I've just completed my first "unofficial" track day at Thunderhill and I've got some great information for our readers.
The object of my writings is to give you "inside perspective" to an event you might not be all that familiar with. I set out today - not as a racer, but as a spectator, giving interviews and learning the "culture" of the track so that you can feel comfortable on your first visit to one of these experiences.
Ok. First off... Stay at the Baymont Hotel. Most of their clients are here for the track and you will feel like you "fit in". Once you say you're here for the track day, it's almost like you're in a special club you never knew existed. When you leave the Baymont you head up to the light and make a left over the overpass. That's how you get to the track. You drive about seven miles and the entrance to the track will be on your right hand side. Pull up to the stop sign and sign in... there is usually no fee to drive in (but carry $20) on you just in case something changes by the time you read this blog. When you come in, park anywhere. You will see sports cars in garages. Those are reserved but the parking spots are open to the general racer. Go to the three story building on your right hand side and check in.
Here are some terms you should be familiar with before you get to the track.
Novice drivers are those who have never been on the track. Novice drivers must take a course led by one of the NCRC Owners Luc - A French guy with a heavy accent. He will tell you about flags. What they mean and how to use them to make sure you time of the track is safe and fun. Lucs course is all about safety. He wants to make sure you understand what you are doing out there before you get out there so that everyone has a great time. Novice drivers aren't "racing" per say. They take all kinds of cars out just to experience G forces and speed in a safe and monitored environment.
Overtaking is what you do when a car in front of you is driving slower that you are. You can't "overtake" as a novice driver. It's against the rules because it could cause an accident. The only way to "overtake" on the track is to be waived by by the driver in front of you.
Point by is what a driver does to signal another driver to go past them. If you are "Pointing a driver by" use your hand out the window and point in the direction you want that driver to go. If you are on the right side of the track and want the driver behind you to go on the left side of the track. Put your hand out the window and point left. They will go by and you will be safe.
Classes start at 7am. Of course by this time you would have been registered already and the course information would be in your packet. Just be aware. They only operate 1 class per day. If you get there late you could be in an awkward situation. So get there early and make sure you know when the track class time is.
NCRC is owned and operated by Dave, Luc, Sandy and a few extras. These people work hard to make sure you have an amazing, simple and safe experience. They are a wealth of information and absolutely love what they do.
For more information on track days visit dnitravel.com or ncracing.com. Keep you eyes open for more detailed information on track days.
More to come soon...
Thanks for reading,
Rick
Friday, August 30, 2013
Track Days: How to Speed without getting Nicked by the Fuzz
I must admit. I feel pretty blessed when I actually consider what I do. Tomorrow I'll have my first official "Track Day" at Thunderhill and the excitement has already kicked in. Ok. What you should expect if you do a track day...
First of all it's important to know the purpose of track days. Companies like NCRC and Speed Ventures host track events to take speed demons (like myself) off public roads. They spend huge amounts of money renting tracks and hoping they can turn a profit buy people turning up and paying the entry fee. In a track day, everybody wins...
You can't really sell a track day event? You either hear about it and get drawn to it, or you go meh... and keep walking. As soon as I head about official track events, I jumped on the research to find a profitable angle for my business.
My hopes are to introduce "off the beaten path" experiences to groups of people who will appreciate them. So far it's been a blast. Tomorrow is Thunderhill and I'm stoked!
You can bring your own car to a track day. In the parking lot of the Baymont hotel are 1990s era Acura Integras with spoiler kits and race ready corvettes complete with sponsors, decals and racing numbers. As long as your car can pass a visual inspection you can race it. Convertible have to pass a "broom test" where they lay a broom over your windshield and roll bar and as long as your helmet doesn't touch the broom, you're fine.
Entry fees vary from what I've seen. Thunderhill with the NCRC is about $145 a day or $135/day if you are a member. Membership fees are about $40/year and are only a value if you come 4 times a year. Speed Ventures has a wide variety of events from mazda only events to high end luxury cars. I've seen prices from $75/day on up. It's best to check their sites for up to the minute track information. If you need race day packages with hotel accommodations then it's best to contact our agency for details.
