Red Sand in My ShoesBy Brian StubblefieldThis paper was written by Brian Stubblefield as an assignment for his junior English class at Henry County High School in Paris, Tennessee. The assignment was to write a narrative about an event that changed his life and how it did so. Brian is a seventeen year old Speed Freakz member recruited for the Chattanooga Region by Bill Perry. Brian received his SCCA Novice Permit about a week after the paper was written.
That first trip to Road Atlanta kindled an interest in me that I had never felt before. The desire to race sports cars. As a twelve year old I was amazed at the noise, the smell, and the excitement of automobile racing. I never really enjoyed watching racing on television but being there at the track makes so much difference. I love the smell of racing fuel in the morning. Being twelve years old at a three day event meant I did not watch every bit of every race since there were about twenty three in all. Road Atlanta's race track is 2.52 miles long and the infield houses about 100 acres of roads and woods and some of the reddest dirt that exists on the face of the earth. During breaks and delays twelve year olds are not held prisoner in the grand stands but are free, to some extent, to roam the hills and dirt roads. The infield area has some very steep hills and were great fun to play on. The roads that run all the way around the track are red dirt and I walked most of the way around the place kicking up sand and gravel to marvel at this bright red dirt. I found out later that this dirt will not wash out of your socks or shoes. I have also found out that the red dirt of Road Atlanta gets in your blood just as it gets in your clothes.
Later I returned to actually participate as my uncle Bill Perry was driving a 1960 Austin Healey Sprite known as a "bug eye" in a race called The Walter Mitty Challenge. I loved to walk around the paddock and see all the really great vintage race cars. I also got to see and touch cars many twelve year olds only get to see pictures of such as the Ferrari F-40, the Lamborghini Diablo, and the Porsche 959. That weekend also allowed me to get on the track during an event called track touring where family cars get to navigate the track behind a pace car at speeds up to about 65 mph. My dad drove and my mother and I rode. It was really fun. My mom made almost as much noise as the tires, and sometimes it was hard to tell whether it was them or her doing the squealing. I got to help work on the race car that trip cleaning the windshield, checking tire pressures, cleaning wheels, and other assorted duties. I had to watch as the car went to the track because twelve olds are not allowed in the hot pits. I was relegated to the fence to watch and kick the red dirt as I dreamed of driving the track someday. I graduated from racing go-karts on dirt tracks to road racing go-karts on paved tracks, real race tracks. First as a junior and finally as I turned sixteen as a senior. As I turned sixteen I finally got my drivers license, the first step in achieving my goal of driving at Road Atlanta.
Finally, I am beginning another step toward my goal. I have completed the paper work for obtaining a competition license from the SCCA. To accomplish this I must attend two driving schools. The first will be in May at Road Atlanta. If all goes well I will race at Road Atlanta. I will, however, never forget the days I spent kicking red dirt. I hope I have time to look along the fence to pick out some twelve year old standing wide eyed as I go by. I will go back between races someday and tell him this story. Maybe it will help give him the desire that I have had. I will tell him I started just as he is now, watching by the fence, with red sand in my shoes. Brian won his first race which was at Gateway International Speedway in St. Louis. His next race was a SARRC and ECR at Road Atlanta. He won the ECR race and eventually the ECR championship in ITD. He removed his rookie "X" after a double win at Roebling Road. His final race of 1998 was the American Road Race of Champions and Sunoco 400 at Road Atlanta. He finished third in the ARRC and first in the Sunoco 400 enduro. Brian’s racing schedule and finishing positions can be found in the Road Racer of the Year Points (HARVEY TEMPLETON AWARD) section of these pages. The dates are links into the Road Racing Reports for Brian’s races. The Road Racing Reports have details of the races and pictures. Timetable for the Beginning Racer
Created February 3, 1998 |
The
event that forever changed my life was my twelfth birthday. That single event introduced
me to a place near Braselton Georgia called Road Atlanta. It was October 18, 1992 and for
my birthday my dad took me to a race called the SCCA Runoffs at Road Atlanta. The Runoffs,
as this weekend is called, is the culmination of a years efforts in The Sports Car Club of
America's Club Racing. Those who have qualified in their divisions throughout the country
come together to determine the National Champion. This event truly highlights the best of
the best in amateur racing in the United States. 
As much as I
loved that place there are no seats in any race car for a twelve year old driver so I had
to find a place to get started. My dad raced motorcycles in his youth and as a result of
his aches and pains I was not allowed to have anything to do with motorcycles. The only
driving seat for twelve year olds that my dad and I could come up with was go-kart racing.
Not exactly Road Atlanta but a starting point. I spent the next three years racing
go-karts on dirt tracks in West Kentucky and Tennessee. While I did learn a lot racing in
the dirt, my return trips to Road Atlanta kept my newfound goal to race there someday
alive. I have been back for IMSA GTP racing during a family vacation. I met and got the
autographs of famous road racing drivers such as Geoff Brabham, Davy Jones, Tommy Kendall,
and others. Geoff Brabham looked like he was going to break line right in front of my dad
and stopped to talk asking if we raced. I proudly replied "yes, go-karts." His
response was "great" as many of the best drivers started with go-karts. 
I
have been back several times as my friend Carl Blevins began racing there and later as my
cousin Will Perry began racing. My cousin has won his class at the 