We'd waited an extra week to run this race. Sanctioning body Grand American had made the right call, postponing our second trip to Homestead this year after a rash of hurricanes battered Florida in August and September. And then our event was shortened by a day. Starting position was by combined driver points; qualifying was scrapped, and we had only two practice sessions before the race. It was a tight schedule, but we'd visited Homestead earlier this year, and had an idea of what to expect.

My co-driver for this round was Jeff Hersh, a Miami native who's won endurance races at the track before, and a graduate of the Skip Barber school in 1997. Even though we didn't have a lot of prep time, there was a lot of potential for another top-ten finish.

One thing was clear when we arrived: it was going to be hot! Ambient temperatures of 95 degrees -- not including the humidex -- meant for a rather drippy experience as we unloaded the car from our trailer.

Now, it's not intentional, but we are clearly the lowest budget team in the paddock. Don't get me wrong; it's my sincere hope that a well-funded sponsor is going to recognize the amazing value our team provides any day now, but the simple fact is that in the meanwhile, we're operating on what amounts to a few dollars, a bunch of desire, and some raw talent (most of which resides in our Crew Chief, Ian McQuillan).

Regardless, our car was towed down on an open trailer behind my trusty Suburban by Ian's stepson. It's a long haul but Derek did a stellar job of it, with our BMW Z3 Coupe arriving well in advance of Ian and I. As the pits closed Friday, we were finished unloading the car and we headed off to the hotel for a nice dip in the pool.

Saturday would be a busy day. We had two short 45-minute practice sessions before the race. A bunch of early yellows meant that I elected to run the first session solo, allowing Jeff -- who'd never driven our car before -- to spend the entire second session getting used to the car. And then it was on to the race.

If you watch our in-car video, you'd be excused if you thought you were taking in rush hour on your way home from work during the first two race laps. The traffic, jostling and bumping is unbelievable. Jeff did a great job of staying out of the carnage in a car he'd had less than 10 solid laps in. It helps that Ian has set the Z3 up so that it's a really manageable drive right out of the box. Nonetheless, a really good start by Mr. Hersh.

Half an hour in to the race, there was a yellow which bunched up the field. A few of our immediate competitors pulled in for fuel, but we opted to stay out. Jeff was obviously feeling comfortable, and I figured there would be another yellow closer to our fuel window (which falls about half-way through the race).

Then the rain came. Huge grey clouds burst over the track, sprinkling moisture unevenly over portions of the circuit. It didn't pour, but it did make the tarmac wet enough to reduce traction. Jeff drove through the unsettling conditions, managing to pass a bunch of other cars as the conditions suited our Z3, and hampering the efforts of the heavier cars. But the rain stopped as soon as it started, and the track started to dry. However, by this point we were 9th in class. Way to go Jeff!

Jeff continued to fight for position, and on lap 35 another yellow fell. We decided to let him catch up to the pack, and then to call him in for a driver change. That's a little earlier than we would usually prefer, but not by much (he drove more than an hour of the three-hour race), and we could not pass up the opportunity of a nearly-perfectly-placed caution period.

This meant a long stint for me, which would normally be fine, as I've driven full three-hour stints before. But the September Florida heat was something different altogether, and as my time wore on I felt a bit tired. I've always thought the idea of a water bottle or a cool suit to be for drivers who are not in good physical shape, but I've revised my opinion now. I work out three or four times a week, and the heat really did take its toll. I really would have enjoyed an in-car water bottle at this race!

At the two-and-a-half-hour mark I'd made my way to seventh place. I'd actually been as high as sixth, but was passed by one of the Speedsource RX-8s on the banking; those Mazdas are fast! Our fuel was getting low, but I felt we could run to the end. Our friend Matt Connolly, who runs the #39 BMW (and who's car had dropped out with mechanical woes early on) thought differently. He also thought I was too slow. So he got on the radio and told me to stop over-driving the car through the infield. He was right, and by entering the corners more slowly, I managed to get back to competitive times. This despite the fact that the temperature in the car was upwards of 140 degrees!

At one point, I thought perhaps I should drop back into the pit and let Jeff finish the race. The heat is exhausting, and no amount of training can help. However, I told myself that if I could turn three good lap times in a row that I could stay in the car and with the banter on the radio, I managed to do just that. Still, I held my hand out of the window on certain sections of the track to bring some air into the car. And then there was the lessening fuel load I kept thinking about.

Fortunately, a yellow came out in the last 20 minutes of the race, which allowed me to do a quick splash-n-go after the field bunched up. We came out from the pits in exactly the same position we'd pulled in, which made it reasonably easy for me to just put in some good, solid laps to keep ahead of the eighth-place Mini behind and take it to the checkered flag. The result? Seventh in class (well into the top ten) and 20th overall (out of 45 cars that started the race).

And so we've finished seven of seven races without a DNF. There's more pressure than ever to do the same for the final three events, especially as I'm now tenth in the driver's championship, and our team points for the #36 car put us in ninth place in the team standings. The result was something to relish as I lay prone on the pit wall, gulping some cool bottled water.

The wrap-up? Jeff Hersh did a great job in his first Grand Am race, laying the groundwork for our third top-ten finish of the year. Ian continues to build a car that can make it to the finish. And we had a great time in Florida, despite the inclement weather, hurricanes, and oppressive heat.

We dedicate our fine result to the memory of my pal, Mike Mori, who passed away much too early at the age of 50 after a courageous battle with cancer. It's Mike I have to thank for encouraging me to compete in Grand Am Cup in the first place. May your soul have peace, my friend.

Thanks to our sponsors: Compass360 Design + Advertising, Hockley Autosport, mmwave, W3Connex, gableswatch.com, and Kinetics USA.

Our next race is October 2nd at VIR, a track which suits our BMW. We'll see how it goes!

CLICK HERE FOR THE HOMESTEAD PRESS RELEASE