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Wanting To Be Elsewhere
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Wanting To Be Elsewhere As some of you may recall my sport of choice (addiction really) is auto racing. It is above even football. So much so that I really wasn’t paying much attention to the NFL games this last week. That is because I was paying attention to a race that I have participated in twice and was invited to 4 times. A friend of mine and several other guys I know were running in this race. It is a weeklong event it is the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) National Championships a.k.a. “The Runoffs”. About 1000 cars and drivers were there this year. These are the drivers/teams that have won, or placed in the top 5, in their class within their division. For 3 years running, in the early 90s, I won my division (the Southern Pacific Division) title in the class I raced in (H Production). For many, many years the Runoffs were held at a track named Road Atlanta. That is where I took my shots at the National Championship.  First Race in the Fiat There has often been a bit of an issue over where the Runoffs were held due to distance – usually at the expense of drivers from the western US. Luckily there was a fund of “towing money” available based on how far you traveled. This year however the Runoffs were somewhat closer and at another famous track – the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the Indy 500 is held. My car is far from ready for another run at race wins or a division title and a trip to the Runoffs. It’s a long technical story and a financial one on top of that. But a guy I met back in the 90’s (I’ll call him “J” here) has continued to race and was at Indy this week. He and I raced each other a lot since he is close by in Colorado and would come to AZ when we had a couple tracks here. I would also travel up to CO for races back then. The technical stuff kept me from beating him straight up.  J took this pic at Second Creek Raceway The H Production race was Sunday, I watched it online, and didn’t watch any football. Not only was J there but there were at least 15 other guys I had raced against from back in the 90s. So they gotta be kinda old guys now like me – I was pretty jazzed by that. Also, an SCCA champion y’all may be familiar with raced until he was 83 – a personal hero of mine . . . Paul Newman. It kinda means I could give it another shot. “J” didn’t qualify well, 29th – possibly because it was his first time running there. By the 4th lap of the race he made it up to 18th place then . . . his throttle cable broke. Given how the rest of the race went, if he had a clean race he could have ended up around 10th – damn good for another driver on a non-budget like me. Given how the technical things I mentioned have changed I could have been right up there with him.  Runoffs at Road Atlanta When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. |
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I've always liked racing but honestly it's like being a surgical nurse.... you stand around watching someone ELSE have all the fun. And as you know, I'm not one to be much on the sidelines!!! But hey, cheering someone else on can have it's benefits too!   When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Sorry for the slow response. "Have you ever been involved in any crashes?" Only one that was bad at the track in the first pic (Riverside Raceway in Southern California) on a Labor Day weekend in the early 80s. I was trying to pass a guy in a practice session, with a heavy & late braking maneuver, and had a brain fart and forgot to down shift. I passed him but was going too fast to make the turn and stuffed the car into a wall - totaled it. The wall had a painted on advertisement for Pep Boys and my passenger side front tire obliterated the name "Jack". I became know as the guy who "killed" Jack. I was basically OK but did a "just in case" overnight at the local hospital.  When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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I've always liked racing but honestly it's like being a surgical nurse.... you stand around watching someone ELSE have all the fun. And as you know, I'm not one to be much on the sidelines!!! But hey, cheering someone else on can have it's benefits too!
