Driving Sports

Find out how Eddie got to the starting line of the SCCA Runoffs in Part 1 of this story.

Eddie battled with the other drivers for a good position through the fast straights that dominate the first part of every lap. That position is critical in the later technical half of the track because a car that goes fast in a straight line but corners slowly can hold off the better-handling competition if they gain the lead early.

Eddie’s cool demeanor helped him get a good start, passing several cars on the first lap, and then a couple more on the second time around. As the cars settled in for the long 45-minute race, Eddie got into his routine – pass the car in front of you and keep going. In the process, he took another second off his best lap time – now running just over a second behind the leader’s pace.

There’s an old adage in motorsports, and it goes like this: “They call it racing. They don’t necessarily call it winning.” Heading down a hill towards Turn 5 at terminal velocity, well over 100 MPH, Eddie felt the front wheels of the car wash out from under him, and he plowed through the gravel safety field, throwing a giant wave of stones ahead of him. By the time he got the car free, he was in last place, almost a lap down. But he battled his way back to 18th place before it was all over – precisely where he had started the year before.

“Honestly, I don’t feel bad about my performance in the race. If I’m going to go out, I’m going to go out trying my best to win it, and that’s what I did. I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” Eddie says.

With the benefit of another year of Runoffs competition to think about, Eddie and Jeff turned the truck towards home and came back over Interstate 80, crossing Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. The trip back was quieter, with more to think about and less to anticipate. Apart from a blown tire on the trailer in Fort Bridger, Wyoming, the trip was also uneventful, actually peaceful compared to the frenzied pace of the Runoffs.

“I plan to compete in the Runoffs again this year – I want to give it another try. I went to Thunderhill in California this spring, and while I was there I set a new lap record and beat the lap times  of both the top Hondas from the factory team, so I think I’m more likely to be competitive this year,” Eddie says.

A lot of racers would look at the expense and time involved in pursuing a national championship and turn away – some do that every year. But for Eddie, the race is about testing yourself against the best in the business, “Even if you finish last, you still finish ahead of everyone who stayed at home,” Eddie says.