DAY THREE - The Green Flag for Fireball Run

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Today was the official beginning of Fireball Run! We woke up early, had a good breakfast, and drove to the Louisiana State Police Training Academy for our first Track Day of the Rally. They have a great Road Track that they use to train officers. Originally, the State Police were going to join us on the track for some friendly competition, but they got a new Commander recently who nixed the idea. So it was just us Fireballers.

After the initial check-in, we were given a bunch more decals to put on the car—she looks even more like a race car than before. We then went through inspection to make sure we carried all the required equipment, including a fire extinguisher, first aid kit and emergency road gear such as flares and jumper cables. Radar detectors, CB’s, GPS’s and computers were optional.

After passing inspection, we had to upload our fingerprints into a computer through a company called Biotraits—that’s how they track all scoring and points for each team and competitor. This is pretty cool high-tech stuff.

All participants were then given the official Game Manual, along with the rules and expectations for the Rally. It sounds like it’s much more involved this year, with a lot of additional fun pieces. We were given strict instructions not to speed, which will be a relief to some (including Susie), and a disappointment to others (specifically Cassandra). But that’s what the Track Days are for.

When we finally got out to the track, we all took turns following a pace car to get familiar with the track and determine our lines. We were then split into different groups based on each driver’s car and level of experience, which ranged from Professional Drivers/Instructors to Novices. I was placed in the Novice group, even with 2 High Performance Driving Schools and only 2 requirements away from qualifying for my SCCA racing license. It was a pretty tough and experienced group, with some impressive cars, including 3 Lamborghinis, a Viper, a Cobra, 2 Dodge Chargers, and a modified Corvette Z06 with 100 more horsepower than mine!

It got a little nerve-wracking when the first few cars driven by professional race drivers were hitting the grass and turning sideways on the track. I had to wait a good portion of the day before my turn came. In the meantime, I just studied a map of the track that I had worked hard to get before leaving for the Rally.

Susie was a trooper waiting patiently for me to run. It was hot, and I was pretty uncomfortable in my Fire Retardant suit. But Susie got the worst of it—she ended up with a nasty sunburn. Poor thing looks like a lobster, or “crawfish” as they say in Louisiana. She was surprised since she doesn’t usually burn, but I think the Southern sun can be a fooler.

I was as prepared as I could have been by the time I went out. Each car got to take a warm-up lap, 3 hot laps (full speed), and a cool-down lap. I ended up coming in a lap early because my clutch got stuck. I was relieved to find out that it had gotten caught on the car mat, so it was no big deal. I cooled the car down driving around a big parking lot.

There are only 4 all-women teams in the Rally, and I was the only woman who raced on the track. I was nervous, but felt pretty confident and gave it my best. On my first lap, I passed a Lamborghini. I heard later that there were a lot of comments about how well I had hit the lines and driven smoothly. Susie overheard one guy say with surprise “is she a girl?!”

Later, one of the guys came up to me and asked if I had seen the results from the track. Out of 65 cars, I came in 8th, above some of the professional drivers themselves! You can check out the scores at http://www.fireballrun.com/ by clicking on “race results” and “Sports cars.”

That evening we attended a weekly outdoor concert in Baton Rouge called Live after Five, where the Mayor introduced us as the Guests of Honor. We had a lot of people ask us questions about the Rally, and enjoyed explaining what we were doing. We got to hand out a lot of Missing Child posters, with only the rare “don’t try to sell me anything by handing me a piece of paper” response.

There were 3 really cool cars at the Live after Five event, which are also being driven in the Rally: the Back to the Future car, “Kit” from the Knight Rider, and the “General Lee” from the Dukes of Hazard. They are not the original cars that were in the movies, but are considered to be some of the best replicas around. They drew a lot of attention.

Then there was the Kick Off Party at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino. We had a nice buffet dinner and listened to the Mayor of Baton Rouge and President of the Child Rescue Network speak again. Susie and I then snuck off to check out the casino. After losing $25 between us in 15 minutes, we decided to call it a night. The road trip part of the Rally begins bright and early tomorrow.

We are hoping that some of you will be part of our team by acting as a Phone-a-Friend Lifeline. It sounds like this year will be a lot more challenging, and I think we’re going to need all the help we can get. Please tell us if you are willing and able to allow us to bug you.

We’ll keep you posted, and take care!

Cassandra & Susie