________________________
________________________
to post your NerdNote
________________________
________________________
Bowl
O' Fruit: An Esse Turn Diagram
________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
JustGiving
| ChesapeakeRoadsters
| Grassroots
Motorsports
SportsCar | Philly Region SCCA | Nerd Profile
Racing To Put Hope In Motion
An Interview with: Seth Wallace
The following is an interview with Seth Wallace who is combining his love of motorsports with a charitable cause.
Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and what type of racing you're involved in.
A: Well David, I like long walks on the beach ... OK, seriously. I've been living in Baltimore, MD area for about 5 years now. I grew up all over the US: about 7 states worth. I'm married to my high school sweetheart Melissa who has been supportive of my growing involvement in racing. I don't have any children yet but I do have a Cocker Spaniel who seems to think he's my firstborn. I'm currently involved in SCCA's Solo2 events. It's a great fit for my time and level of car preparation.
Q: How did you become involved with autocross/solo2, and how long have you been doing this?
A: I've always loved cars and driving, despite having a less than glamorous list of previous whips. My first experiences like detailing cars for cash through elementary school, passing tools to my Dad as he worked on the 60's VW Bus, or helping drop a "new" engine into my '72 Ford F100 all helped to develop my love for the automobile. Getting sideways in the parking lots in the family's '84 Buick Regal pretty much guaranteed my love of RWD.
I learned about Autocross racing 6 years ago at Millersville University (Lancaster, PA) when a student gave a presentation about his own involvement in Autocross, complete with video of some wild spinouts and 3 wheel cornering action. I was excited with the proposition of going out and racing my own car but being a financially challenged college student put it low on my list of priorities.
After stumbling upon a Grassroots Motorsports Magazine in Barnes and Noble about 3 years ago rekindled my desire to get involved in motorsports. I'd been doing the stereo and "import show" thing and buying random parts for my '97 Acura CL when I decided to get a daily driver that I could race on the weekends. After much research I chose the RWD platform of the Miata. I started racing random events whenever I could in '03 and '04.
Q: Do you autocross with a certain region, or do you visit-around?
A: For 2005 I am going to run a full season for points in the SCCA's Philadelphia Region. They run at Ripken Stadium and have a very organized and friendly group of organizers. I've participated in their driver's school as well which was very helpful. They officially recognize the new STS2 street tire class which is a great fit for my level of car prep as well as my tire budget.
I signed up for the SlideRule Cup last year since I could only make it to a few random events. I've run with Susquehanna SCCA, Mazda Club, PCA and others including a TSCC event in Virginia Beach which I recommend everyone visit at least once. It was held at a Navy base amphibious landing pad that went directly into the ocean, so don't run off-course!
Everywhere I've raced I've always met great folks. That's one of the reasons I love this sport. The community is made up of great people.
I've also gotten some good driving pointers, mechanical help and support from my local Miata club http://www.chesapeakeroadsters.com
Q: I also understand you are autocrossing with a bit of a deeper purpose, what is that?
A: Well, this 2005 season I'm combining my autocross racing with a fundraising effort to benefit children who have been orphaned due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic worldwide. I've been personally donating to World Vision for a while. It really struck me that I've been blessed with so much and that I can go do things like autocross, yet there are so many who do not have the freedoms or even minimal support to get by. I chose to use my time autocrossing to help raise funds for those most needy children who've lost their parents to HIV/AIDS in the hardest hit areas of the world. Through kind donations, World Vision provides food, shelter, clothing and medical care for these kids and injects their lives with hope for the future.
Q: What exactly are you hoping to do by racing for a charity?
A: I have set my fundraising goal conservatively at $2000. I am personally matching gifts to a total of $500 and I another individual is matching to a total of $250. I'm excited and encouraged to see the donations come in from kind hearts everywhere. What makes me the happiest is knowing that every cent donated will profoundly impact children's lives for the better. More information can be found at: http://www.justgiving.com/pfp/wallace
Q: Do you have any aspirations of trying any other forms of motorsports?
A: I'm just exited to be more consistently involved in autocross and developing my driving skill. I would however like to do some road racing / lapping days in the future. I've always been a fan of WRC so some rally type driving would be a blast I'm sure.
Q: How do your family/friends feel about your hobby?
A: My wife has been understanding about my obsession with motorsport and we've worked out the time and money budget together. My brother in law will now be the second driver in my next two events . My mother still tells me to be careful and hopes I don't "hit a wall" or "hit any other cars". Everyone is pretty supportive and I'm always inviting people to come to events and race.
Q: One last question, What is the best way to contact you about donating funds?
A: There is a link to my e-mail on my fundraising page. You can easily e-mail me at:
saw_mx5@hotmail.com If you have any questions to ask via phone please let me know your number and I'll
give you a call. Donating is quick and easy using the secure service on my fundraising page. You can
also send checks made out to "World Vision" directly to me and I will forward them on. Please
e-mail me for my mailing address.
Thanks a bunch. I really appreciate the time and effort you are giving.
__________________________________________________________________
JustGiving | ChesapeakeRoadsters | Grassroots Motorsports
SportsCar | Philly Region SCCA | Nerd Profile
________________________
________________________
________________________
Frequently Visited:
________________________
________________________
________________________
Yahoo Groups
________________________
________________________
Miscellaneous
________________________
________________________
Tradin' Links
________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
nerdsracing.com, the nerds_racing yahoo group, and the nerdsracing forum are all avenues of information and entertainment only. This is not an official listing of events, nor are we directly affiliated with any particular club or venue. Check with each club before attending their events to double check that the dates are correct and that any pre-event requirements have been met. nerdsracing in all its forms takes no responsibility for any event you attend. That responsibility is solely on the driver who attends these events and the event host. Racing is inherently risky, some types of racing are less risky then others, but regardless you should research and chose your event being conscientious of the possible risks.
Interested in webpage design, or simply your own personal racer page? We can help!
__________________________________________________________________
If you have any questions feel free to email the webmaster, or post your question on the NERDS_racing yahoo group.