Great Success

"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
05/04/2015 at 12:35 • Filed to: BECAUSE RACECAR

I’ve had worse weekends. I’m bruised, cut, & ache everywhere, but I’ll take pain for a win any day because it hurts so good. We got 2nd in race 2 as well, in addition to qualifying 1st for both. More pics & stuff to come. Happy Monday, Oppo!

DISCUSSION (29)

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 12:39

Kinja'd!!!

This is one scary looking race car. Congrats on the race weekend. In what capacity are you a member of this team?

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 12:43

Kinja'd!!!

Congrats on the win! May I request more pictures of this one? That livery is cool as hell.

RallyWrench > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
05/04/2015 at 12:47

Thanks! More pictures to come, I don’t know that I have too many of that one, as i only took them when I had a minute to breathe, which wasn’t often. I think the 89 car was the best looking one on the team.

ceanderson920 > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 12:49

I watched this race for a little while this weekend! To bad I was hung over and fell asleep and missed the majority of it.

blacktruck18 > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 12:50

Congrats, sounds like an awesome weekend.

thebigbossyboss > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 12:51

I....may hate you. Due to being so jelly, I can’;t even solidify.

RallyWrench > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/04/2015 at 12:52

Car Chief. I got the call on Wednesday, it was all new to me. I already knew & had raced with 5 guys on the team though, so that helped greatly to get me up to speed quickly. The car was brand new, and had only first turned a wheel in testing at Buttonwillow on Wednesday. The team hadn’t expected to run it.

RallyWrench > blacktruck18
05/04/2015 at 13:19

Thanks, hard work but worth it.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 13:21

That is very very cool man, what line of work are you in that led you to racing?

RallyWrench > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/04/2015 at 13:59

I’ve worked in an independent Euro shop since I was 16 (which I now run), and have always spent as much time at the track as possible. That led to hanging in circles with people who were club racing and needed help on a budget. I worked a lot for free back then, just to prove myself, and as I’ve gained trust and experience, people I’ve raced with have moved up or on to other series and taken me with them, which gave me a chance to learn new cars & team cultures, and to prove myself to other people at higher levels. In ‘06 I quit this shop and moved to the Bay Area to do a full year in World Challenge, and that’s when it sort of took off. That’s lead to calls like this one, which I got because of the guys I’d raced with previously at the Thunderhill 25 Hour and elsewhere that are car chiefs on other cars for them. My ultimate goal as a racing mechanic is Le Mans, it’s always been my dream. But I figure I might have another 10 years being able to cut it physically at a high level, so we’ll see what the future brings. I’m 35, and after 37 hours of hard work in 3 days, I’m pretty beat. Many of the team’s other mechanics have been going full tilt for weeks, getting cars ready, testing in multiple locations, packing, unpacking, repacking, racing, tearing down, driving, flying, and everything else that comes with the job. It’s nuts, but that’s the life. That’s what I hope to post more on, the behind the scenes side that fans don’t get to see.

BKRM3 > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 14:17

Incredible, I want to read all about this. Post all the things!

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 14:18

Doesn’t sound to far from rapid deploying military life in the South Pacific. Move, set up, operate, tweak and assess, pack up and relocate.

RallyWrench > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/04/2015 at 14:40

Yep, it’s that without the fatigues and weapons. And maybe better food, I wouldn’t know. I’ve worked with several ex-military guys and not surprisingly, they make great race crew, because that hard-charging work ethic is ingrained.

RallyWrench > BKRM3
05/04/2015 at 14:42

I’ll be doing a writeup with more pics, for sure.

JoeX > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 15:30

Goddamn, that is one fine-looking machine. I bet it sounds amazing.

RallyWrench > JoeX
05/04/2015 at 15:49

It’s not bad. Driving it to grid & from pit to tech is cool because you can get people out of the way with the noise. Having a 5.2L 10 cylinder horn is nice.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 16:04

\subscribed

I look forward to it brother, all of the racecraft surrounding the high level racing fascinates me. I would love to work in or around F1 in some capacity. Never going to be on the mechanically technical side, but maybe more on the communications side.

RallyWrench > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/04/2015 at 16:24

There’s a job for you somewhere, man. No shortage of comms projects & logistical stuff for teams, tracks, and sanctioning bodies. I’m sure you’d fit right in.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 16:33

HA, yeah but married life = not doing fun things

JoeX > RallyWrench
05/04/2015 at 17:16

It's a truly awe-inspiring machine. I've seen a stock Huracan in person, but I have yet to see the Super Trofeo. Maybe some day.

RallyWrench > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/04/2015 at 18:06

I get that man, loud & clear. I’m happily married family man with a 2nd kid on the way, but my amazing wife understands that this is an integral part of who I am. I don’t race full time, don’t drive track days or autocrosses any more, and don’t spend much money on cars because that’s a compromise I’m happy to make. My day job is depressing, stressful & unfulfulling, and she knows that. Racing makes me happy, I can come home content that I’ve left it all on the field. Getting paid for it is a fortunate benefit that makes it easier for my wife to understand, but it’s as much therapy as supplementary income for me.

If you have a track nearby, see if they have a management organization like Laguna Seca’s SCRAMP, or look into IMSA or some other sancioning body. The amount of comms infrastructure required to run an event is ridiculous (well, maybe not from your perspective, but it’s impressive to a civilian).

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RallyWrench
05/05/2015 at 09:28

Nashville has a track, I believe it went out of business several years ago and is now under new management. And you are a very lucky man to have a spouse that supports your goals, I wish I were that lucky. I am saddled with mi esposa’s student loans and her constant belly-aching about wanting to quit working and be a stay at home wife, and staunch dissatisfaction regarding my very few and very inexpensive hobbies. (Car-culture and weightlifting)

Maybe someday things will be better.

RallyWrench > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet
05/05/2015 at 11:24

Here’s hoping for the best, man. You’ll get there.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > RallyWrench
05/05/2015 at 11:47

Yeah, or kill my soul in the process just to survive.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > RallyWrench
05/05/2015 at 20:06

Yusss, sounds like it was great. One day I hope to be at that level or higher, my dream is also to win Le Mans as a mechanic preferably with Corvette Racing or a Porsche team.

RallyWrench > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
05/05/2015 at 20:30

I set a goal for myself in high school to go to Le Mans with a Porsche team by the time I was 30. Then life happened, which is fine. I’m behind 5 years, and no longer have Porsche blinders on, but that race is still the objective. I would absolutely love to work for Corvette Racing. You can have my spot when I retire ;)

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > RallyWrench
05/05/2015 at 20:35

I’m about 20 years behind you so there’s plenty of time for me to get your spot! My dream started as winning as a driver then I realized you need money to be a racing driver, that is something of which I don’t have, so I moved on to wanting to do it on the mechanical side. Then I started trying to get more active around the paddock and know a driver so having a connection now is a pretty good step forward I think. Just gotta keep learning how to work on cars and get myself climbing that ladder. One day!

RallyWrench > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
05/05/2015 at 20:38

You had the same driving=money revelation I did. Keep at it man, you’ll get there.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > RallyWrench
05/05/2015 at 20:50

Thanks! You’ll have to keep me updated on your progress up to Le Mans as well!