LAUREN's BLOG: Japan, Robopong, Rumors and more

October 8, 2009

Share: Email | Facebook | Twitter

I can’t believe this is my last pre-race blog of 2009! What an up and down season it has been! I would say Motegi was probably not one of the “ups” of Vision’s 2009 campaign, to be sure. I mean, the event itself is amazing. The fans are incredible, the school visits are really special, and the overall atmosphere is probably one of the best on the schedule… but it’s sort of a long way to go to get your ass kicked.

I didn’t make the trip this year, so I don’t have much inside scoop for you as far as the team goes. (Plus, let’s be honest, nobody wants to talk about that performance.) But I will tell you a little bit about my Motegi viewing experience from up here in South Bend.

I had no complaints about spending my Friday night alone in a tiny dorm room watching IndyCar on VERSUS. In fact, I was quite pleased to have some time to myself to devote to my racing withdraws… I had high expectations for the night. Unfortunately, my race went about as well as Ed’s.

To start things off, I quickly realized that the William Rast car was nearly an identical shade of grey to the track surface, making it difficult to spot Ed on screen. Fortunately (or unfortunately, I suppose…), this didn’t prove to be too much of a problem, as Ed was rarely shown on the broadcast due to the less than stellar performance of the 20 car on this particular occasion.

Because I’m used to being around the team during races, I found this race particularly stressful because the only form of communication I had with the Vision crew was via Twitter. Don’t get me wrong, Pat does an excellent job updating the fans, but I knew I had to have been missing some pretty colorful commentary from Ed’s side of the radio.

The race was a bit of a snoozer all around until Ryan Briscoe spiced things up. He practically had the race win (and arguably the championship) placed before him on a shiny silver platter… however, rather than seizing the moment and asserting himself as the championship favorite, he decided to… do his part to make the final round at Homestead a real nail-biter. Thanks, Ryan. I felt bad for him, I really did… but I have to say, I wasn’t all too surprised.

No doubt he has done a great job this year, but if one of the three contenders was going to make a mistake like that this late in the championship, it was going to be him. Although, I’m not sure how I would respond to the pressure of being chased down by Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti… I might very well drive into a concrete wall too.

Anyways, towards the end of the race my roommate and a few girls came back to my room. They were casually paying attention to the race, which was fine… Until they started asking questions and making comments. I generally don’t interact well with people who don’t know racing, especially during a race, but I can entertain innocent questions and comments from people who at least attempt to understand the sport.

For example, while watching Dixon pull away from the field during the closing laps of the race, one said, “It seems like he is going faster that the other cars.” Now that is a legitimate observation. However, when I get comments like, “I don’t see how racing could ever be exciting. They are all the same. How could any race be different than another race?”… it gives me the sudden urge to dropkick a baby.

I know I should take these opportunities to educate others about the sport I love, but I couldn’t begin to because I knew that if I opened my mouth I would end up threatening to defenestrate her if she did not leave my room immediately. This would not be a good idea, as I live on the fourth floor. So I bit my tongue. Hopefully I will take some marketing classes during my time here at Notre Dame and learn how to take advantage of these situations… but for now I would ask that unknowledgeable non-race fans stay far away from me throughout the duration of a race.

Luckily I would be back at in my element the following week when I came home to cheer on my many friends and family participating in the Mazda Robopong 200 at Mark Dismore’s New Castle Motorsports Park. I can’t tell you just how good it was to be in a racing environment with all of my buddies that I miss SO much after being up in South Bend for the past couple of months. I was so happy to be at a racetrack that I didn’t even mind waking up at 7:00 am on both of my weekend mornings!

Robopong is a great karting event because the IndyCar and Indy Lights drivers who take part in it are able to relax and have fun because it’s not for a championship… but they still take it seriously enough to make it worthwhile. (James is still pouting a little bit about his unsatisfying weekend.)

Seeing young drivers actually working on their own cars reminded me so much of Ed’s early career in USAC, and I am sure he enjoyed being back in that position too. Plus, I just think it’s cool to see a 15 year-old kid start the race side by side with an Indy 500 Champion.Speaking of Indy Champs, I had a lovely time catching up with Mr. Wheldon, a Robopong regular, and comparing arm smoothness with him.

