Name My Axis!

Wednesday, March 12
UPDATE! 
Wow, I can't believe we received more than 100 entries! Thanks to all who submitted ideas for #NameMyAxis. I've selected four names... click below to vote for your favorite! And congrats to our four finalists: Nancy E. (Axis & Allies), Colene E. (Bittersweet Apex), Britany K. (Wheel Escape), and Mark T. (Tangerine Dream). The grand prize winner will be announced next Wednesday, March 19!

Wednesday, March 5

We're about 15 days away from the first day of spring... just that much closer to getting my brand new Axis A24 out on the water. But first, it needs a name and I'd like your help!

Want to win? Here's how it works:

1. Submit your entry via Facebook HERE by Tuesday, March 11 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
2. I will hand select four entries as finalists and announce on Wednesday, March 12 at noon Eastern.
3. Fans will vote on the four finalists' entries by Tuesday, March 18 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern... the name with the most votes will be announced as the grand prize winner on Wednesday, March 19 at noon Eastern!

Tell 'em what they've won, Johnny! 

• Four finalists will win signed a signed No. 83 1:64 diecast car.
• One grand prize winner will receive a bag of swag from Axis, a signed Charlie Kimball hat, and a signed helmet visor worn at the 2013 Grand Prix of Alabama (fourth place finish and all-around fun race).

Need some inspiration? Want to learn more about the Axis A24? Check it out here!

And now... #NameMyAxis is green, green, green! Submit your entries HERE now!

Fine print:

• You must be at least 13 years of age to enter and win (sorry--Facebook's rules).
• You may submit more than one entry but that does not necessarily increase your odds for winning. 
• We have the right to remove any public entries that are inappropriate or offensive... just keep it clean!
• This contest is not supported by or associated with my sponsors, Chip Ganassi Racing, or Novo Nordisk Inc.

Sparkles and connections

It's back down in the 20s here in Indy, so I thought it's a good time as any to "think warm" and talk boating! Last Saturday I hung out at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show with Mid-Indiana Marine and Axis Wake. As always, the folks at Mid-Indiana and Axis put on a really impressive display. I'm biased, but I think the best was to see this sparkly-orange Axis A24 when I arrived. Yes, I'll be taking this one out on the water this summer!

Being at the show with all of the beautiful boats made me really anxious to get on the water, so I'm already deep in planning a trip with friends for this summer!

Can't wait to get in the water!

Isn't she pretty?!

The boat show was really busy, and it was great to meet a lot of IndyCar fans and make some new connections. Thanks to the family wearing No. 83 shirts for stopping by! I even met a fellow type 1 named Britney. It always amazes me just how small all of my worlds are--from racing, to hobbies like boating, to the diabetes community--and how we're all connected!

Speaking of being connected, be sure you're following me on Twitter @racewithinsulin and on Facebook for updates from the track soon. This Saturday marks the first day of March which means it's almost time to go racing! Hope to see you at the track this season.

The best alternative to boating on the water? A boat show!

Thanks to our friend the Groundhog, it seems as though we've got at least six more weeks of winter before we can get back out on the water. Thankfully, I'll get my "boat fix" in a couple of weeks at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show! I'll be hanging out with the Mid-Indiana Marine and Axis Wake folks, and I hope to see you there too! I might even have some hats and goodies to sign and give away.

Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show
Indiana State Fairgrounds
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2-4 p.m.
Mid-Indiana Marine booth #402
For ticket information, please click here.

A week away

It's no secret racing at speeds of 200-plus miles per hour requires a great deal of focus and concentration. After a long race weekend, sometimes I'm as mentally exhausted as physically tired! One way I 'reset' throughout the race season is by taking the opportunity to get away for a week or so. During the break following Baltimore, I was able to check one item off my bucket list: a father-son trip to the Grand Canyon. To say I had a lot of fun would be an understatement for sure!

