Hello Everyone,
So here it goes, this is my first blog for my new column “Through the Turn.” I’m not sure where to start, but I think I will start by talking about the off-season including the recent Daytona test and our team, CGH Motorsports.
The off-season for me, as well as the team, has been fairly busy. I traveled to Ohio for a week in October to go White-tail deer hunting, to the NASCAR season-finale in Homestead, and to the PRI (Performance Racing Industry) trade show down in Orlando.
As for the team, they have been hard at work on the Daytona race car for the past two months almost nonstop. They finished up the car just days before we left for the series open test at Daytona. It was the first time I had seen the track since it had been paved and I thought it looked awesome!
I couldn’t wait to get on the track and feel it out for myself, although it seemed like all the teams were a little reluctant to be the first ones on the new surface. We were finally on the track and trying new and different things all throughout the two days that we were there. In all respects, it turned out to be a decent test. We decided to not return the third day of the test simply because we decided we would bring a new car back for the race and the actual race engine.
I am looking forward to returning to Daytona for the race, and I feel like we have a car that will do very well. We had some good speeds in the draft during the test but I think that the car we are taking back will be even better yet. I’m anxious to finally get in a full draft and experience the thrill that everyone talks about. I’m hoping I will have a current or retired driver up on the spotter’s stand for me that can help me out with different aspects of how the air moves.
Not to mention between all this racing hype, I’m also in school too? I’m attending the University of North Carolina Greensboro where I’m studying business entrepreneurship. It’s sometimes hard to juggle the two tasks but I’m devoted to doing what it takes not only to better myself but our family owned team too.
I’m going to keep this first blog short and sweet. I have to get ready to head to the shop and I’m leaving for Pennsylvania later today for the Motorsports 2011 show. I’ll be signing autographs from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday at the New Jersey Motorsports Park booth, so if you’re going to attend, please stop by and say hi!
Until then,
– Chad Hackenbracht
