Bobbie gets SCCA License

Finally, I am a real racer! After taking a Skip Barber school over two years ago, I realized I knew diddly about the physics of a car and car control, but I wanted to learn. I didn't even know how to drive a manual!!! I still am in the wrong gear at times, but at least I know I am screwing up now! Big improvement. We headed to Roebling Road outside Savannah, Georgia for a double SCCA licensing school. Daniel was my "Pit Bitch" and he did an outstanding job keeping the correct tires on my car and getting me ready for each run. I couldn't have made it through the school without his help. The first day was spent going through tech and sitting in the classroom. There were 121 people vying for their license. I was the only girl in my run group of 45 racer-wanna-bees. Add a pink car and a hot pink suit to that mix and it was hard to fly under the radar. I wasn't feeling a lot of love from the officials and the instructors. The goal was to just make it through the school. And - it was pouring rain.

I don't know if Effingham County where we were has a motto but it could be "where teeth are optional". We took pix of some great signage as well that was filled with misspelled words and funny slogans. I felt like I was in the deep South, and knew it for sure, when we were told to watch for a loose pig that had been spotted on track recently. Apparently one of the track's neighbors had a group of 5 pigs that had gotten loose and 4 had been recaptured. Every other building on the road sold BBQ, so I knew that poor pig had gone on to greater things and would not be a threat on track.The second day brought more rain and some track time at last. There were people that had no track experience but had very fast cars. What a bad combination that was. SCCA's school was not the safest venue I had attended. Many cars spent more time off track than on. I have never seen so many spins and offs in one event. I felt I had to not only drive well and focus on the line of the track, I had to be viligant about some of the doofuses that were on the track as well.Valentine's Day; the third day, and it was full of track time. And, the rain was still coming down. We ran lots of sessions and also had a short race at the end of the day. I spun on-track in a puddle and a car creamed the bumper of the poor Pink Pussy II. We both survived. The bumper made it through the weekend wired onto the car. I really felt Southern now. All that was missing were the cinder blocks by our trailer. The man that hit me was sent home for making bad decisions. I felt bad for him, but I was just glad he hadn't completely demolished my car. My goal was to finish the school with the car mechanically intact in order to be ready for an upcoming enduro race the next weekend.

One of the fast Corvettes tried to pass me in a turn but I was protecting my position so he had to take an off-track excursion. Oh well. He knew how to go incredibly fast in a straight line, but couldn't handle his car in the corners. It was a different type of Valentine's Day for us that's for sure, but we had a lot of fun.The last day finally dawned and the rain let up for a bit. Again, we were on-track for sessions all day and an afternoon race. I was hit twice by the same RX-7 in a turn. I was trying to hold my position and keep him from passing me. He hit me, spun me and hit me again on the front bumper. My poor bumpers were having a bad week. The driver felt bad, but both cars survived and went on to finish the school. Greg, the driver is even driving in the enduro against me at VIR so it will be a good opportunity to play with him again. One of the most fun parts of the school was when the same fast Corvette, tried to pass me again in the same corner. I protected my position and he had another off-track excursion. Oh well. Some people never learn. He spent the rest of the day whining to all who would listen about how I didn't understand "racing room" and shouldn't have my license. He is just lucky I didn't get him 3 times in a row! :)

One of the most stupid things of the weekend was having to stand in queue for almost 2 hours, in the COLD, to get the Chief Steward to sign our license. That was as grueling as some of the track sessions! Then, there was my instructor. What can I say about a man who called me the "female with the airbags so big I would not be injured in a crash"? Hmmmmmm. I didn't realize that was the name my parents had given me...thought it was Bobbie. The man was so hung up on *not* wanting to have "whining" females participating in racing that he was incredibly negative. He was focused on looking for a way to trip me up rather than focused on a way to help me learn some more skills. The only whining I heard all weekend, however, came from him or the Corvette boys. Bless.