This week we have the pleasure of introducing our listeners to one of GTM’s more prominent figures, a member who is always looking out for us; often playing den mother to the team, always carrying a smile and a laugh with her around the paddock, always ready to lend a hand while keeping us sane … One of our glorious ladies of racing – the one, the only, Chrissy! This episode is part of our Pit Stop mini-series.
I’m sure you’ve heard the stories at the track: Yes, we used to drive the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Hockenheimring quite regularly (at least once a month we’d visit one of them since both were about 45 minutes from our house). We weren’t trained. There weren’t helmets. We just drove in circles and stayed to the right unless we were going to try and overtake another vehicle (since the tracks are essentially toll roads during their Tourist Fahrten events). It was still exhilarating but definitely a different experience from what we participate in here in the States.
Much like my feelings of driving in Germany, I was hesitant to get behind the wheel by myself at a track in the U.S. We didn’t find out about any “tourist drives” until we went to the Baltimore Auto Show in January 2010, which had a table for Summit Point Raceway. Whoever it was who was manning the table, he said it’s only about an hour from Baltimore. Cool, we said, as we walked away with the flyer. We didn’t do anything with the information until the summer of 2012 when Mike attended his first Friday at the Track. The track car at the time was a heavily modified ‘07 automatic VW Rabbit. It had R front brakes and GTI rear brakes. It had a modified R exhaust. It was chip tuned. It wasn’t terrible, it was just an automatic.
During the events, I took some pretty good pictures as Mike moved up quickly through the different levels with several clubs. I remember saying to Mike during one of the events, “there was a really, super fast VW Bug on track.” Who would have thought that we’d meet that awesome driver. At the track, we made friends who are pretty much a second family. Those friends encouraged Mike to start coaching. They also tried to encourage me to do an event, but it took a while for me to come around.
The first event where I drove was on my birthday. June 26, 2014. It was just a couple of weeks after a serious accident occurred on one of the tracks, and it was the track I was going to be driving that day.
Nothing was going right that day to begin with. The Rabbit was broken (it was something really stupid, I just don’t remember what it was) so we took the Jetta Sportwagen. That’s right. A six-speed diesel wagon. I was already on edge because of the incident a few weeks earlier and then to be taking my commute car on that track, I questioned what I was doing. It seems so silly now, but I admit that I did sit in that car and cry. I was afraid. It was the first event on that track since the incident. The first event which used the new section of the track. My first track event seemed like it was a really bad idea. Eventually, our friends, one of whom would be my coach for the day, settled my nerves and we went out on track.
Believe it or not, the wagon was fast. I was fast. I had pretty good control. I knew the basics: flags and point-bys. My job that day was to find the turn in points and go fast, and I was told I did a good work. The best part of that was that I passed a Viper. Still brag about that to this day. Anyway, I didn’t see that car on track anymore after that fateful pass. A little over a year later, I was soloed at that track with another club.
When I would tell people about the track events, and they didn’t necessarily understand what I meant. They said that I was a racecar driver. I didn’t necessarily fight that assertion (mainly because it made me feel so cool) and I managed to bring some others out with me, like a former boss (who originally said that one was enough, but then I found him at the track in May with a new, sportier car). I was having fun and that’s what mattered. Since that day in 2014, I did a few more events and was even soloed with one of the clubs. In 2015, I was not only soloed with another club, I doubled the number of events, and even got to drive at Watkins Glen by myself. In late 2015, we sold the rabbit and I got my own car, which spent most of its time in the home garage during 2016.
After breaking my leg over the winter, I got back into driving but at a new track- Lime Rock. It was amazing. Since June, I’ve done another five days on track. This year, I plan to do four more events, one of which is at another new-to-me track, VIR Full configuration. Third new track this year! I’ve also been moved to the advance group with our primary club.
Over the years, I can’t say I’ve ever felt intimidated because I always hung out with the right(ish) crew who I consider family. And family supports each other so there was no one who made me feel bad or intimidated.
I know some ladies may say, “It’s a guy’s club.” In my experience, I can say that I mostly disagree with that statement. However, I can see why there is still that general assumption. There are mostly male instructors. And there are the ones who puff their chests and think they’re the best at everything. It makes me proud to see a few female instructors, but the reality of it is that there aren’t enough to make it less intimidating for women to consider participating in the sport.
