For me the experience
of racing a lap on the Shenandoah circuit at Summit Point Raceway is
exhilarating like what I imagine being a professional dancer would be. The memories of previous laps fill your mind
as you prepare yourself and your vehicle for the next event. The sounds of the engines acceleration and
deceleration fill your mind as if they were the music happening live
again. You listen for smoothness of
those sounds. Was there a pop, misfire
or change in pitch that did not harmonize with the raucous detonations of
acceleration or cackles of deceleration?
As you enter and exit the turns did the chassis creak and groan warning
you of failure, or a lack of finesse in your actions? The tires will sing to you in squeals and
screeches as they are pressed beyond the ability to keep traction. Brute force yields groans, howls, and cracks
of your vehicle; whereas, smoothness, gentle pushes, and prior preparation provide anticipated
movements that flow into one another forming crescendo's and silences from one
movement to another. You listen to this
complex melody like a conductor of an orchestra listens to each instrument
section for its place and time in the symphony.
When a professional driver/dancer prepares for
competition they test the fit of their clothing to make sure nothing interferes
with the movement or feeling of the dance.
The driver/dancer feels his/her suit for comfort and flexibility; does
it bind or restrict movement; are there any places that poke or press
uncomfortably? The driver/dancer's
partner is inspected to make sure the tires have the correct air pressures and
tread depths. Does the clothing/bodywork
fit closely and tightly without impeding flexibility? When they are in "hold", is the
placement of the throttle, brake and clutch pedals natural and free
flowing? Do the driver/dancer's hands
fall naturally to the steering wheel and gear shifter? When the partner holds the driver/dancer, is
the "hold" firm; not yielding, but not so tight it constricts the
dance? Lastly, when the driver/dancer
looks his/her partner in the eyes/gauges is the vision clear and ready to
dance? Now the driver/dancer asks
his/her partner if they are ready to dance by igniting the engine and listening
to the music. If the answer is
"yes" then the vibrations through the seat and steering wheel will be
in sync; the exhaust instrument will come into tune as your partner's gauges
warm up, and as you take your warm-up steps the sway and rock of the chassis
closely follow your lead.
Now, it is time to dance/race! You look around and see your competition in
their suits and vehicles; some brightly colored like peacocks attracting a
mate; some plain in simple primary colors like panthers and coral snakes; all
of them preparing to hunt. Start! You take your first steps trying not to
collide with the other dancers on the floor/track; shifting, guiding and
maneuvering into position before the first turn in the dance/race. Your partner pulls you into the dance/race
pushing you into your seat, and filling your ears with the music its song. Your body reacts pushing adrenaline into your
mind narrowing your thoughts and sights; this is dangerous. You must fight the feeling, or you can die
from not seeing an oncoming car, hearing the sounds of steel impacting steel,
or thinking quickly enough to prepare for the turn ahead and anticipate where
the driver/dancer next to you will do next.
As you enter the first turn you have already moved beyond it. Your partner/vehicle has followed your lead
holding you in its hands the body stiffens with anticipation then rolls into
the movement. Like a sailing ship
changing tack there is a moment of weightlessness at the apex of the roll like
stopping time for just a moment. Then
the roll returns stiffening into anticipation of the next move. The ending of each movement is at the edge of
control with the tires singing full pitch feeling each vibration in the seat of
your pants and finger tips on the wheel.
You are pushed and held against the side of your seat. The pressures akin to the launching of an
Atlas rocket into space. If you have
executed well then it will end just as the next movement begins smoothly with
no sudden changes. If not, then you are
out of space colliding with the other dancers creating the shriek of tires,
breaking of glass, crunching of metal and the sudden use of your body as a
crash test dummy. Emerging from each
movement is elation, excitement and ecstasy of accomplishment, but one you must
calm for this is only one movement of a twenty minute dance. The smoother your dance the faster you go
around the floor until your mind is racing to process the approaches, turns,
exits, passes and conditions. Time
begins to slow in how you think, like being fully aware you are approaching a
decision but being unable to make your body react in time. You have just reached beyond your limits; to
stay here is to risk death; only fools and dead men travel beyond. So you balance on the edge causing your heart
to race, body to sweat, and your mind to work faster than IBM's Big Blue in a
Zen like state. You are one with your
partner flowing through the dance transitioning between weightless apexes into
violent pushes accompanied by music that is as much the dance as the sound created
by it.
When it is over you have no regrets. Any missteps you learned from for your next
practice. Your body is tired; your mind
worn out but none of that matters because you are at peace with the reward of
the dance. Some others will rant, or be
upset, or lay blame for their performance.
To those I say you did not give everything you had, if you did then you
would not have the energy for such antics.
Your partner should not be injured, but be a reflection of you; they
should be worn and hot from exertion, but not broken. Together working as one you dance again
finding those moments of perfection in the movements of the race.
No comments:
Post a Comment