Yesterday the RAW Racing Team was at the track of Genk. Yes, Genk, again. The circuit is becoming more and more of a hometown, rather than a firing line. Walking around the paddock feels almost the same as strolling around the schoolyard. The Micro’s and Mini’s resemble freshmans, wheras the Senior Max drivers seem more like, uhmmm, well seniors. The way these kids treat each other is kind of childish as well –not old school though. One day drivers can be best friends, and the other day they might be fighting like wild hogs.

Luca, Jules and Glenn were partying in the Senior class. During the first race Jules and Luca somehow got involved in a tango, and at the same time Glenn questioned no matter who to dance. Reactions, well… Glenn had enough of them. But they weren’t all that positive, though.
This party didn’t last long for Luca, he made a couple of pirouettes in the second race, got a flat tire and went home at a time that would make his mother proud. Jules and Glenn went on partying and danced till dawn. Man, that was a set of fierce races! They finished top 10, out of 36 drivers, which is good. And they changed positions an awful lot of times (the number of times that makes your skin become pale or extremely red in no time), which is raw. And really nice to see (that discoloration, it’s out of excitement).
Christophe was having fun in the DD2 class, together with an old friend of Ingo’s, Ian. Christophe saw luck coming his way this time and I enjoyed his joy in that. The rest of the DD2 drivers cleared the road for him; Christophe finished first, two times in a row and with great ease. Which is raw, certainly when the winner is surrounded by grey fabric and plastic. So that little party they held right there on the track, it certainly wasn’t undeserved.

But the real party took place in the Airstream (the RAW Racing Team trailer). Luca produced some decibels that needed a seperate chair, and Jules was taunted like no other. Glenn kicked Deniz’ ass and Ingo made up a new language (vrooooom, boo, bleeeh, baa, boppffbooo) while he was trying to explain Glenn what kind of rookie mistakes he had been making and where. The atmosphere was young, ironic and hopeful. It felt as if everyone knew what would be happening next (another set of nerve wracking races) and tried to act like they were completely cool with this. I guess these are the situations in which group pressure is a positive thing.

Apart from all that, the book named ‘Glenn van Parijs’ has finally been opened. For the first time I heard Glenn speak very openly about the fun he’d been having in the races and how he had been enjoying the day and so on. I got to take a look inside his head; it really does contain a good set of brains. I saw Glenn do a lot of good things yesterday. Actions that weren’t rookie-like, at all. But I’m sure Ingo was right in whatever it was that he was trying to say (whatever stupid mistake Glenn made in whatever turn). A lot more right than I am. Because, as I’ve said before (and beware, I will say it again), Ingo knows everything about racing. Still, it’s Glenn who’s out there on the track (with all my support).
Next weekend we’ll get to take another look at him, in the Dutch Rotax Max Challenge, at the circuit of Berghem.