In near past, hillclimb of Ahladokambos was a good reason for a Sunday ride couple with our love for motorsport. Also, the location of this race rewards you. This time, however, everything is different. George's start on participating in hillclimbs at summer and all the procedure convinced me that it is worth trying out for myself, make a start! The opportunity came as this race took place on 12-13 October 2019. The car was ready after the last hillclimb.
I do not really know when you start being in racing mood. Is it when it is announced, or when the race day is approaching? There is no clear answer for me yet, as in my daily rythms of life I have always the though of "escape", with the thought of a race. The preparation of a race is really demanding as everything needs to be ready.
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In terms of race, everything is ready. This hillclimb counts at Hellinic Hillclimb Championship. This year, there are added two more kilometers with a total length of 6,2 kilometers. In essence, these two kilometers are added at the end, allowing participants to put the pedal to the metal, raising their levels of adrenaline even higher. So, I "dived" into this battle with the timer clock.
It is Saturday morning and time for briefing for the participants. Safety of drivers and spectators is crucial. As I am on my way to the service park, there are mostly thoughts about the route. Time to get into my race car (finally after last May). The two passes on Saturday helped me learn better the route. After all, I aimed to finish this race. In this race, our sponsor Elephant cocktail & more (Instagram: @elephant_cocktail_and_more) a unique shop in Tripoli supported our different approach in motorsport world! Thank you so much!
The big day has arrived. Sunday morning finds me ready to start. Of course, my family and friends were there to encourage me, in this first attempt. Reaching start line, and I am in tense. People are watching and at that moment my mind cannot think a thing. The flag is on my car, my foot on the throttle, 6.000 rpm and flag... in the air!
First misfortune happened early as my car turned at the opposite direction in the first turn. I tried to make my mind up and get back in line. Although all this is instanteneous, there is a great effect afterwards. The trick in such cases is to not get stressed enough and do not give up. Indeed, reaching finish line, there is a feeling of satisfaction, despite the incident I mentioned above. While waiting the rest of participants to finish, I catch up with other drivers and have small talks about their first attempt. As new in the field, I received quite a friendly atmosphere.
Back at service park, a quick look if everything is working properly and ready for the second leg of the race. This time, I am more confident. The timer finally shows 4:07:42. My goal has been achieved. A big smile on my face and anxiety when I will take part in a next race.
Last but not least, a race may end with finish flag, but the next days keep it "alive". A big thank you to those who came to watch the race and my teammates for all the tips that they shared with me. Hope to see you soon!
