Idle Ramblings of a Slightly Mad Man

It was the culmination of a perfect evening.  The day was spent in the hot sun, yet there was a gentle breeze blowing that kept a body cool.  It was Race Day in Richmond Virginia. 

The NASCAR Nextel Cup event was just a few hours away and my wife and I easily made our way to the track.  After parking the car very close to the track in Lot H, we walked over to the track where we enjoyed walking through the many event tents, merchandise trailers and event activities.  As I said, it was a hot day made cooler by the slightest breeze. 

While walking around outside the track it is commonplace to get beeped at by golf carts carrying track staff, merchandise suppliers and the handicapped.  As we were walking through I could hear a cart beeping at the crowd to let them through.  It was then I saw that the driver was Robby Gordon.  Robby has a nickname on the track as “Reckless Robby” since he has a reputation for wrecking others on the track just to gain a position.  After nearly getting run over my Robby I almost called my Brother-in-law to tell him that I nearly got run over by Robby.  But then how is that news?  Almost everyone gets run over by Robby. 

 I was disappointed by the flyover.  For those that don’t know, after the nation anthem is sung there is usually an aerial flyover by military planes or helicopters.  This race had a single C-4 bomber that came in from behind turns 1 and 2 and then banked over the backstretch and away from the track.  It did not even fly the entire way across the track.  What a ripoff. 

Once the race was started I forgot about my flyover disappointment.  The evening was great in that it was cool, there was a lot of action and excitement and my wife was enjoying herself.  This is important because several races I have taken her too have been bad for her.  At Dover it is usually too hot for her to sit all day, at Bristol it snowed and we froze out butts off, at Pocono it was cool and it had rained in the morning, but Richmond was perfect.  It was so great that she even suggested we buy season tickets for the race.  Of course I have to lose my season tickets for my Dover Fall Race.  I think that will be an acceptable compromise. 

The weekend is not complete without some playful teasing of my wife.  As you drive down the 95 towards Richmond you cross 2 rivers, the Ni and the Po.  My wife thought this to be really weird that they were such short names.  I told her that Virginia was a poor state and that they could not afford all the letters to make up the signs.  I said that since the river is really the “nickle” river the state lawmakers thought it would be cheaper to us the abbreviation used on the periodic table for nickle - Ni.  We then passed over the Po river and she asked me what element that was and I replied that the element was Polonium but that is not what the River is named after.  I told her that it was really the “Poor” river but when they made the sign the guy couldn’t understand the southern accent and thought they said “Po” river so he made all the signs Po.  But, since Virginia is a “po” state, they could not afford to change the signs.  My wife is now seriously wanting to send the state of Va money to help fix their signs because she believes me.  I don’t have the heart to tell her I was messing with her. 

Even though my driver did not win, it was a great weekend.  I am looking forward to Dover in two weeks.