I’m lucky to have many “hobbies” of the type that just one would make me happy. For the past 5 years, or so, there has been an ebb and flow between my bike hobby and my car hobby.
Mt View Team
I wouldn’t be able to do the car racing without help from friends and sponsors, and because of the relationships I’ve developed over time in the sport, I have an opportunity to race at the Rose Cup Races at Portland again this June.
The problem is balancing the time required to prepare for bicycle races such as the Mount Hood Cycling Classic June 4-7 and Rose Cup which begins with testing on the 11th. The car I am to drive for Rose Cup is the same car Chuck Hall, Will Schrader, Jonny Davies and I won the 12 Hours of the Cascades with last November and that Jonny and I drove with Ken Sutherland and Bruce Wilson at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill (leading until all of the oil fell out through 4 big holes in the block). Until last week, it was largely in the same state that it rolled (was towed) off the track in December.
12 Hours of the Cascades Winner
The balancing process is hard (in a good way). Yesterday, I rode my bicycle for a couple of hours before going to the race car shop to work on putting the car back together (new engine, transmission, differential, shocks, brakes, repair light body damage, etc). Sean Hedrick of Miatacage.com has made the task possible by providing the big components in a mostly complete state.
Enduro / Rose Cup Spec Miata
This morning I will go to Silverton (near Salem) for a bicycle race with my Mt View Cycling team mates. I’ll work for a couple of days (sneaking some cycling miles in) and collecting more of the parts needed for the enduro / Rose Cup car, with the goal of installing the drive train late next week.