Welcome Race Fans!

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This weekend is the first race of the 2024 IndyCar season, and to quote my racing compadre TK, "I love the smell of methanol in the morning..."

I am an avid motor-racing fan, specifically "open wheel" series such as IndyCars and Formula One (F1). To clarify, "open wheel" refers to cars that do not have fenders (or a roof for that matter) like traditional road cars. While I follow both series, I am most passionate about IndyCars.
Example of an IndyCar

I could write a VERY long post comparing IndyCars & F1, the nuances of racing, my favorite drivers, tracks, etc., and bore most of you to death (although if anyone reading this is a hard-core race fan and wants to "geek-out", hit me up in the comments).

Instead, I want to write about how I got into this and why I love it so much. However, I should first address the two biggest ironies in all this: 1) I know nothing about working on cars 2) I drive slow like an old man. Now that we have gotten those out of the way let's get back to how this all started.

In 1996 my Uncle Jay invited me down to Laguna Seca Raceway (Monterey, CA) to camp out with his buddies and watch the IndyCar race. These guys were in their 50's at the time, so I was expecting a fairly tame weekend with the old timers. Well, it was a BLAST. They had all been going to the races for 30+ years and knew how to do it right, including having a working hot tub at the campsite!

Sweet 70's pic of Uncle Jay
Add the noise and excitement of cars on the track to the fun off the track, and I was hooked. I have been following racing ever since. Over the years I have become enamored by the driving skill, teamwork, and strategy involved in this sport. I struggle to change a tire myself, so I can appreciate it when the pit crews change four of them in about 8 seconds.

I will be back at Laguna Seca again this year, some 28 years after my first race. And while my uncle is gone, his memory lives on whenever I hear the command to "start your engines". Now if I could just figure out how to set up that hot tub...


  




  




Comments

  1. DKMarch 8, 2024 at 11:33 AM

    Awesome that an invitation 28 years ago from a much loved Uncle Jay led to an enduring passion for this sport. I’m sure he is “at every turn” with you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jay FarrellMarch 8, 2024 at 3:29 PM

      Thanks DK!

      Delete
    2. Lori DonaldsonMarch 8, 2024 at 6:45 PM

      Nice reading! What an exciting blog. My heart is pounding. I can hear and feel the sounds of the engines roaring past me all over again. Such a beautiful tribute to my dad. I know how close you two were and so happy you had something to share together. I thoroughly enjoyed the times I went with my dad(Uncle Jay). I’m glad you and TK carry on this tradition. He is certainly there with you laughing the whole time.

      Delete
    3. Jay Farrell (author)March 8, 2024 at 9:37 PM

      Thanks Lori! I can see him now with that big bag of candy, haha.

      Delete
  2. ohn FeeneyMarch 18, 2024 at 11:12 AM

    Jay! As someone who grew up in Brazil, I know who your favorite driver is...! I once went to another type of race, NASCAR, dragged by 7 yr. old and his father for a birthday... and mister pre-conceived-notion Judgy McJudgy over here actually LOVED IT-- especially the caravan of devoted followers of the circuit. It was like a traveling family, and they welcomed any newcomer to the event, replete with mounds of BBQ and laughter and, well, hot tubs behind the RVs. Thank you for a great read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jay FarrellMarch 20, 2024 at 1:07 PM

      Thanks John, perhaps there is hope yet of converting you to a full-fledged race fan!

      Delete

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