It’s been hard sitting out part of the race season due to injury. Especially while transitioning the Miata to Super Touring 6. But I did my time and took it easy for 8 weeks to rehab the severely broken right big toe. Going full throttle at Barber Motorsports Park is not a bad way to return.
I spoke about this before in Trying Not to Finish Last at NCM. Although the budget Spec Miata is a blast to drive, it will never be competitive when the expensive equipment comes out to play. That is why I have decided to move the car to Super Touring 6 (ST6). The move to ST6 will open up the rule book and allow me to build the Spec Miata to a power-to-weight limit that will closer mirror the...
Apparently, I am not a ballerina. This profound realization came to me as I crawled across the living room floor while dealing with a very sharp and clarifying pain. Moments before, I was walking down my stairs, half asleep on my way to bed, and by some butterfly effect of miss position, I completely missed the last step. In fact, I was confidently stepping to a step where there was none, and all...
And why I need to implement them now. In past seasons, races in the rain were rare, with only a few to suffer through. But lately, it seems like every race weekend has weather looming over it. Half the races this season have been in what I like to call dynamic conditions. And with these dynamic conditions comes fog. Making what used to be a side note a big priority. Namely, developing a valid...
Last place, or almost last, we’ve all been there. At one time, it was a lack of experience. Other times I can point the finger at good ol’ bad luck. And now, it’s an issue I haven’t faced in a while, a lack of equipment.
I wasn’t quite sure what to say at the time. Memphis International Raceway is where I learned to race and was a fixture, on and off, throughout my childhood. It was a polarizing track. Home mostly to drag racers, but a few of us were proud to call the road course home.
I’ve moved out of the Mid-South to the beautiful ‘mountains’ of Northern Alabama. But, I’m still close enough to call the Mid-South region with the National Auto Sport Association home. Making the Nashville Superspeedway (NSS) event in … Nashville, TN … my first official event of 2023.
This is becoming a theme for me and one I am not particularly happy about. The last two years have been full of change coupled with excessive work. I left a job and business that I worked for nearly 20 years, looking to move into a career around my passion. And before I could execute any such plan, an opportunity presented itself that was too large to ignore.
I’ve said it a hundred times before but I’ve been very busy lately. Busier than usual actually. So busy in fact, that I am surprised I’ve had a race season at all. Let alone changing series mid-season.
I see a concerning thread on social media as we approach the full-blown race season. Namely, more and more club racers are talking about race budgets falling apart due to insane gas prices and unchecked inflation. Which got me thinking, what can a racer do to mitigate these extra costs?
After the ridiculous highs and lows of last year, both on and off the track, the only thing that comes to mind after this weekend is a Forrest Gump quote about a damn box of chocolates. At this point I just have to roll with the punches and although the NOLA season opener in 944 Spec wasn’t the one I wanted, it’s the one I got.
It’s that time of year again when I catch up on a bunch of topics I should have discussed at the end of the previous year. Pretty sure I’ve used that opener before; but if you bear with me, I just may close out 2021 before the new race seasons starts.
Chris Simmons is a race car driver, instructor, business owner and all around gearhead. His passion for motorsport started in the drifting community and progressed into wheel to wheel racing of all kinds. When off track Chris can be found training and working on a myriad of projects. After a hiatus from writing, he is back to share his passion, knowledge and experience in regard to motorsports on and off the track.