Self Reflection: ARCA Menards Points Leaders Focusing On Normal Routine

Michael Self is used to keeping busy on the track – between being the ARCA Menards Series championship points leader and a successful driver coach.

That hasn’t changed as the racing world has taken pause as the country winds its way through shelter-in-place warnings and travel restrictions. Self’s focus has just shifted to his school work – he’s majoring in business administration at University of North Carolina-Greensboro – and house projects with his wife Dana.

“We have been doing a lot of our normal routine stuff around the house,” Self said. “School hasn’t changed because it’s all online anyhow. I am still just trying to get through the semester. Dana is working from home so she is still adapting to it. We are working on the house, doing some projects to get it ready to get listed once we see how things end up.”

Quick check-in with the man, the myth, the legend….@michaelself! #FlyTheV #TeamToyota #DINOracing pic.twitter.com/aFPvK8km42

— VenturiniMotorsports (@VenturiniMotor) March 26, 2020

Self’s racing schedule keeps him out of the house quite a bit, and wife Dana spends her days in a corporate environment working with dozens of other employees.

Has being at home with just each other been a challenge?

“No not at all,” Self said “It’s been good. We have our own office space. She has a guest bedroom that she uses and I have an office. She works from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. working as a digital content manager for a major retailer, and they’re still open all across the country. She is actually super busy. Between my school work and her job we barely see each other.

“When work is done we go downstairs and watch TV, have some dinner and hang out a little which is kind of nice.”

So what have the Selfs been doing to pass the time?

“We have been pretty good with the shelter in place,” he said. “We only go out when we need something. We take the dogs out for a walk now and then and get some exercise. We are really lucky to have a bigger house so we aren’t stacked up on each other and we can get some work done when we need to. My sister lives in New York and we get the updates from there and it’s a big, big difference.”

Like the rest of the racing community, Self is looking forward to getting back to the track with the No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota.

“We’re hanging in there, trying to do the best we can to stay healthy and we are definitely looking forward to getting back to the track, hopefully sooner than later.”