KwiqEvents is unique because you can buy both the track day and your travel accommodations all in one place. It's convenience.
I'l be making regular updates from the track come tomorrow... but now, time to get some rest.
Thanks for reading,
Rick
First of all it's important to know the purpose of track days. Companies like NCRC and Speed Ventures host track events to take speed demons (like myself) off public roads. They spend huge amounts of money renting tracks and hoping they can turn a profit buy people turning up and paying the entry fee. In a track day, everybody wins...
You can't really sell a track day event? You either hear about it and get drawn to it, or you go meh... and keep walking. As soon as I head about official track events, I jumped on the research to find a profitable angle for my business.
My hopes are to introduce "off the beaten path" experiences to groups of people who will appreciate them. So far it's been a blast. Tomorrow is Thunderhill and I'm stoked!
You can bring your own car to a track day. In the parking lot of the Baymont hotel are 1990s era Acura Integras with spoiler kits and race ready corvettes complete with sponsors, decals and racing numbers. As long as your car can pass a visual inspection you can race it. Convertible have to pass a "broom test" where they lay a broom over your windshield and roll bar and as long as your helmet doesn't touch the broom, you're fine.
Entry fees vary from what I've seen. Thunderhill with the NCRC is about $145 a day or $135/day if you are a member. Membership fees are about $40/year and are only a value if you come 4 times a year. Speed Ventures has a wide variety of events from mazda only events to high end luxury cars. I've seen prices from $75/day on up. It's best to check their sites for up to the minute track information. If you need race day packages with hotel accommodations then it's best to contact our agency for details.
KwiqEvents is unique because you can buy both the track day and your travel accommodations all in one place. It's convenience.
I'l be making regular updates from the track come tomorrow... but now, time to get some rest.
Thanks for reading,
Rick
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Hot dogs from Heaven
I find myself inspired by people who can do great things with simple ideas.
Hot dogs for example. These accidental delights have been around since the early 1900s. You can't go to a restaurant, grocery store of sporting event without seeing 1100 different varieties of one; however, I found myself being inspired by a vendor who was able to take some simple, like hot dogs and make it valuable service to me.
Passing through my hometown of Fresno CA I discovered this place called Brown Bear Dogs. This hotdoggerie is located on Fresno and Herndon in the Chilis parking lot. I was hungry, grumpy from the drive and didn't feel like the social settings of Chilis so I tried it.
They had a drive-through; which I liked because, like I said I didn't feel like being social. The queue was brief and in a moments notice I was greeted by an Asian face with a big friendly smile.
There were no less than 25 kind of dogs from you to choose from. Exotic flavors like Kung Pao dogs to traditional flavors like the Chicago dog and the All American Chili Dog. For 5 bucks (1990s prices) I got a dog, a drink and a bag of chips and within 5 minutes I was on my way. I was so pleased with the experience I even bought a gift certificate (which I will probably give away at my next sales meeting).
Sure. It's just a hot dog but the experience was able to meet all my expectations.
That's what I'm trying to do at KwiqEvents! anticipate the expectations of our clients while keeping the experience simple. That's not easy when we're dealing with 1,000s of employees and multiple events but its a bar that I have set for myself and one I attend to achieve, regularly.
Hot dogs from Heaven. Simple. Satisfying. Service.
Thank you for reading,
Rick
Hot dogs for example. These accidental delights have been around since the early 1900s. You can't go to a restaurant, grocery store of sporting event without seeing 1100 different varieties of one; however, I found myself being inspired by a vendor who was able to take some simple, like hot dogs and make it valuable service to me.
Passing through my hometown of Fresno CA I discovered this place called Brown Bear Dogs. This hotdoggerie is located on Fresno and Herndon in the Chilis parking lot. I was hungry, grumpy from the drive and didn't feel like the social settings of Chilis so I tried it.
They had a drive-through; which I liked because, like I said I didn't feel like being social. The queue was brief and in a moments notice I was greeted by an Asian face with a big friendly smile.
There were no less than 25 kind of dogs from you to choose from. Exotic flavors like Kung Pao dogs to traditional flavors like the Chicago dog and the All American Chili Dog. For 5 bucks (1990s prices) I got a dog, a drink and a bag of chips and within 5 minutes I was on my way. I was so pleased with the experience I even bought a gift certificate (which I will probably give away at my next sales meeting).
