The clock doesn't lie
A father-and-son autocross day made the difference between hard street tires and softer rubber impossible to miss — and reminded me that becoming faster starts with accepting that I am still a beginner.
What happened
We trailered the race car to Thunderhill for an autocross event put on by SCCA Sacramento. They call it SOLO. I brought the Cobra and let my son drive the BMW E36 race car.
I had changed the Cobra's tires to a softer 300-treadwear compound, replacing the 560-treadwear tires it had worn during the previous events. The difference in traction was night and day, and I finally understood just how much tires change a car.
My son had a blast in the race car. We shared the day with one of my high school classmates and his wife — who is also my son's girlfriend's father — along with one of my son's friends. The synchronicity of all those connections was not lost on me. I remember that back in high school he used to race, and he has kept competing in different disciplines ever since.
Once again, I was the slowest of the group. I am learning how to be seen as a beginner because the clock does not lie. Good thing my ego is not fragile.
What I learned
- —Tire compound transforms traction and confidence; moving from 560 to 300 treadwear made the lesson impossible to miss.
- —Letting my son experience the race car is part of what makes this journey worth pursuing.
- —The timing clock is honest. Progress starts with accepting where I am rather than pretending I am already fast.
- —Racing is becoming as much about the people and unexpected connections as it is about the cars.
The car
I drove the 1994 SVT Cobra on its new 300-treadwear tires while my son drove the BMW E36 race car. Putting both cars into the same event made the contrast in setup, grip, and purpose easy to feel.
The people
My son, one of his friends, and a high school classmate of mine joined the day. That classmate also happens to be my son's girlfriend's father — the kind of full-circle connection that makes a day at the track bigger than lap times. He used to race back in high school and has kept competing in different disciplines ever since, so he understood exactly what I was doing there.
From the day
Next improvement
Keep using the clock as an honest baseline, build confidence through more seat time, and learn how to turn the added grip into smoother, faster driving.