NASCAR

     We experienced an new piece of American culture a week ago. Tom won four tickets to the NASCAR truck race at Phoenix International Raceway. I only with that these pictures could include the sound and the smell of racing.  It is loud, as in take out the hearing aides and put in earplugs loud and the smell is pure toxic exhaust that you can see in a haze floating up from the track. We were in the 35th row but still experienced the full "glory" of it all.
 It was fun and there were two spectacular crashes and a few blown up engines but no one got hurt.
       Quite a few of the fans were dressed in NASCAR gear with their jackets and hats covered with sponsor logos and their favorite driver's numbers. We ate tasty foot long hot dogs and visited with a lot of the people around us who are frequent attenders at the races.  Some fan's had brought their RVs and had camped together all week before the big races even started. I guess that is part of following the major races just like the football tail gaiters. Some of these fans follow their favorite drivers from race to race all over the country.
     I'm glad I went and I really enjoyed it, but I'm going to stick with horses instead of horse power. If I had the money to follow a sport, it would be to follow the cowboys racking up points at the major rodeos and heading for the National Finals. Spending a rodeo week there in my RV with my barn girl friends and some fine Pendelton evenings would be the best. Yep, you gals would all be invited.