51爆料

LINCOLN, Neb. (September 2, 2011) 聙聯 It聙聶s not uncommon at the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships for a husband and wife team to both leave the event with a National Championship. And the Solo paddock makes no secret of the fact that it聙聶s a family sport. But in the Garfield family home, it聙聶s mom and son that are taking the winner聙聶s trophies back to their Mount Airy, Md. home. In most families, there may be some bragging rights that go with those trophies. That doesn聙聶t seem to be the case with Brian and Lisa Garfield and their sons, 13-year-old Julian and 11-year-old Carson. 聙聹This is how we do everything,聙聺 Brian said. 聙聹It聙聶s this in the summer, and snowboarding in the winter. We snowboard together 聙聯 we took our first trip out west last winter. Sometimes it can be frustrating, too, but it聙聶s awesome that we get to spend a bunch of time together. This week, we聙聶re here for 10 days, and at some point you think you聙聶ve got some free time, but we really didn聙聶t. Somebody is always running, always working, doing something.聙聺 Most recently, the family got to congratulate Lisa on a dramatic Formula 125 Ladies class National Championship, her first. On the start of her final run, the sidepod of her CTS CR125 kart came unclipped and fell off. Unaware, Lisa continued her run and crossed the finish line in a time fast enough to take the lead. Brian, Julian and Carson sprinted to the tech tent to see if the missing side pod was going to leave her underweight. When the numbers popped up on the digital scale, all three of the boys threw their hands in the air. 聙聹They came over, and I wanted to know if I did well,聙聺 Lisa said. 聙聹But they didn聙聶t cheer, they stopped and it was wait, wait, wait. Then they cheered and told me what happened.聙聺 Lisa had finished second a season ago for her first trophy. 聙聹I聙聶m so excited,聙聺 said Julian, who actually serves as his mother聙聶s driving coach. 聙聹She聙聶s been working so hard, and she聙聶s been closing the gap every year, and she finally won this year. I聙聶ve been helping her out on the course walks, and I聙聶m so happy that she won.聙聺 Brian serves as the chief mechanic for each family member聙聶s karts as well as his own. 聙聹She聙聶s been working so, so hard and she practices so much when you can聙娄 I don聙聶t know what to say,聙聺 Brian said. 聙聹She聙聶s wanted this so bad. It聙聶s just awesome to see her win like that. I couldn聙聶t be happier, I聙聶m just elated. It聙聶s really incredible.聙聺 Julian has won the last four years in his Formula Jr. class, the first two years in FJB and the most recent two in FJA. Carson earned a trophy in FJB in 2010, but mechanical problems cost him some positions this year. 聙聹We all go into it not expecting anything, but to try your best,聙聺 Lisa said. 聙聹Unfortunately, this year was hard to see Carson struggle so much with different problems, but he held it together and to him, it聙聶s not the end of the world.聙聺 聙聹Carson is actually very fast,聙聺 Brian said. 聙聹The thing that makes Julian so fast is that he understands the kart, and how to tune it.聙聺 Brian learned the value of the 聙聹extended family聙聺 that that the Solo community becomes when his kart broke during the Tire Rack ProSolo Finale the previous weekend. In the past, he had served as a driver coach for the University of Maryland聙聶s Formula SAE team, and they immediately offered him use of their car in A Modified. Brian earned the family聙聶s third trophy of the weekend with a third-place finish, including the fast time of the day on the West coarse on Wednesday. It聙聶s clear that this is a family that enjoys spending time together, and you can hear that from all of them. Even a long tow to the event is, somehow, an enjoyable family experience. 聙聹The long car rides 聙聯 20 hours here and 20 hours back,聙聺 Julian said. 聙聹We spend so much time, and it聙聶s a lot of fun, too. It聙聶s really great that we get to spend so much time together because I think of some parents, both of them work, and some kids never see their parents.聙聺 Carson echoed his older brother. 聙聹It聙聶s really fun,聙聺 he said. 聙聹It聙聶s a privilege to do that as a family. Sometimes we find out stuff that we don聙聶t want to find out about our family. It聙聶s actually really fun on the car ride, we can get close to each other.聙聺 Now, the family gets to make that return trip with new memories and smiles on their faces. Brian knows that聙聶s why the family plays in SCCA Solo together. 聙聹This end goal is what you聙聶re looking for, and to come up with two of them is amazing.聙聺聽