That is what I would use to describe this season for our team. 2011 started off with high hopes, impressive runs with leading practice sessions and turning heads of seasoned veterans and impressing teams that have been in this sport probably longer than I have been alive. After only 3 seasons prior to 2011 the leaps and bounds that our team, my father has made with our communication, testing and constant tinkering we have really made a huge accomplishment.
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| 2008 a neighbors borrowed pick-up |
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| 2011 Full-fledge pit area with tents, tables, tools and testosterone. |
We were so hyped and ready to go for 2011. Pre-season testing showed great times and better attitudes from the drivers and their chemistry. The 2011 season was looking bright for Clifton and John Savage with crew chief and father Harry Savage by their side. We all know a race season for any series can be long and strenuous. We sometimes forget where we started, and how hopeful we were at the beginning of the season. This season was the best we ever had. Although I won once last year for the first time ever in the greatest fashion ever (having my brother John push me to Victory, couldn't have asked for a better 1st win!)
And even if I hadn't have won a race this year I would have been o.k. with that just because of how impressed I was at our constant top-running performance practice after practice, race after race. We even got a top-4 qualifying spot! The first time our engine builder Jimmy Ogles of Ogles Race Engines attended one of our races we hit the top of the scoreboard for the first time until we were bumped back to 3rd and 4th. I was so excited it was like I had won another race pumping my fist and cheering all the way back to the pits.
The race didn't go as well as we had hoped. A misaligned bumper and a broken wing brace had my kart darting to the right the whole race. Went from running 2nd to falling back mid-pack, but guess who picked me up? Of course! My faithful brother John! Anytime things go wrong all I have to do is look up in my mirror and see that #64 coming up to draft me from behind. And what a coincidence that same race we partnered up with the #8 of Jake Harberts after jokingly telling each other if we see each other again we will hook-up and go places. Well that was after we almost got in a fight the race before!
A bad judgement call on my part left me diving below the slowing #8 of Jake who had no drafting help and instead of picking up another spot on the track I picked up and drove right over the left rear tire of Jake which sent him and my brother spinning in-front of half the field and tearing up both our karts. We restrained from physical confrontation, but there was definitely verbal communication of our frustration towards the #8 driver until after cooling down and reviewing my on-board camera I admitted to the fault being of my own wrong-doing, but we live and learn and move on. And move on we did, coming from the back to the front that next race the 3 of us took off and salvaged another good run.
This whole season was full of ups and downs, mainly ups then downs then back ups I guess you could say. We would start off the races great, get caught up in someone's pushing the issue on making a pass or not being able to hold a steering wheel straight. Whatever the circumstances were we always seemed to pounce back at the end somehow; things I never thought we would be capable of doing when we started 3 years ago. Through all the adversity we somehow were seeming to spring to the top. With only 4 races last for the season, after having my 2nd career win on October 3rd, NASCAR Whelen Modified night catapulted me to the 5th position in points. This was the first time I really looked at the points all year and man was I surprised!
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| And Tim Brown congratulated me in Victory Lane! Just to think one year before he witnessed me cursing out my motor that let go with literally 44 seconds left in the race (2 laps.) |
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| Yeah my hair was a little messed up. But her's was perfect! :) |
In racing you do your best to prepare for the good and the bad times and hope things work towards your favor. This year we've had a little bit of both. We had great runs and impressive practice sessions and qualifying sessions that 2 years ago we thought we would never have been able to accomplish. The things we have done in barely 3 full seasons of racing is phenomenal. Of course we did it with help and tips from the great community of Pro Wing Champ drivers, but I can't thank anyone anymore than my father. He was the one that helped finance my start in racing. He was the one that fully committed to totally converting our garage from storage junkyard into a full-fledge racing garage with scales, pre-set tables with all the tools and tires we needed to make 2011 our year.
We always came to the track 2 karts loaded on a innovatively designed trailer that was meant for maybe one kart. We would set-up our tents and layout our tables and tools and be prepared for a good day of racing. Ever since I started Arena Racing in the winter of 2010 I started carrying a Bible in my helmet bag. It reminds me that the Good Lord is with me before I race and when I bring back my helmet and put it away for the night it reminds me that He was watching over me and brought me home safe.
I was reminded many times this year how lucky I was, how lucky our team was to avoid the nasty wrecks and potentially disastrous incidents on the track. But I really didn't know the meaning behind it until October 22nd our last race day of the season. It was a 2-race event that night to make up for some rained out races. I was a little skeptical about the way people would race since there was 2 races and a lot of points positions on the line, and I was right in the middle of it in 5th.
But the one thing I have noticed this year more than before, it seems like some drivers drive more aggressive in practice than the race itself. We have had some close calls this year in practice alone. I don't mind a good tight battle with a little door-slapping here and there, but with our karts tires touching, or high-siding it usually doesn't end very well. And with the weather being fairly cold that day not much rubber was being laid down and the karts were slipping and sliding. It was a nice quiet run for us though at first, we did our usual thing I was in the lead, Shawn 2nd and John 3rd. We let the whole field get ahead of us so we are not breathing down their necks as they jostle for position on who will draft with who. This plan doesn't always work and that Saturday was pure proof of that.
After an early caution we got behind and lost track of where the rest of the field was. It seemed like we were going to get through this practice no problem. Do you ever have that day, the day when you feel like things just aren't right? I have had those before. Nothing goes your way, and I have had days where everything falls into place. I have experienced both feelings this year. The worst feeling I had was when we had that bad wreck and half-near go in a fight after the race, and I had the best feeling knowing things were just clicking when I won my second race of the year.
