In racing, there’s this term for whenever drivers get a chance to free themselves from anyone in front of them, allowing them to drive uninterrupted: clean air. The “clean” part refers to no longer being in the “dirty” air behind a car which is often composed of heat and fumes that provide a less-than-optimal environment for the car to slice through. It can be beneficial to strategically place yourself behind a car at a certain distance to utilize the slipstream which is another term that refers to the invisible tunnel that forms behind a car that provides aerodynamic advantages for the car chasing it by providing less wind resistance since the leading car is carving through that air.
The thing that resonates most with me when it comes to motorsports is how much of a team sport it needs to be in order for it to work in the first place. There are engineers, mechanics, strategists, pit crews, factory workers, managers, drivers, PR folks and a fleet of others working together to ensure their drivers have everything they need to work for the best possible result on race day. When a team like Mercedes can come together to slowly turn a season around like they currently are, it’s really admirable. It’s extremely impressive to see the efforts of a well-oiled juggernaut like Red Bull dominate the 2022 season too even if it hurts to admit it.
But even the best teams can experience issues that can put a premature end to a driver’s race. Strategists can make the wrong call, drivers can have a car in the wrong engine mode, mechanics fail to securely fit a tire on during a pit stop- hell, sometimes the governing body that’s in charge of the racing itself can unfairly put you in a position that compromises your entire race and even your chances at a championship in the final moments. Despite all of that, you put your head down and try your best to take every advantage you can and finish the race in the best possible position that you can. Hopefully in one piece, but even that’s not always guaranteed.
Even in something like Gran Turismo, it can be humbling to do a 30 lap race only for it to all go sideways and quite literally into a barrier as I watch the cars that once chased me, speed past- the race slipping through my fingers moments before the finish line. Sometimes, I collect myself, do my best to get back onto the track and finish in whatever place I can. Most times, I let it sink in and take a few deep breaths before I hit restart and start back up on the first lap.
I remind myself what I’m capable of and how far I’ve come already. There’s no such thing as failure, only feedback. Next time, I’ll know what to do. Even if it’s in another car, I get back out there and go again.
There’s a sense of peace I get when I hit a main straight, even when I’m doing 45 in a go kart inches from the asphalt. I have this insatiable hunger to go faster on every lap and improve my pace. The numbers tell the truth in a way that’s pure and uncomplicated. Sometimes there are people who can get in my way or I might get promised a deal that doesn’t ever fully materialize or moments before it does, something goes wrong as it almost always does. Despite all of that, I bring the car back and wait for my next chance to race again. Either way, clean air awaits and I’ll chase it for as long as I can.
So I decided to task myself with keeping my writing as sharp as I can and also gave myself an excuse to chase the things I really care about and share it with people who appreciate my work. Since I recently got laid off, I figured it might be a good chance to finally try my hand at a proper newsletter with some bonus content for paid subscribers because hey, I’ll be real: this shit is still work! So if you want some bonus weekly posts, community threads, and monthly mixtapes by yours truly, consider a paid subscription won’t you?
Last thing, I promise. I’m on this week’s DLC! My guys Jeff Cannata and Christian Spicer invited me on to talk all about my most recent obsession with Splatoon 3, Battlefield 2042, Mixolumia, F1 Manager 2022, and Immortality. So if you forgot what I sound like, it might jog your memory a little at the very least. And who knows, maybe an audio adventure awaits for paid subscribers of this newsletter soon too. Click the image below if you’re on an iPhone. Here’s a link for Spotify listeners and everyone else.