Sure. It's just a hot dog but the experience was able to meet all my expectations.
That's what I'm trying to do at KwiqEvents! anticipate the expectations of our clients while keeping the experience simple. That's not easy when we're dealing with 1,000s of employees and multiple events but its a bar that I have set for myself and one I attend to achieve, regularly.
Hot dogs from Heaven. Simple. Satisfying. Service.
Thank you for reading,
Rick
Friday, August 16, 2013
Travel - Some Get it. Some Don't!
At 34 I'm still able to amaze people at how much traveling I've done. By the age of 23 I had already visited over 50 Countries on 4 Continents. I was lucky to have had music in my life, but for some of us. Traveling the world seems like a dream (that will never) come true.
Some get to travel and some don't. I'd like to take a moment to examine elements of those who have led full lives abroad and some don't. I think what we'll discover is that it's not always money that gets in the way of your travel plans. Time, fear and family responsibilities are interference-elements and I want to provide you with some helpful planning tips to hopefully disable whatever is keeping you from exploring this great blue Earth.
1. Money
Problem: Lack of finances can definitely get in the way of your travel plans, but there are some cheap ways to travel.
Solution: I worked on cruise ships for many years - playing music and entertaining guests. It was a great experience and I met tons of amazing people that helped shape my life. Working in the travel industry is a great way to travel - cheaply. We used to say "OPM" for "Other Peoples Money". Working in the cruise industry, vacation resorts, hotels, airlines, rail / busways etc are great ways to get to travel for free - and in fact you're getting paid to do so. If you're a musician look-up ProShip a Canadian based company. They carry regular itineraries with just about every major cruise company and they will audition you and even fly you out (or at least they used to do so). Sandals resorts is also a great company to look at. They have been in business for over 30 years and have a great following. You never want to be employed at a company that doesn't have a great reputation or a great following. It can be dangerous for your career.
2. Time
Problem: We can't find the time to travel.
Solution: Even the President of the United States gets three months off a year. The guy who runs the entire Country can take time off but you can't take time from your bank or janitorial company? If that's the case, they you're doing something completely wrong and perhaps need a vacation so you can reflect on the decisions you've made. Travel doesn't have to be a long, drawn out ordeal. To experience travel abroad - yes, you will need at least 10 days to do it right but travel can be something simple as leaving your car in the garage and walking your dog in a neighborhood you've never explored - obviously choose a safe neighborhood but if you don't take small opportunities to explore you definitely won't take big ones. You need to look at yourself and ask why you want to travel but haven't done so. It probably has less to do with time and more to do with, fear. The solution here is, stop saying you don't have time to and start looking into why you're afraid to.
3. Fear
Problem: It is human-nature to fear the unknown. Fear can paralyze or immobilize us and manifest itself in interesting and unique ways.
Solution: You're doing it. Read up on solutions to overcoming your fears and start looking for root causes of the fears themselves. Perhaps you had a bad experience as a child and attachment theorist would surmise said experiences are manifesting themselves in our adult life. Fear is a decision. You must decide to not be afraid of the risk and have some faith that everything will be ok. I have an awesome therapist who (to my knowledge) doesn't work over the phone but there is a company out there that you can reach out to who supposedly can provide therapeutic answers to you over the phone. Check out this link https://www.therapy-now.net/. I've never used them but hey - at least it's a good start. If you check them out, post your thoughts on them, on my blog.
4. Family Responsibilities
Problem: The family needs me. Leaving them would seem selfish.
Solution: Luckily I got a large portion of my traveling in before this became a huge concern, but the one thing I will tell you is. They will survive. I'm not suggesting you leave your wife and kids for that trip to Costa Rica you've always wanted to take but if you're single and without kids then this is definitely your time to get out there and fill the gap travel leaves in your life. If you do have kids then I suggest a Disney Cruise, Aulani - the Disney Resort or a fun-filled road trip with historical-site themed exploration for the kids. Traveling with the kids is not as painful as it was in the 80's. Just don't travel with a small baby on a plane. The altitude changes upset them and you can spend an entire flight with a crying baby on your lap. Do something nice for your 14 y/o niece so she'll be inclined to baby-site. Whatever your situation is. You must seek to be in control of it. The single biggest regret people have when they're on their death bed is that they didn't have more fun in their lives. It was all work/ responsibility and duty. Choose now, to reverse that.
