Since the moment my father put me, aged three, on his lap and showed me how to turn the steering wheel, I became hooked for life. Maybe it was the feeling of the steering in my hands. Maybe it was simply his trust in allowing me to move such a large object! The bottom line is that, from then on, I did everything I could to get my hands on that wheel…or any wheel for that matter! When I couldn’t drive because I was grounded, I would hop onto either my bicycle or my moped! Whatever it was… I just hated walking and I still do!
Whenever I crashed, I always hid the car in the corner of our parking lot in the hopes that my father wouldn’t notice! Eventually he gave up on me and decided that putting me in a Jeep Wrangler would nip my speeding in the bud. Well, he was correct -- but with such big wheels I turned to conquering hills as my next goal. Let’s just say my father settled on driving me to school after losing the 3rdtransmission!
My father’s funniest quote: “Why is the second gear grinding (on his Camry)?" -- Then looking straight at me.
The funniest quote by my mother: (to my father) “You're going to let him drive?!
Today, although my father is long gone, I remember him every time I step on the track.
The track is my home. I've tried throughout the years – but with no luck -- to take up other less costly, less dangerous hobbies. I sometimes wonder why I couldn't fall in love with playing the piano or perhaps the violin! My mother asks me why I have 5 sets of rims and tires stacked up. My brother says I should invest my money and stop wasting my time. What they've never understood is that, to me, racing is not just some escape. It's life. And there is no feeling more beautiful, more life-affirming, than when I am behind that wheel.
My many years of involvement in the SCCA program, including serving as the Chief Instructor for the PDX program, have provided me with incredible opportunities for personal growth. It has helped me just as much as I've helped the program, if not more. There is nothing like seeing the smile of a student after the track day is over, and it's moments like these that have shaped me into a more caring and understanding person. The frustration, the desire to go faster, the love for a machine made of metal and sheer power – all giving rise to a smile that you keep for weeks, months, if not years!
After many years of instructing and helping students reach their own goals, I decided in 2014 that I was financially capable of racing. I got my SCCA License and did over 8 races in the SSM class between 2014 and 2016. There was much to learn and every race provided a new experience and invaluable lessons. I will continue to race every season to compete and maintain my license, and I hope to enter enduro races in the near future.
I value the friends I've made through the PDX program, from instructors to racers to mechanics, who have taught me an important lesson in teamwork. The experience has had an enormously positive impact on my own life, both professionally and personally. My interaction with them, the knowledge they have passed on to me, and their grace are all things that will stay with me for a very long time.
If elected, I would work to not only ensure that the sport thrives in this large region, but also to expand it and introduce it to new students and racers. Key to this would be expanding awareness in the DC area of the sport, the terrific tracks that surround us, and finally our Club.
If elected, I will strive to move the program forward, communicate effectively with members and board members, and foster a positive, team-oriented environment that will help us achieve the goals we all strive for!
