I'll admit it, this Photo Friday challenge word is from a few weeks ago. I have been preoccupied with planning vacations, pickling cucumbers, riding 175 miles in two days and baking birthday cakes that I haven't gotten to my pictures! Finally last night (after prepping some sweet pickle relish) I was able to sit down and edit a photo for this Photo Friday. I didn't want to not post a photo for this challenge because I had such a perfect occasion to gather the perfect photo. Allow me to elaborate...
At the end of July, I surprised Steven with his "Annibirthary" gift: a trackdaze event at VIR (Virginia International Raceway). Ever since I met Steven, he's talked about racing. About his uncle who races. About how he went around the track and it was the most amaz-balls thing he's done. I always had the opinion that racing was kinda dumb (I mean, really, you go round and round and round and never get anywhere), so I would just smile and nod and be secretly thinking of the next cake to bake/veggie to can/photo shoot/house project. However, I always stored it away as a great gift idea if I could ever manage to make it work. Thanks to Ryan from TurboTime, I learned about Trackdaze.com. They are a great group of guys who organize track events at local tracks. It just so happened that they were having a track event at the end of August and that a single days participation pass was within my budget for Steven's gift! It was meant to be.
Fast forward a month from when I surprised Steven, we wake up at 4:15 am and drive our groggy selves to VIR. We promptly met a fellow non-racing-car driver who was driving a VW Scirocco and buddied up in the parking area. He used some of our painters tape (for car numbers) we borrowed his toque wrench; it was a good match.
Before I knew it, it was Steven's turn. He was shaking, I was giddy, his instructor might have been nervous. The first session (each session is 30 mins, you get 4 of them a day) was kind of slow. All the newbies were getting used to driving their cars on the track. But by session 3, Steven had it down to a science. He wasn't nervous anymore, he was calculated. His instructor gave him high marks and said he had "real talent". I may have created a monster. Also by session 3 I had found the perfect vantage point where I captured my favorite photo of the day and what would have been my submission to this Photo Friday challenge.
The Subaru was at home on the track. Its big fat, heavy bum and all. I now have a new opinion of racing. It's epic to watch (at least on a road course). The rumble of the engines, the whine of turbos, the talent, the nerves, the smooooooooth asphalt, the way the cars would hug the turns....my MINI would be so much fun.
It was a good day; Steven wouldn't stop talking about it for days. I think I would call that a successful "annibirthday" gift.
In resent news, remember Travis and Nikki? They got married over the weekend! Congrats to Travis and Nikki! SOR has been busy signing contracts for this year's and next year's wedding season. Looking forward to a lot of awesome parties with a lot of fantastic people!
That is it for now. Hopefully I will have a submittable photo for this coming Photo Friday challenge: Near. Near...near what?
Thanks for reading!
Liz DiNatale
www.oakcityphotographync.com
