Over the next several months I completed the tasks of rebuilding the engine and suspension, plumbing the fuel system (from the cell to the weber carbs), installing the fire system, electrical wiring and gauges, obtaining wheels (with racing tires), mounting the mirror and wind shield, forming a front air dam and dash, fabricating the exhaust system, installing the 5-point safety belts, getting the car painted, and putting on the required stickers. Then the big moment‚taking the car to Jack Beck for the acid test‚the technical inspection to determine if a log book would be issued and the car could be raced in SCCA events. With only a few minor exceptions, the car passed and the certification numbers were stamped into the roll cage. A pretty good feeling.
With car in hand, the next step was to obtain my novice permit‚which only requires one to have a valid state driver's license, a current physical, two passport photos, and the required fee. The end goal, an SCCA National Competitor's license, is a lot more difficult to obtain as it requires the successful completion of two SCCA Racing Schools and six Regional level races. The first school I could attend was at Blackhawk Raceways near Rockford, Illinois in the Spring of 1991. The uneasiness and insecurity I felt at Blackhawk reminded me of my entry into the Air Force. There was a Friday night classroom session that ended with a test to insure you were aware of the rule book. With that under my belt and having met several very nice people I rested a little bit easier. Saturday morning was not what I had envision. The pace was to be hectic. There were six scheduled on-track sessions with brief instructor/student discussions between each session. Making conditions worse was that it had rained throughout the night and the track was in the grip of a dense fog.
As I prepared to go out for my first track session I found my helmet visor to be all steamed up and I could hardly see. I tried in vain to fix the problem but finally decided if I was going to participate in the session I had to go out onto the track right now with the not very comforting thought that maybe the flow of air would help to ease the situation.
I am not sure how I made it through the first few corners as the conditions on the track were worse than the grid. The car slid under power and I nearly went off the track at the fifth or sixth turn. It appears that my slowness and caution on the track had quickly caught the attention of the officials as they were now giving me the black flag to come in for a consultation. As I approached the end of the pits I was greeted by a towering/no nonsense/George Patton kind of guy who wanted me to know right now that this was a race track and not a place to be taking a leisurely Sunday drive. With head bowed and a determination that I would go a lot faster I headed back out onto the track even if I were to slide off a few times (which I didn't). I finally could see a little better and the track conditions were improving as the rain had let up. The car seemed to run well on the straight (not so good in the curves) but as I neared the end of the first session the temperature gauge began a rapid rise with it pegging as I came in off the track. As I got out of the car in the paddock area I could see and smell the ominous signs. When rebuilding the engine I had failed to install one of the freeze/frost pugs properly that had now resulted in a significant loss of coolant. But more severe, I had cracked the engine head so my day was over just about as quickly as it had begun. This left me with a lot of time to ponder and reflect.
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