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The earth shook, the noise was extraordinary, and the smell of high-octane fuel filled my nostrils.

This was my first experience at Sydney Dragway, and it was exhilarating.

Like many, I enjoy the thrill of acceleration. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being pushed back in your seat. It never gets old.

My Falcon XF

Thanks to my dear parents (Dads4Kids founders Warwick and Alison Marsh) and a Marsh family friend (diesel mechanic Mal Drake, who sadly passed away many years ago), my first car was a cream-coloured Ford Falcon XF sedan.

My XF ran on LPG, which was great for my minuscule bank balance. It had its fair share of mechanical quirks and ran a bit rough, but it always got me from point A to point B.

My wife Jodi affectionately called it ‘The Fridge’. This was partly due to its colour and shape, but mostly because its heater didn’t work, and it was freezing cold during winter months.

Strangely, it was stolen on two separate occasions while parked near the same train station, lost and then found both times! Eventually, my XF gave up the ghost, and it was towed to the wreckers. That was a sad day.

I’m grateful for the many adventures I’ve enjoyed in various vehicles over the years, and behind the wheel is a great place to be. Thankfully, Jodi and our five daughters agree, as we all enjoy a good old family road trip.

A Day of the Drags

Last Saturday, thanks to the generosity of Dads4Kids supporter Martin Stevenson and the team at Powerplus NSW, a group of friends and I had the pleasure of attending Day of the Drags at Eastern Creek in Western Sydney. The video above gives a brief overview, and it was certainly a day to remember.

The cars were classic, loud, and fast.

They were racing the quarter mile (around 400m for younger readers), and one car did it in eight seconds (impressive considering the conditions and ‘no prep’ track).

Each team was fulfilling its need for speed. But as Martin explained to me, consistency is key.

According to the interwebs, the most crucial elements in drag racing are achieving a fast and consistent launch, maximising traction, and maintaining a smooth, straight-line run to the finish line. The same can be said of fathering.

Lessons for Fathering

Being a dad is more a marathon than a quarter-mile sprint, but the principles are the same. A solid launch is critical. In fact, the best first step is making a lifelong commitment to your partner (i.e., getting married), providing a much-needed, strong family foundation. Continuing the analogy, once children arrive, the goal is maximising relational connectedness (traction) by being there for your family and doing your best to ensure consistency all the way to the finish line.

Maintaining consistency is the hardest part, but by committing yourself to continual improvement and being intentional about spending time with your family, you’ll have a better chance of winning the race called life.

Lovework

Introduce your kids to the thrills and spills of motorsports. Check out racingcircuits.info to find your nearest Australian motorsport park and get along to a race. Admittedly, my nephews enjoy fast cars and bikes more than my daughters, but as Martin Stevenson says, it’s a sport the whole family can enjoy!

If, like me, you’re close to Sydney, Sydney Dragway at Eastern Creek is an amazing multi-million-dollar purpose-built facility. They host a great range of events with something for every petrol head. If you can, take your kids along to a drag race, and make sure you say g’day to Martin and the crew from Powerplus NSW.

Yours for running the race and finishing well,

Nathaniel Marsh