The Evolution
By the time racing season started back up in May of 2000, Chris was beyond excited to register for his first competitive event since the accident. He had been to a few races as a wheelchair-bound spectator, and the inability to participate only fueled the elation he felt to finally get off the sidelines. On the morning of the season's first race, Kevin and Chris loaded the trailer and headed back to Optimist Raceway Park. Upon arrival, they found that the rhythm to their routine had waited patiently for their return as Chris came right out of the gate qualifying within the top half of the field. It was like the wreck had never happened, and the last eight months of their lives was quickly becoming a distant memory. Kevin breathed in a deep breath of fresh air and could finally feel the burden of the responsibility for Chris' accident lift off his shoulders. Life could get on. Coming off a successful opening qualifier, Chris launched into the first heat of the day but his performance produced shaky results at best. Kevin understood that it would take time for Chris to transition back into the fearless driver he once was, but with each passing race Chris finished further and further behind. The fire Kevin once saw within his son was gone. Over the next few weekends, Chris' fear of getting hurt continued to monopolize his driving, and Kevin could tell that the affects of losing were taking a toll on his son's spirit. He began to wrap his mind around the probability that racing would soon be over for the Edens.
"Something's wrong with the karts. We used to run up front, and now I'm not able to get up there. What can we do? We need to fix them." Chris walked next to his dad as they headed back to the trailer after an afternoon of disappointing results. All day, Kevin watched his son enter a corner with another driver and give up his position rather than challenge his opponent. He no longer fought to win but to avoid a collision. After everything Chris had been through, Kevin knew that he couldn't blame him for being scared, but he also knew that racing was ultimately his son's decision. If Chris no longer found joy in the sport, then they would find something else to do together. "Chris, the karts are just as fast as they've always been," Kevin responded. Chris looked at his dad, dropped his head, and quietly sat down on the cooler inside the trailer. Kevin walked away fully prepared to pack up and leave.
It was almost time to start the feature race of the evening, and Kevin found Chris exactly where he left him an hour before, sitting on the cooler inside the trailer. Typically, Chris would be hanging out with his friends ahead of a race, but he hadn't moved or said a word since his father's revelation. "Here it comes," Kevin thought to himself. "He's done." Chris silently stood up, put his racing suit on, and took off towards the kart. Kevin followed.
Chris finished the feature race in third place that night. When he reached his father in grid, he jumped out of his kart grinning from ear to ear, pumped his fist, and said, "I'm back!" Kevin knew from that point forward that Chris had learned one of life's most valuable lessons: your biggest opponent is you. Chris never looked back.
"Something's wrong with the karts. We used to run up front, and now I'm not able to get up there. What can we do? We need to fix them." Chris walked next to his dad as they headed back to the trailer after an afternoon of disappointing results. All day, Kevin watched his son enter a corner with another driver and give up his position rather than challenge his opponent. He no longer fought to win but to avoid a collision. After everything Chris had been through, Kevin knew that he couldn't blame him for being scared, but he also knew that racing was ultimately his son's decision. If Chris no longer found joy in the sport, then they would find something else to do together. "Chris, the karts are just as fast as they've always been," Kevin responded. Chris looked at his dad, dropped his head, and quietly sat down on the cooler inside the trailer. Kevin walked away fully prepared to pack up and leave.
It was almost time to start the feature race of the evening, and Kevin found Chris exactly where he left him an hour before, sitting on the cooler inside the trailer. Typically, Chris would be hanging out with his friends ahead of a race, but he hadn't moved or said a word since his father's revelation. "Here it comes," Kevin thought to himself. "He's done." Chris silently stood up, put his racing suit on, and took off towards the kart. Kevin followed.
Chris finished the feature race in third place that night. When he reached his father in grid, he jumped out of his kart grinning from ear to ear, pumped his fist, and said, "I'm back!" Kevin knew from that point forward that Chris had learned one of life's most valuable lessons: your biggest opponent is you. Chris never looked back.
2003 Rotax 24 Race
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2017 SCCA Runoffs
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Edens’s 1993 Miata was built in their home garage in Sherwood, Ark. Looking at it, however, you wouldn’t be able to discern its humble origins. It’s one of the cleaner and better-finished Spec Miatas we’ve seen on track." |