WOW!!!
The races. I was totally overcome by the wholeness of it all.
I felt like a country boy in the city in amazement at the bigness of it all. The buildings alongside the back straight a way.
The walled city with no view into...or light. Only one way to see the race.
PAY....full price. Uggggh...I've never done that before.
$40 for General Admission
$80 for Grandstand
$30 extra for Paddock....
Miss, can you tell me what is the Paddock.
Say, what do I look like...I don't know...do you want it or not.
Apparently, a very well trained ticket seller.
Well, I can see it from the outside like I planned. Yes, I brought my bike in the trunk of the car. I thought I could park a few blocks away and watch the race from the perimeter of the track.
Little did I know that it was walled by those concrete highway separators. With cyclone fence 15 feet above that. And a screening that blocked the view.
$40 bucks huh. I did drive 65 miles, ok give me the GA.
I locked up my bike. Walked past all the security and to a staircase going steeply up and across the track. Again the screen on both sides so there was no seeing the race from up there.
Then down the other side. Keep breathing, it wasn't that bad....huff and puff. Quick over there, that bench with one person stretched out on it.
Surely I could sit with her. Yes, how are you? May I sit down?
A premium seat for sure. In the shade and near a turn.
“I wouldn't be here but my group got free tickets. Where did you get your ticket from? WHAT!
YOU PAID...followed by a giggle. I didn't think anyone paid.”
Why thanks for letting me rest...but I've got to move on. Wait till next year.
I walked past all the exhibits. The one's that give trash away or rides in arcade cars. All had long lines to enjoy.
I planned on getting there just before start time but didn't check the schedule. Its 11am now and it starts at 2:45PM TO 4:45PM.
I walked past the paddock. And saw those folks held back by security guards and there's Danica Patricks transports. There's a short person...no that's a guy. Heck, they're all short folks. Isn't there anyone over 5'4 in racing clothes. A midgets sport I guess.
I continued until the end of the grandstands. They were high and long. They lined up alongside an airports main runway. And appeared to be 75 feet high. And temporary seating.
All put together just for this race. First Amazing thing.
Food court...I always like food courts. $6 for a hot dog and $3 for a bottle of water. That seems reasonable. As long as I ate before I arrived and had my own bottle of water.
I saw a grassy knoll and layed down. An hour later, with no bug bites I awoke to see that the area had been closed in by more arrivals of people. I was one of the oldest surrounded by all sizes and kinds of fellow race watchers.
Most were talking and asking the same questions of one another as I wanted to ask.
It was in the 80's and a peek over the hill I notice a glassed in building not far away. It was a theater and they allowed a few hundred folks to come in but had just a few chairs.
Do you mind in I sit in the chair next to you until your friend returns? Of course not, I'm by myself. Its all yours.
All those folks sitting on the floor must have wanted to hurt me but I had the chair.
Hi my names Bob and I'm from Long Island. I used to race in the 50's and loved it so much opened up a bunch of speed shops, mostly for drag racing.
I dragged my family in our motor home here and we'll leave soon for spring break for the kids to Key West.
I always drag raced and still do on certain streets. And you know who are the biggest illegal racers, and most are my friends....COPS.
Ummm, guess what.
Yes, then his eyes lit up and we talked old cars. I talked cars and he talked cams, drive chains and carbs. Yes, I sold my shops and repair Carbs for fun. But no one does it anymore so I'm really busy.
Oh Oh was that the B1 bomber. Time to get outside and get a spot.
As I walked out 3 quiet jets flew over. The Raptors, quiet until they gave it the gun.
Suddenly, fireworks went off and the sound of the engines were heard. Twice around the cars drove until bang....they revved up by the grandstands and then got quiet..an accident on turn 1.
A few minutes later they drove toward us and past so fast that I couldn't hardly focus on them.
The sounds of the engines revving up and then hard breaking and revving up again to accelerate thru a turn.....2ND most Amazing.
This drivers are nuts. Accelerate to at least 150 miles then hit the brakes before the turn and concrete walls...and immediately accelerate again. Do this 100 times without waiting a split second too much.
I found a picnic table to stand on. With a lot of kids in there 20's from Sarasota. They were drinking and silly but kept rubbing my hair for luck. As you know, when it comes to hair, I'm not to lucky. And neither were they looking for it.
Something happened to me during the race. The first time the cars went by. My jaw dropped and I just screamed out loud....God!!! are they going fast. Damn.
I just could not close my mouth. The excitement of each pass of a car was just as exciting.
Everyone was laughing and cheering for something. Our group cheered for Danica. Even for three laps after she crashed. We still cheered....Danica....Danica ….Danica
I was cheering with the kids....I felt like one of them except...I was the old mascot. Which was ok, I had fun...lots and lots of fun
I said goodbye to my young fellow funsters and walked back to the gate. It took almost an hour and I took many photos and videos of cars and people....mostly women.
Races sure bring out the best of them.
I stayed to the very end and don't have any idea who won. It wasn't Danica. Too bad.
As I walked back over the overpass,,,up across and down the stairs. I realized that I was on my feet for most of the afternoon.
Yet, I felt great.
I wasn't hungry nor thirsty
I think I was running on my adrenaline.
As I unlocked my bike I looked up at the condo balcony and saw them all filled with people,
They were all smiling.
I was smiling too. I made a dozen phone calls to family, telling them about the race. Mostly, to their answering machines.
As the commercial says:
drive 150 miles
pay $40 for a ticket.