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Sweet, I get to be in the pit? - yup I get to wear a headset - yup and boss people around! - headset, no mic, only crew chief gets a mic  a partially nude boudoir pose. Yeah . . . uhmmm . . . no. I once had a bumper sticker on a different car it said "If you don't like my driving call - 1 (800) EAT-SHIT. I got to have a discussion "in the trailer" about that.  that might distract other drivers. - causing them to run into other cars like . . . mine. then you'd whiz right by them on your way to the checkered flag. I prefer to take the checkered on my talent. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Putting up $$$ gets you a seat in the pits with the team. The "Lala Hood & Trust" should fit nicely across the side. Have you bought this weeks tickets  When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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10/4/2017 10:41 am |
I know of Nazareth, there used to be Indy level races there. And of course the Andretti family is from there. I've only had one encounter with Mario, but not a nice one. Hopefully we can both create more memories in this life. and Mario won the opening race there.. He could be quite the bitch sometimes.. I also remember seeing Paul Newman there a few times.. I agree with memories..lol. face piles of trials with smiles.. MOODY BLUES please feel free to visit my blog happy blogging
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Can I watch you watching for him? When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Jacques Villeneuve was fun to watch. There is at least one Canadian running the Indy series - James Hinchcliffe. He seems to be pretty good just needs some better luck. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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F1 is top of the talent scale and it is road racing but the racing isn't really close. What I really wanted to do was endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the Baja 1000. But my mega bucks seem to have gotten lost in the mail. You might want to watch some of the Indy series this coming year. The cars have been changed so the racing should be close. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Nice post and it looks like fun hugs V When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Nice post and it looks like fun hugs V Become a blog watcher sweet_vm
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I was born in Bethlehem, PA. and lived in Nazareth , PA till I was married at age 20. And if anyone knows racing, we had a quarter mile dirt track that was in Nazareth, I spent many Saturday evenings on the 4th turn at that track. it was a beautiful place for a young pre teen kid to grow up in. LOL. old '32 coupes doing 25 laps and then the 50 lap final. The pits were right behind the grandstands on the 4th turn. Another reason for sitting there was between the 25 lap qualifiers you just got up and went to the top of the stand and hung over the rail and watched the action in the pits. And after the race , being allowed to just walk into the pits while the drivers were sitting on their cars shooting the breeze and having a few beers.. What a great time to get autographs. I used to build models of my favorite drivers cars and paint them like there cars and have them sign them. They got a kick out if it , one guy would say to another driver, Hey, did he do a your car? LOL I would walk home from the track it was about 2 miles away from the Nazareth Fairgrounds covered in track dirt and lungs and nostrils filled with high octane fuel. Mario and Aldo also raced there. The gas station that they worked at was right across the street from the fairgrounds. Hey , thanks for the memories. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Excellent post McScally! It's always good to have a passionate interest in something. Motor sports were never my thing, but I was out with an old pal the other week there, he used to drive rally cars in his youth, and he took me around some back roads. Great fun, even though I shat meself a little!  I wish you had been able to go too!  When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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I used to love Auto Racing I totally understand why you do. The thrill the adrenaline it gives. Great read this morning I hope you have a great week..  When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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10/2/2017 2:58 pm |
I was born in Bethlehem, PA. and lived in Nazareth , PA till I was married at age 20. And if anyone knows racing, we had a quarter mile dirt track that was in Nazareth, I spent many Saturday evenings on the 4th turn at that track. it was a beautiful place for a young pre teen kid to grow up in. LOL. old '32 coupes doing 25 laps and then the 50 lap final. The pits were right behind the grandstands on the 4th turn. Another reason for sitting there was between the 25 lap qualifiers you just got up and went to the top of the stand and hung over the rail and watched the action in the pits. And after the race , being allowed to just walk into the pits while the drivers were sitting on their cars shooting the breeze and having a few beers.. What a great time to get autographs. I used to build models of my favorite drivers cars and paint them like there cars and have them sign them. They got a kick out if it , one guy would say to another driver, Hey, did he do a your car? LOL I would walk home from the track it was about 2 miles away from the Nazareth Fairgrounds covered in track dirt and lungs and nostrils filled with high octane fuel. Mario and Aldo also raced there. The gas station that they worked at was right across the street from the fairgrounds. Hey , thanks for the memories. face piles of trials with smiles.. MOODY BLUES please feel free to visit my blog happy blogging
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Excellent post McScally! It's always good to have a passionate interest in something. Motor sports were never my thing, but I was out with an old pal the other week there, he used to drive rally cars in his youth, and he took me around some back roads. Great fun, even though I shat meself a little! I wish you had been able to go too!