But today, felt different from both those days. It was almost unexplainable and just very intriguing. I soon began to figure out what was coming up next. As the laps were winding down in practice we were coming up on a kart that lost its draft. We were making a move on the second groove to pass him. Next thing you know the hornet's nest of karts comes flying past us and jumbling up everyone. I just held my line in the middle hoping the guys below wouldn't come up anymore and the guys up high wouldn't think they could push us down.
Somehow through all the jostling John was in front of the #45 of Bill Dailey and #99 of Chris O'Brien. Now it was just me and Shawn drafting trying to hold on for the last 2 laps. We those last 2 laps never came for u.s
Going through the middle of turns 1 and 2 John was not in front of me and off we went again. John, myself and Shawn in toe we were taking off looking to lay down some fast laps with all the drafting help around us, but we never made it out of those turns...not pointing straight at least. Being slick and cold the track was hard to handle and somehow or another the #45 got sideways and got turned by the #99. Seeing this before it happened I started to back out of the throttle. But it was too late.
Down went the #45 and up went my brother, John's kart. As the #45 slid back up the track it set a launching point for my brother's kart who had absolutely nowhere to go. Almost like I was living a nightmare I saw my brother's kart get launched into the air and into the wall end-over-end. I heard the crunch of metal against concrete. That image, that sound will resonate in my mind for years to come. And the aftermath was even worse. As I slid to a stop amazingly unscathed, nobody hit me, and I didn't hit anyone else. It was like I was protected from the whole incident even though I was in the middle of it all and should have been the main one damaged, besides my brother's kart of course.
But no, that wasn't my concern. My eyes watched my brother's kart land on the track. My brother was laying back in his kart. Motionless. Almost like a bad dream where you are trying to run away, but can't move...I was trying to run to him, but felt like it took an eternity to get there. As fast as I could I tried talking off my steering wheel, my seatbelts and then my arm restraints that were so annoyingly constricting my movement from getting out in a timely manner. As I yelled for my brother, my identical twin brother who I have known literally since I was born the one that I have spent all my 21 years of my life with as he did with me I made a run to his kart.
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| Just part of the damage that twisted this kart. |
Still laying motionless, I continued to call out his name. As if this wasn't real I just stared. I saw my brother laying there not responding to anything I was saying. I didn't know what to do. I was all alone. No one was around, but myself and my brother. I didn't want to touch him and end up hurting him or further injuring him if he had any from that horrific spill. But he soon was coming to..I saw him open his eyes. He slowly lifted his head and moaned. I screamed again telling him to wake up. He started to lay his head back down. I was freaking out. I thought we were losing him, I was losing my brother. I thought I was watching my brother leave this world. This world that obviously many people are unfortunately not even able to see half their life time and others don't make it pass 1 year old. But this was my brother we are talking about.
Out of all the wrecks and accidents and deaths I have seen in my time in racing, nothing came anywhere near experiencing what I thought I was experiencing. I seriously thought I had lost my brother. But fortunately he was coming to. Slowly, very slowly. He had no idea where he was at. I should have been happy that he was conscious, but I was so distraught from what I just saw. Judge me if you like. I dare you to find anyone as close to you as my brother is to me and put you in my shoes and see how you react. If you don't go through what I went through and feel the same way I did then I question your having a soul or not.
With safety crew around him and trying to keep him talking I tried to get some air. Shawn was there, bruised and beaten up after totalling his kart into the wall to avoid the wreck in front of him. Dad came over, Dannie Wyatt came over. Wanting to know how he was. We finally got him out of his safety equipment, his HANS device, his helmet, his rib protector and gloves. We tried slowing him down he was getting out of his kart faster than we had liked not knowing if he had injuries or not since he definitely couldn't tell. He didn't even know where he was at first. He asked "what day is it?" He thought he just had a dream about the whole thing. Personally I am glad he doesn't remember the wreck. Unfortunately I will never again forget what I witnessed having a front-row seat to the devastating wreck.
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| The one of many pictures dad has taken of us when we go to Richmond every year for the NASCAR races. |
I had a lot of people around me that day. It made me look back and realize how blessed I am to have started my life into racing at Langley Speedway and having been introduced to so many great people. Many of my fellow drivers and crew were asking about his condition as he was admitted to the hospital for precautionary x-rays which were negative for anything broken or bruised. I thank the Lord for bringing me to Langley Speedway and meeting all the great people we have over the years from getting help getting started by Bill Mullis, to guidance from Matt Mullins and help from Bill Dailey. Friends like Sammy Gaita and John Matthews who have always been there if we need something. Jim Hicks always having a smile when we stop by or Sandra Emerson giving us a nice wave. Even gaining Shawn Gervais as more than just another kart we helped out, but our teammate and our friend. There are just so many people to list them all I would hate to try and then forget someone, but I am truly blessed for all that I have had and through it all even though we have 2 torn up karts, 2 sore drivers and went from 5th to 10th in points as we watched everyone race without us that night I am just glad I still have my brother.
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| Beginning of the year pose with the team. |
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| Bill Mullis interviewing me in 2010 HRKC Kart Club Display |
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| Before the start of 2010 having Matt Mullins chat with us |
We will make it back next year stronger than ever. We thank the Good Lord for watching over John and my family and friends and we take this as a lesson and cherish the moments we have together, because everytime we strap into that kart, or drive away from home in our street car, or head into work we may not make it home to our loved ones that night. Never take a day for granted, and most definitely never take the strong bond and love you get with family for everything they do for you no matter how much of a butt I can be to them sometimes.
Thank you all for a wonderful 2011 season. We are looking forward to 2012 and will be back stronger than ever and working on plans for moving up in the future!
God bless!
-Sincerely, Clifton Savage
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