Ryan Cheek Racing

NASA, the National Auto Sport Association, is an American motorsports organization that promotes road racing and high-performance driver education. The nation wide club consists of nearly 20 regional divisions, so finding a local group to hit the track with is easy and plentiful. I am based out of Asheville, North Carolina which puts me into the  National Auto Sport Association Southeast Region aka NASA-SE.  

My venture with NASA-SE started weeks ago with research and chatting up people involved in the club. It is a reassuring feeling when club officials and participants are so willing to communicate and forthcoming with information to help a potential new comer. The proverbial 'Welcomed with Open Arms' seems a little cliche but it is the best way to describe my introduction with this club. 

Online research and typed conversations can only provide a certain amount of info. Attending an event is the only way to get a true feel for how a club conducts itself. So before spending thousands of dollars on a dedicated track car and committing my family to monthly travel and increased expenditures, it was decided we would go watch NASA-SE's first track event of 2020, the Winter Carnival at Roebling Road Raceway.

Every NASA-SE track event offers High Performance Driver Education, competitive Time Trials, and competitive Wheel-to-Wheel racing. It is mind boggling how organized and well run the events have to be to stay on schedule. Both days I was there, the events were on time all day and without issues. This means every 20-30 minutes cars were exiting the track, staging and going onto track, and spectators were entering and leaving the track facilities which are located within the actual track and, again, everything was on time. This level of proficiency is worth noting. 

I spent most of my time at the track watching the cars. As someone who prefers driving, I thought I was going to be a little sad just spectating, but that was not the case. Watching the cars was thrilling. I even got to see my first wheel to wheel competition and it made me even more eager to get out there and compete. I did walk around a bit, check out all the cars and tow rigs in the paddock area, and shake hands with people I had been talking with online. Everyone was very warm and welcoming. The greatest moments were talking with the driver's after their track sessions. While their adrenaline was still up and the endorphins were flowing. These were my people. Even though I felt a little awkward not having driven the track or even having a ton of track experience, I could see and hear my own passions reflected in the drivers' conversations. 

Being able to watch & hear the cars in action, and talking with the guys that drive them confirmed that Spec Iron is absolutely the wheel-to-wheel class I want to compete in. I will have to work my way through the 4 HPDE classings, then through Time Trials (TT), and when I'm comfortable and qualified I'll get to move into wheel to wheel competition. It will take time, but I'm excited to progress with an organization that supports and nurtures it's drivers. With NASA-SE's  dedication to safety, education, and well run events, it is clear they care about their participants' success. 

Special thanks to those all of you who took the time to meet and talk with me and answer my questions. I hope you all are as ready for me and I am to be there!

Tracy Gaudu Bill Land Robert Miller Mike Moore Brendan Shattles Danny Parkhurst Philip Franz Julie Zaso Pantas Jim Pantas