very end (yes, my Rhino has a personality AND a heart….and it is a big one!). We did it with a used Ebay motor that lasted 12 months, including a dune season and two separate race series. And we couldn’t have done it without our crew, our friends, and our amazing sponsors who have helped us and provided us with the right tools to make it every step of the way!
 Huge thanks to Jason, who worked harder than anyone on this program. From fixing anything that broke at the track, to making changes and coming up with new setups at the shop, to being there for me every round on the other end of my radio – this is a result of his effort more than anyone else’s. The guys at the shop were also responsible for prepping and regular maintenance, and came and helped at the track when they could as well – big thanks to the whole team at Weller Racing! 
We wouldn’t have been racing this year or last year without the support of the Tilted Kilt. I am sure many racers feel gratitude towards their sponsors, but I am not sure they feel the same indebtedness that I do for all of their help over the last two years. Not only is the Tilted Kilt our title sponsor, but they are also our friends, and there is an amazing group of people at the head of this growing corporation. I can only hope that we have given back all that was expected and more in return for their steadfast support and the faith they have had in our program.

We have also had a lot of help and support from Lonestar Racing, and we took this championship while racing on their a-arms and other great products! They have not only supported our program all year, but they have worked hand in hand with Weller Racing to develop many of the SR1 products we provide for the class as a whole.

I have to give a huge thanks to Miles and MagnaFlow for helping our program and our pit presence all season. MagnaFlow has supported us with a great product this year, but Miles has been simply amazing with the pit support he has given us when it comes to the MagnaFlow rig, and allowing us to use it when it was available. We consider Miles part of our crew as well as our friend, and it’s been great having him with us all year!

Lucas Oil not only puts on a great racing series, but they have been a HUGE help for us this season as well. Our motor lasted a full year, and I’m sure a lot of it had to do with the Lucas Oil products that we used in it on a regular basis! Lucas Oil believed enough in our program to make sure we were able to attend every round, and we couldn’t ask for an easier sponsor to work with!

Power is all fine and dandy, but power means nothing if you can’t get it to the ground. This is where Maxxis Tires comes in, and the Maxxis Ceros has to be the best short course UTV tire out there, hands down! Muddy, loose, hardpack – doesn’t matter. I have been blessed with having the support of a terrific company that is not only proud of its sponsored drivers, but proud of the product it provides for them. Plus, I get to work with people like Heather, Creighton, Scott and Brad, and that makes it even better!

Not too long ago, at the Lucas Oil Off Road Expo, I was tapped gently on the shoulder and turned to find myself face to face with none other than Walker Evans himself, putting his hand out to shake mine and thank me for running his products. And what a great product to run! We have been running Walker Evans shocks and wheels for several years now, and it has proven to be a winning combination for us! When we needed to upgrade, they were there with newer and improved products to keep us competitive, and that is important in this industry! Randy Anderson has always been willing to help and work with us, and it's been great working with him as well!

I can’t forget Kyle at HJC, who has been my “helmet guy” for about as long as I have been racing short-course! I started racing with an economy helmet that barely got airflow, and was soon saved by HJC, who took a chance on sponsoring a newbie UTV racer back in the CORR days. I cherished that helmet, and ran it for years…..preferring it over any other helmets that came onto the market. I'm excited to say I'll be running HJC products in 2012 as well - couldn’t ask for a better product!

Huge thanks to my other sponsors as well, such as Simpson Racing, who keeps me looking snazzy in my racing suit and safe as well! AEM who has supplied me some really trick looking gauges, and is always interested in how they can make my Sr1 perform better, K&N for their filters and support, Cognito for their tough as nails spindles, BS Sand (love my carbon fiber seat - no more suspension seats for this girl!), Rigid Industries for my off-season badass light bar, UTV Underground for their awesome coverage and support, and everyone else who has made this 2011 season so successful!

PS – Yes, I have already tried to pull the champion card at home. “Champions don’t do laundry”, “Champions don’t do dishes” and even “Champions don’t have to cook” have all been uttered recently, but when my significant other is also a champion, that leaves us at a stalemate with a messy house and empty tummies. Oh well….it was worth a shot!

On The Brink

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 09:41:58 -0700

Mondays after a race weekend are always difficult. Monday’s after a kickass race weekend are pretty much pointless, when it comes to getting any real work done in the office (you know, the job that pays the bills). Not only am I sleepy due to getting home in the middle of the night, but I’m still a little giddy from the pair of trophies sitting on my kitchen counter at home. And SORE…..oh my gosh, am I sore!

You’d think that driving, as opposed to actually riding on something, would be easy on the body, but don’t kid yourself……there are many Mondays when I’m just as sore as I ever was back in my mx days. There is a lot of horsepower in those SR1s, and we throw those things into the ruts in the corners with reckless abandon in order to be as fast as possible. All that jostling around and fighting with the steering wheel for three days can take its toll sometimes, and today is one of those days. I like the soreness, though. It’s proof that our great weekend was not just a dream.

So, here we are. Fourteen rounds into a 15 round series with a 19 point lead on second place. Poised, you could say, at the brink of a championship. You’d think 19 points would allow me to rest easy and feel like I have this in the bag, but this is off-road racing and anything can happen. Now is not the time to relax and let our guard down – now is the time to tighten up our program and give ourselves the best shot at one more solid race.

Not only are we poised for our first championship, but we are also at the brink of a whole new race program for next season. So many unknowns, and so many talked about plans swirling around right now – I want to be excited, but I don’t want to be disappointed. I am a planner…..I like to make plans and know my options and take action. Being in the place we are in right now goes against my very nature, but I also believe that what is meant to be, will be. That doesn’t mean be lazy and don’t work for what you want, but it does ease the chaos in my mind a bit, and helps me stop my mental planning frenzy so I can enjoy the here and now.

We have a couple of weeks left until our final round, and a number of months left until the new 2012 race season. So many unknowns in between…..normally I’d be white-knuckling the sides of this roller coaster ride called life because I can’t see in front of me, but I think I’m going to just settle in this time and enjoy the ride.