Hi Speed Auto Cross - Misplaced Fear

by Bill Dugan (Feb 1999)

1995, I decided to go racing. I have been a long time member of the BMW club, but due to a medical limit on my lifting, I needed a car with an engine that came out the bottom. My search led me to the 914. It took over a year to get it to the track (that's a nice way of saying that I didn't have a lot of money to spend on it). During that year, I went out to Mineral Wells and watched. Boy, those other cars were way better than mine. Lower, stiffer, faster, man, I'll look like a fool, these guys have been driving for years, I'm just starting, and I already have gray hair. Ed Mayo, Joe McGlohen, Mark Gohlke, Bob Krantz, these guys are serious. Did I make a mistake? Maybe I should try speed walking. My son Jason wants to drive too, he's many years younger and many pounds lighter, he'll clean my clock too.

Then I found "DD". They have a class for me, a place that I can run the car without competing with these fast guys, a class that I can learn to drive and sort out the car. The Developing Driver (DD) class is a place to learn. You can have an instructor ride with you. There are no winners or losers in "DD", only learners. I spent a year in "DD", it was a year well spent, I got lots of help, learned tons about my car & driving. Learned that those guys are a helpful bunch, not cut throats.

For the last three years I've had a ball, I think I've gotten better, I know that my fears were all for naught.Can't wait for the season to start. I hope to see a lot of new faces & cars out this year.


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