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I used to love Auto Racing I totally understand why you do. The thrill the adrenaline it gives. Great read this morning I hope you have a great week.. Seduce the mind and see what a wonderful adventure the body will take you on.. 
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I have had many fantasies about racing myself and meeting Dale Sr. My new revised goal is to see a restrictor plate race. I have never followed racing other then Nascar but these sound like fun. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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I have had many fantasies about racing myself and meeting Dale Sr. My new revised goal is to see a restrictor plate race. I have never followed racing other then Nascar but these sound like fun.
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"Rush" was about Formula 1 racing in the 70s, basically the top of the racing world - you have interesting friends. Boats are a hole in the water you pour $$ into. Cars are a hole in the asphalt you pour $$ into. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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A 124 fiat?What was it's displacement and was that what distinguished the class it ran in. H Production is the small bore class (but now it goes up to 1500 cc). Cars are allowed a lot of suspension, engine and trans work and the engines are pretty wide open. I would now be allowed twin Weber 40 DCOEs - the tech issue from back in the 90s. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Hi redrockrascal. thanks for sharing this story. I'm not much of a racer... I've had friends that have put some money into it... One of my buddies had a modified Monte Carlo with a huge engine and tires that were as tall as me... it seemed... he used to race in what I called the "Fast & The furious" movie-like races around Missouri, Oklahoman and here in Texas... I went to four of those races... It was crazy... because they just did a quarter mile straight-a-way in city streets just like the original fast and the furious movie... I couldn't believe it... all the drivers would put up anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 for a winner take all contest... of course, there would be side action as well... but, these races were not sanctioned... and, they had a security team with police band radios and multiple race sites... What an adrenaline rush it was... the events usually took place after midnight on a Friday or Saturday in a warehouse district somewhere... there would be an entourage of dozens of cars... with trucks and trailers for the racers.... the races could go deep into the morning... but, on more than one occasion, we had to scatter to location 2 or 3 or 4... you would see cars with big engines... some with nitrous oxide... I thought that was pretend... but, it wasn't... anyway... your story brought up that one... have a great week! When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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A 124 fiat?What was it's displacement and was that what distinguished the class it ran in. Using more than all the road!
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it really sux to be a used to be ..doesnt it? When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Hi redrockrascal. thanks for sharing this story. I'm not much of a racer... I've had friends that have put some money into it... One of my buddies had a modified Monte Carlo with a huge engine and tires that were as tall as me... it seemed... he used to race in what I called the "Fast & The furious" movie-like races around Missouri, Oklahoman and here in Texas... I went to four of those races... It was crazy... because they just did a quarter mile straight-a-way in city streets just like the original fast and the furious movie... I couldn't believe it... all the drivers would put up anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 for a winner take all contest... of course, there would be side action as well... but, these races were not sanctioned... and, they had a security team with police band radios and multiple race sites... What an adrenaline rush it was... the events usually took place after midnight on a Friday or Saturday in a warehouse district somewhere... there would be an entourage of dozens of cars... with trucks and trailers for the racers.... the races could go deep into the morning... but, on more than one occasion, we had to scatter to location 2 or 3 or 4... you would see cars with big engines... some with nitrous oxide... I thought that was pretend... but, it wasn't... anyway... your story brought up that one... have a great week! To leave private messages, please use my confidential mailbox at my blog: Good luck!!! 
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it really sux to be a used to be ..doesnt it? woop woop
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These weren't the ones that raced up Pikes Peak were they? When I lived in Co Springs that was a big deal as there aren't any rails all the way to the top and not very wide. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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These weren't the ones that raced up Pikes Peak were they? When I lived in Co Springs that was a big deal as there aren't any rails all the way to the top and not very wide.
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I wanted to be there today . . . NOW.  When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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