2007 VRL Rookie of the Year!!

Over 8000 days ago (~ 22 yrs) a young man had a notion that he was pretty good at driving. It was 1986 and grade twelve might have been a more academically driven exercise if not for the usual distractions of a seventeen year old or the thirty hours a week to pay for the freedom and liberation of one very burgundy Camaro Z28. Those days, long before drifting was a motorsport, that Z28 could be seen drifting around the old neighbourhood and doing 720's into parking spots at Sherway Gardens. If those days were these days, that young man would surely be in jail. Well, as you might guess, that young man is now almost a middle-aged man and he is I. It was over twenty-two years ago that I had to request the return of my Spenard-David School of Race deposit from the then only Formula 2000 racing school close to home. Of course, I needed the money for yet another car. I always wondered how it would have gone ....

Fast forward to 2007 .... that young man is now a family man, a businessman and a middle-aged man (39 and close enough). Maybe so, but I have never lost my passion for performance cars or that nagging voice that asks,"what if I had only ...". Not many know my story of the abandoned dream of racing for a 1984 corvette back in the eighties, but most of you reading this will know of my abandonment of common sense with the purchase of our World Challenge Viper Competition Coupe last year. This would mean a lot of firsts in a short period of time for me .... but I knew that I had to make up for so many years lost. These firsts included: my first real race car, my first fire suit, first HANS device, first triple disc clutch, first competition licence, first fire drills, first world class tracks, first professional coaching, first wheel-to-wheel racing and most importantly, my first real recognition that I am reasonably talented as a driver. Even as a "never-gonna-be", it is nice to know that I can finally put that 8000 day old nagging question to bed. My first event in Button Willow California seems like ages ago already.

So, here is where it all landed at the conclusion of my rookie year in racing:

2007 Viper Racing League Rookie of the Year
2007 Viper Racing League - National Champion (GT-MC) - Third Place
2007 Michelin Challenge Series - Western Region Champion - Second Place Unlimited
2007 Michelin Challenge Series - Eastern Region Champion - Third Place Unlimited
2007 Michelin Challenge Series - National Champion - Third Place Unlimited

We finished every event this year in the top three, in class, including two Feature Wins (VRL), a Crusader Pole Award (VRL) and two wins in the Michelin Challenge and an unofficial track record at Reno-Fernley. We had no penalties, no collisions, no serious offs and we treated everyone with respect and humility earning Roberts Racing a good reputation throughout the VRL.

Overall, the year was very much a success with our pragmatic approach to every aspect of the sport. Walter Bobko, a great friend and business partner, was commandeered to "crew chief" for me and soon became as immersed in the process as I. Walter helped me achieve a life-long goal of racing and I appreciate all the support and help. It is great to see that Walter has managed to develop quite a reputation as the "go-to guy" for all MOTEC data acquisition questions and problems. Another best of friends that I need to thank is Ron Caicco for his enthusiasm and ongoing support. I also owe many thanks to Skip Thomas, founder and series owner, for giving me unwavering support and for welcoming me into the VRL family, to Neil Hannemann, my coach and new friend, for working with me from day-one to help enlighten me as to the limits of the car and how real racers ought to be thinking, to Micheal Greenberg (VRL National Champion yet again) for introducing me to the series as well as encouraging my development all the way (even when my headlights were in his mirror), to Jim Stout for letting me be a part of his team and for unfettered access to everything from data to spare rubber. Finally, my thanks to John Archer for helping me with everything it takes to "arrive and drive". If not for ARCHER Racing Accessories, I would be running a few local/regional events.

At the end of the day, my words can't begin to describe the excitement, the nerves, the adrenalin, the celebration or the various other emotions that one experiences in this extreme sport. For the record, I do not do this for the bravado or the bragging rights ~ I do it because I have always felt a connection with cars. If you find yourself looking back at your favourite ride a few times as you walk away, or gently running your finger over the A-pillar after a fresh coat of wax, or hold your RPM at just the right exhaust note under "the" bridge, then you will know why I do it. If none of this made sense, and to the majority it will not, I would simply say enjoy the festivities, the free Roberts Racing promos and wish me well!

Lastly, a special note to two racing converts .... my wife Claudia and her sister Silvia. Of course I owe tons of gratitude to Clau for putting up with this hobby, however, over the course of the season they became my biggest (and only) fans!! Thanks to everyone who has had kind words to me all year and stay tuned for more updates with a few surprises on the way for Roberts Racing in 2008....