Off to the races

[bigsteel15]

Sports gloat.
Gold Grandstand seats for the Edmonton Grand Prix (CHAMP CAR race) this weekend.
I'll be on the same piece of property as Paul Newman, Ashley Judd and a few more "beautiful people".
Went last year and it was AWESOME, even with the rain & mud on the Saturday.
Supposed to be 90+ all weekend.
We hear that many of the drivers tout this race as the best flat course on the circuit.

Anyways, hopefully one of our 3 Candians will give us some thrills.
Andrew Ranger has been tearing it up pretty good for a beginner and Paul Tracy always makes it entertaining if he's in the mix.
Almmendinger has been unbeatable lately though, so it should be a great weekend.

[cabinetman]

I used to be in a sports car club that offered volunteers (us) to be course workers for those kind of races. We could be anywhere around the track with varied duties. The times that I worked in "no mans land", the area all around the circuit between the track and the spectator fence, was incredible. When the cars went by they just created a wave of percussion I can't even describe. At the end of each work session, we had to wipe off tire pieces and rubber particles off from the tires. Even with ear plugs, you could hardly hear anything at the end of the day. If you have the chance to volunteer to work the course, you get free meals, all the cold drinks you could want, meet the drivers, get a free "T" shirt or jumpsuit, and love the physical abuse you trade for it.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[bigsteel15]

I found out that it is very easy to get "hired" on as a volunteer. Maybe try that next year. They not only put you up in the ramada next to the track, but on the Thursday, you get a track ride in a pace car. Then after the races everyone goes to a party with all the drivers.

My weekend didn't start out so good. 90+ in the shade (record breaking up here) on Staurday...got bad heat stroke, totally ruined my evening recovering from that. I should know better and never want to feel that way again unless I've drank a 26 of whiskey.
Anyways, Sunday at the race was awesome. Same temps, but we had a cooler full of water with us.
After the race we took in the Kim Mitchell (Canadian rocker) concert. I really felt old when I realized that I saw him 20 years ago at the height of his career. Then we went to my buddy's moms house to pick his kids up and she had BBQ salmon & lasagna in the makings for us.
Great finish to a what ended up a great weekend.

[DUD]

I love my racing, Nascar, and some others, and there is no feeling like being at the track. Glad it was a blast, Bill