Speed News Vol. 1 Issue 6 July : Page 3

SPEED RE ADING Paddock Life is Good Life You either love the smell of gear oil or hate it. Count me in the former category. Mix the odors of hot 90 weight and barbecue, and I’m in heaven. There’s only one place to get that particular combination of scents – any given racetrack on a Saturday night. Drivers prep their cars for the next day and prepare the evening meal, all while friends and family enjoy a cold drink and good conversation against the backdrop of the setting sun. It’s one of the best scenes in sports. And that’s why we’ve dedicated this issue to track side living. When you’re residing at the racetrack for the weekend, you get immersed in the atmosphere. The racing doesn’t end when the cars leave track after the ﬁ nal session. It continues late into the evening as drivers compare race stories and talk about the racing to come the following day. I witnessed this scene repeatedly while I was wandering the Willow Springs paddock at a recent NASA event, gathering material for this issue. And, NASA racer hospitality being what it is, every time I stopped to take a photo of someone cooking, I was offered a taste, a meal or a beer. That generosity is one of the best things about paddock life. From sleeping at the track – Brett Becker covers that topic in Trackside Homes Away from Home – to eating, drinking and all the other things that go along with paddock life, we’ve got it covered in this issue. Of course, we haven’t forgotten the racing. In this issue you’ll ﬁ nd reports from the Summer Shootout at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Oklahoma, the Western Endurance Racing Championship at Thunderhill, plus a tech feature that will enlighten you about oil viscosity and protection. We couldn’t bring you all this quality content without some valuable contributions from trustworthy people that don’t always get the recognition they deserve. The photographers, especially, get short-changed on the glory. But people like Chris Schutze from Finish Line Productions, Tom Hitzeman of F-51GT Motorsports Photography, Steven Cabana at headonphotos.net and Doug Pawlak at Cafe Photo, among Richard S. James others, have been instrumental in bringing you a quality magazine. The Editor, Speed News best way to thank them is to seek them out when you need some photos. Some of our photos come from the writers who provide the words, such as Rob Krider and Brett Becker. You’re already accustomed to seeing Rob’s name in the magazine, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of Brett as well. Brett’s a freelance journalist who publishes onlinetowingguide.com and TrackHQ.com, and a NASA Spec Miata racer. We’ll be introducing you to more contributors in the coming months. And if you’re a writer or photographer with an interest in contributing content to Speed News, drop me a note at SpeedNewsEditor@drivenasa.com. I hope you enjoy this issue of Speed News. Please pass the link on to anyone you think might be interested, and let us know what you think. I look forward to your feedback. Richard S. James Editor Speed News 3

Paddock Life is Good Life

RIchard S. James

You either love the smell of gear oil or hate it. Count me in the former category. Mix the odors of hot 90 weight and barbecue, and I’m in heaven. There’s only one place to get that particular combination of scents – any given racetrack on a Saturday night. Drivers prep their cars for the next day and prepare the evening meal, all while friends and family enjoy a cold drink and good conversation against the backdrop of the setting sun. It’s one of the best scenes in sports. And that’s why we’ve dedicated this issue to track side living. When you’re residing at the racetrack for the weekend, you get immersed in the atmosphere. The racing doesn’t end when the cars leave track after the final session. It continues late into the evening as drivers compare race stories and talk about the racing to come the following day. I witnessed this scene repeatedly while I was wandering the Willow Springs paddock at a recent NASA event, gathering material for this issue. And, NASA racer hospitality being what it is, every time I stopped to take a photo of someone cooking, I was offered a taste, a meal or a beer. That generosity is one of the best things about paddock life. From sleeping at the track – Brett Becker covers that topic in Trackside Homes Away from Home – to eating, drinking and all the other things that go along with paddock life, we’ve got it covered in this issue. Of course, we haven’t forgotten the racing. In this issue you’ll find reports from the Summer Shootout at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Oklahoma, the Western Endurance Racing Championship at Thunderhill, plus a tech feature that will enlighten you about oil viscosity and protection. We couldn’t bring you all this quality content without some valuable contributions from trustworthy people that don’t always get the recognition they deserve. The photographers, especially, get short-changed on the glory. But people like Chris Schutze from Finish Line Productions, Tom Hitzeman of F-51GT Motorsports Photography, Steven Cabana at headonphotos.net and Doug Pawlak at Cafe Photo, among others, have been instrumental in bringing you a quality magazine. The best way to thank them is to seek them out when you need some photos. Some of our photos come from the writers who provide the words, such as Rob Krider and Brett Becker. You’re already accustomed to seeing Rob’s name in the magazine, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of Brett as well. Brett’s a freelance journalist who publishes onlinetowingguide.com and TrackHQ.com, and a NASA Spec Miata racer.We’ll be introducing you to more contributors in the coming months. And if you’re a writer or photographer with an interest in contributing content to Speed News, drop me a note at SpeedNewsEditor@drivenasa.com. I hope you enjoy this issue of Speed News. Please pass the link on to anyone you think might be interested, and let us know what you think. I look forward to your feedback. Richard S. James Editor Speed News

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