nascar in fontucky

if you want a photo, scroll down and check out that b&w shot of Junior Johnson.
went to the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing event today. It was in Fontana, aka Fontucky, aka not anywhere you would stop unless you wanted to visit the race track out there. It was a good event, although some cars were having engine problems because CA mandated unleaded gas for the cars (they usually run on leaded gasoline). more observations and thoughts on today's racing deal:

• I got to watch the race from one of the luxury suites, directly above the pits. best seats in the house for sure. plus we parked in the infield. no peon parking for us, thanks very much.
  
• bonus#2: watching the race from the suite provided an excellent view of both pit row and gave me a place to retreat when it got too damn cold on the viewing terrace up above. also the tv coverage of the race is good, so you can watch replays on it there. grandstand viewing was a tough go. the weather sucked.
  
• bad weather kept the pit lizards way down this year. they were still present, but in reduced numbers.
  
• my favorite driver used to be jeff gordon. I don't know why so many fans hate his guts. well, partly I do. he changed manufacturers early in his career from Ford to Chevy. That's a no-no. then he won a lot of races. and he doesn't have an accent (he grew up in indiana). he's a hit with crossover sponsors, because he's handsome in a teenage boy sort of way. but i can see that mostly they hate him now because he's a jackass. to wit: we watched the drivers make their way out of the infield, onto the track. they walked past singly or with teammates, keeping a low profile. almost all wear a hat, glasses, or both. except for Prince Gordon. he walked through the tunnel with hair flowing, holding his pregnant wife's hand, cameras capturing every moment. it was a carefully orchestrated bit of douchebaggery. later, the crowd booed him soundly. ouch.
  
• question from my friend: What's going on with #8?
  senior executive: he's leaking something from the rear end.
  friend: you mean the car or the driver?
  senior exec: [hard look]
  friend: [expressionless] what?
  
• the prerace jet flyby never gets old.
  
• i find the muffled sound of race cars very soothing. i nodded off for a few minutes in the suite. limited sleep the previous several nights may have been a contributing factor.
  

that about covers it. took me 8 hours to do the whole thing. I forget who won the race. there were 120k other people there. ask them. Prince Gordon came in second.
Thanks for reading.

vegas and nascar (but not at the same time)

unusual Sunday night post. I'm feeling guilty about not going to church this weekend. And it was ash wednesday this week and everything. I am observing lent, though. so that's something.
busy weekend; vegas on friday, recovery saturday, nascar race in Fontucky on Sunday.

took me a few minutes to find a picture of my all time favorite nascar driver. Probably not anyone you've heard of, but Junior Johnson is the real deal. Says one website: A raid on the Johnson family house back in '48 resulted in the largest inland seizure of illegal whiskey in US history. Respect.

NASCAR was born out of that whiskey running, car-racing culture. It's come a long way, not all for the better.
observations from the events of the weekend, in rough chronological order.

• I can get everything i want to get done in vegas in 24 hours. more than that is too much. I want to come home after one day.
  
• gambling losses for my trip: $20
• club expenses for one night: 12x gambling losses (yikes!)
• Pure (nightclub in caesar's) is overrated. From the lines outside you would think they were handing out $100 bills in there. I got inside and it was like Goat Hill Tavern but with a dress code. If it's super exclusive, why is the dance floor full of ugly people? i understand you have to let us guys in, since we're spending the money. but the girls? If I'm paying a fortune for a bottle, then the bouncer should be selective about who he lets in. I am glad I went once, but I won't do it again.
  
• The pussycat dolls have parlayed some ass and good production into a specially branded casino and merchandise at caesar's, along with their own little revue at Pure. I thought it was odd, but it looked like a hit with the plebes.
  
• I tipped the bathroom attendant $5 and told him i was bringing back prom, circa 1992, do you have any eternity? so he sprayed me down. he got a bit carried away, but it was hilarious when i talked to people.
  
• a girl asked me if I would be her prom date. sure no problem. But when she tried to kiss me I said "there will be no frenching!" and poured myself another vodka/soda. frenching.
  
• some guy had one of the bowling lane suites at the hard rock. as in, there was a full size bowling alley lane in the room. it was definitely nicer than my room at the rio. a lot nicer. it came with a full bar and bartender, which i thought was a bit much. i think he was there to make sure you didn't shaq the bowling stuff.
  
• 14 vodka sodas + 1 water = 2 day hangover. taste it.
  

more later.