Skip Barber Southern Series - Homestead
January 25, 2010
I couldn't wait to start the new year and get back in the car. The only problem was that I had a Midterm exam in Algebra on Friday that I had to take. Luckily for me, I have a pretty cool principal and she thinks that racing is actually a sport. So with my parents' help, the principal cut me some slack and allowed me to make up the exam when I returned to school on Monday. So when my dad and I got on the plane to Florida, I was completely focused on racing, not Algebra.
Friday I had two practice sessions but we added an extra one so I could get more seat time. All the sessions went pretty well so I was excited for Saturday's race. On Saturday morning, the weather was nice and sunny. It looked like a perfect day for a race. Qualifying went well as I qualified in a solid 5th place. In Race #1 on Saturday, I kept moving forward and on Lap 7, I got into the lead. With 8 more laps to go, I held on to the lead but I was really concerned about fuel mileage. I seriously thought I was going to run out of fuel at any time. Finally, the checkered came out and I won my first Skip Barber Regional Race! It was the coolest feeling in the world! When I pulled into the pits, I got a nice big cooler of ice water dumped on me by the mechanics because I was a first-time winner. It was an awesome day!
For Race #2 on Sunday, I started on pole since I won on Saturday. I stayed in the lead for the first five laps but I ended up falling back to second. On the final lap, the top three were all running close together when I was passed and wound up in third. I was happy with that result and it was definitely a good points weekend for us.
I would like to thank God, my parents, my sister, my principal, Gerardo Bonilla for all his help, and all the Skip Barber mechanics and instructors for everything. I'd especially like to thank my coach Steve Welk for talking to me on the headset and spotting for me during the race. This time last year I was just learning how to downshift and with Steve's help and patience, he was able to help me get my first victory. I would also like to thank my sponsors Atlas Acon, Liberty Contracting, Sparco, and Bell. Without them, this wouldn't be possible.
My next race is February 12-14 at Sebring International Raceway. We are really looking forward to it!
Friday I had two practice sessions but we added an extra one so I could get more seat time. All the sessions went pretty well so I was excited for Saturday's race. On Saturday morning, the weather was nice and sunny. It looked like a perfect day for a race. Qualifying went well as I qualified in a solid 5th place. In Race #1 on Saturday, I kept moving forward and on Lap 7, I got into the lead. With 8 more laps to go, I held on to the lead but I was really concerned about fuel mileage. I seriously thought I was going to run out of fuel at any time. Finally, the checkered came out and I won my first Skip Barber Regional Race! It was the coolest feeling in the world! When I pulled into the pits, I got a nice big cooler of ice water dumped on me by the mechanics because I was a first-time winner. It was an awesome day!
For Race #2 on Sunday, I started on pole since I won on Saturday. I stayed in the lead for the first five laps but I ended up falling back to second. On the final lap, the top three were all running close together when I was passed and wound up in third. I was happy with that result and it was definitely a good points weekend for us.
I would like to thank God, my parents, my sister, my principal, Gerardo Bonilla for all his help, and all the Skip Barber mechanics and instructors for everything. I'd especially like to thank my coach Steve Welk for talking to me on the headset and spotting for me during the race. This time last year I was just learning how to downshift and with Steve's help and patience, he was able to help me get my first victory. I would also like to thank my sponsors Atlas Acon, Liberty Contracting, Sparco, and Bell. Without them, this wouldn't be possible.
My next race is February 12-14 at Sebring International Raceway. We are really looking forward to it!
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August 08, 2010
Since I hadn't raced a Skip Barber Regional in couple of months, I was excited to get back in the car. Lime Rock is only about a 3 hour drive from our house, so my dad and I woke up at 3 AM to drive to the track in time for practice on Thursday. My dad was driving pretty fast but he didn't get on pole like my mom does when she drives.
July 19, 2010
I was very excited to get back into a Skip Barber National car and try my second National weekend. Since New Jersey Motorsports Park is only about two hours from our home, it was nice not to have to hang out at airports for once. My dad and I drove down there on Wednesday night so we could be there for the lapping sessions on Thursday. Unfortunately, I had a fever of about 103 degrees and my body felt like garbage. Even though my mom wanted me to stay home like a little baby and take medicine all day, I was like, "No Way!!!" because I wanted to race
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