When we arrived at Waterford last week, a rain delay immediately had us wondering if we'd even get to race. Like everyone else at the track, we watched the weather and waited, hoping the skies would clear.
As it turned out, the delay was a gift.
Instead of rushing from one task to the next, our crew had the chance to relax, catch up with friends in the pits, and simply enjoy being together at the track. Sometimes those moments are just as important as the laps on the racetrack.
When the rain finally stopped and the Speedbowl staff had the track race-ready, so were we.
Practice gave the team an opportunity to dial in the car as conditions continued to change throughout the evening. The crew made adjustments to the tires and setup to keep up with the changing weather and track, and Anthony felt comfortable heading into qualifying.
The adjustments paid off.
A strong qualifying run earned a third-place finish in the heat race, sending Anthony to Tech afterward. It's always satisfying to know the hard work in the pits translated into speed on the track.
That heat race finish also earned Anthony the pole position for the feature. We knew the competition behind him was strong, and he knew he wasn't likely to stay out front all night, but that wasn't the point. The goal was to make the most of the opportunity, race hard, and race smart.
He did exactly that.
The cars that worked their way around him did so cleanly and respectfully, giving Anthony another valuable opportunity to learn what it takes to race at the front of the field. A caution behind him created a restart, and he handled both the original start and the restart with confidence.
One of the biggest additions to the weekend was a new rear-facing GoPro mounted on the car. Watching the race from that perspective has already become another valuable learning tool, giving Anthony a better understanding of what's happening behind him and how other drivers are setting up passes.
Looking back, the finishing position isn't what we'll remember most about this weekend.
We'll remember the unexpected gift of extra time with our race family during the rain delay, another trip to Tech after a strong heat race, Anthony leading the field to green from the pole, and another night of learning that will make us better the next time we unload.
Every race gives us something to build on.
This one gave us quite a bit.