You'd better sit down for this one......

Yes, I made it to a track with my boys.  I will get to experience everything first-hand....well almost first hand.  I don't actually drive the karts, I watch from a safe distance.

Today, we arrived at New Castle Raceway Park in New Castle, Indiana.  So far, it has been the longest trip EVER!  We left for New Castle on Wednesday, August 8th, in the late afternoon.  We took the Bus with an empty trailer to Cokato to pick up all of the karting gear we would need for our road trip.  By the time we transferred all of the "stuff" from the track trailer to the one we are bringing with us it was 10:00 in the evening....and we still needed to get fuel.  Do you know that most small-town diesel stations close at 10?  We didn't....so we ended up going a little bit out of our way to get fuel.....like only a mile from our house! 

Anyway, we hit the road and Viguen drove about 150 miles when we needed to stop because he had a conference call the following morning and needed to get some sleep.

Thursday morning's conference call lasted over 2 hours!   The Bus (did I mention that we brought the dogs with us?  Maggie is NOT a fan of traveling in the Bus yet...hoping that changes SOON.) and all of its occupants finally left the rest stop at around noon only to stop at 3:00 for another conference call.  This time we stopped at Culver's in Illinois somewhere and Zander and I enjoyed some Culver's delicacies with frozen custard while Viguen worked.  Finally hit the road again around 4:30.  Made it to New Castle's Walmart at midnight Eastern time. 

This morning, we dodged a few raindrops and made our way down narrow, winding, farm roads to a racetrack tucked within a corn field behind a truck stop.  It amazes me where these go-kart racers dreams are hidden.  (I almost said "gems" but didn't want you to get the wrong idea.)

We all unloaded the trailer and my boys hit the track.  The track and its 17 turns takes a little bit to learn but both boys really enjoyed racing.  It was neat at dinner time to hear them rehash the day and try to figure out where "we" could pick up more speed and where the balance of the kart was upset and what turns "we" needed to turn late and which ones "we" needed to hit the apex a little better.

My highlight of the day:  Me sipping wine, Viguen working on the karts, Alexander in a huge open field throwing tennis balls to Maggie and Senna, a cool breeze blowing, sun shining....LIFE IS GOOD!

Here's a fuzzy picture of the track map.....blessings to you and yours!

Another day at the track

Today, was a little cooler and the kart was a little faster.  Just a few little quirks....a carburetor that kept loosening while Alexander was racing and a rear tire that slipped on the axle.  Zander qualified much better....in 18th place...and finished around 12 to 15th place. 

After packing everything up, Zander is traveling back with Killian and his family.  Yes, Killian was in South Bend racing as well.  Viguen is off to participate in two Charity Golf Events in/near Chicago and a few customer calls for work.  Yes, work.  Somehow those karting bills still need to get paid!

Zander will be back in the wee hours of the morning....Viguen will be back on Friday.

Forever thankful for yet another pretty safe race weekend (oops!  I forgot to mention that Alexander was in a pretty bad accident which injured his finger.  Viguen said that his finger really hurt for about 10 minutes....but seemed okay now.  Famous last words....did I mention that Zander has tennis lessons tomorrow?)

Until the next post.....

It's a Hot One!

Can you say:  "104 degrees"?  It's hotter than yesterday...with lots of people.....and a kart that still doesn't work just right.  I am so thankful that my boys made it through the day without any heat-related illnesses.  Not everyone on the team was so lucky....one of the mechanics spent 2 hours in the back of an ambulance and the remainder of the day in our Bus with air conditioning. 

Back on the track, Alexander qualified 30 out of 43 racers and finished somewhere around 25.  A problem with the gas line was discovered, so hopefully tomorrow will be a little better.  The good news is...my boys continue to maintain that they are having fun.  Really?

Is It Hot Enough for You?

Day One...Practice for the Manufacturer's Cup with MKP Racing Team....with the high temperatures, it was increasingly difficult to set up the kart so that it handled for Alexander.  Viguen had to move the seat back to help the handling which meant that Zander's feet barely touched the pedals.  With asphalt temperatures hotter than you want to know and Alexander's butt just a few inches from the fiery pavement...sporting a helmet, race suit, neck brace, gloves, socks, and form-fitting shoes...the team was able to get the kart a little faster, with room for improvement for tomorrow. 

Hopefully tomorrow will be a few degrees cooler....it's predicted to be 104 degrees.  YIKES!!!!

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off to Work We Go!

Here's the aerial of the Michiana Racetrack.  Zander really enjoys the track...7/10 of a mile with lots of turns.  From the website: 

"Record hot temperatures have not kept kart racers from all over the country and Canada away from Michiana Raceway Park as the karting facility hosts a World Karting Association Manufacturer’s Cup national event this weekend. Racers have been rolling in all week to prepare for the largest attended karting event in the area’s history. Located only miles from downtown South Bend, Michiana Raceway Park has been a haven for local kart racers for several years and is considered one of the nicest karting facilities in the country. With a family-friendly atmosphere, complete with several viewing areas and a playground, the track is an inviting place for both racers and spectators.

“You will see kart racers and enthusiasts from everywhere here,” said Garry Lobaugh, owner of the .7-mile karting facility. “WKA events are always very well attended, but this year could easily bring record numbers to our community.”

....and now the works begins....prepping the kart, learning the track, pitching the team tent, and pulling out the fan.  GOOD LUCK, boys...and stay cool!

Day of Fireworks

Today, my boys are leaving for South Bend, Indiana for the next races with the MKP Racing Team.  It is a HOT day...over 100 degrees....and packing the Bus took longer than anyone realized.  Needless to say, there were a few fireworks ....and not the kind you see in the sky.  Everything finally did get done and all was good as my boys drove off into the heat of the day.

I schmoozed with some friends and enjoyed the fireworks from air-conditioned comfort.

My boys made it to the track by 10:30 pm...and this time, they missed some of the narrow and unpaved roads leading to the track.

Until the next post......

A Painful Reminder

Back at Cokato for Races 5 and 6 in the Young Guns Division.  Viguen is slowly, but surely, learning the ropes of the new kart and the new engine while Alexander is learning a new track configuration. 

All of their hard work really is beginning to pay off....Zander took a 2nd Place on Saturday and a 1st Place on Sunday.  (Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit....by the way!)

My post today is one of gratitude.....today, two fellow races were injured at their respective tracks.  One fractured an arm and punctured a knee...the other got run over by a kart that was trying to pass bruising her lower leg and ankle....on top of the broken ribs that she sustained during an earlier incident. 

I am thankful that my boys have stayed safe at the track.  The wrecks have been relatively small and the injuries and kart very repairable.  I got a big reminder that the "hobby" that my boys have chosen does have an element of danger to it and I am forever grateful that their risks are calculated, their phone calls come as soon as they are off the track, and that I can admire what they do at a safe distance.