Goodmorning everyone! It is a not so bright Monday morning here in my uni dorm room for our one week of holidays... But I can't say how exactly it was that I got here...

This weekend I raced at Eastern Creek with Dad for the last round of the NSW state Championship. It was an amazing and LONG weekend with suprisingly little trouble and a great time was had by all! Again... let me break it down for you all...

Friday 24th September, 2004...
You have to love it when you are pardoned from going to an exam on the last day of uni because you are a race car driver :) That is what happened for me. Late Thursday afternoon I hopped a train to Sydney to get home for this... Friday practice at Eastern Creek, the setting for our weekend... Luckily escaping an exam on machine dynamics at uni... I still have to sit it (Today probably...) but it was a welcome reason for a break...

By practice session 3 I had set a personal best, had stayed out of the way of the 1600s and the Formula Fords also using the track, and had kept it on the black stuff for a majority of the time... I had been told though that all Formula Ford guys are buttholes... Not true! They are DEFFINANTLY faster than I, but I think that anyone there on the weekend was, but when I had a spin after a Formula Ford guy had, he waved me out onto the track again, there being no flaggies and all... What a nice guy! Thankyou FF car number 42(or 46... You're all nice, I'm sure!)...

I can't lie though, I did have one MAJOR sausage coming off of corporate hill... There had been quite a few Formula Fords spinning out there and there must have been something on the road because at full pelt the wall started coming at me rather fast, side on... But I screamed out "Please God! NO!" and miraculously I was not only held off the wall, but also from taking out the 50m marker sign... A blessing and a half... But I didn't want to take any chances seeing as I had beached it on a ripple strip only a couple of laps before and brought it in for Dad to check over...

Apart from a Mystery oil leak that we had had all day, and a flat spot on my front right tyre that had ben gained from braking behind a PBR Clubman car (Grrrr) earlier in the day, there was amazingly nothing else wrong with it... So we went out for one more session...

During this time though, Uncle Geoff, Mum's cousin, sidled over and asked us if we wanted to share a Garage with him and his Commodore from the sport sedans! Great! What FANTASTIC timing... We were at that stage wedged between the Dunlop truck and Ian Chivas' transporter... So, for the rest of the weekend we were guaranteed a nice, warm, NOISY place to park ourselves... We also shared through the duration of the weekend with :A V8 lites team, a Dato 1200 with a SR 20 conversion and some very nice stewards...

So, after all this, we went home and visited with my Godson and best mates up the road and then got to bed at around 11pm... I know... A major no no, but It was worth it :D


Saturday 25th September, 2004...

You know those lovely mornings where you wake up and stretch, knowing that you have had an EXCELLENT nights sleep, and that you are ready to take on the world... Well, this morning was NOT one of them. Dad woke me up at around 6. I could hardly move. My head ached like I had a hangover, my arms felt like I had towed the car around Eastern Creek the day before and my back felt like I had been doing backflips all night... I ACHED...

I finally rolled out of bed, dragged some clothes on and then dragged my sorry self out to the ute to go back to Eastern Creek. I think I did wake up though, somewhere between the McDonald's Drive-thru and the Wonderland turn-off... But I still didn't feel the greatest...

Though Uncle Geoff does think of everything... And having a Sports Sedan with VERY heavy steering, he was suffering similar aches to me! But, being the smart guy he is, he brought Dencorub... I was begging for it 5 minutes in... 10 minutes latter I wasn't smelling great, but felt a lot better...

We got all our paper work in (Eventually! After about 1/2 and hour!), and got through Scrutineering without a hitch and were ready for Qualifying...

Qualifying went off, and with me just keeping it nice and on the blackstuff we managed to qualify in last place, well off the pace but ready for an ENTIRE weekend of racing...

Race 1 also went off without a hitch... EXTREMELY slow, but okay still... Mum actually got out to see me race... For the first time EVER! She was pretty impressed, VERY worried, but pretty impressed! So afterwards the old had the bright idea of going out to dinner at our local club to celebrate... Afterwards going home to watch the footy...

I can admit that I made it through dinner, absolutely STARVING as I was, and made it through 2 helpings of desert... But alas, collapsed into bed soon after the start of the Bulldogs vs Panthers grandfinal at Aussie Stadium... I felt like such a looser going to bed at 8:30pm, but I was SO tired that I couldn't handle it and passed out :D


Sunday 26th September, 2004...

Again, another one of those 6am wake ups from dad... But this morning he wasn't so nice... It is last day of racing and everyone is on edge... So much so that when I asked who won the footy, Dad told me it was Panthers. I was SHATTERED... He saw that so he told me the truth... It was Bulldogs... My day was already off to a great start! :D

I was well awake before we reached the McDonald's drive thru this morning and was right and ready to go with the dencorub at our arrival at the track... Little did I know what beheld me that day...

Race 2 was not till late and we had gotten through scrutineering rather eary and rather quickly, and apart from eating and homework, there was not a lot to do. But, once race 2 did roll around, I didn't think I would have any problems. Off the start I yet again pulled 4th instead of 2nd and at lap 6, upon being lapped by 1600s, I was punted off by one, almost running me into poor Darren Mason! I took it maybe as my fault and even searched out the driver to make amends, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn't my fault and I had been left with a bent rear trailing arm (Yes, AGAIN!) and a real dose of the shakes because I didn't know if I was in the wrong or not.

Peeved as I was, I lined up for race 3, our final state race for the season, and decided that I would not let this happen again.
I started fine, I missed the big mess up at the start and went on to set a personal best time in the 3rd lap, but again, come lap 6 I was getting lapped by 1600s at turn 2. I gave them TONES of room and the driver who punted me off at corporate hill, again came in to do the same, being on the end of the leading pack. I could NOT believe it! I gave them TONES of room and whilst no-one else had a problem getting past me, this person still tried to push me off... Now, I won't have a go too often, but I think I have a right...

I am in this category to learn. I have a sub-standard car and little seat time. I follow the rules, I do the right thing, and yet here I am, getting the crap kicked out of me whilst still trying to do the right thing by other drivers...

Now, still on the same lap, I am still giving way to 1600s coming up on me and I watch as one trying to overtake me runs off onto the grass. Totally NOT my fault as I gave tones of room, slowed to let them pass and even waved them back on to the circuit, making sure they were ok (after the race I go into it he pits to find them and make sure they are okay, only to find out that they had told their darling Daddy that I was the reason for their run-off...). But of course, this is the way it goes...

So, I finnnnnnallly finish the race. Breathe a sigh of relief and come in and give Mum and Dad a wave up ontop of pit lane and come in... Finally. I had made it...

I spose that isn't the end though. With all the frustrations that we had on the weekend, I think it gave us a lot to aim for in the new year.
We don't want to be at the back of the pack anymore, and I don't want to have to go months inbetwen races...

This is where I want to be and this is where I should be...
So, for the new year, to get us out of where we are, we are aiming for some more sponsorship, some better bits and some more time on the track to get me on the road to becoming a better driver...

Now it is Monday and I have a TONNE of work to do, including building my Uni's race car... I have that exam to study for and so many other things that need to bring me back to earth to get done... I spose it isn't all bad, but I can't wait for the day when I just get to do the one thing I love. Racing cars, and nothing BUT racing cars....



Go back to Lasts and Lasts Motorsport's Webpage via this URL: www.downshift.to/lasts