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| March 03, 2009 News |
| On the Road: The Life of a Journeyman Mechanic - Mike Maurini - Day 3 |
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 | Mike Maurini has worked with a number of drivers over the years, including former King of the Streets winner Kyle Wiegand
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
The following edition of 'On the Road' takes a look at one of the busiest young men in the industry, Mike Maurini. Many of you know him for his previous position with the FirstKart.com race team and with the Shifter Kart Illustrated, with whom he worked earlier in the decade. Now, Maurini has created his own business, Race Tech Development, and is working as a wrench for top karters across the country. His diversified program also includes other facets of the industry, including press release work for the Stars of Karting and a select list of drivers.
A 4:30am PST wake up call for me this morning as today, like almost every Monday, is considered a travel day. Having packed up at the track, it is nice to slow the pace down a little and take an extra night wherever I may be before I begin my trek back home. I have done the all night flights and the flights that leave Sunday evening getting me home in the wee hours of the morning. I am over with that. With the amount of traveling that needs to be done from coast to coast, I would much rather take that extra day and catch up on some rest.
The 30 mile drive from Casa de Barros was good as no one in their right mind is up that early anyways. Driving my Enterprise rented Kia, I had it up to a whopping 93 MPH where it hit the rev limiter on the empty highway from Redlands to the Ontario International Airport.
Having checked in like a professional and printed my boarding pass 24 hours in advance of the flight, a quick trip to the Southwest Airlines counter was all that was needed to check my bag. I always check and make sure that the airline tags the bag correctly and it was especially important this time as I had a total of 36 hours at home and needed the clothes in this suitcase for my next trip out of town on Wednesday morning.
With it being 6am, I had just over an hour before my flight and it was off for some coffee. Working with me and not against me was the time change back home as I was able to call Elena and chat for a bit. Remembering that we had missed Valentine’s Day together, we had planned and decided that we would do that tonight by going out for dinner somewhere in Indianapolis.
The rest of my travel day is pretty plain and simple:
7:20am PST – Depart Ontario, California. With a half full flight I was able to get a complete row of seats to myself. With a short 45 minute flight, by the time I was able to get to sleep, it was time to get up.
 | Maurini's moblie office - a laptop and Blackberry, both with internet access
(Photo: Race Tech Development) |
9:15am MTN – Arrived in Phoenix where I would sit for an hour. Looking to reply to several e-mails, I set up my mobile office which includes my laptop, Blackberry and wireless internet card all set up on my lap….thank god for technology. Completing some writing work, organizing hotels for Ocala, finalizing the final touches on my new website, RaceTechDevelopment.com (coming soon) and booking flights for the final round of Gatorz were accomplished tasks on my layover. Also, spoke with Brain Thomas (father of next week’s driver Tyler Thomas) of BT Machine, the manufacturer of Race Tech Developments axle holders and wheel carries to discuss some new products for 2009.
10:25am MTN – Depart for Indianapolis. Unlike the first flight, this one was three and a half hours long and jam packed. With Phoenix being a hub for Southwest, almost all flights in and out of the area are full. I scored a solid window seat close to the front of the aircraft and managed to catch some shut eye.
3:50pm EST – Now, that was a good flight with some catch up on sleep. Traveling three time zones across the country, I am now back in Indy. With all the travel, I really don’t get jet lag anymore. I have learned just to sleep when you can and work when you are not sleeping….kind of a little motto I have for myself. This year I have had great flights with very little delays and today was no exception as everything was on time and once again my bag arrived with me.
After grabbing my bag, I headed outside to meet Elena and quickly turned around to go back inside. Leaving 80 degree sunshine weather and coming home to 20 degree cold with 15 mph wind sucks…sucks bad. So I waited inside until she arrived.
Just like last week, I would be in the state of Indiana and my house for less than 40 hours before the next trip took place. A short 20 minute drive back home and I proceeded to unpack my luggage and do laundry right away. With very little time and a lot of stuff to accomplish, I needed to use my time wisely when at home.
One thing that I try to do when I am on the road is eat fairly healthy. With more than 185 travel days in 2008, the diet on the road does not always work. Exercise is also important and whenever possible and not so tired at a hotel, I will head to their exercise room for a quick jog. While at home, I will either go for a jog or use the elliptical machine that we have at our house and with the current weather outdoors, inside on the elliptical was the choice for the day before heading to our three week late Valentine’s dinner.
 | A belated Valentine's Day dinner with his wife Elena
(Photo: Race Tech Development) |
Wet clothes into the dryer and dirty clothes into the washing machine, it was off to shower and our delayed V-day dinner. Letting Elena choose the eating venue, we headed to a town called Plainfield near our house where we enjoyed dinner at Clauddagh, an Irish restaurant.
With my mind full of what needs to be done, I rely on my Blackberry and hand written lists to get everything done. Working with Elena right before I go to bed, I have her help me remember everything that I need to do on Tuesday before I start my three week tour to Ocala, Florida. With the opening round of the Stars of Karting Series and the final two races in the Florida Winter Tour, my place of residence for the first three weeks of this month would be the Holiday Inn and Suites in Ocala.
Again Elena has been a great sport about all this travel and work as we currently have our house for sale in Indiana. Not sure on what the plan is but she makes sure that the house is ready for every showing as well as takes care of our dog Josie and of course me when I happen to be home.
Stay tuned all this week for my, On the Road: The Life of a Journeyman Mechanic segment. |
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