Change, it is said, is the only thing “that stays the same.” As a microcosm of life, racing represents this concept daily. Events during this pre-season exemplify this.
We achieved the incredible results of our first year in 2009 through the phenomenal teamwork between Dave Brown, team manager and co-driver, Bruce O’Hara, crew chief, and Mark DeShetler, chief fabricator. And, as we enter this new season, we are faced with change to that proven and winning combination.
Bruce O’Hara has chosen to move on from the team to pursue other interests. Bruce was a cornerstone of our efforts, brought great knowledge, expertise, and drive to our team, and ultimately was a key component to its success. It was accepted by each of us that he was an integral component to our campaign and that he would always be there. But, “change happens!”
As difficult as it seemed to us at the time–just a few short weeks ago–we were entering a new season without Bruce “Sparky” O’Hara, our trusted Crew Chief. We were faced with….”change!”
When challenged by life’s curve balls, we can choose to become mired in the challenge or we can step up to the plate and take that challenge head on. We chose the latter and worked feverishly to find a replacement to fill Sparky’s shoes. And, so we did. We found Charles Roberts, a tried-and-true professional with copious car prep and on-track support experience, not to mention the auto-cross racing and open track experiences of his own.
Change happened to us. We stepped up to it and accepted it. We addressed it. We tackled it. And, here we are with a newly configured team ready to take on a new season. Sparky will be missed, however we must move on. A successful team learns from experience that to win we must be flexible and be willing to adjust and adapt in order to be able to achieve. And we will!
Karl Chicca, Campbell, CA