Due to Kimi being an unforgivably busy bastard, I went to the Circuit on my own. It was a Monday, my hope was I could avoid the crowd and conquer some of my fears.
I spoke to my brother, an avid mountain biker, about my struggles out there. He said to be patient but also that I was probably a lot like him. I need to run that track until I can see it when I sleep. Make every mistake and know how I will respond. Winchester needed to feel like home.
As an extra added motivation, Kimi proclaimed a new rule. I was not at liberty to fantasize about Fernando Alonso in any capacity until I could get myself in the low 36s lap times on the North track. Harsh, but effective. I stopped checking his Twitter for neck workout videos, it was brutal.
I grabbed five races. It was a gorgeous day. The track was warm but not too hot. The first two races, I had a couple of fast guys who were a joy to run with. They were so generous with their knowledge and keeping pace with them really let me relax out there. I was opening fully on the downhill portion and lifting my braking foot more on the final corner. I finally had confidence to really build momentum and try to keep it.
Race three, I was on my own and feeling so excited while simultaneously in a sort of zen mode. Was I still cursing Kimi’s name for not being there? Of course, what a wanker, BUT, he did provide me with his racing footage from last time. I studied it the night before. With no fast boys to copycat, it was just me and the images of Kimi’s twitchy tells. The endless amount of time I’ve spent behind him paid off. I could read his knees and hand movements like a book. I stepped off that race feeling hopeful. I ran over to the monitor with my times on it and BOOM 36.3. Alonso fan cams were back in my algorithm.
The next race was with staff. They were amazing, I felt completely safe with them. For this one, I forged my line and stuck to it. I kept myself consistently in the low 36s range.
For my final race, the staff hooked me up with a kart freshly serviced. The mechanic made it clear he wanted me to push with this one. Given his generosity, I didn't want to disappoint. We all headed out and this time I was locked in. Tunes were cranking, I had The Crystal Method’s “Born Too Slow” blaring in my subconscious. This race felt GOOD. I was right on the heels of the staff. 35.6, holy shit. Whether Kimi was performing surgery or defusing a bomb, he was getting a text.
Conditions will not always be this perfect when I race on the Circuit, but it's nice to know I can push. There's a lot more work for me to do and I'm excited to get back out there. Shout out to the K1 Circuit staff at Winchester, they're all so passionate and it's contagious.