After my first race as crew, my initial thoughts on Lemons

Just got back from Lemons at The Ridge.
What. An. Amazing. Experience!

Rewind: A few months ago, I became more and more interested in learning what Lemons was all about. I had done my research, so I knew a few things (the silliness, the fun, the expense), and it was enough to spike my interest and make a bold claim to the world on my Facebook page: alas - SOMEDAY, I would have a Lemons team.

Fast forward to the beginning of July: a friend had put me in touch with Joe of the Snowspeeder Pilots Association, who offered, on pretty short notice, to serve as my Lemons "tour guide" in exchange for some help over the race weekend...

Joe and I chatted on the phone a half-dozen times, and I agreed to help "our team" however I could in this adventure. Before he rolled the Race-Van(tm) up to my house on the Thursday of race weekend, Joe and I had never met. As it was, I hadn't met Bow, either, and I wasn't going to be meeting the other member of our team, Randal, until 7 hours later.
We loaded up my crap in the van, and Joe and Bow whispered comments to themselves about my 1989 Camaro in the garage. All I heard was "something...something...Lemons-worthy". Haha - fat chance, guys. I'm not gutting my Camaro for a Lemons race. Not happening.

We chatted and got to know each other on the long drive up to WA. It was clear I was in pretty cool company.

Friday morning, it all started to come into focus as we arrived at the track. We rolled up to the track, and It was kind of a "sensory overload". I was seeing a beautiful new race track, amazing cars, and meeting "famous" people (There's Judge Phil!!!!).

It was then that I saw our race chariot for the first time, the #300 1985 Toyota MR2 known simply as "The Snowspeeder".

As we setup, I began to soak it all in. I met our awesome neighbors of Petty Ca$h Racing and oogled at the baby-blue "Cheep" Cherokee. It was then that Joe reminded me that, despite any initial thoughts to the race-worthy-ness of a Jeep Cherokee, these Petty Ca$h guys were "effin fast". Hmm. Interesting.

I continued to absorb the Lemons world I was now in, and enjoyed to ridiculousness of Friday scruitineering, the bribes and the genuinely butt-turrible cars. I then made contact with the guys that would soon become dear friends - the boys of the "Canadian Breakin'" Camaro team. I went from a Lemons "outsider" to an "insider" in about 10 minutes, and I saw my favorite car, a third-gen Camaro, attempting what I wanted to do. They, too, were here for their first race. They, too, had no idea what they were in for. I felt almost like I belonged here, at this moment, in this place, for a reason.

As for the actual race, it was so awesome to be a part of our team. We ran pretty well and overcame a number of technical issues. Joe's penalty for passing under yellow was fun, too; Jay politely suggested that we yell at him for a bit, then he was free to go. We ran fast, and I loved manning the radio to manage the communications of the team. At first, I didn't know what the heck I was doing, but little by little, I looked around me for the information that I though the driver needed and worked hard to help the driver feel like we were ALL helping the car along. It was very rewarding to hear from the guys themselves on how much I helped.

I did my best to both learn the ropes and help our team at every chance. From organizing pit strategy, to coordinating driver rotations, to planning car repairs, to following the stories of the other teams, to meeting great and amazing personalities... I had a great time all weekend. I felt welcomed EVERYWHERE I went, and it was amazing from minute one to the time we rolled home into my driveway at 1am on Monday.

It was very interesting to think that, just a few weeks earlier, I knew NOTHING about Lemons. Then an off-handed comment, a mutual connection, and BAM - here I was, jumping headfirst into an adventure that took me 8 hours from home for 3 days to a place I had never been, with people I had never met, doing something I'd never dreamed of, and feeling like I should've been here the whole time.

So... thanks, Randal, Bow and Joe. Thanks, Judge Phil and Jay. Thanks Matt, Jamie and the guys and gals from Petty Ca$h, Canadian Breakin' and others...

Now... about this Camaro in my garage. I wonder what kind of theme I could put together for when I start my team... :-)