Racing, Anniversaries, Photography and Women Andrew Weyman
The season finale at Willow Springs was a spectacular event for many, many reasons. I achieved my personal best lap time during qualifying on Saturday and racing was a blast. Some things made it even more special for me. When I arrived at the track on Friday morning, Vali Motorsports surprised me with a graphic on the rear window of my car wishing me and my wife, Terry, a happy 42nd anniversary. We got married on December 1st and for the past fifteen years or so, the season finale has been scheduled during the first weekend in December. So, racing at Willow Springs has become part of our anniversary celebration. Lots of congratulations were offered during the weekend. Another year, another milestone. By the way, I’m told the first forty-two years of marriage are the hardest. Something else that made the weekend extra special was a visit by some friends. Rich Reid and his daughter, Riley, came to the track on Sunday. Terry and I first met Rich on a National Geographic adventure in Alaska this past June/July. Rich is an award-winning photographer, filmmaker and instructor who has travelled the world photographing wildlife, oceans and open spaces. You can check out his website at www.richreid.photoshelter.com. Rich is a tremendously talented all-around good guy and wonderful father to his sixteen-year-old daughter, Riley. Before we get to Riley, a little more about Rich. He brought along some camera equipment and started shooting in the paddock, then repositioned on the bleachers for some on-track action. He told me shooting the cars at speed along the front straight was more difficult than shooting a Peregrine Falcon during a dive. This from a guy who has seen it all. Back to Riley. She had expressed interest in motorsports. That’s why I invited her and her dad to our event. A Junior at Nordhoff High School in Ojai, California, Riley’s passions include backpacking, travelling, studying various cultures, writing and painting. She also sports a beautiful smile. I introduced Riley to Alex Hainer, Ana Predescu, Aspasia Zouras and Karen Robinson; all of whom are fantastic female drivers. The women generously shared their knowledge, experience and advice with Riley. Riley listened carefully and asked insightful questions. It was very exciting to see. Riley loved witnessing our POC women in action. “As a young woman who has taken interest in the sport, it was so inspiring to see them out there proving that women are just as capable as men,” Riley said. “In the future, I hope to achieve my goal of being an accomplished female
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