We were there for the #PDXUXBBQ!

E. experienced “nurse maid’s elbow” or radial head subluxation or what we’d call a dislocated elbow, due to some run-of-the-mill roughhousing. Not fun! But she instantly improved after the doctor reset the bone. Yay!

These three laps are during my fourth and final 20-minute session of the day yesterday at the Porsche Club of America’s High Performance Driver’s Education day at Oregon Raceway Park, located out in aptly-named Grass Valley, Oregon. This sweet road course is 2.3 miles long, and has delightful curves and elevation changes with relatively few straightaways. So my top speeds weren’t too high but my adrenaline was raging nonetheless! The first lap shown here is empty of traffic, and then in the second lap (2:17 in video) it’s kind of fun to watch as I gain on a Mercedes and in the third lap (4:30 in video) I pass him on Castell straight at the start/finish.

There’s still so much to learn and experience, and getting smoother (now mainly steering and braking) is still key. This partly means for me that I have to more fluidly replace autocross modes of driving with road course modes. My instructor for the day, Andy Jacobson, drives an amazing Ariel Atom, which is a dedicated track toy—riding with him was a treat! I was pleased to be graduated to the “Intermediate” class at the end of the day, too; although going up in the ranks isn’t the point of track days, I felt thrilled to have a really fast, experienced driver (mostly) approve of my skills. I can’t wait for the next chance to practice! Coming up in a few weeks is the big autocross National Tour event, and then another HPDE at PIR with the BMW club. Whee!

Tonight I wonder
if I’m really here at all
For I have filed
months of paper,
manila-bound and labeled
into oblivion, slicing me
sideways and dry
And I reload the page
and I check the comments
and I scan the list
But there is nothing
to draw me in,
nowhere to place myself
So I hum an awkward tune
as I descend the stairs,
listen to my broken bells
and wonder when
anything will ever happen

– E Bacon
July 2, 2010