Stock Car Racing

 Probably the very last place you'd expect was to find a post that we had gone to the stock car races. But yes, indeedy we did.  Aragorn has a business partner, Frank Kreyer, for any race fans, who either does x-ray as a hobby or stock car racing as a hobby, I'm not sure which order!  Frank arranged this day of racing.  He is a great guy.... extremely funny, sincere, genuine and just a person who is simply who he is.  I wish I had someone take a picture of me shooting the breeze with this race car driver. I also wish I had gotten my picture in his neat-o golf cart, of his son who was 3 and absolutely adorable and most esp. of me sitting in a race car but alas... those pictures aren't here!

 I see some of these pictures got out of order again... I think blogger doesn't like me.  Anyway, this is Aragorn signing his life away.  Everyone got a chance to actually drive 10 laps in one of the race cars or take a ride. I chose to do neither but take pictures and tend to Marigold.

 In the center of the race track those who wanted to ride/drive waited. There was a pace car (no one could go over 100 mph.).  I did ask Aragorn before we left if he was going to confession first. He laughed at me.  Then I said that at least we had life insurance.  The rest of us on-lookers got to watch from the bleachers or from the flag stand.

 We had our food provided but I thought the menu was funny "from the pump" for the drinks, etc... Clever.

 There they go, all the daring employees who signed their life away.  Meaning, if they crashed, they had to buy the vehicle. If they crashed the pace car they had to buy that one too.  Under no circumstances could you sue... etc.

 Hilarious.  Drat and we saw a nice bloated deer on the road on the way. 

 The pace car.

 That's Aragorn putting on the special jacket.  I suppose it is flame resistant or something so that one only loses their legs and not their lungs and heart?  My boys asked Frank Kreyer to drive them over to the center ring in his golf cart so that's how they got over there.  They really liked him.

 Inside Aragorn's race car.

 There they go.  Aragorn did get pulled over once for not being in 1st gear and he was in 2nd or the other way around, I'm not sure.  *chuckle*

 This picture should have been up above where he was signing his life away.

 We went home for a few hours in the afternoon... I needed a nap!  In the evening we went back for the real races. They started with a *prayer* yes, you read that right.  Then they paid a lovely tribute to 9/11. It was very moving.  Then they sang the Star Spangled Banner.

 The place was pretty well full as this was the championship race.

 This was actually from the morning (again blogger doesn't like me and likes to play tricks on me). Frank Kreyer is the man on the right.    I have to admit the man was so funny I nearly busted my side out laughing.  The other man is another man Aragorn works with.

 The #51 car is Frank's.  I will admit I watched his car very, very closely with knots in my tummy. haha  If you've ever seen The Twilight Zone "The Fever"  that was me, only with the stock cars not the casino!

 There were a few crashes.

 It made you feel so badly!  But according to Aragorn the quarters are pretty tight inside... probably about like my car after I've been to Woodman's and Costco and Target all in one day.  :D

 Marigold actually loved it.  I was unable to get the little ear plugs in her ears so I hope she isn't deaf for life.  But I did try to keep my fingers or a blanket over her ears.  She watched the cars rather intensely and bounced around.  I met one of the owners of the track and he said, "Is this her first race"  I laughed and said, "Mine too"  he just looked at me like that was impossible to believe haha.  Apparently many are born on the race track!  There was actually a 12 year old who was in the lower league races. Yes 12. Well, that may be Marigold some day. 

Both #51 cars were Franks, he came in 2nd, however he won the championship YAY!  Now, he had actually started 8th in line up... which don't ask me to explain I don't get it.  I did figure out that a yellow flag is the caution flag so everyone had to slow down, the green flag rolled up meant one more round, the green flag unfurled meant go as fast as you can. The white flag meant one more round and the black/white check flag means  FINISHED!

We didn't get home til midnight and I think my head is still pounding!!!  Marigold is still sleeping!