For a total of 188.5 miles downriver, Dad and I paddled the Colorado River from Marble Canyon, Ariz. to Whittmore, Wash. We had great guides that acted as river runners, geologists, historians, storytellers, chefs, and (even though no one on our trip came close to needing it) EMTs. We did everything from running big rapids to seeing local wildfire, and from to hiking to finding some beautiful waterfalls up the side canyons. Our guides Wiley and Lindsey made the trip even more enjoyable. It was really eye-opening to hear the history of the Grand Canyon, from just after the Civil War through today, with the dams, the engineering and the geology... there’s just so many aspects of the trip that were once in a lifetime.

It was incredible to see something of that size and magnitude and be reminded of just how small we are. The sense of scale was so far off that we would see rock formations and think they were 10 feet tall. When we got to them, they were more like 200 feet tall!

It was even more special that I got to experience the whole trip with my dad. We had a blast and were able to enjoy what I think is really one of the most beautiful parts of the country together (without phone calls or email!). I hope that one day I’ll be able to do that trip again, maybe even to take my son down the Grand Canyon.

Enough of my words about the trip; take a look at some photos I took... enjoy!

A short month filled with action!

Sure, February is the shortest month out of the year, but I've packed in a lot of fun in that short time! Appearances, photo and video shoots, testing, birthdays, a mini-vacation, a major press announcement... phew, it's definitely been a quick yet busy month.

Yesterday I spent some time at the Ganassi shop shooting some video with the Novo Nordisk team. They're always a great group to work with, and they make the process easy and painless for me!

The Sebring test last week went really well. We were very quick in the morning session and had a few mechanical things to work on in the afternoon. Overall I was really pleased with the progress we made. We did a lot of work with Honda and Honda HPD, developing some adjustments and tunability as we get ready for the open test and first race. We ran a lot of miles during the last off-season, and with the decrease of testing time this year we just have to be more efficient and make the most of our on-track time. Big credit to the whole Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team. The engineers and mechanics have worked really hard over the winter, and we had some great directions to try at Sebring. I can’t wait to get back in the car for the open test in a couple of weeks… the first race is less than a month away now!

It’s always great to go out to an event here in Indianapolis. So many people here in town love IndyCar racing, so to go to the fairgrounds for the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show with Mid-Indiana Marine and meet IndyCar fans was really neat. I’m an avid boater and I love my Axis Wake. It was great to hang out with the dealer and talk to prospective buyers and other Axis owners about my boat, and how I use it to relax and slow down a bit from the racing world. I had the chance to share with them the quality that I enjoy in my boat and how I spend my free time out on the water. Fortunately the days are getting a bit longer here in Indy, so there’s hope for warm weather soon. Most importantly that means the start of the race season, but also that it’ll be time to get back out on the water before I know it!

My new friend Luke at the boat show!

Oh yeah, I did some "racing" recently too... Enjoy.

Is it spring yet?

I heard Groundhog Phil didn't see his shadow this year... which means spring comes early, right?! I'm not sure about you, but that sounds like good news to me. Not only because spring means the beginning of the IndyCar season but also because warm weather means more time out on the Axis boat! 

I'll be hanging out with the guys from Mid-Indiana Marine at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show on Saturday, Feb. 23, drooling over the new models and getting even more anxious about getting out on the lake. They'll have special deals and I'll have a few cool giveaways, so come on out and visit!

Just add water...

Yesterday I spent the day at the Axis Wake Research and Malibu Boats factory in Loudon, Tennessee, and let me tell you... I had an absolute blast! A big thanks to Debbie for putting together the luncheon and to Adam for the awesome tour.

I went down for the company's annual luncheon and awards. For my part, I did a presentation on my job as an IndyCar driver, then showed a video highlighting how I unwind and spend time outside of the racecar... on my Axis A22! Once the awards ceremony part of the luncheon began, I was able to raffle off some IndyCar-related prizes to the factory employees. I'm excited to host two of them at Barber Motorsports Park next season for the race weekend and show off our machines!

Speaking to the employees about IndyCar.

