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Oh, Lord!

I'm not into spectator sports of any kind. If I can, I'll be a participant at some bottom level of proficiency, but I never watch sports on TV or go to a game.

And due to spousal unit limitations, I only get a so much opportunity to get on track. So I was completely unaware of what was happening at Lime Rock this weekend. I'm supposed to be swatting black flies in the deep back wilderness of the Adirondacks.

So I receive an email a few days ago from a trackside friend who had entered the races but whose car was busted. Did I know of any MGA race cars that might be available. Well, one thing leads to another and I ask if he remembered a barn from which he pulled an old engine years ago. I said he should look through the crack the door of my barn on and that if my car goes missing for a few parade laps, I won't be any the wiser. Of course, it will be a "barn find" and the car needs some prep.

Then I find out that he'll be driving a big motor home - bigger than my house! - and since the barn is 12 feet off a major road, there is no way he could ever pull the car out. So I go get the car, bring it to my house and spend two nights after work until midnight getting it more or less ready to race. My friend picks it up yesterday afternoon and heads off to the track - the car tilted up on the trailer at a 35% angle because his hitch is so high.

This morning I receive an email from Lime Rock offering me tickets for the weekend event. Turns out this is a big Trans Am Race weekend. This is a major league event, not the bush league I'm used too. The races will probably be televised on national TV - maybe internationally. Last year I was visiting and the Pirelli Tire Challenge cars were all there. Every rig was a big money affair, with professional pit crews, cars up on lifts, tire changing machines and the whole nine yards. This is going to be the same thing!

I guess the vintage cars are supposed to fill up the time for the spectators between the Trans Am Racing.

Oh, my car and my home made, rusty trailer will be such an embarrassment - so puny and inconsequential when compared to the likes of the Trans Am cars. Godzilla, King of the Monsters is supposed to be there racing. My car doesn't even have a name!

On the plus side, Dave Nicholas, will be driving my car. He is one fast dude. And I'm interested is learning what he might be able to wring out of my car - assuming he can get it through tech. Of course, once they see the rig, he may have to park in the outfield.

And of course, I hope that the car comes back alive. I feel like a nervous parent whose daughter is going out on a date.