09/05/2024
Being a race car drivers wife ….
-The car will always need more attention, between maintenance, damage, and the usual, “I need to find more speed.”
-The car will always need more: more fuel, oil, parts, tires, etc.
-He comes home after a long stressful day at work, to go straight to the shop. Where he will work on the car all night until he finally decides to go to bed late.
-Summer vacation? Forget it! You will spend every weekend at the track and sometimes more. And if you get lucky to have a weekend off, you will probably end up watching someone else race.
-Hate seeing him upset? Get used to it. The car is a roller coaster of emotions. He will be in love, he will hate it, he will be upset. He will say he quit and sell it all. Only to turn around and race the next day and fall in love again.
-Are you strong? You need to be. You can't show your weakness as you help him get strapped in the car. You can’t be scared or nervous because you have to make sure his helmet is right, double checking that he has everything. You will feel sick as you watch him head to the track, which only intensifies as you watch caution after caution. You hope he wins but you pray he makes it through without a wreck.
-Be prepared. There will be fights about racing. But it’s his dream and if that makes him happy, then you should be happy for him.
-You will typically be more upset after a wreck but in most cases he will come out of it level headed.
At the end of the day, watching him get into that car, strapping in, and giving you a kiss before he pulls on to the track is the most satisfying, scary, and amazing moment ever. You watch his "game face", you see it in his eyes that he is trying to have a plan, you will see a little fear that something could happen, and you see a little hope that victory lane is at the end of the checkered flag. And when he pulls off the track in one piece and is happy after a good race, that is worth everything. Some of your best memories will be made at a racetrack. I wouldn't have it any other way!