Michael Self: House Renovations, Finals Week, And Oh Yeah- Racing Full-Time

2019 has five different drivers competing for the championship, Michael Self, Travis Braden, Bret Holmes, Joe Graf Jr., and Christian Eckes. Come follow each of their journeys this season where each week we set the timer for five minuets  and sit down with them to find out what’s been going on both in and out of the race car.

Next up, Michael Self! 

ARCA: So what have you been up to? 

Michael: So this week has been a busy one. I got back from Talladega on Saturday. We stayed Friday night. My dad’s got some family down there- his sister lives down there. And he came down for the race. So we stayed at her house on Friday night, and hung out with them a little bit Saturday morning. Then my wife, Dana, and I drove home on Saturday- got home Saturday afternoon. Kinda settled in, did a little housework Sunday. Then on Monday we got up and drove to Nashville, where we tested Monday afternoon, then stayed up there Monday night. Then got back yesterday morning. So it’s been a busy week of back and forth. 

A: Right! One night sleeping at your own house it sounds like. 

M: Yeah, last night, and I’m really looking forward to being here tonight- it’ll be kinda nice. 

A: So you mentioned you guys did a little housework. Are the renovations still going well? 

M: Yeah, still goin’- finishing stuff up in the yard. I think now the important part is keeping everything alive. Which is a little bit challenging. Especially because we went from a super wet, kind of mild temperature winter and spring. To all of a sudden it’s 85 or more every day and we’ve had no rain. 

A: oh wow! 

M: We’re just having to stay on top of watering it every morning and even sometimes at night, and trying to get everything going and actually get it growing. So I’m sitting here like, “I want some rain, like, just a little bit of rain!” 

A: How do you keep on top of that, especially traveling as much as you do. 

M: That does make it harder. So Dana will do it whenever I’m not here. 
You know, when I’m here it’s kind of easy I can just do it in the mornings, and wake up get it done. But we don’t have an irrigation system or anything so when we’re gone we just hope that it makes it by. 

A: Gotcha. You’re in school also, it has to be around finals time right? Have you taken them? About to take them? 

M: Yupp, about to take them! So this is finals week. 

A: Oh geez. 

M: Yeah, a lot of studying going on. I have one I have to take Friday before I head to Nashville. Then I’ll have one I have to take when I get back- I’ll take it on Monday. Then I’ll be done for the semester, and have a week or two before the summer semester starts. 

A: It blows my mind you guys are able to do that, because I just remember back when I was editing for hours for my final projects and I can’t imagine doing anything else on top of that like racing full time. 

M: It’s definitely hard, and it’s definitely a little testing at times. But because I’m able to do my schooling online, that makes a big difference. And I know when everything is going to be due way way in advance so I get the chance to work on it.
Because it’s online we don’t have as many projects it’s more just test. Sometimes we’ll put presentations together or have essays to write but we don’t have to put together too many physical presentations other than the powerpoint or anything we have to submit. 

A: So what’s been the high point of this past week for you? 

M: I think getting though Talladega clean and bringing home another top five finish was really nice. That was kind of our realistic goal there. I’ve said before that it’s unrealistic to get into superspeedways with any expectations because, just like Daytona for us, anything can happen, and lots of times anything does happen. So for us to go in finish in the top five after what looked like it could have been another disastrous day early on was really positive. And to come out of there with the points lead is really cool and to just have both superspeedways out of the way is kind of a nice feeling. Knowing that we don’t have to deal with that kind of racing anymore, we can go focus on our short track stuff here these next few races at Nashville and Toledo. Then get to the stretch of races that I’m really excited about which is Charlotte, Pocono, Michigan, and going to the summer stretch where we go to the intermediate tracks. 

A: Those definitely seem like your bread and butter. 

M: Yeah definitely the races I look forward to, and the tracks that I have a little more experience  with and feel a little more comfortable with. 

A: So what’s going through your mind a couple days before a race, like this? Are you just kind of checking off boxes of things you need to do? Excitement? Nerves? 

M: When we tested at Nashville we weren’t really as good as we wanted to be. But sometimes that’s kinda how things go with me. I usually don’t test that well, sometimes I don’t practice that well and that’s okay. I think we have a direction we wanted to go after the test. So all I can really do is sit back and have faith in that, and faith in the plan we can up with. For me, you just don’t overthink it. I just go back to my normal life, get my schoolwork done, work on the house and then when it’s time to leave for Nashville on Friday we’ll leave we’ll head up there and we’ll focus on the race when it’s time to. 

A: Awesome. Well that’s been five minutes so I’ll let you get back to your day. Thanks for chatting with me! 

M: No problem! We’ll talk soon, or see you this weekend!