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Archive for October, 2008
The schedule for SPEED TV’s coverage of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup has been released. The first race will air on SPEED channel Sunday, October 26, at 2:30PM EST. Subsequent races will air in the weeks to follow. (See schedule below for complete details) A 60 minute documentary will also air on SPEED Saturday, November 22, at 5:00PM EST. Continue reading ‘Television Broadcast Schedule’
It is well known that driving a race car is a very demanding endeavor. The body is stressed both physically and mentally, creating circumstances which are difficult to replicate in any single activity. I wanted to take this opportunity to share a little insight as to what the body is experiencing while driving.
Below is a graph overlaying two of my heart rate traces. The blue trace was recorded during a qualifying session at Iowa Speedway; the green trace was recorded during a mountain bike race. The data shown reflects roughly a five minute sample of each activity
click image to view slideshow
Taking some time to reflect, I recently stopped by Monrovia Raceway. It was six years ago almost to the day that I first drove a go-kart and was introduced to racing by my mountain biking coach. Monrovia raceway was a grassroots karting facility located at the intersection of routes 75 and 80 in Monrovia Maryland and the go-kart track at which I began my career. A few years ago the track shut down when the land was purchased and has remained dormant ever since. Under the impression that houses were to be built on the land, I fully expected the site would resemble nothing of the track I remembered.
When I arrived I was surprised to discover that the track was essentially the way I had last seen it a few years ago. Excited to see the facility again, I grabbed my camera and walked the track. It was a powerful experience to return to the track and felt like it was just yesterday that I first turned a wheel there. The track surface was relatively unchanged from the last time I had visited. Relatively unchanged means extremely bumpy! Although the track was very punishing both physically and mechanically, it had a great deal of character, something which many new circuits lack. Rather than bore you with a lengthy description of the facility, I compiled a slideshow of my visit. Enjoy.
click image to view slide show © 2008 STRENGTH interactive
The final round of the 2008 Jetta TDI Cup took place at Road Atlanta as part of the 11th annual Petit Le Mans. The atmosphere of the event was powerful, with helicopters flying in and out of the track, cars on track from sunrise to sunset and over 113,000 fans in attendance.
Road Atlanta has a long history as one of the premier road racing facilities in North America, being as enjoyable for spectators as it is for the drivers. This track most certainly did not disappoint. Having never driven on the circuit I was extremely anxious for our first practice session Friday morning. The session went very well for me, as I posted the 3rd fastest time. The session was marred with offs and crashes, with three drivers crashing their vehicles in the free practice. While practice took place early in the morning, our qualifying would not begin until 6:30pm. This gave me plenty of time to review my strategy for qualifying as well as stop by and visit some familiar faces in the paddock. Continue reading ‘DeNino Finishes Jetta TDI Cup Season Strong at Road Atlanta’
Winder, GA - 45 °F