Dan and I share an appreciation for smooth appendages, however we disagree on the most effective techniques in order to achieve the ultimate velvet touch, and this has become a frequent topic of conversation between us. Although Dan’s aerodynamic advantage did make him a threat, he wasn’t able to overcome his first lap mishap in order to beat his fellow IndyCar driver to the checkers. 

Vision’s own Edward Carpenter and Nathan O’Rourke took the win thanks to their car preparation, solid driving and super speedy pit stops. Nate is an impressive karter, but I think it’s pretty funny that Ed’s first win in a while came on a circuit that requires turning right. Sure, it wasn’t an IndyCar race, but a win is a win. It certainly made up for the not so successful trip to Motegi!

After celebrating Vision’s victory, I had a nice drive back to the Bend with my parents and James. It was back to work for the week, until I got to enjoy the incredible (and very wet) football game against the Washington Huskies on Saturday night. It was a great win in OT—one of those sports moments that gives you chills, and not just because you’ve been standing in the rain for four hours.

Well, when I’m up at Notre Dame I try to stay filled in on what’s going on back in Indy… but there must not be much at all considering the sort of things that are making the news lately. For those of you who don’t live in Indy, you may not know that my parents have decided to put their home on the market. For those of you who do live in Indy, I am sure you have heard. However, there seems to be some confusion.

Just to clarify, 1. We are not selling to fund Vision Racing. 2. We are not leaving (or fleeing) the city of Indianapolis. 3. It is, in fact, quite common for a normal couple to downsize after all of their children have left the home. And my parents are, in fact, normal people. It continues to amaze me how people spend so much of their own time talking about other people’s lives. So many times people tend to not only twist reality, but often just pull random ideas out of their @$$ and try and pass it off as truth.

And this isn’t a case of “everyone being entitled to their own opinion”, because opinions should be made based upon a gathering of facts… and most of the comments that I am referring to couldn’t be further from the truth. I am still a little puzzled as to how a simple “For Sale” sign could trigger a debate on who is to blame for the current state of Open Wheel Racing in America.

I don’t know about most people, but I personally have way too much going on in my life to worry so much about someone else’s. When I came home for the weekend, my dad shared with me something that had been passed along to him a few days before, and it was definitely something that I needed to hear. It was a quote from (my favorite President), Teddy Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

It then made sense to me why detractors never really get to my dad. He is too busy. Too busy striving to do the deeds, dedicating himself to a worthy cause, and putting in the effort. Critics will never be pleased… but people with time to criticize will probably never achieve much either.

So, to those of you who will always find something to complain about, as you go on ranting on TrackForum (or the forum of your choice), just remember you’re the one sitting at home on the computer while the people you are directing your commentary towards are busy in the arena. Now on to Homestead—Vision is back at it. We’ve certainly had errors and shortcomings in our time… you can’t lose by .0162 of a second to a Penske car without putting up a hell of a fight. But we’re going to keep digging until we know Victory. [PS: Go Dixie!]

[Editor's note: Lauren added this to our facebook page as a comment but we felt it would be appropriate to add it here as well.]

Post Script: I think an important point of my blog to note is that I was never addressing critical comments made on the forums regarding RACING. Fans should be able to voice their opinions and those that are in a position to act on those opinions should listen. The point made at the end of my blog was addressing comments made about things that ultimately have nothing to do with the Series or product whatsoever, such as our house being on the market and the reasons behind that decision. I guess I just don’t see how that is a productive or relevant topic of conversation.

The only other thing I would like to say, and then I’ll let it be regardless of what is said, is that yes, I am young. Yes, I am very blessed to have been born into the family that I have. Yes, I have many opportunities before me that I don’t necessarily deserve at this point in my life… but you can’t choose where you come from. All I can do is make the most of the opportunities that I have been given. And although I am blessed to live the life that I do, I am certainly not living in a bubble. In fact, I am living in a very, very real world, just like you.

Back to Top