While the mission didn't allow me to go out and attempt to break the track record, it did enable me to successfully complete the first phase of my growth as a professional race car driver. Had I crashed or touched another car, people would have remembered me for all the wrong reasons, lap record or not. I'm happy to say that the car came back spotless and stage one of my professional growth was a complete success (It's worth noting that we went from 34th all the way up to our finishing position of 17th).

Each stage of growth and the lessons learned stay with me as knowledge continually builds, influencing all future actions. Sticking to the plan, I looked ahead to race two at Watkins Glen. For my second race the mission evolved to: keep the car clean and "NO YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT. I AM GOING TO TAKE THIS." Some of you are probably thinking, "What the heck does that mean?" Well, allow me to shed some light on our terminology. My above statement relates to giving up and taking positions during the race. Breaking it down one section at a time, "NO YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT" means that I will not give up any position unless my competitor has an advantage that I cannot overcome. Conversely, "I AM GOING TO TAKE THIS" means that I am in the position to execute and complete the pass.

While Lime Rock focused on the foundation of "keep your nose clean"; the next stage at Watkins Glen went a step further and was based on the ability to work in traffic. So in simple English: "James, keep the car clean and use your knowledge and talent to pass your competition". I started in 26th and in just under 40 minutes had worked up to 12th without touching or being touched by another car. I would have made up more positions as well had it not been for an extended yellow that changed our pit strategy. Unfortunately, due to losing "Lady Luck" a mechanical gremlin forced us to retire early and we were credited with a finishing position of 33rd. Despite 33rd showing up on paper, stage two of my professional driver growth was a resounding success. A clean car was loaded on the trailer and I had proved my ability to pass cleanly not only to my team, but my competitors.

These growth steps are not just simple words hanging in the air. Growth occurs when coaching is successfully internalized to discipline and to evolve talent. I am my own biggest critic and can be rather hard on myself. Having not yet earned a top 10 finish, I find myself frustrated at times. But, development as a professional driver is a process; one that I have to be reminded of every now and then as my internal desire to win is ever increasing. Every driver has the same desire, but the challenge is to understand and evolve it appropriately.