December 12, 2004 Today we got to sleep in! The stage doesn’t start until10 a.m. and after moseying down to rally HQ I discovered that I would be running fourth on the road with Don Shrier and his RX-7 who had passed me going up the hill on Friday! They were reversing the start order every other race. Over breakfast I gathered info on my partner. The RX-7 would pack about 200 HP, more than my 120 or so HP (180-190 HP when it gets tuned properly). The RX-7 screams when it’s high in the revs at around 8k RPM, where I have to shift. It also looks like he has more torque than me. The driver has years and years of experience and has been driving that Rx-7 for just as long. In short there should be no reason that he shouldn’t beat me all four times, which is not to say that I won’t do my best. Knowing that I won’t have to push myself to my limits is strangely comforting, but I’m only four miles from the end of a very long and difficult WRC-style event, and really, all I’m thinking about now is finishing. Back at the super special stage, I’ve gotten everything up and ready. Prince is with Michele, Leon’s Evo 7. We’re all waiting for the Monster Energy Drink van to arrive. I’m really excited to have them joining our team. Leon, Tom, Aaron and I passed out Monster drinks on Friday and Saturday with great success. I’ve made everything looking clean and professional- I want to make a good impression on my sponsors and to establish a good working relationship them. Forty-five minutes before the stage starts, Leon takes me out to recce the track. Alex followed, notebook in hand. He took very good notes, topping off a great performance this weekend. It is hard for me to believe that he has only been co-driving for a year and that he’s only 17! The first two things that I notice as we walk are two large water trucks watering down the track. You always want to be aware of these trucks- they can greatly alter the conditions of your stage and cause you to lose time. The ground is very loose, sandy and wet, like the sand at the beach after a wave has gone. My feet sink in and leave marks. Leon makes sure that I am aware of the conditions. He also gives me importance advice on choosing lanes and starting order. I say little and listen to everything that he tells me, asking questions as we go along. The greatest challenge is that the track will be ran both directions and everyone will get a turn in each lane, leaving me less time to learn the track. But I am not worried- there’s only four miles to the end! I don’t have long to change into my suit and say hello to my parents. Leon’s given them both cameras so that they will have something to do and will leave me alone (I don’t mean this in a bad way- this is their first rally and they want to be there for me, but I am not 100% confident in the car and in competition, so all agreed that this was the best way to give me room to focus. My dad had a great time with Leon’s camera and was able to take some awesome pictures!) I try not to look at all of the spectators as I line up. I am not used to people watching me drive and it makes me feel uncomfortable. I just want to race and get it over with. I know I’m not going to win anything. Out on the track, I’m a lot more comfortable than I am on the stages. I’m beginning to drive Prince like I drive Mr. Rogers in practice and he’s driving very well. I don’t end up winning, but I am only three seconds behind. Alex enjoys the sideways action. It’s more fun than I thought it would be. After the first run, I returned to the service area where the Monster guys had set up their van and I scored a yummy cold drink. They’re having fun and I’m glad. I’m out next, but this time I’m co-driving for Leon. I wish I was driving his car, but there’s a lot I can learn just watching how he shifts, steers and works the pedals. He tells me to watch his lines as he drives as if he’s driving a rear-wheel drive car like Prince. It’s an exhilarating ride and Leon sets fastest stage time. He gives me some more tips back at the service area before we went out to watch the rally action! My next run is with Leon again, as the running order was reversed. The water trucks and graders had spent some time out on the track, but their efforts did little to avert the creation of ruts and sand pits. The ride was fast and intense, but the conditions are so bad it feels like we’re running in snow! I tell Leon I’m worried about the sand, but he tells me not to be- everyone has to drive in these bad conditions, and they will be affected just like you. Back in my car for my next run, I’m staying in first gear, plugging along. But this time I know my opposition is struggling, too and I’m only two seconds behind. I was nipping at his heels the whole time! I’m ready to get more aggressive for my next run and I waited in my car, watching how other people were handling the track. Right before I’m set to take my place at the start, I heard a CLUNK! coming from a far corner. A small, black VW GTI had launched over a birm and rolled! This time I was a little bit scared because I knew I’d be in the same lane as the unfortunate GTI. I took a deep breath and pressed on, being sure to avoid the ruts as Leon had told me. Things went well this time and again, I wasn’t far away from the RX-7. I had two more rides with Leon and I used them to plan my last attack, to figure out how to effectively drive in the sand and how to bounce off of a birm. Leon was proud of what I was doing and that I was never letting the RX-7 relax! We got a freshly graded and watered track for my last run. I had a really good start, quickly floating above the sand and catching grip. I kept my focus on the road in front of me. This was my race. My revs were high and Sideways was my middle name! I didn’t lift. I didn’t see the RX-7 until I cut too much into some deep sand and missed a shift. It didn’t occur to me that I didn’t see him because I had been ahead of him! I had been ahead of him the whole time until that last corner! There was only corner left and the little rotary whizzed away as Prince raced to get up to speed. He came across the finish line bouncing off of the rev limiter, less than a second behind the RX-7! Well, I might have lost a small battle, but I won a big war! I finished my first long rally! I finished! I finished!!! After packing up the service area, Leon and I went out to the awards ceremony with Alex and our crew. The hall was nice and the food was good. I wore my checkered flag heels and tried to look girly. We all were happy to have finished, Leon especially. He told me that I had done something that he had never done- finished! Poor Leon had started the Ramada Express four times, and had DNF’d every time. That night there was a surprise for us. Unbeknownst to Alex and me, we had taken third place in the FIA Group 5 category! We got called up on stage and got a plaque with a picture of Prince from the Grand Canyon stage! It was so cool! I was so overwhelmed I thought that I was going to cry. I had to give a speech, and thanked everyone and tried to remember all of my sponsors and Alex. I especially thanked Leon because he is the one behind my madness for rallying, my whole rallying outfit and for teaching me everything that I know about driving. We didn’t party much and everyone headed home after the banquet. Leon and I left the next day, and once again, I found myself asleep in the Suburban dreaming about gliding through corners and floating over difficult stages. Leon had already told me how he was going to get me driving faster (I’ve only been living in first and second gear) and I was so happy to be at the beginning of a great adventure, I couldn’t wait to get home and start working for next season! Back to Diary of a Driver.