Saturday nights from March through September, I drive a dirt track car—a Bomber—the lowest of low class. This past weekend was our track’s banquet where the top ten drivers in each class were awarded trophies.
Have you ever attended an event and had that icky feeling you’re out of place? It starts in the pit of your stomach, then when you walk in conversation stops. Like you’re wearing a white dress and your panties show.
That’s the way I felt, again for the 5th year! Thanks to my super duper suck-it-all-in long line Lycra garment, I had no unsightly lines or cottage cheese bulges. My securest garment armor didn’t quell the inner doubt or the cold reception I got. So during the night that lasted for a week, I came up with some things I’ve learned from racing.
No matter how fast your car is, someone else is always faster. This relates to being richer and thinner.
Faster doesn’t always win the race OR the championship at the end of the season.
Don’t try to win the race on the first lap. Take time to learn the track. Patience is as much a virtue in racing as it is in life.
Any finish is a good finish. By showing up for every race except 1, I ended the 2008 the season in 4th in points without winning or even coming in the top 5.
Bombers are basic racers. Cars harvested from the weeds—You know you’ve seen those places! But if you have to hock your kids’ TV & game console to afford new gears, springs or whatever, is racing really what you should be doing?
If you have a newly painted car, you will get smashed the first night. As much as you want to go after the guy who hit you, it isn’t nice. {There’s always time for revenge later!}
Keep a good posse in the pits. I know how to wield a pretty mean tire iron! This has given me a lot of confidence outside of racing.
No matter how hard I try, not everyone is going to like me. I’m not sure how many red-neck racing codes I’ve broken by being the only woman, and old at that!
Everyone cheats. Deal with it. It’s how you don’t get caught. A $3000 motor—Are you kidding me? Shouldn’t you pay your utility bills first?
Life and racing are not fair. Sometimes the breaks go your way, and sometimes the brakes fail. Hang on and make the ride as fun as possible.
You cannot make your house payment by winning the Bomber feature. Don’t drive like a maniac for a measly $150.
NASCAR doesn’t draft from the Bomber class, not in Greenville, TX. It just ain’t gonna happen no matter how big or great you think you are.
Never take your helmet off if there’s going to be a fight. No explanation necessary.
It’s not true that you only need to know how to turn left to drive a race car.
Friends come into your life when you least expect them. DH & I have made some lifelong ones thanks to racing. Who’d have thought when DH knocked her husband into the wall during a race that BF C & I would become so close. And that our DHs would be friends! To friend C, congrats to you and your son, the JR Mini Track Champ. Thanks, Zac, for letting me borrow your jacket! You’re awesome.
Racing is still a passion but when it ceases to be fun, it ceases to be.
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- My 4th place trophy
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- Yeah, I won this!
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- My race car
Smart Women 
You brought back some major memories, Meg! EVERYTHING you said was absolutely true. Even though I didn’t race, I lived and breathed it with my FIL, hubby and son. 17 years ago when I got together with my hubby, his dad & he were racing, then along came my son who started at 4 and we didn’t stop till about 2 years ago.
I joke, on occasion, that racing is like taking drugs, if you want to quit, you have to quit cold turkey and sell EVERY RACE PART YOU OWN! Otherwise, when you realize you still have a racing rear end gear, all you think is…”Oh, I only need a race car and I could be racing!” (Yes, this has happened in my house.)
But even though it was our passion, it ceased to be fun. The first time on the way to track we felt like we were going to be sick…that was the last time we went.
Thanks for the memories, Meg!
Ash
Yep, that’s how we’re going to do. Sell every part, every rusted car body, seat belts & firesuits! I was hoping you’d enjoy whining-uh, blog. 🙂
Meg – I love this. All we do in life is a lesson for us to learn. I believe we have to take away lessons from all the good, and bad, things that happen to us along our journey. I love the “All I Need To Know in Life, I Learned From…” columns. I have one framed on my bookshelf that says everything I’ve learned from computers.
I have been to so many social occasions where I walked in and immediately felt that way… being Darling Bert’s arm candy is not a job for the faint of heart! Sometimes, I imagine that my job is to “work the room” and I start at one table and introduce myself to everyone there, chat them up for a minute and move on. It turns dreadful social occasions into somewhat more tolerable interactions, just by taking control! I’m so proud of you! 4th Place Rocks!! spw
Thanks, Sandee! I was amazed at 4th, too. 🙂
Great words… thank you!
WOOHOO, MEG!! 4th PLACE. You even bettered your placement from prior years. I’m so proud of you I could pop my buttons. {For those of you who don’t know how I’m built, that’s really hard to do. HA}
I admire you for following your passions; whether it’s racing, scuba diving, belly dancing, {herding bulls} or whatever. You attack life full throttle. So whatever your next endeavor may be, I know you’ll succeed admirably. And we’ll be here cheering you on.
P.S. Those are really good pictures of you.
Thank you, Kim W. I give a shout out as I zoom through Fate.
Thank you, Linda. You’ve been such a great supporter of mine for as long as I”ve raced. Who knows what I’ll attempt next. I can tell you it won’t be bunge jumping or sky diving. {{{shudder}}}}
Congratulations on 4th place, Meg. You gave me a glimpse into a world entirely different from what I am used to. I really enjoyed your post just like I enjoyed your post about working cows. You have many facets to your life.
Claude Mary
Congrats on the 4th place, Meg. It’s waaaay better than anything I could do as a racer. Even if I raced! But your blog has many words to live by…especially the one about a great pit crew. I like to think of you guys as my pit crew.
Thank you, CM! You are just as amazing.
Thanks, Jackie, but knowing you, you’d have gotten track chamption! And you’re right about a good pit crew, both in racing and in writing. I”m so thankful to have y’all as mine. I know I couldn’t have gotten this far without the love and support given by y’all.
Never take your helmet off if there’s going to be a fight.
I love that one, Meg. Too true in many aspects of life. 🙂