One year, one month, twenty days.
Thirteen months, twenty days.
416 days.
However you slice it, that's a long time to wait for anything, let alone something that we take for granted as much as beer in our fridges or sports on tv. When the Seattle RC Racers club last convened on March 11th 2020 for a Wednesday club race and the penultimate round of the Hangar 30 indoor season, little did we all know that would be the last we'd see of Northwest on-road RC racing - and each other for over a full calendar year.
What followed was a seemingly-endless barrage of zoom calls, remote learning, at-home work, stress, anxiety, and frustration. It's no secret that the covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives and the world itself in ways we couldn't-and still can't begin to comprehend. Simple tasks suddenly seemed near impossible, and pastimes we enjoyed without a second thought, became distant memories of a bygone time. Some found solace in extra time with family, yet others struggled to see the next day. To say that the past 13 months were taxing and downright scary would be the understatement of the 21st century. Make no mistake, we're still in the middle of a virus-induced shitstorm, but a light at the end of the tunnel is appearing. 13 months after we left our hobby sport behind to an uncertain future, racing was finally back on May 1, 2021. 416 days.
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| Jake Danilchik going hard into turn one. |
The 2021 Seattle RC Racers outdoor season opener at SeaTac was quite possibly the most anticipated outdoor club race since the very first meet at the newly-christened permanent facility nearly five years ago. This wasn't a numbers game, however. This wasn't a record-breaking turnout, or a big-race atmosphere. No, this was different. This was a race day full of relief and peaceful excitement shared by those that attended both in a racing capacity and those that stopped by just to say hi to friends again. It was a tangible feeling that permeated the pits unlike anything I could ever remember in the 25 years I've been a part of the Northwest RC racing scene. This was special, so I feel it deserves a post worthy of such. Due to scheduling conflicts, I was not a racer, but merely one of the countless current and former racers that took in the day's events as a spectator. These are my thoughts on what was on paper, just a club race, but for those in attendance, it was much more than that.
After being stuck working all day and hearing reports of a delayed start and weather intervening, my initial thought was one of dampened expectations. Would the race go on as planned? Would it be a "one & done" with rising Covid cases and uncertainty surrounding a pending rollback in our state's reopening phase? Would it be a race anyone past our core group would attend? All of these were valid concerns, and as the day wore on, each question was squashed in order with swift positivity. After work I headed straight to the track and took in the rest of the day as a casual observer. Walking up the sidewalk, hearing the hum of cars in battle, and seeing the canopies littered around the perimeter invoked a sense of stepping back in time. At a time when nothing seems normal except abnormality, witnessing everyone enjoying the hobby and each other's company-albeit distanced just felt right. It felt commonplace, yet new and racing we may have taken for granted before felt exciting one again. The collective smiles shone through the masks like sun through a rain cloud on a spring day in Seattle... A perfect analogy for what laid before us.
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| Worth the wait. |
Yes, the early AM hours brought precipitation, as is expected with a typical Northwest spring day. and just as typical, was the clearing that happened by noon and the prime conditions that followed. While the track was not sprayed because of the time needed to dry, many would argue that it simply wasn't needed. Grip looked natural and forgiving, yet demanding. Asphalt racing in it's finest element: imperfect perfection. This isn't some turf track, this is a driver's surface, and those that rose to the top on Saturday were evidence of that.
While the final attendance wasn't that of a massive turnout, it far exceeded my expectations and I would bet to guess, many others as well. With Canada's borders still closed to anything but commercial traffic, our friends from BC were sorely missed, and it's a safe bet their numbers would've pushed us well into "Summer Sizzler" territory. What we did see however, was nearly every core club racer that frequents
our scene, as well as some faces from our northern partner clubs, NORA and Galaxy RC Racers. They brought the Euro Trucks, USGT's, sedans and some fresh excitement as well. Brian Bodine racing outdoors was a welcome throwback, and racing Modified Touring, no less. Some older faces in Ritchie Reynolds, Mike Crosier, Mike Clifton and Brett Sisley gave the event a feel reminiscent of the glory days racing the parking lot havens with Fantasy World Hobbies. While the famous "bus" wasn't in attendance, the good vibes were palpable, and that's what mattered most. It was a sight and feel that makes asphalt on-road racing in the Northwest uniquely nostalgic and simplistically complex.
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| Brian Bodine with a TC... What a wild world we live in. |
416 days after our world stood still, racing was welcomed back with open arms and immeasurable happiness. While it's clear there's still much work to be done in order to finally put this virus in our rear-view mirror, to have racing back is an important step toward to a more normal reality. It's a step that was embraced by those that participated, spectated, and a step I can't wait to take myself in the coming weeks.
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| Brett Sisley prepping for Q3. |
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| Jeff Johnson held it down for SSI. |
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| All smiles under the masks. |
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| One of the few track shots I took: USGT B-Main. |
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| Team Periwinkle, complete with banner for that premium, professional look. |
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| Jake & Alex Danilchik talking shop with Brian after Q3. |
