You could not meet a nicer guy than Bob. He brings ten or so of his friends from New York and he books the entire day with SpeedTech Racing School at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The guys attend school then get one-on-one instruction driving the track. When the instructor feels confident in their abilities, the guys get 100 laps solo in a real NASCAR!
Oh, I need to mention that Bob has his own street-legal NASCAR that he trailors from New York. This car is amazing! Number 13. The car's builder, Jeffery Lyman, comes down as a guest and he is also a great driver. Bob takes his car all over the country driving the various tracks. So with the movie photography, his love of cars, and his own NASCAR, you can see why I get excited when working with him. Quite an honor!
Monday, I arrived early at AMS to meet Randy Baker and his great SpeedTech staff. Bob walked in calling me over to discuss the plan of the day. "Randy, today is going to be different. Get a suit -- today you are driving!" My only comparision to this would be if you were a child again and on Christmas morning you rushed to see your favorite toy under the tree! "But Bob," I asked. " How will I photograph the day?" "We'll work it out," he grinned. I could not believe this! I am the luckiest guy ever!
So there I was sitting in the driving school, then taking ten laps with Randy Baker in the passenger seat watching me follow the lines on the track. And soon I was solo in the car along with four other cars on the track at fifteen lap intervals. Wow, somebody pinch me! And while I was driving Bob was taking photos with my camera. I have to hang this one on the office wall!
When I was not driving I had my cameras clicking to document the day for the guys. I even got permission to put a DSLR camera in Bob's car to fire with a wireless remote while Bob cruised the track. Bob had the mount installed to video the various tracks. Since the range of my wireless remotes are 300 feet Bob let me ride along in the right seat of the #13! This alone would have made my day!
Here's the trusty Nikon mounted in the number 13:
And here we are passing slower traffic:
After 45 of my scheduled 100 laps, I decided that I needed to concentrate more on the photography. After all, I was at work. I made sure that I had all of the guys driving and posing around the cars. Nothing but smiles all day. What a great group of guys and I felt just like one of them.
The Bakers had even catered a barbeque lunch with peach cobbler. Could it get even better? I highly recommend the SpeedTech Auto Racing Schools -- great instructors and staff, incredible race cars and people who really want you to enjoy this exciting day. There's no one to follow on the track like the other schools. You get the full racing feel.
Henry David Thoreau wrote, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." Lisa will tell you that I have always been a dreamer, but even with my great imagination, I have never come close to thinking something like this day would happen to me! Thank you, Randy Baker and the SpeedTech staff, thank you, Jeff, who was so encouraging to my driving skills, but most of all thank you Bob who allowed this unforgettable day to take place!
Randy
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