So, this is pretty cool. Mike Hom aka "Ham" is a central figure in the SOCAL Miata scene. Well, we think so even if he doesn't. He was instrumental in keeping everyone on top of Marco's situation, taking the time to drive many times between San Diego and Los Angeles, despite his work and school schedule. He has been the catalyst for many great events around San Diego, often being the glue than bonds that group together. He was an enthusiastic, relentless teammate while we worked to put 949 Racing on the podium. He also took care of his ailing mother until she passed this past year. He is a selfless, fun, genuine person as anyone could ever hope to meet. He would give you the shirt off his back regardless of his situation.
His friends all started making plans to reward him in a way he would enjoy. This plan included a way to get him on the track, some coaching, and maybe something to keep him involved in Miatas and the community that appreciates what he does. With some contributions and pooled resources, Sonny and Emilio at 949 Racing donated time, preparations and entry to an HPDE at Streets of Willow. They prepped their training car, "Taxi" to allow Ham to drive it with Sonny coaching him all day. Basically, Taxi is a SuperMiata with two seats and extra power to accommodate the extra weight. No easy task because Hammy is 5 feet nothing, and all the 949 guys are about 5'10 to 6'4".
Ham was let in on the plan this week. He was truly king for the day, dropping 10s off his times with National Championship-level coaching to get him through faster and cleaner.
The left over funds were used to buy Ham an FIA seat so he can continue to keep joining the fun at the track and also to show how much we appreciate what he does for everyone. I am proud to consider Ham and all those involved my friends. I wish I could have been there to see it!
It's always great to see selfless individuals get a 'pat on the back' in one form or another because far to often it is the selfish that get recognition in the world. Thanks to everyone that made it happen and Ham for being such a great person!
I remember Ham at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in '12 when we ran a four car effort. We had a slew of novice crewmen, many who shared the enthusiasm of this kind of endeavor, but no one matched his drive. I was handling logistics and inventory, including wheels and tires. Schlepping smoking, corded tires to and fro for fresh meats to be mounted is pretty tiring, especially in the wee hours of the night. Ham was our smallest crewman, but he was right there with me slinging wheels, ripping apart busted parts, humping prebuilt sub frames, checking and labeling tires and wheels, happily volunteering at other stations when asses were seriously dragging. It was a morale boost, even to the veterans, to see him plugging away without complaint, not letting up. This is exactly what you do in endurance racing...never give up. After the race, crew captains, the chiefs, even the drivers all recognized this Herculean effort Ham was putting in. It was awesome!
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