The Busch race on Saturday was a night race, but we had Turn 4 Club hospitality tickets, which meant we had a tent to relax under, and free pit tours to take. So we headed out early to get good parking near the gate, and were quite successful, as several trips to the car during the day to drop things off became necessary. The gals searching bags became quite familiar with us!
Most of the day was cloudy Saturday, which made for ideal race-going conditions…it wasn’t until the sun came out later that we felt the heat.
Our first pit tour was just 3 of us early comers, so he took us down during a practice, and showed us all sorts of things. It was hard to hear him with cars on the tracks, but I thought he was pretty thorough…as he took us by the 60 pit stall, I scanned the group for any sign of red hair, but none was to be found. If PK was there, he was under wraps, or in hiding.
Most of the day was cloudy Saturday, which made for ideal race-going conditions…it wasn’t until the sun came out later that we felt the heat.
Our first pit tour was just 3 of us early comers, so he took us down during a practice, and showed us all sorts of things. It was hard to hear him with cars on the tracks, but I thought he was pretty thorough…as he took us by the 60 pit stall, I scanned the group for any sign of red hair, but none was to be found. If PK was there, he was under wraps, or in hiding.
Later in the afternoon, when practice was done and qualifying had started, I took my second tour. This one was much shorter, BUT the guide took us right in beside the 60 pit stall to the wall at the edge of pit lane…I looked around, but still couldn’t find PK, so I wished the 60 guys a good race (I was wearing my Edhead t-shirt, so they knew it was a message from the fans) as the tour guide lead us back out into the garage area.
As I turned around who should I run into but PK, hat firmly in place. I smiled and told him to have a good race, too, then said “I see you are ‘under cover’!” pointing at his hat….He laughed, and continued on his way about his business…so I called after him “We’re waiting!!” and he turned and grinned at me again as he headed off across the garage…one of those grins with a twinkle in the eye. He knew EXACTLY what I was talking about. Apparently, right up until race time that hat stayed in place, not even the crew saw the new dye-job.
As I turned around who should I run into but PK, hat firmly in place. I smiled and told him to have a good race, too, then said “I see you are ‘under cover’!” pointing at his hat….He laughed, and continued on his way about his business…so I called after him “We’re waiting!!” and he turned and grinned at me again as he headed off across the garage…one of those grins with a twinkle in the eye. He knew EXACTLY what I was talking about. Apparently, right up until race time that hat stayed in place, not even the crew saw the new dye-job.
After a good dinner in the Turn 4 Club tent, we headed up to our seats and hung out with our neighbors, a rowdy but fun group who kept plying us with shrimp cocktail and veggies and dip. It was a lot of fun, and before long we were seeing the drivers come around the track on their trucks during driver intros.
After an AWESOME military helicopter flyover where he buzzed the crowd, we settled in to enjoy the race, scanners firmly in place.
After an AWESOME military helicopter flyover where he buzzed the crowd, we settled in to enjoy the race, scanners firmly in place.
For the first time I really enjoyed a Busch race at IRP. It might just be that for the first time in the last 3 years Carl didn’t get wrecked, and was up front, contending for the win, and he and Greg Biffle put on an awesome 10-lap side-by-side display of racing prowess towards the end that had the crowd on its feet cheering, whether they liked these 2 drivers or not.
It might be witnessing Toyota’s first win in the Busch series with Jason Leffler at the helm. It might have been meeting up with 2 Diehard Edheads prior to the race that I hadn’t met yet, a lovely couple that I had chatted with on the boards, but did not know would be at the races this weekend, only discovered on seeing a man wearing the same shirt as me (Edheads 2007!) walking towards me in the crowd. Whatever, it was a fabulous day.
One entertaining race day with no major incidents down, one to go.
One entertaining race day with no major incidents down, one to go.
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