Race fans ain't like nobody else. Come Saturday night, you can keep your peace and quiet. Set us in some bleachers, overlooking the asphalt rink of the stock car roller derby. Hell yeah!
Racing. It just plain gets in your blood. Welded to your chassis. Belted in tight. Race fans will trek a whole lotta miles, if necessary, to spend the night with strangers.
Strangers, who, like us, crave the smell of rubber, radiators and flaming fumes.
Auburndale Speedway has been a trek destination of mine for a few years now. Oh say, since 1977-ish. That's a helluva lot of busted up race cars, spins, smoke and temper tantrums.
All of a sudden, I wasn't able to attend. For this reason, or for that reason. Non-sense reasons. And that, is a pity. I really really missed it.
But I'm back. And it's like I never ever stopped going. Picking up right where I left off!
The parking lot. The ticket windows. The gate. The gatekeepers. The grandstands. The concession stand. The bathrooms (gotta go, ya know?).
The track. The cars.
Best of all, the intoxicating sound of those high revving engines. Screaming and popping, practicing on the track.
It's loud. Real loud. Real music to a race fan's ears. A rock concert of speed.
Everything was there. I was there.
I sat where I always sit! (Race fans love their spots!).
I ate 'race food'. Burger, fries and a foam cup of fizzy pop. Soda to some.
Boiled peanuts. Biting into that saltwater brine.
It was a perfect night for racing.
It was a perfect night OF racing.
While a misty drizzle tickled at us, we were wowed by a rainbow.
Pointing to that pot of gold on Turn 4.
We knew that was no threat. We knew we were going racing!
It was a perfect race crowd. Kids running around looking at everything but the races. Teens playing Frisbee in the side yard. Old men, alone and bundled up in their Chevy race jackets. Young couples, with babies, starting a new batch of race fans.
Fueled up fans with foamy beers and go team cheers.
The 'we stand for the wreck worriers'.
Every race saw quite a bit of drama. Spills and thrills. Rubber donut decorated doors. Flopping hoods and finger pointing. Spins and wins.
I'd say we got WAY more than we paid admission for. A whole lot more.
I'm a fan of Auburndale Speedway. It has a lot of character. It has a whole lot of CHARACTERS!
IF we lose another racetrack, we lose another piece of our hearts.
We can't let that happen!
Track owners could save themselves a lot of stress, and money, by throwing away the keys and just walking away.
It's OUR job to keep these tracks alive!
WHAT happens if we have NO races to go to. NONE. Anywhere.
I don't even want to think about that...
Welcome, race fans!