Go travel. Be happy and Be Safe. I do.
Rick
Some get to travel and some don't. I'd like to take a moment to examine elements of those who have led full lives abroad and some don't. I think what we'll discover is that it's not always money that gets in the way of your travel plans. Time, fear and family responsibilities are interference-elements and I want to provide you with some helpful planning tips to hopefully disable whatever is keeping you from exploring this great blue Earth.
1. Money
Problem: Lack of finances can definitely get in the way of your travel plans, but there are some cheap ways to travel.
Solution: I worked on cruise ships for many years - playing music and entertaining guests. It was a great experience and I met tons of amazing people that helped shape my life. Working in the travel industry is a great way to travel - cheaply. We used to say "OPM" for "Other Peoples Money". Working in the cruise industry, vacation resorts, hotels, airlines, rail / busways etc are great ways to get to travel for free - and in fact you're getting paid to do so. If you're a musician look-up ProShip a Canadian based company. They carry regular itineraries with just about every major cruise company and they will audition you and even fly you out (or at least they used to do so). Sandals resorts is also a great company to look at. They have been in business for over 30 years and have a great following. You never want to be employed at a company that doesn't have a great reputation or a great following. It can be dangerous for your career.
2. Time
Problem: We can't find the time to travel.
Solution: Even the President of the United States gets three months off a year. The guy who runs the entire Country can take time off but you can't take time from your bank or janitorial company? If that's the case, they you're doing something completely wrong and perhaps need a vacation so you can reflect on the decisions you've made. Travel doesn't have to be a long, drawn out ordeal. To experience travel abroad - yes, you will need at least 10 days to do it right but travel can be something simple as leaving your car in the garage and walking your dog in a neighborhood you've never explored - obviously choose a safe neighborhood but if you don't take small opportunities to explore you definitely won't take big ones. You need to look at yourself and ask why you want to travel but haven't done so. It probably has less to do with time and more to do with, fear. The solution here is, stop saying you don't have time to and start looking into why you're afraid to.
3. Fear
Problem: It is human-nature to fear the unknown. Fear can paralyze or immobilize us and manifest itself in interesting and unique ways.
Solution: You're doing it. Read up on solutions to overcoming your fears and start looking for root causes of the fears themselves. Perhaps you had a bad experience as a child and attachment theorist would surmise said experiences are manifesting themselves in our adult life. Fear is a decision. You must decide to not be afraid of the risk and have some faith that everything will be ok. I have an awesome therapist who (to my knowledge) doesn't work over the phone but there is a company out there that you can reach out to who supposedly can provide therapeutic answers to you over the phone. Check out this link https://www.therapy-now.net/. I've never used them but hey - at least it's a good start. If you check them out, post your thoughts on them, on my blog.
4. Family Responsibilities
Problem: The family needs me. Leaving them would seem selfish.
Solution: Luckily I got a large portion of my traveling in before this became a huge concern, but the one thing I will tell you is. They will survive. I'm not suggesting you leave your wife and kids for that trip to Costa Rica you've always wanted to take but if you're single and without kids then this is definitely your time to get out there and fill the gap travel leaves in your life. If you do have kids then I suggest a Disney Cruise, Aulani - the Disney Resort or a fun-filled road trip with historical-site themed exploration for the kids. Traveling with the kids is not as painful as it was in the 80's. Just don't travel with a small baby on a plane. The altitude changes upset them and you can spend an entire flight with a crying baby on your lap. Do something nice for your 14 y/o niece so she'll be inclined to baby-site. Whatever your situation is. You must seek to be in control of it. The single biggest regret people have when they're on their death bed is that they didn't have more fun in their lives. It was all work/ responsibility and duty. Choose now, to reverse that.
Go travel. Be happy and Be Safe. I do.
Rick
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