The experience: priceless.....thank you lord for another adventure
The races. I was totally overcome by the wholeness of it all.
I felt like a country boy in the city in amazement at the bigness of it all. The buildings alongside the back straight a way.
The walled city with no view into...or light. Only one way to see the race.
PAY....full price. Uggggh...I've never done that before.
$40 for General Admission
$80 for Grandstand
$30 extra for Paddock....
Miss, can you tell me what is the Paddock.
Say, what do I look like...I don't know...do you want it or not.
Apparently, a very well trained ticket seller.
Well, I can see it from the outside like I planned. Yes, I brought my bike in the trunk of the car. I thought I could park a few blocks away and watch the race from the perimeter of the track.
Little did I know that it was walled by those concrete highway separators. With cyclone fence 15 feet above that. And a screening that blocked the view.
$40 bucks huh. I did drive 65 miles, ok give me the GA.
I locked up my bike. Walked past all the security and to a staircase going steeply up and across the track. Again the screen on both sides so there was no seeing the race from up there.
Then down the other side. Keep breathing, it wasn't that bad....huff and puff. Quick over there, that bench with one person stretched out on it.
Surely I could sit with her. Yes, how are you? May I sit down?
A premium seat for sure. In the shade and near a turn.
“I wouldn't be here but my group got free tickets. Where did you get your ticket from? WHAT!
YOU PAID...followed by a giggle. I didn't think anyone paid.”
Why thanks for letting me rest...but I've got to move on. Wait till next year.
I walked past all the exhibits. The one's that give trash away or rides in arcade cars. All had long lines to enjoy.
I planned on getting there just before start time but didn't check the schedule. Its 11am now and it starts at 2:45PM TO 4:45PM.
I walked past the paddock. And saw those folks held back by security guards and there's Danica Patricks transports. There's a short person...no that's a guy. Heck, they're all short folks. Isn't there anyone over 5'4 in racing clothes. A midgets sport I guess.
I continued until the end of the grandstands. They were high and long. They lined up alongside an airports main runway. And appeared to be 75 feet high. And temporary seating.
All put together just for this race. First Amazing thing.
Food court...I always like food courts. $6 for a hot dog and $3 for a bottle of water. That seems reasonable. As long as I ate before I arrived and had my own bottle of water.
I saw a grassy knoll and layed down. An hour later, with no bug bites I awoke to see that the area had been closed in by more arrivals of people. I was one of the oldest surrounded by all sizes and kinds of fellow race watchers.
Most were talking and asking the same questions of one another as I wanted to ask.
It was in the 80's and a peek over the hill I notice a glassed in building not far away. It was a theater and they allowed a few hundred folks to come in but had just a few chairs.
Do you mind in I sit in the chair next to you until your friend returns? Of course not, I'm by myself. Its all yours.
All those folks sitting on the floor must have wanted to hurt me but I had the chair.
Hi my names Bob and I'm from Long Island. I used to race in the 50's and loved it so much opened up a bunch of speed shops, mostly for drag racing.
I dragged my family in our motor home here and we'll leave soon for spring break for the kids to Key West.
I always drag raced and still do on certain streets. And you know who are the biggest illegal racers, and most are my friends....COPS.
Ummm, guess what.
Yes, then his eyes lit up and we talked old cars. I talked cars and he talked cams, drive chains and carbs. Yes, I sold my shops and repair Carbs for fun. But no one does it anymore so I'm really busy.
Oh Oh was that the B1 bomber. Time to get outside and get a spot.
As I walked out 3 quiet jets flew over. The Raptors, quiet until they gave it the gun.
Suddenly, fireworks went off and the sound of the engines were heard. Twice around the cars drove until bang....they revved up by the grandstands and then got quiet..an accident on turn 1.
A few minutes later they drove toward us and past so fast that I couldn't hardly focus on them.
The sounds of the engines revving up and then hard breaking and revving up again to accelerate thru a turn.....2ND most Amazing.
This drivers are nuts. Accelerate to at least 150 miles then hit the brakes before the turn and concrete walls...and immediately accelerate again. Do this 100 times without waiting a split second too much.
I found a picnic table to stand on. With a lot of kids in there 20's from Sarasota. They were drinking and silly but kept rubbing my hair for luck. As you know, when it comes to hair, I'm not to lucky. And neither were they looking for it.
Something happened to me during the race. The first time the cars went by. My jaw dropped and I just screamed out loud....God!!! are they going fast. Damn.
I just could not close my mouth. The excitement of each pass of a car was just as exciting.
Everyone was laughing and cheering for something. Our group cheered for Danica. Even for three laps after she crashed. We still cheered....Danica....Danica ….Danica
I was cheering with the kids....I felt like one of them except...I was the old mascot. Which was ok, I had fun...lots and lots of fun
I said goodbye to my young fellow funsters and walked back to the gate. It took almost an hour and I took many photos and videos of cars and people....mostly women.
Races sure bring out the best of them.
I stayed to the very end and don't have any idea who won. It wasn't Danica. Too bad.
As I walked back over the overpass,,,up across and down the stairs. I realized that I was on my feet for most of the afternoon.
Yet, I felt great.
I wasn't hungry nor thirsty
I think I was running on my adrenaline.
As I unlocked my bike I looked up at the condo balcony and saw them all filled with people,
They were all smiling.
I was smiling too. I made a dozen phone calls to family, telling them about the race. Mostly, to their answering machines.
As the commercial says:
drive 150 miles
pay $40 for a ticket.
The experience: priceless.....thank you lord for another adventure
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