After the luncheon, Adam took me on a tour of the factory. This is where I definitely geeked-out! The whole thing was just so impressive... the attention to detail is evident throughout the process. You see the employees fitting pieces by hand, stitching the seat covers, inspecting the product during each step. It's truly a hand-made boat. And in talking to the factory employees along the way, I could tell that they all take such pride in their jobs. Axis and Malibu seem to have a rewarding, inclusive company culture and everyone there "gets it" for sure.

It actually reminded me of visiting the Honda plant in Alabama last March, though of course there were some differences. At the Honda plant, everything was very mechanically efficient and had its own place on the production line. Honda can get out almost 1500 Odyssey vans per day (with a full inspection for each car) while the Axis boats are more custom, and more hands-on time is spent with each piece. However, at the end both produce such high-quality products. So cool to see it all happen in person!

Now all I need is some sunshine and warm weather... I'm ready to get back out on the water!

I think Spencer liked the No. 83 diecast!

Thanks for saying hi, Jane!

Another prize winner!

On to Toronto, eh!

After a seven week long stretch of consecutive weekends at a race track, it was nice to have a few days off to relax and reenergize! I took the Axis boat down to Tennessee with some friends, and it was just what I needed... sun, water and down-time. Yesterday I flew to Orlando for the Children with Diabetes "Friends for Life" conference for an appearance on behalf of Novo Nordisk. They put on a teen driving clinic which was right up my alley so I helped out a bit. Now I'm ready to be back in an IndyCar... bring on Toronto!

I'm looking forward to going back to a street circuit. Last year we had a fast car in Toronto and were able to move up the field with good pit stops and race strategy, so I know we can do that again with the No. 83 NovoRapid FlexTouch car. The whole Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team will be working hard to get another top-10 finish and start building more momentum for the second half of the season!

Happy 4th of July to everyone... hope you enjoy the holiday! I'm proud to represent our great country every weekend at the race track!

P.S. In case you missed "INDYCAR 36: Charlie Kimball" on NBC Sports Network, click here or below to watch the full episode! Let me know what you think.

I'm on a boat!

As some of you may know, I love being out on the water almost as much as I like being in a race car. On Friday, I got to see my new Axis Wake A22 boat for the first time! It was love at first sight. I was able to take it out for a bit, and the great guys at Axis and Mid-Indiana Marine showed me everything it can do. Growing up, I always enjoyed surfing in California as a way to relax and still be active. Hard to find good waves in the Midwest, but now at least I can wake surf behind the boat. I’m super pumped for the summer here in Indy… relaxing on the boat after a good race weekend sounds like the perfect plan to me!

Isn't she pretty?!

On Thursday evening, I head down to Sao Paolo for IndyCar’s third annual event in Brazil. I felt really good after Long Beach, despite our bad luck late in the race. I'm excited to head to Brazil and see what I do there with all of the experience I gained running in the top six in Long Beach. Last year Sao Paulo definitely gave us a wild race and honestly some of the most difficult driving conditions I've ever experienced. That said, the NovoNordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team did a great job keeping me in the race and we had a decent finish under the circumstances. This year I'm going to Brazil with more experience, more confidence and even more drive to get a top-10 finish.

Keep your eye on this blog for updates during the race weekend! I might be a bit delayed with not knowing my connectivity abilities down there, but I’ll do my best! My PLR (Pit Lane Reporter from @racewithinsulin) won't be making the trip so there won't be as many live, 'behind the scenes' tweets, but you can always stay clued in here on my blog!

P.S. Check out this blog post by Brett, a race fan living with diabetes since age 9. I’m honored to be included in your blog, Brett!

An afternoon off in Long Beach

After a bit of media this morning, I found myself with some free time--not common during race weeks! So I took advantage of the down time and went to the aquarium right outside the circuit. It must be spring break time because it was packed! But it was still fun and gave me a couple of hours to unwind. 

Tonight I'm heading out to the Dodgers game with my friend Tyler. I've been waiting all winter for baseball season and I'm pretty stoked to get to the stadium!

