The Coop Chronicles SCCA Double National Homestead Miami Speedway
If anyone has ever cut it this close before in the past, I'd be amazed. I had only just taken delivery of the Green Meanie (kids, ask your parents about the epic Beatles album "Yellow Submarine") chassis #6, resplendent in BRG British Racing Green, a few very short weeks prior, and although the car is basically fully assembled, The Build TM was looming large in the near distance.
With only weeks to go in the year, I would have the luxury of a typically slow part of the calender to focus all my time and energy towards the car. Or so I thought...
Never before in my 14 plus years on the job has there been such a demand for product at this time of year. It's unheard of. It's been so slow in years past that I had long ago decided to just chill starting the Monday before Christmas until the Monday after New Years; there's just nothing happening.
Nothing that is until such time as I had a new car to build and had allocated this formerly slow time of year to do it. What's that they say about the best laid plans of mice and Coop?
Parts had to be sourced and ordered. Shipping at THE worst time of the year for anything resembling prompt would become an issue. Lots of extra cash was spent on next day shipping just to ensure the bits would arrive in time to move onto the next phase.
Leading the build would be long time friend, fellow racer, and VKC (Very Knowledgeable Cat) Jack velden, who lead the build on my last car as well. I say led the build, because although I do many things, according to Jack I most likely suffer from some type AADD, as it is basically impossible for me to do one thing to completion, rather I do many things at once: Start mount for ECU, finalize throttle cable routing, line up bits for Jack to have at hand as he assembles wiring, fetch bits at Lowes, answer phone, drill a few more holes for ECU mount, go into basement and emerge with big box of silicone hose and pipe bits, yada yada. All this time Jack just shakes his head, and goes from start to completion. Fuel cell pump out wiring - check. AIM data system installed - check.
He's amazed that I can get anything done, while I'm amazed he can focus on only one thing at a time. I guess it comes down to me being a multi-tasker/circus juggler who if he wasn't so distrustful of the medical community would probably be on some type meds by now for my "problem".
Time is running out and I have to get really creative in order that we might make it down to Miami in time to take part in the official test day. I recruit yet another buddy to help me on the last day of the build as Jack left for his annual sojourn north for Christmas in Toronto the day prior.
My buddy JT is just the guy, a very detail oriented fella who works in the medical instrument field. I told him we had maybe an hour of tidying things up. He mentions to wife Sandy that "Coop needs me for 3 hours MAX". Seven hours later I cut him loose as we have just fired the thing off for the first time. Into the trailer it goes.
It's now 8pm on Wednesday the 30th, and the test day is a mere 12 hours away, literally as it takes 12 hours to drive there. Straight through. No sleep.
In fact it's been about 3 nights of that lately as i'm burning the midnight lube well into the wee hours for about 3 or 4 days now.
This is not looking like we'll have any laps, but we head on out anyway, just as it starts to sleet. Great, this oughta be real fun now!
We arrive at Homestead just as the Test Day is wrapping up. Timing, it's everything...
We take up residence right alongside the McLaughlin Motorsports rig, and Bill McL jumps right in, presenting me with the SCCA 2 race waiver, and asking how he or any of his guys might be able to lend a hand. I mention to him that we have the car pretty well screwed together, but could use a hand in regard to the AIM dash needing hooked up and software downloaded, etc... He jumps right in and gets it done, Pronto.
Very good experience here, and they come highly recommended with the official Team Coopsport seal of approval!
I would also enjoy the expertise and of "Indy, who is Ralph Firmans Go-To guy for just about everything. He has been sent over (the Atlantic!) to help me out for the two FLA Double Nat's, and I can only imagine how hard it was to take that assignment, based on day time highs back at Snetterton being in the single digits!
These are just some of the tough choices one must deal with on a day-in and day-out basis in the racing world.
My first laps on course are the start of Q1 for Saturday's race. This should be interesting, and I should add that I do not actually endorse what I am about to do and caution any young impressionable readers to tread lightly here...
New car, never tested, and only recently started for the first time (I did not even do my usual blast through the neighborhood to see if all the gears were there) - Check.
New track, never turned a wheel here, no test day (Although I had seen it on TV once years ago) - Check
Not much in the way of sleep in the last few days - Check.
The plan would be to follow a few guys around, feel things out, maybe come in after a few laps to take a peek under the cover(s).
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Originally Posted by glenn cooper
