Reeeeeeeeerooooooooo

That's the sound the cars make at one of my favorite places in the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Back when I was a kid, my parents used to take us out of school for "family business," which meant we were going to the track for practice day. I still remember seeing racers drive by on the streets outside the track or on golf carts as we parked in the infield. Going to the track for practice is by far one of the best memories of my childhood.

So that brings me to May 28, 2006. My family was finally all together to watch the race, on TV, of course. I have to admit that Dan Wheldon's 100 miles of leading the pack did get quite boring, but the finish almost made me pee my pants. I'm not joking. Word to the wise--If the cars are pitting, you need to make a pit stop, too.

Sunday was a big day for me anyway. I had spoken in front of about 100 or so people. That didn't make me nervous. What made my hands shake uncontrollably was the finish and whether Marco Andretti would hold onto the lead and win. My mom and I were jumping up and down, fists raised in the air, yelling as though Marco could hear us. Marco ended up getting beat by a fraction of a second by Sam Hornish, Jr., who I also root for. (BTW--Sam Hornish, Jr. looks like the lost twin of Christian rocker Jeremy Camp.) Regardless, it was great to hear the sound of cars whizzing by at 215+ miles an hour, and the sound of my family members cheering for their favorite drivers.