I have a good feeling about this weekend so after tonight's ball game, it's back to business for me. Tomorrow I'll start off with a couple of interviews and then we have a track walk in the afternoon.

Hope to see you SoCal IndyCar fans at the track this weekend!

At least one in January

Since I haven't blogged since mid December, I thought I should blog in January. And, well, as tomorrow is already February (?!?!), this is my last chance!

Things are really busy. I am back based in Indy after some really nice down time for the holidays. The Christmas/ New Year's period is always crazy, but really good to see all my family and friends that congregate back at home. I also got some time in the mountains with my best friend. We got a couple of days of snowboarding and some chill time by the fireplace (so many meanings since the power was out for a day!). Then it was off to Miami for the Orange Bowl. I had gotten tickets as a Christmas present to go see Stanford take on Virginia Tech. What an experience! It was amazing seeing all the Cardinal faithful from across the country cheering for victory. And I know that I didn't go to Stanford, but with my family's legacy and my acceptance, I still claim it.

After the game, I spent a couple of days in Orlando enjoying the magic of Disney. I realize that most of Disney stuff is for kids, but I was totally blown away, again, by the quality of everything at Disney World. I had never been to the Animal Kingdom and after a day there, I wanted to go back again! It was spectacular. A really creative way to display the animals and yet give them the room to roam in a very natural habitat. Plus the rides are very cool. The Everest train ride was awesome and the Dinosaur ride really caught me by surprise. All in all, I really enjoyed myself and would go back in a heartbeat.

And then it was time to head from the warm Florida sun to the cold and snow of Indianapolis. It was nice to be back in Indy though. I have been working really hard in the gym to get ready for the season. I have also been spending a fair bit of time at the race shop with my team. I have been continually impressed with the caliber of people involved and I can't wait to drive the car for the first time! The car is now being painted, prepped and when it gets back to the shop it will be full speed ahead before the first test, hopefully soon.

And if that wasn't enough, I moved house this last weekend. With the help of James Hinchcliffe, Philip Major and Stefan Wilson, we got all the stuff moved on Saturday. Moved however, does not mean 'moved in'. There are still stacks of boxes around and lots of settling in left to do. I haven't gotten my office set up yet, so I am writing this on the dining table. But having Internet and a dining table is a success in my mind!

Finally, I want to congratulate all of my teammates at Chip Ganassi Racing, Chip, Mike, Timmy and all the crew on the Grand-Am Rolex Daytona Prototype cars. They finished the Rolex 24 hour race first and second separated by a mere 2 seconds after a full 24 hours of competition! With that win, Chip has won the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, the Brickyard 400, the IZOD IndyCar Championship and the Rolex 24 Hour, all in 12 months. It's a great start to a promising 2011!

The Wait is Over

I’m on the plane headed down to St. Petersburg, Florida because the wait is over. The 2010 season is getting ready to start! Not the unofficial start with the safety meeting, or even with testing, both official and private; but the first race of the year. I grant you that it is only the first of the season and the champion won’t be crowned on Sunday afternoon. But, when the green flag drops, the nonsense stops. And hopefully, when the checkered flag flies, I will be heading into Victory Lane!

And I do feel particularly positive about the start of this season. Coming to St. Pete last year, I had done a couple of days testing with the team, had no idea how Indy Lights race weekends worked, wasn’t sure what to expect or how I’d do. This year, I know and am friendly with all the people running the races, I have a full and great sponsorship partnership put together, I am running with a Championship caliber (technically double Championship caliber) team and am more relaxed and confident than at the start of any season in the past. I really like the character of the track at St. Pete. I know that when we unload on Thursday, we will already be miles (so to speak) ahead of where I was last year. And that is before I turn my first lap.

