Our team came together from Del Mar, La Crescenta, Napa, and
Walnut Creek, CA on Thursday afternoon and set up our pit area complete with a carpeted
car port for working on the car, a hauler trailer with refrigerator, swamp
cooler, generator, storage, and sleeping area. Thursday evening and all day
Friday were full of car preparation, the tech inspections on Friday afternoon
and our brief beer lap, and then finishing the car prep late Friday night. The
race start was at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, and was to finish at, you guessed it,
10:00 a.m. on Sunday, unless your car became un-driveable beforehand. To get to
the start on time, Jim and Trekkor, the geniuses behind our car, worked feverishly
until 11:00 the night before, fixing the battery tie down infraction and an electrical
problem (something shorting out the gauges). They were brilliant, got us
through second tech, and got us on the track for the start. I was, and am, in
awe of their determination, creativity, and drive; they were indefatigable and
would not be deterred.
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| Dos Equis Race Team - Post Race |
Our team, from left in the post race photo:
Christen McClelland – Daughter of Jim and Shirley
McClelland, former bartender, current nanny extraordinaire, up and coming
cross-fit boss, and hands down the best looking driver on the team.
Kristen Reina-Giatzis – close friend of the McClellands, and
extraordinary mother, and our hydration/nutrition specialist, we’d have all
passed out without her.
Kaleb Yager – friend and project partner with Trekkor
Willis, our amazing crew chief, tool retrieval magician, man of the pits, refueling
maniac, and a real cool dude to hang around.
Shirley McClelland – wife of Jim, mother of Christen and
Cameron, menu expert, food preparation wizard, and a real boost in the morale.
We’d have starved without her and fought like barbarians.
Jim McClelland – Jerry’s best friend, see above for all the
relationships, architect, king of the car, speed dreamer of the team, one hot
driver, and our coach.
Cameron McClelland – Jim and Shirley’s son, water polo
coach, former BMW person, with a future that is wide open and ready, and a
skilled driver. I just like being around him.
Jerry White – that would be me, Jim’s longtime friend,
microwave radio planner, would be writer, and lucky to be allowed back on the
track as a driver.
Trekkor Wills – Friend to Jim and now to us all, Tile Man
Supreme, gifted fabricator, tireless innovator, and a lead-off driver that
could drive in anyone’s lineup anywhere in the lineup. Cool as cool-aide.
“The Most Interesting Man in the World” – Even his cardboard
cutout outclasses us all.
John Maple – Jim’s friend and former business partner, architect,
ultra-compatible roommate, driver extraordinaire, and an all around good man.
This is a fun loving crew that is no-nonsense when it came
to the car and driving it. Even in the midst of a wild race baptism for me I
felt safe and supported. I’ll go to the track with any and all of them any
time.
More photos of the team:
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| Post Race w/ the star in front |
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| 3 of Amigos - Post Tech, John, Jim, & Jerry |
I have to confess that the funny pilot's hats were my idea and what's more is that I'm wearing mine as I post this.
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