TP Diaries: Ready for Richmond!

Virginia is for lovers ? and learners.

The state of Virginia is the next building block in my NASCAR education. I?ll drive the No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota in Thursday?s K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond International Raceway. But I also spent some time in a NASCAR Nationwide Series car in Virginia earlier in the month.

We tested at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia a couple of weeks ago in preparation for my Nationwide Series debut later in the summer. It was my first time both in a Nationwide car and on radial tires, but our lap times were fairly comparable to some of the other guys? by the end of the day.

I took NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Matt Crafton, my ?driver coach,? with me, and he again was a tremendous help. It?s too bad he has a day job in the Truck Series because I?d love him to drag him along for my entire schedule. He educates me on the best ways to get around each particular track. Crafton spotted for me in my NASCAR debut in the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway back in January, but did so much more by pointing out when I was over-driving the corners or when a lap looked pretty good. He also kept me out of a bunch of wrecks, so I think I?ll keep him around as long as he can stay.

At the test earlier in the month, I quickly learned that the biggest difference between the K&N car and the Nationwide car is the precision of the Nationwide car. It seems like you can put the Nationwide car more where you want it to go, but at the same time, the K&N cars are more similar to what I?ve driven before. The radial tires respond faster than the bias ply tires we run in the K&N Pro Series, but the bias ply tires are more similar to what I?ve driven in the rally cars.

But I?ll be running on the bias ply tires in Thursday?s K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond and I?ll have enough learning to do there to keep me occupied for a while. I?ve never even seen Richmond before ? I?ve only watched races on TV. But I?m really looking forward to this weekend because this is the closest track to my home and I?ll have friends and family there, which should be a good time for all.

Since I?ve never been there, I?ve been watching every tape of every race I can get my hands on. Not only is this helpful with learning the idiosyncrasies of each track, it?s also good for gleaning information about each particular driver, his preferences and habits. It helps to know who?s around you and how they drive. In motocross, I raced against the same guys from the time I was six years old until I began winning national championships and through the pros, so I knew virtually everything there was to know about each rider. I could tell you who liked the berms on the outside or if they would be strong at the beginning or the end. So, I?m beginning this process anew in NASCAR with a completely clean slate and an empty database.

This is what I signed up for and it won?t be easy, but I still want to give it a shot. I?d like to see where I compare to other drivers in a Nationwide car, and hopefully, one day in a Sprint Cup car. It sure would be cool to someday have people say, ?That guy can drive. He?s not just a motocrosser.? I?d love to earn some respect in this industry and one day make it to Victory Lane. This is the most competitive form of motor sports in the world and it draws top drivers from around the globe, so I?m interested in seeing how I fare against them.

My biggest hurdle in achieving this will be negotiating the roll speed. Crafton told me months ago that I?ll go to bed saying ?roll speed? and will wake up yelling it out in the night. In motocross and rally cars, if you carry a lot of speed into a corner but can get the car slowed up and to turn, you?ll be okay. In NASCAR, the turns are longer, so the emphasis is more on getting into the corner. You still have to go in aggressively but you can?t over-brake.

I am more prone to brake later than everyone else and then slow down a little more than them. But then they just pass me by all the way through the middle of the turn. I?m slowly learning that you can?t just make up for lost ground with a snap of your fingers. In motocross, you can make up two seconds on a straightaway by closing your eyes and just going for it. In rally cars, if you trust your co-driver and take a chance on some blind crests with big cliffs on the outside, you can make up some time ? or you?ll just go off the cliff. But it?s physically possible to make up that time. In NASCAR, though, you physically can?t make up that time as quickly. You can?t charge into the corners harder but instead have to be more methodical, which will be a challenge for me.

It?s all a challenge but one that I?m up for. I know I will make mistakes, which I?ve already done, and have bad races. But it?s the ability to make the most of those moments and simultaneously have a good time that truly counts. That, and try not to make a fool of myself along the way.

-Travis

04.25.2011