This winter has seemed especially long. Not because I have been bored, in fact it has been the opposite. Since my last blog nearly a month ago (shock, horror, I know!), I have tested in Alabama, Texas, and Florida; moved (and drove through a snowstorm in doing so) to Indianapolis; was in 12 states in less than 7 days (these links are to photos of the state signs on the road trip); went to two ADA Expos (Portland and Salt Lake City); went to my first TCOYD of the year in Kalispell, Montana (first trip to MT and loved it!); and even got some time to train with Jim Leo at PitFit in Indy. Some of the smaller accomplishments of the last month include furnishing my new bedroom (I do love IKEA) and even attempting to decorate with drapes, photos and lamps. I have cooked a few meals and was even called ‘quite domesticated’ by my engineer.

But now, all that matters is this weekend’s race and winning. The wait is over. The 2010 Firestone Indy Lights Championship is here. Let’s go racing!

Meeting up in Mammoth

I have been very remiss in blogging recently. I have been busy, but that is not a good enough excuse! Here is a blog I wrote about a week and a half ago from a snowboarding trip to Mammoth.

A couple of weekends ago, a few friends and I went up to Mammoth Mountain for a few days of snowboarding and skiing. One of my high school friends is working as a lift operator at June Mountain and since the schedules worked out, I was looking forward to hanging out with him. The first of California’s ‘El Nino’ storms had come through the week before and Mammoth got a lot of snow. Like 10 feet of fresh powder! It was a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the three days on the mountain. I thoroughly enjoyed some time ‘disconnected’ from the racing world especially as we get towards the busy time of year.

There was however a really interesting chance encounter at lunch on the first day of skiing. Two friends and I headed to Main Lodge to grab some food, warm up and check the score of the AFC Championship game. I had just gotten my food and was sitting down to eat when I grabbed my blood glucose meter to check my blood sugar after a morning of riding and before lunch. As soon as I tested, I heard from a little boy, “do you have diabetes?” I responded with an affirmative and he said he did as well. Then his mom came up and we started a conversation. Turns out they are from the LA area as well and she is head of the local JDRF chapter. He was the coolest little boy, wears a pump and was getting a medal for a competition in the snowboard half pipe school. In the course of the conversation with his mother, it came up that she had heard my endocrinologist, Dr. Anne Peters, speak at a conference. We talked about what I do for a living to which she replied, “wait, you are her racing driver with your CGM on your steering wheel?! What are the odds!”


There are times when I feel very alone with diabetes and it can be a real struggle. Remembering conversations like that one with the little boy in the Main Lodge of Mammoth really helps remind me that I am not alone. Having diabetes makes me a part of a great community full of amazing people. It is a great way to remind myself that while I am racing because it is what I love to do, it is also a great inspiration to a lot of people.

2 Year D-Versary

Today, October 16th, is my 2 year anniversary of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was going to write a really nice, longer blog post about the diagnosis, the doors that diabetes have opened for me, the neat people I have met in the diabetes community and that while I would give it back if I could, I am enjoying the things it has allowed me to do. I had planned to write more than that until the Dodgers game was so good. Until I found the Angels game on TV and until a fierce low snuck behind me and threw my plan off. I do find it ironically apropos that a low would affect my plan on my D-versary. Meh.

At least I get to go to Wood Ranch for dinner tonight. I am so looking forward prime rib and the Oreo cookie dessert. I may have to take photos of the dessert. I love it that much. Glad I went swimming this afternoon. And that's probably where the low came from.

The Finale Already?

I am here in Homestead, Florida and am getting ready for the last race of the season. The last race?!?! Where the heck did this year go? Last thing I knew, I was here in Homestead in February scrambling to pass my rookie test and putting together a ride for this year, plus working really hard behind the scenes to work out all the details that a new season brings. And now this season is nearly over? I want to say that my 2009 racing season has been swallowed into an abyss of airports, hotel rooms, airplanes, racetracks, rental cars and snippets of days off. But that's not exactly true. Yes, I have traveled a lot this year and yes I have stayed in some awesome hotels (and some not so awesome hotels). I have had some easy flights and some flights I was very very happy to just stumble off the plane in one piece. I have had some really nice rental cars that I enjoyed driving (usually for only a day or two) and some rental cars that were shaking themselves to pieces under me (usually for the longest stay in one place!). And I have had some incredible days off- hiking in the back country of Ventura County, driving through the Finger Lake district in upstate New York, relaxing by a pool in Orlando, Florida, jet-skiing near Homestead, mountain biking in Sycamore Canyon and road biking down the PCH.

