GUEST POST // GARTH STEIN ON...NOT WINNING

As they say, crow is a dish best eaten warm....

Okay, Sam won. On paper, it seems he didn't win by much. But he did win. He finished in 19th and I finished in 22nd out of 24 (thanks to my dear friend Andrew Caddell graciously being disqualified, and Brad McAllister crashing out). So, my hat is off to Mr. Sam Moses, who isn't the Fastest Guy (clearly, 18 were faster that day), but is obviously not an Idiot, either. So he must be the other option--a Rich Guy--rich in the human spirit!

So the question is, what did I learn from the race? (Other than that being dropped by the pack and driving alone without data management isn't very much fun after all...)

I learned that the guys from Mazda are really terrific people. I learned that Charles Espenlaub is nearly the fastest human ever. I learned that when the angry lady approaches you at a Humane Society fundraiser, you should act like you don't speak much English. And I learned that even if you were fast a couple of years ago--at least fast enough to not finish last in previous races--you may not be fast any more. Because going fast takes lots of practice. And some talent, too.

But I also learned that racing is about one's behavior off the track as well as on it. I was able to do many print and radio interviews that raised the profile of my novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain (which, by the way, is still on the New York Times best seller list), as well as benefiting the Oregon Humane Society and Mazda racing as well. I made many new friends. And I met new fans--drivers and race officials who had already read my book and wanted an autograph. So it was a fun and enjoyable weekend. Even if I did get my butt kicked.

The good news is it looks like I'll be paying a visit to Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving next spring, as they are huge supporters of my book. So maybe that will improve my on-track performance.

Finally, my racing in the SCCA Pro MX-5 Cup Grand Prix of Portland taught me the most important thing of all: it doesn't matter if you win the race, as long as you look good for the photo ops! Because the race only lasts 45 minutes, but photos last forever....

So. Looking forward to seeing you on the tarmac in the future, I remain, faithfully,

Yours,

Garth Stein, #32
GoEnzo.com