It has been a very exciting second half of the season for me, with strong performances and great improvement in both the Pick-up trucks and the NASCAR T4 series.
I’ve got to admit that the first half of the season brought nothing to write home about. Mechanical breakdowns, pit-stop woes, and being involved in multi-car pileups were just a few parts of an incredible streak of misfortune that had become a thing of everyday. Considering that the 2007 season was pretty much the same, this was becoming too much for me to handle, to the point where it started to affect other aspects of my life, and in one of those “low” days I even started wondering why I didn’t call it quits.
But I’m glad I kept working hard, ignored the nay-sayers, and kept doing my best in every race. The reward would eventually come with a career-best 6th place in the NASCAR race at San Luis.
From a fan standpoint, in any series it’s nice to see the guys who despite finishing 40th in all the races, don’t give up and keep coming back to try again. However, from a driver standpoint, it’s not a very pleasurable situation to be in even more so when the series you are racing in is broadcast on TV to all the country.
It’s really amazing how a good result can boost your confidence and your performance. A much-needed Top-6 finish was just what the doctor ordered. Since then, I have added a few more strong finishes, which have helped me climb several spots in the championship. With two rounds remaining, I’m now 12th, and can still crack into the Top-10 in the standings, which would be remarkable.
As for the Pick-up Truck series, I am very pleased with my latest result, a career-best 4th place two weeks ago at Guadalajara. With this, I have almost secured the rookie-of-the-year title in the series, as the math says I just have to show up for the final three races for it to be official.
Now it’s time to keep pushing harder than ever. With just two rounds remaining in NASCAR, and three in the trucks, I have to show that I can be a top finisher next season.
At least the joy of racing is back, vowing never to leave. At the end of the day, that’s what matters the most. And certainly, why not think about battling for the title in 2009?