But the best days of this year have by and far been at the racetrack. I have really enjoyed the opportunities I have had this season, the results I have worked so hard for and the chance to bring my European racing experience to bear on my first season back home since 2003. It has been so neat racing in front of friends and family across the country. The two races in California were amazing having huge support in the grandstands and I can't wait to go back next year.

Now, it's time for the last race of the year. It is my last opportunity to go out and prove that diabetes doesn't have to slow you down! I am really excited about racing here since I have tested here for a few days and I know that the car is going to be competitive from the first laps. I have practice tomorrow evening from 6-7PM and then Friday is a rich and full day with practice at 8AM, qualifying in the heat of the day at 12:15 and then the race starts at 6PM ET. The race is going to be covered live on Versus TV and streamed live on Indycar.com.

First Game

So I was in Pittsburgh last weekend for a Diabetes EXPO with a showcar and had a great time. I plan on writing a full recap to that before this coming weekend's showcar event in Detroit! However, it also meant that since I was planning on being in Indianapolis today, I would travel to Indianapolis on Sunday morning. Also, as it was opening Sunday for the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts were playing at home, I had never been to a football game and Lucas Oil Stadium is such an imposing part of the downtown Indianapolis skyline, I decided I would go to the Colts game. And so I picked up a ticket and headed into the stadium. And WOW! It is really, really big. I could have sworn that the field was smaller than normal, but it was just that the stadium was so large! They had the retractable roof open and it was a perfect afternoon at a football game. I really enjoyed myself and it was a great introduction to a live NFL game. I can't wait to go to another. I would love to see the Chargers play in San Diego, or the Broncos at Mile High Stadium. And after having visited Pittsburgh on Saturday, I want to see the Steelers play at Heinz Field. It really was a nice break from my hectic schedule and busy lifestyle.

Here's a photo from kickoff:



















And the final Scoreboard:

Memory Lanes (Interstate Lanes that is!)

This morning (very early in the morning, I might add) I drove up from home in Ventura County to Sonoma. I took the 5 freeway which runs into the south end of the Central Valley in California and hugs it's western edge up towards San Francisco. Once you get into the Valley, the scenery stays just about the same until you turn over to the Bay Area. However, I know the road from my house up to the Lerdo Hwy exit on the 5 very well. See at Lerdo Hwy is a racetrack by the name of Buttonwillow Raceway Park.

Buttonwillow is a great track, especially for testing. However, it holds an even more special place in my heart because it is the racetrack where I turned my first laps in a race car. I remember that day very clearly. I had been racing in the go kart in Santa Maria the weekend before my Monday- Tuesday test day at Buttonwillow. As a result, my dad and I drove straight over to Buttonwillow and headed out to the track early on Monday morning with the go-kart trailer in tow. It was a nice day- cool in the morning, but the sun was shining and it soon warmed up to be perfect testing weather. I helped my dad unload the go karts so he could work on them during the day and then I got focused on learning what I had to differently to drive a racecar as compared to a go-kart. I remember my first few laps being a bit of a blur but soooo much fun! I came into the pitlane the first time and told the team (and my dad who had borrowed a radio) that 'that was the most fun I have had in my life. Ever. Period!' Apparently, my smile was big enough to see well before I had taken my helmet off.

