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This is an article I wrote back in May for the forthcoming issue of the North Atlantic Audi Club newsletter, Hubcentric.

Most people have the good sense to stick with what they do well. Unfortunately I am not most people, and that sad fact has led me on a whirlwind tour (or as my girlfriend might describe it, were she not so charitable, a downward spiral) of different cars and plans since my relatively recent introduction to the world of motorsport with the Audi club. In the process I’ve met great friends, brought five different cars to the track, gone from green student to instructor and learned quite a bit about the finer points of driving, car setup and maintenance. The most humbling lesson of all, though, is this: Don’t get cocky. You’re still a rank novice in somebody’s book, and you probably always will be. And now I have the SCCA Club Racing Novice Logbook to prove it.

Now, most people looking to go closed-wheel road racing in New England will wisely call up Andy Bettencourt at Flatout Motorsports or Dick Shine of Shine Racing Service and rent an arrive-and-drive race car for the one of the SCCA’s mandatory licensing schools. No need to keep your eye on fuel, oil levels, tire pressures, or even worry about blown transmissions or spent clutches. Their crews will keep your rig up and running so you can focus on the act of driving. Like a true novice, I thought of a better idea.
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