Our first event of the season is under our belt and could be considered a success for several reasons. One was that we introduced 19 new novice drivers to our program, as they progressed into the Green run group through IDE. The second was that no one drowned……lol. I think that was the wettest event we’ve ever had, with two full days of torrential rain and cold. Since that’s out of the way I’ll be expecting sunshine and songbirds for the remainder of the season. It won’t happen, but I’m entitled to hope for it. A warm welcome to our new enthusiastic participants!
I recently watched an older documentary on Prime called Rapid Response. It was all about the evolution of safety response in North American motorsports. It highlighted the changes from local volunteers, who had no understanding about rescue operations, progressing to dedicated CART emergency response teams that travel with the series. These response teams bring doctors, equipment, medical helicopters, and in-field care centres and set the safety standards at every track they attend. The pioneers of Rapid Response even became involved in car construction and the evolution of safety devices like the HANS that we require in race cars today. It was an eye-opening production that highlighted the evolution of safety, as racing moved from a demolition derby with great human cost, to computer generated models that test safety advancements prior to rule changes.
While I highly recommend watching it, that subject reminded me to recognize the contributions of one of our members. Abe Reinhartz is a highly regarded Doctor who is also one of our members and drivers. Abe voluntarily attends all our impact incidents to ensure that any driver involved is evaluated by competent medical staff. In conjunction with our on-site ambulance service, it’s reassuring to see Abe’s friendly face at a difficult moment and know that he is there to help. But wait … that’s not all! Abe is a National DE Instructor, who takes students to pass along his driving skills. He also assists Peter in the novice IDE program by teaching some of the classroom content to the new participants. As if that isn’t enough Abe will also teach anyone who asks the art of heel & toe shifting if they are having trouble with the concept.
Abe is one of a small group of people who, when he asks how you’re doing, really wants to know. It’s these things that make Abe an exceptional asset to the DE program and makes him the recipient of the 2023 Adam’s Award. That’s the award presented to the person who shows enthusiasm and dedication to our track program and is not a member of the Track Team. So on behalf of the Team and all of the participants I’d like to thank Abe for his support and his friendship over the years. It has not gone unnoticed.
While the June DE and Instructor Day is our opportunity to add new Instructors and do check-out runs with the White run group, the July event is one of our favorites. With each run group making progress our program is definitely full, the weather is fine and in mid-July we host one of the best educational events of the season, the annual Track Walk. If you’ve never been on a Track Walk my description doesn’t do the event justice. At 5 pm on Saturday, after a full day of trying to get the best out of your car and your performance, we will meet in Corner 10. With a beverage car leading we walk the driving line with the Chief Instructor.
Peter Carroll has a great deal of experience as a driver and a racer at Mosport/CTMP and he will stop at each corner and point out all the nuances of the track and elevation changes. Questions are welcome and encouraged. Modern cars and suspensions rob us of some of the road feel, so walking on it and examining it is the best way to get acquainted with the tarmac. Track Walk novices are always amazed at how steep some of the climbs are and the fact that some sections, while feeling flat in the car, are either up or downhill. Between your firsthand experience and Peter’s vast knowledge you will be a better driver on Sunday. I think it’s one of the most valuable driving tools that we have. I hope you will all participate as it’s definitely a premium event. Did I mention that there is a beverage car?
Speaking of beverages, I can’t stress enough how important good hydration is. Most things that we consume require water to pass through our kidneys and that robs us of valuable fluids. Even in the spring and fall you always work up a bit of a sweat when you are involved in spirited driving. That loss is even greater when the higher temperatures of summer are involved. So please remember that anything with caffeine in it – like pop, tea, coffee and energy drinks – consumes a great deal of water. I know there are products that claim to replace all kinds of things I don’t understand, but water is what you need. If you start to feel tired or a little bit spacey it’s because you need water. Take a break in the shade and drink lots of water at the track to stay alert. Not bad, I said water six times in one paragraph!
Have a great event and good luck winning a $1,000 gift certificate for tires from Michelin. </>