There were a few other big impressions from those two days of testing. The first was that I needed to really work out if I was going to start racing cars. By the afternoon of Tuesday, I was exhausted! I know I had been racing the go-karts all weekend, but still I remember taking a nap in the car during the second afternoon while the team made some changes to the car. I also remember that the mechanic who strapped me into the car (Big Mike) got the belts so tight that I was sore for a week. I have never had a mechanic be able to strap me into the car that tightly since! The Buttonwillow Ranch brought lunch out the track and we went there for dinner on Monday night. The food was pretty tasty. So if you are ever cruising along on the 5 near Buttonwillow and are getting hungry- stop in for a bite. Although it has been quite a few years since I have eaten there, so no guarantees! The final thing I remember from that first two day test of my racecar career is that I was fast. I ran a lap of 1:06.5 (it might have been a .4) and that was one of the quicker laps the team had seen around that configuration of Buttonwillow. That fact really helped me convince my parents that I should pursue a racing career. Well my love of racing all helped I'm sure. As I drove past Buttonwillow, the Buttonwillow Ranch, the Lerdo Hwy exit and the Buttonwillow buildings next to the freeway, I remembered that first test in a car (and the thousand of miles of testing I did there after that first test).

I spent some time at Infineon Raceway (the site for this weekend's race) today doing a TV interview and then headed out to my hotel for the weekend. Since I have a lot of guests and family coming up this weekend, we have organized a group of rooms at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country. They have been really good about shuffling room reservations around and when I arrived were extremely hospitable. The hotel is beautiful and I am really looking forward to the rest of the weekend. Not to speak of the racing! But that is for tomorrow's blog. I don't drive until Saturday so tomorrow is just a prep day.

Delayed!

So this post is a short one to apologize for my delay in posting anything. I have been pretty busy and when I have had time off, I am working hard to relax and enjoy what is left of summer. Since last weekend was my only weekend off in August, I went to the beach, surfed, kayaked, swam, hung out, and then went to a big BBQ on Sunday. Sunday night I was in bed by 8:30 and asleep by 8:40! I don't think I have gone to sleep that early since I was 10.... (I don't count jet lag).

I head up to Sonoma for this weekend's Carneros 100 at the Infineon Grand Prix early on Thursday morning. I have a TV interview at the track for an evening news show in San Francisco around midday. And tonight I get to talk with the DJ's on ESPN Radio San Francisco about the weekend's race! There are a lot of my family, friends, supporters and sponsors coming this weekend. It should be a lot of fun with great weather, great racing and hopefully a great result!

Thursday Morning in Edmonton

This post is loooong overdue. I should have written some sort of blog while I was home. However, I got distracted with sleeping, digging through the mountain of paperwork on my desk, my email inbox, catching up on rest, training, getting ready for this trip (3 races/ 3 weeks on the road), sleep and friends. I had a really good time at home though and it was a well deserved break. And by break I mean, I appreciated the chance to clear my desk enough to remind myself (very briefly) what color it is. I did also make sure to take some time for me. I played tennis one evening, went for a bike ride on Saturday morning (thought it would be a short hour ride- turned into 3.5 hour half century!), played beach volleyball and BBQ'ed with friends on Sunday. Heading out for this trip, I was well rested and even had gotten a new gadget to make my travel life easier.

Last Friday I ordered an Amazon Kindle. The Kindle is a really neat e-book. It is about the size of a paperback but a lot thinner and a touch lighter. The biggest difference between a regular book and the Kindle is that I can store a lot of books on the Kindle. Rather than carting around a book, a spare in my backpack and a spare spare in my suitcase, I already have three books loaded onto my Kindle. And if I get nervous about not having enough reading material, I can browse the Amazon site and download more books. The biggest impetus for me buying the unit (it's not cheap- but worth every penny so far!) was running out of books on planes. The last few plane trips, I got 10 minutes into the 3 hour flight and finished the only book I had with me. And the movie playing didn't interest me, and I wasn't tired enough to sleep without reading first and as a result I ended up bored and frustrated. Therefore I figured the Kindle would make my life on the road a little bit easier. When I get on a plane, I am totally out of contact and enjoy the chance to do work if I want, watch movies, nap or read. I really like to read and do a lot of it, so I figured it was a solid investment. Also, you can get almost all of the newest books on the Kindle and rather than 20 or 30 bucks for a hardback- most are around 10. I figure the savings alone will cover my costs within a few months at the rate I read. And I am saving the environment- Go me!

