Go to the new site!

Yes its true. www.whitcombracing.com has finally been acquired! Get your butt over there and let me know what you think. Better? Worse? Check it out!

Crazy For This Girl

Yesterday I surprised the entire suite, and came to the door with a gift from South Africa -

Nici and I haven't seen each other since Dec. 30th, and she was invited to a conference at Harvard this past week. We realized it was a perfect opportunity for us to reunite for the first time in two months. The most beautiful part? Almost nobody knew.

After driving from 9 in the morning until about 5 at night to get her, we arrived at the suites, with tired bodies and anxious emotions. We entered the large suite door with my surprise; I wish I had captured the reactions on tape. Devon's tears of joy, Chelsea's arm flapping, Brittany's shrieks, and Nate's confusion all added to the beauty of her arrival. For me? I could never describe to you what having her here means to me, not in a 500 page book, and certainly not in a blog.

But to give you the faintest of looks, having Nici physically here is far beyond any emotion I have felt before. Since we started dating what feels like so long ago, but was actually only 4.5 months, she has become my rock, but also something more. Nici has been the only person able to convince me to throw my own caution to the wind, and passionately chase my dreams. When Nici is around, its not just that when you're with her you are happier, but everything you do in the day is better. I woke up happily this morning at 8:30 on my own (a feat only a large pan and maybe ice cold water could accomplish any other day). My life feels complete when Nici is around, and without her I don't feel quite whole. Living as half a person for most of the year is not appealing, trust me I know. But to lose Nici would be to live as half a person for the rest of my life. I think I'll go with the former. As hard as it is to sustain a relationship that feels a million miles away, not once have I questioned whether it was worth it.

But it certainly becomes much easier when she's here.

Her beautiful stories, jubilant laughs, wild dancing, and perfect smile have lit up a Pottery Suite that would have otherwise drowned in the stresses of University. Her beauty, inside and out, washes over everyone in the room. She's the most beautiful person I've ever met in my life, both physically and internally, and I'm not just saying that. If Nici can't make you smile, no one can. I can't help but crack a smile every time a look into those big beautiful eyes, and the jittery feeling I get in the pit of my stomach reveals to me how wonderful, surreal, and right this all really is. A world without Nici, is no kind of world I would want to live in. So for this week, I will enjoy the heights of cloud 9, and save thinking about coming back down to the ground for a different day.

Not To Be Forgotten

As important as it is to thank the inspirations behind me in the adventure, it is also important to recognize the people who support the madness, even though it does not otherwise interest them. This may prove to be much harder than the people that were already excited at the opportunity that has been prescribed to me. However family members like my mother, Sara, my stepmom, Danielle, and my grandparents, Patricia and Francis have shown love and support, even through a dark cloud of confusion surrounding what could be so damn thrilling about making 80 left turns at the fastest pace possible with 30 other hooligans trying to do the same -

All summer long.

Some have supported me in following my dreams of living the glory and supreme adrenaline rush that is racing. To others, their love and encouragement fuels my embarking of a long summer of left turns, heartbreaks, and a considerable increase in the chance of injury. To support something they find so alien, and completely insane, is a feat not many can accomplish. Just imagining my Mom or grandparents on the infamous "Budweiser Hill" with empty beer cans clinking down the concrete chute around them -

Comical doesn't quite describe it.

Yet, there they will be. Although they could not name 2 other race car drivers at Thunder Road, there is something to be said for those who can show their love and support, even when they don't see the excitement of your dreams. They show blind faith and encouragement towards a goal they don't see much merit in. This kind of unconditional love and reassurance is only found in those closest to you, and this kind of love is just as important as the support of those who are well versed in the sport. So thank you, to the grandparents, sisters, siblings, and everybody in between, that stands behind me and shows their support, even when they don't necessarily see the light at the end of the tunnel. Your support is equally appreciated, and I expect you all in Victory Lane after my first win (whenever that may come).

Inspirations - "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Although it is still just the beginning of a hopefully long (and successful) journey, it is still important to recognize the motivations and inspirations that have fueled me to "take the first step". Although I am far from sitting in the cockpit behind 600 horses and $40,000 worth of machinery, I am taking that first step towards that dream and find myself a million miles ahead of where I was yesterday. Obviously, just immersing myself in the culture of Thunder Road and watching my Father blossom all had something to do with it, but there are other factors as well.