One day that I wasn’t driving (which sometimes does happen), I observed the most interesting things. I saw a more mature lady get mad her male coach, with whom I have a great relationship. She had an amazing, new Mercedes and some experience at Road Atlanta. He is a Mercedes enthusiast and knew what that car could do. Whatever that experience in Atlanta may have been, she apparently didn’t listen or drive well. She got another coach and wasn’t necessarily pleased with him either. My observation from the sidelines: She was timid and probably didn’t want to use the car for what it could do and the coaches pushed her to do things that were outside of her comfort zone. While I would like to say there wasn’t sexism, which I trusted there wasn’t, it’s possible she felt that there was or at least there was intimidation.
On that same day, I saw another coach instruct a young man who was deaf. Through overhearing the conversation delivered to the coach by his interpreter, the man had a great time in his new Saleen Mustang on a track. To me, that’s proof that people want to share their craft, their experience, their life experience with people, in spite perceived or real obstacles.
It’s observations like that one with the guy in the Saleen that makes me absolutely love what we do. From my experience, there really isn’t prejudice or judgement. It’s a bunch of folks who want to enjoy things together whether driving, watching a race, or celebrating birthdays together. There’s camaraderie that is built. Sure, there is some in-fighting, but what family doesn’t do that? Generally, everyone makes up and moves on. The sport does appear to be moving in the right direction of being all-inclusive and I hope that it remains that way in the future.
| #tbt – Blast from the Past – Chrissy’s Bio from Aug 2015! Twelve years ago, Mike and I moved to Germany for a little while for work. Months before we arrived in country, I wouldn’t drive on the autobahn. I was afraid of speed. I was going to be Heidi of the Rhein, braided pig tails and a little bike with a basket. I had no intention of driving for the next three years. Still, Mike insisted that I take a written test for our German driving permits. So, on a snowy day, I arrived at the on-base classroom to take the test. Just barely, but all the same, failed the first round. At that point, it was a matter of principle that I pass that driving test. I was very successful the next time around. So I figured after the 100 questions, I’d give the whole driving on the autobahn thing a try. Well, I wound up really enjoying it (but you, the reader, saw that coming). Mike and I drove everywhere. We had faster cars than what we have now, we were taking road trips, and spending evenings after work at the “tourist fahrten” at Nürburgring and Hockenheim Ring. We had so much fun. When we came back to the US, we didn’t think there were any outlets for driving too fast other than on I-97 from Annapolis to MD Rt. 32. Then, on a snowy day a few years later, we were at the Baltimore Auto Show and Summit Point had a table set up with fliers. There was someplace to go to get the speed out of our systems. Mike went to one or two events and was able to quickly move up the ranks with several HPDE programs, eventually becoming a coach. Again, out of principle, I went to my first track day at Summit Point. At that point, we had built camaraderie because Mike was coaching and making new friends from doing all of the track events. With the relationships built, I knew my coach (not Mike for my first event at everyone’s insistence) pretty well. But I was afraid. I was going to be driving my first track event with a helmet on, on a track that was just had a tragic incident. Also, I was driving my commute car, so I was afraid of doing something to that too. Eventually, I got myself calmed down and I went out for my first session. I was actually fast in a VW diesel wagen. I passed a viper in the first session (he took his toy home after that because he got passed by a girl in a wagen). I wound up doing every session the entire day and I loved every moment of it. Since we were going to all of the events, I got a little more track time. I also moved up pretty quickly. We made so many friends and saw so many new tracks. I really enjoyed being there, even when I wasn’t driving. We had developed a community. Since I’ve started my stateside track experience I have driven all of the summit point courses. I’ve driven Pocono, Watkins Glen, both tracks at NJMP, Palmer Motorsports park, and most recently, Lime Rock. Not bad for someone who had no interest in driving fast 12 years ago. Later this season, I will be driving VIR for the first time. Seems like fun. When you come to events with our little community, you’ll probably get to know that I’m part of the welcome committee. Like I said, I’m always there, whether I’m driving or not. I swear, I don’t bite. Come over and hang out in our little tent village and get to know everyone. There are a lot of great people in our group. We take care of each other and it’s far better to go to the track with friends than to go alone. |
This content has been brought to you in-part by sponsorship through...
Consider becoming a GTM Patreon Supporter and get behind the scenes content and schwag!
Do you like what you've seen, heard and read? - Don't forget, GTM is fueled by volunteers and remains a no-annual-fee organization, but we still need help to pay to keep the lights on... For as little as $2.50/month you can help us keep the momentum going so we can continue to record, write, edit and broadcast your favorite content. Support GTM today! or make a One Time Donation.