So now I am here in Edmonton for the first of three races on the trot (pardon the English-ism). We have the airport track of Edmonton this weekend, Kentucky Speedway next weekend and then the road course of Mid-Ohio after that. Edmonton is quite a ways north. Like the farthest north I have ever raced, I think. The only place that may rival it is Knockhill in Scotland. But so far the weather here is better than Scotland! (As an aside- I googled it and at 53 degrees North latitude, it is the farthest north I have ever raced- and probably ever been!) I arrived in Edmonton yesterday afternoon, the sun was high in the sky (being so far north), it was warm and I had some time to see the city. We are staying right downtown and so my dad and I walked around. And kept walking. And kept walking. We did a full lap of the downtown area, walked through the 'taste of Edmonton' festival, by some neat buildings, and then decided we would walk up to the racetrack- more commonly known as the city centre airport. I thought it was like two major streets. I may have been slightly mistaken! It was more like 4 kms or 2.75 miles (and by Google maps estimation- 50 minutes walking). Still, even at 8:30 at night, the sun was out and shining and the weather was warm. It was a pleasant night for a walk and I enjoyed the exercise. The sun finally set at about 10 or so and it got darkish. It was still a type of twilight. It is very neat up here and I am really enjoying the city. I did an interview with a local sports radio station and everyone is so friendly and enthusiastic about the race this weekend. The interviewer, Dan, mentioned that the racing gods must bribe the weather gods for good weather as everytime the Indy is in town, the weather is perfect! Here's the link to the page with an audio file of my radio interview. I have noticed that there are a lot of big 4 wheel drive trucks, very few convertibles and a lot of cars have an electric plug hanging out the front of the grill. I asked my dad why he thought the cars had plugs on them. His reply was, "well when it's -40 in the winter, you have to heat the block of the car so it will start." Yes, it is a great place to visit in the summer when the temperature is warm and beautiful. -40 degrees? I'll pass.

Now it's off to the racetrack, work with my engineer on the car set up, walk the track, and get ready for practice and qualifying tomorrow. The schedule is a bit condensed with only 1 hour of practice before qualifying. That means it is even more important to do my 'homework' with the data, track walk and 'mental laps'. More impressions of the track and maybe even the West Edmonton Mall. Apparently it is the biggest mall in North America.

Ready for the Glen

I am here in Watkins Glen and am soooo ready for this race weekend! I had a great weekend off last weekend which included a 2 hour mountain bike ride, some beach volleyball, time by the pool, card games, a Dodger game and I had time to go see Transformers. It was great to get some time to relax and recharge with all the traveling and racing I have been doing.

But now I am back at the race track and raring to go! I am really looking forward to this weekend because it is such a spectacular track set in some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. I tested here a few weeks back and it went very well. Now I am ready to go race at the Glen.

To get ready for tomorrow, I took a golf cart around the track with my engineer and talked about the different corners and how the car handles. We also talked race strategy, qualifying strategy and made a plan for the practice sessions. After the car had been "tech'ed" (to check it's legality) I got suited up and checked the seat belts and pedal positions. Just as I was finishing up, my parents and sister arrived. We headed out of the track and drove up to the village of Watkins Glen for dinner. Watkins Glen sits at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. My race engineer, Dave, recommended the Glen Motor Inn for dinner as it looks out over the lake from a hillside. And I am so glad we took his advice! The food was very tasty, the view was staggering and it was so great to have my family around me. I love travelling and love what I do. Being able to enjoy that with my family makes it that much better! Here is a photo from dinner:


Here is my schedule for the Corning 100 at Watkins Glen International Speedway:
Friday July 3rd:
Practice: 10:30-11:15AM
Qualifying: 1:45- 2:30PM

Saturdady July 4th (Yay Independence Day- and fireworks!):
Practice: 9-9:30AM
Corning 100 Race: 1-2:30 PM (30 Laps/ 100 Miles)

TV Schedule: Monday July 6th on Versus TV at 11PM ET (8PM PT)