So the end of the season brought some exciting news, as I was tipped by Tim Hannen of Hannen Motorsports (owners of OVRP), to be part of their stable of drivers, in exchange for working at the shop. In simple terms, this means working in excahnge for racing. Because of our extremely limited budget at this point, this is really the only way to keep karting for 2018. Check out the ice kart I helped build at the shop:
I spent part of the winter working at OVRP, applying the knowledge I've gained as an Engineering major at High Tech High School - as well as my racing experience - in exchange for continuing to race. Among other things, I tried my hand at driving a BMW prepared for ice racing:
I had not expected to do any driving that day, but luckily my PSL teammate Adam happened to be there too, and he graciously lent me his spare helmet. It was a nice experience, and an example of what can happen at the end of a hard day's work.
How was it? I'm happy to say that I adapted very quickly to drifting the car around corners and using the throttle to steer the car, while keeping steering inputs at a minimum. The car was not equipped with ice tires, so that also forced me to rely on my car control. All in all, it seems like a great situation that will only make me improve as a driver and as a professional.