One of them goes by the name of Alex Roy. This infamous rally racer kept me lying awake at night just dreaming of the things he actually had accomplished in his lifetime, and he's not done yet. Alex Roy did the unthinkable. Alex Roy leapt up the flight of stairs that Dr. Martin Luther King talks about. Alex Roy holds the transcontinental record for the fastest span of the United States in a car. -

It might not sound impressive until you hear that he did it in 31 hours and 4 minutes in a BMW.

Alex Roy and copilot took his BMW a moving average of 120mph across the U.S. in a little more than a day. Over 3,000 miles. Alex Roy took his dreams, and the rally racing world by storm. If you ever want to see a guy who broke the laws of limitation, and stayed true to himself, Alex Roy is your man. He showed the world that limits are just a barrier meant to be broken; that "only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go".

The Hugo family is another inspiration behind this madness. My girlfriend, Nici, always seems to have dreamed big. The most incredible thing is how she chases her dreams. I have always dreamed big, but never have I had the gall to actually step up to the plate and chase them as she does so whole heartedly. With Nici, goals and dreams are one in the same. What she dreams is what she progresses towards constantly. Not many can say that, and she has been an inspiration to me to follow my own dreams as I'm doing now (not to mention an incredible, caring girlfriend and I love her madly). She showed me, more than anyone, that taking that step up the stairs is the only way I could ever get to the top. They say that behind every great man, there is a great woman. This is no exception.

Her brother, Dan, even though I have yet to meet him has inspired me as well. Dan had tremendous dreams himself, and now he sits on the brink of Xterra glory as he has now reached the pedestal of being hailed the number two Xterra racer on the planet. Talk about big dreams. Dan is everything any man should want to be (at least from what I hear!) He's got big dreams, and he follows them with determination, class, and resolve. Even through his growing fame, he never forgets about his family. Nici praises the man he has become, as well has the extraordinary brother that he has remained. Dan didn't take the beaten path, but blazed a trail for the rest of us. Something we could all look up to.

And don't forget about Mr and Mrs Hugo, for it is also true that with great children come great parents. These two were raised right. They were raised to have big dreams, and even bigger hearts. I will be honored to meet them all, hopefully this December.

There are, of course, a million other things that have inspired me to begin this journey, but I'll leave those for later blogs. What am I going to do for the 72 lingering days until my first race, I mean really! Although I feel good about myself for finally making the step towards my dreams, I can't forget the good people that brought me here, and I could never thank them enough. So thanks to all that have supported this dream, I hope to make you all proud in May.

In other news..

Also, a bit of background. If you want to keep up on the photos / a bit of my photowork and current life, Here's how.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruready2fly77/
This is also in the links section on the right sidebar.

Keeping Up The Family Name

Yup, thats the car. Ain't she a beaut? This year for the first time EVER, I'm living the dream and driving this bad boy neck and neck with 30 other drivers to see who can get to the finish line first. I'm living the dream. Haha.

But seriously, I am.

It all starts with my Dad. My Dad embarked on his racing journey 4-5 years ago in the Junkyard Warriors at Thunder Road. I got a firsthand experience of what its like to be a rookie at the road, and its tough. I was in the pits before I became a track photographer for a couple years, and after that I got to enjoy it as a fan. Experiencing Thunder Road from all different angles is important and gave me a much clearer view of the entire operation, but there's only one more view for me to get it from: The driver's seat.

Racing has been a dream of mine for a long time. I've always dreamed of someday being the force behind one of those machines that shake the grandstands as they rumble by chomping at the bit to begin their epic feature event, and this is the first step towards that dream. I've always loved the Thunder Road experience, from every angle. I've been witness over the years as my Father has turned into an incredible race car driver. From the grandstands to driver's hearts he is recognized as a classy, respected, competitive racer. Exactly what I would like to be. That being said, he leaves behind a name to live up to.

I don't plan on disappointing.

So this year I've joined with the Hess Racing Team (who I have yet to meet all of yet, but will soon I'm sure), to prove that I deserve to carry the Whitcomb name on the big stage. Thunder Road has the potential for everything. Heartbreaks, frustration, agony, and ultimate glory are all part of the game here. Will I be standing on the roof of my car drowning in the cheers of the crowd? Or will I be sitting in the back of an ambulance as a tow truck arrives to get my mangled machine. Only time will tell. On May 3rd I'll go head to head with 30 hungry racers looking to prove to the crowd, each other, and themselves that they are worthy to bear the name "King of the Road".. For now? All I can do is fill out papers, tinker on the car, and wait with anticipation, and blog apparently. So from time to time you will hear from me, about this news, or that, but when racing season comes I hope to post at least weekly so those who are interested can keep themselves updated. Enjoy