Jetta TDI Cup Selection Event Day 2 Wrap Up
Feb 8, 2010
Hello!
Hope everyone is doing well and is eagerly awaiting my next update from the second day of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Selection Event!
This day was packed full of activities including sponsorship training, media training, fitness, karting and autocrossing.
Again, the day starts off with a heart healthy breakfast which included scrambled eggs with a good bit of hot sauce on top along with one of the largest blueberry muffins I’ve ever seen. Washed this all down with a couple cups of coffee and the heart was racing and ready to get the day started.
First activity on the agenda was a very informative sponsorship training discussion hosted by Indy 500 driver, Townsend Bell. He gave us a bit of background info and, over his career, he has been able to raise over $10 million in sponsorship support to compete at the highest level of automotive racing. With his never-give-up attitude and perseverance, he has been able to climb up the motorsports ladder with great success. He took the time to inform us on how best to approach potential sponsors and let us know what he has learned from his past experiences. This was a very valuable meeting that will pay dividends down the road.
Next, we had a media training meeting with Dan Lantowski who is currently in charge of public relations with Volkswagen. We went over numerous key points including how to represent the VW brand correctly, how to act in front of a camera, proper responses to interview questions, etc. We covered a bunch of different topics with info that will be necessary to retain in the upper level of motorsports.
After two sit down meetings, we were all eager to get our legs moving. What better way to get the blood flowing then go through some extensive fitness tests! Our group gathered back down in the same fitness room as yesterday and we were treated to a very informative slide show about proper nutrition. I went through this same seminar last year and it’s always good to refresh the memory with the key points. Following these nutrition guidelines has helped me greatly in my personal fitness and health.
Then it was time to get sweaty. Went through a bunch of dynamic warm-ups that really helped stretch and get the blood flowing through the muscles we would be using in our training exercises. From there, we went through a grueling workout that lasted about 30 minutes. I know I’ll definitely be feeling a bit of soreness tomorrow. What was nice about these training exercises is how they don’t require any tools what-so-ever...just the human body. This is very valuable as you can do these anywhere whether you’re at home or on the road. I thought I did really well through out the whole regiment and felt really good with my stamina.
Now this was the perfect time to grab some grub...and it happened to be lunch time. This included a nice green salad complemented with a tuna fish sandwich on some wheat bread. Washed it all down with some nice cold water and was refreshed with the next set of activities.
Autocross was next on the schedule. This took place in the same parking lot out behind the casino but the track layout had changed. It was still pretty tight, but allowed a lot of room for some creativity to set the car up for the proper line to navigate the cones. We had two practice runs, followed by two sets of three timed runs. I progressively picked up speed throughout the sessions hitting a few cones here and there with the final run feeling like my fastest and cleanest run. I felt really good with my times and lines and did the best that I could!
To wrap it up before the first set of cuts were made, we hit the kart track. This was a blast! It had been a long time since I sat in a performance kart on this scale. We had four sessions out on track in a Rotax powered CRG racing kart. These were the real deal and produce about 28 horsepower to the wheels. We ran these on an extremely fun and technical course adjacent to the autocross course. With each passing session I was becoming more and more consistent and picking up more speed as well. I felt really good with my driving and these machines were really exhilarating! I need to get me one of these to keep myself in shape throughout the season. Didn’t have a rib protector or neck brace on and I know I’ll be feeling a little bit of pain in the morning.
And that was that. We wouldn’t know our fate until the announcement of the first set of cuts were made later that evening. We all sat with anticipation in the hospitality area for a good hour and a half. Finally, the driving instructors and Clark Campbell appeared. He read the names of those who would be advancing to the next stage. The suspense was building and after a few names were called, my name came up! I will be moving onto the next stage and will partake in even more activities at the Spring Mountain Motorsport Ranch tomorrow in the VW Jetta TDI Cup cars. Exciting stuff!
Unfortunately, there were a couple drivers from our yellow group who didn’t make the cut. The best advice I can give them is to never give up. These are the moments in your career that add even more motivation to improve and make it to the next level.
After the announcements were made, we had a slew of meetings. One presentation was with the SCCA Pro. Another was with Jan Heylen, our chief driving instructor, who went over a bit of driving techniques in the TDI Cup cars. And the last presentation was with Aaron Byrd who talked about the data acquisition systems in the cars.
From there, we went back downstairs to get fitted with our gear in the actual Jetta TDI Cup cars. This was chance to weigh all the drivers, get the proper size racing seat and seating location.
After that, we were all dismissed and told to be back at the track bright and early again at 6 am tomorrow for a boatload more fun!
It feels awesome to be continuing on to the next phase! One step closer to getting into this series for a second time and can’t wait to report back to you all tomorrow.
Again, thank you ALL for the continued support and expect some more spam tomorrow!
All the best and take care,
AJ Nealey
443-220-4019
Driving Sales and Building Relationships with AJ Nealey in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
