Track Day Norther /or/ Spewey Does Ballast

[spewey at comcast.net (Spewey)]

Yesterday while you guys were defending your manhood against a pink 
Cabrio with Da Teddy Bears wheels down in Chi-town, I had the great 
honor of being a guest of a noble giant in the Scirocco and MN SCCA 
worlds, Mr. Neal "nocones" Tovsen (or N-Tov as they call him in the 
sports pages) at a Test'n'Tune event here at 44.7? North latitude.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&ll=44.734266,-93.074863&spn=0.00471,0.011619&t=k&z=17&om=0
Go Vikings!

The wife-lady and I arrived late, around noon, after the drizzle let up.
We here have been having a hot, dry summer.  Lots of days over 90? and 
the only rain coming all at once washing straight off our brown lawns so 
it was nice to know this weekend promised a strong steady soaking.  What 
we woke up to was not good.  A big patch about 100 mi S of here had 
gotten nearly a foot overnight breaking state records and washing out 
roads and bridges killing six.  [cue dramatic tv news anchors]

In town it was not so bad except it prevented Neal from loading up the 
twin-screw 77 on the trailer the day before since it was a practice 
event.  We would have to tolerate riding in a BMW.  Too bad because the 
Scirocco is good in the rain: his fadder was a mudder.

We got there, found the car but no Neal or Katie.  We stood around a few 
minutes then found him in the porta-biffy.  Someone had replaced the 
evaporating hand sanitizer with proper soap so he needed a rinse off our 
water bottle before grabbing the wheel.

Away we go, wifey's biker helmet was barely legal so she got to go first 
while I went to the tupperware tub with guest spares.  They had two 
tracks and Neal took her on both.  She was thrilled, better than a 
balloon ride over southern France.  "How do you know these people??" 
Scirocco.org, my love.  The single bestest thing that has ever happened 
to me since I joined.

She got done and I got to go on both.  Whee!  Neal knows everyone and 
said I could get a lift in a bunch of other cars too but I went down to 
the infield by the lower slalom.  The wife (an ex-pro photog) brought 
her film camera, much disused in this era, in case we had down time.  I 
found some older newbies (oops, o-word) manning the slalom cones and 
getting winded so I took over the middle three.  That's fun too.  Even 
if you don't race, I'd encourage everyone to find myautoevent.com near 
you.  They always need help and you get to see cool shit close up.

This turned out to be a mistake since the rain returned by about 1:30 
and I had to run back to the pit to get my poncho.  Out of a locked car. 
With the umbrella inside.  Luckily I found an umbrella near by and went 
out to find my people.  As I get close, thunder cracks and a joker 
laughs at me.  Back to the car, the rain lets up and I get keys and 
poncho.  Unfortunately by the time I got kitted out, the bearded man in 
the sky let go with a vengeance.

A giant bolt hit what I think was one of the light poles on site and 
sent everyone scurrying.  We hid in the TDI and waited for Neal but he 
was doing some official business at a tent.  We tried to beep and wave 
goodbye but his car was all steamy and he didn't see us.  Simplest thing 
was to drive off and thank him later.  So thanks a million, that was fun.



Where there's a music shall be comin' out of every car
There is a silence all over downtown
Where community celebrations shall be aroused
I walk the sterile gardens, life is on pause

No can do this!
No can do that!
What da hell can you do, my friend?
In this place that you call your town

I guess you can't expect much from the hometown
Well I don't know if you can even call it your own
When they don't want you to get near excitement
And in protest to that you just stay home
No can do this!
No can do that!
...

On intersection of all dimensions
where I was stoppin' by just for a drink
I meet a brother from tribal connection
and together we began to sing

Were gonna turn frustration into inspiration
Whatever demons are there we gonna set them free
Such is the method of tribal connection
Of our fun loving restless breed

I wanna walk this Earth like it is mine
And so is everyone in our fun lovin' tribe
C'mon, man, is that real so much to ask
 From all these goddamn nazi fuedals

But I'm gonna take it to community
Cause I want everyone to see
There never was any conspiracy
And we are all here simply to sing:
No can do this!
No can do that!

Where there's a music should be comin' out of every car
There is a silence all over downtown
Only intersection semi-alive
Outskirts are sedated, me gone...

-Gogol Bordello, Tribal Connection