by Jake Grubb
Firmly strapped into your racecar and sitting still in your assigned spot on the pre-grid, the five-minute whistle prompts the countdown to race time. Adjusting the firmness of your helmet strap and tapping your pedals to confirm precise foot position, you double-check your forward field of vision and tighten the Velcro on your glove straps to ensure a snug fit. The four-minute whistle pierces the air, a directive for drivers to start their engines.
First one engine fires, then another, two more are followed by several in unison and the three-minute whistle is nearly drowned-out by a dozen more engines, all revving at the same time for their final pre-race warm-ups. In a few seconds, another dozen engines will burst to life. You press the start button to light-up your own engine. Amid the symphony of pulsating revs that surround you in live stereo, your ears barely pick-up the crackle of your car’s engine as it erupts, but you feel its vibrato transfer to your fingers as you grip the steering wheel with one hand and the gearshift knob with the other.
Before you know it the two-minute whistle has blown and the countdown to one-minute triggers the grid marshal’s raised index finger and its authoritative circular wave. Translation: “one minute in progress, all cars engage first gear and proceed to the racetrack at cruise speed in single file.” In no time, there’s no time. With the pace car leading the way, you assume your position in line and gain speed, as the cars prepare to line-up in side-by-side pairs for the start of the race. The green flag is less than a lap away!
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