The Beginning of the End, Part III

I don’t remotely remember what I did in the nine days between IMSA Road America and leaving for SRO Road America. I was “free” from employment in the engineering field for only the second time in my life since my junior year of high school. Even that one glorious summer during college when I couldn’t land a co-op during the recession, I still kept myself busy leaning into my landscaping side hustle. This was the first time that I had nothing on my plate… and only a year later, I have no idea how I spent it. That probably speaks multitude about where my head was at the time.

In the year since, I’ve developed a bizarre confliction leading up to a race weekend, especially if I’m driving. You see, I love being on the road almost as much as I hate inconveniencing people. Fortunately for me with my new-found liberation from nine-to-five employment, the only person I’m inconveniencing is my wife. Except, she’s the last person I want to be inconveniencing, especially since she’s the one “allowing” me to live out this dream.

A week before a roadtrip approaches, I get restless and impatient, just “wanting to get on with it” and leave as early as possible to explore along the way. Then the day before I’m actually supposed to set off, the anxiety kicks in and packing is usually pushed until the very last minute.

When it was suggested that I get my feet wet in the SRO side of American sportscar racing, this confliction and anxiety was turned up to 11.

I was excited to learn a new series and meet new people, but riddled with immense guilt of embarking on a trip that was 100% a loss. The only compensation I would be coming home with was contacts and best intentions for the 2025 season.

These feelings were further compounded by the destination of this first foree with the SRO: Road America. I was returning to the scene of the crime that occurred not even two weeks prior.

To Be Continued . . . .