First Hill Climb race of 2024. First race in the new car. Built the little sombitch from scratch and I am a might bit proud of that. Fuck I love Hill Climb racing. So much concentration. So much preparation and anticipation rammed into a small period of seat time to make shit happen. I started learning young without really knowing it but what is between the ears is so much more essential than what is below your ass. Still I have read so many books trying to pick up some insight or race craft or even engineering knowledge but when the dust settles it is really all about just making decisions and acting on them.
I told myself a bunch all winter building this car that I needed to hang up my leathers and focus on the car if I wanted to do good with it. Changing in and out of leathers 8 plus times a day leaves no time to adjust suspension or hardly even top the gas tanks or check tire psi. But when it came time to register for the first race I just could not leave that motorcycle class alone. Be it another $200. FTW -Forever Two Wheels. Friday before the race I figured I better drag out my trusty Hill Climb Special 450 class record setting Pikes Peak bike. She would not start. No compression. Checked the valves. They were good. Long over due for a rebuild but WTF. Must be stuck ring. So I drag out the big ol XR650R despite reservations about my self preservation. Mental confidence is all that matters. To compound the mental load of the first race weekend, be it Mother's Day. I made a deal with my Mom many months ago that I was bringing Nova to the races with me this year but I would need Nana to watch her while I was on track. And of course this weekend we can't leave Nova's Mom at home. So they both showed up 24 hours after me and Nova. While I was on the track and Nova was hanging out with her new paddock buddies. Oh and my sister decided to show up with her 4 month old baby and uncle Martin who had stomach flu. No sweat, I can focus on the task. The big ol bike was like an old comfortable glove, dexterous and effective. after Saturday's practice/qualifying I was below my best course time and only a few seconds off course record. The only course record I don't have. So I spooned on a new tire, while grilling burgers on the charcoal, helping Nova with her out door potty going, 3 weeks off diapers, keeping the moms happy, and thinking about what to do with a pleasantly capable race car. In it's first day of competition I was qualified 3rd in class only 4 seconds behind my motorbike time. Sunday. Race day. Bike run first, I break the record. Sweet! First car run I get a red flag and wait for an hour or so on the mountain. Finally the ambulance goes by and then the tow truck with my competition's mangled remains. Consequences are real in Colorado Hill Climb. The road is drying out quick and getting dry slick like marbles on top of concrete. Finally I restart as the starter lets my daughter wave the green flag. I am putting in what feels like a pretty damn fast run, nearing the top I run wide exiting a known car eating corner, I feel my out side rear tire float a bit but have trajectory to stay on the road but my mistake cooks me wide into the next corner, I try briefly to throttle out of the oversteer situation but quickly abort and yank my hand brake so as to spin out staying on the road. But I get flustered trying to spin back around and end up stopped on the road with no reverse and not enough room in front. I cause my first red flag in ten years of hill climb. I spend the next 2.5 hrs at flag station 6 while two other vehicles go off the same corner. One an atv, the other a BMW rally car that flipped twice as it went down the near cliff through all the scrub oak sounding like collapsing building. Everybody was ok. Two more red flags and finally I make it back down to the pits and my family. My family attending their first hill climb. My wife is cool and has made it to Lands End many times but this was everybody so it was different. I knew the road was not getting any faster so I sat out the 2nd motorcycle run focusing on getting my car's rear brake to not lock up; A characteristic it developed coming down from the last run. I found cracks in the in board rear brake rotor and decided to throw in the towel. A bit of a bummer because I am sure otherwise a podium finish was capable. Next race... Live to see a next race...
