2003 & 2004 MSOKC HPV Champions
2004 MSOKC Super Can Runner Up

10 December - The St. James Treatment, Day Three

Dana loads up the HPI software

If day two was intended to wear the ladies out physically, day three was designed to wear them out mentally.

The morning session was led by Dr. Jacques Dallaire of Human Performance International who guided the Lyn St. James Foundation Driver Development Program students through the challenges of performing at their peek. "Dr. Jacques" explored powers and effects of focus, concentration, stress and fatigue and offered methods to monitor and manage them. Physiological affects of peek athletic performance on heart rate, oxygen intake, and muscle strain were reviewed leading to recommendations on proper body conditioning for professional race car drivers.

Measuring grip strength

After lunch the mental toughening and sharpening techniques were put into practice in his next session in which the ladies used the HPI software to run programs loaded onto their laptops to train themselves for higher concentration and focus. From there, they cycled through sessions which included body fat calculation, a physical condition assessment and a practice TV interview.

"Two Up" TV interview

The media portion was conducted by Caroline Wright, a 12 year television broadcast veteran. She offered tips and pointers to the group and then led them outside for a quick 30 second video taped "two up" interview in the glare of the sun and the blustery wind. Afterwards the interviewees were herded back into their classroom to review and critique the tapes first by the student herself and then Caroline.

Seven o'clock was dinner again and afterwards the second of three nights of 10 minute speeches that the students only learned they'd have to do early on Day Two. The nearly spontaneous speeches were an exercise in presenting one's self with little or no advanced notice - a challenge Lyn warned they may have to rise to often as professional drivers - and were video taped for posterity to some degree but more for self critiquing and for the added pressure, just in case the 30+ people in the room wasn't pressure enough for these new stars.

Dana addresses her peers

Dana's name came up and she delivered her speech on her belief that there is more pressure on a female racer to prove herself immediately than for a male counter part. That a female driver is given less leeway in making a good first impression and that there may be a tendency for more people to watch a lady racer's initial session and make long-lasting judgments based on that one performance. She closed with the thought that although their gender may get them noticed, it is their on-going performance that will keep people interested.

After dinner, dessert in the desert (I always want to say that) called our names and Dana and Melissa along with New Jersey Ford Focus Midget Car racer Stephanie Stevens and North Carolina Late Model racer Tracy Chambers headed to the restaurant next door. I learned then why Melissa and Dana, despite their age differences, found each other the first day. Away from the intensity of racing their minds work in the same whacky, random, tangential way. There were times that only they could follow each other's conversation leaving Stephanie, Tracy and I to look at each other in wonder and amusement. But, it made for a few hours of falling over with laughter. For more details of what exactly made it so much fun, contact Dana (remove the "X") with your email address - and she'll take a picture of it for you.

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