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.