Remember yesterday’s post about our relaxed attitude toward learning and, oh, the Amazingly Wonderful Lowe’s Racecar Kit?
Well, today Ashar decided to build her racecar. She had a great time, hammering and assembling the whole thing, and when she finished, she saw the stickers and realized this was a particular car, the #48 Lowe’s-sponsored NASCAR car driven by Jimmie Johnson.
Well, THEN, Chris realized there was a race on. Right then. And Ashar, who never showed the slightest interest in the sport before, got to watch the last 30 laps or so, as Jimmie (as she affectionately calls him) came in fourth. She offered commentary the whole time, including gems like, “Lay on that gas pedal of yours, Jimmie!” and “Why isn’t he passing? Pass him! PASS HIM!”
This is actually a more comfortable TV-viewing position than she was in for most of the time. She was standing, bent forward at the waist, for about 20 minutes. Man, my back would never take that!
Afterward, we talked about the special fuel NASCAR cars use, how they work, why the track is slanted, how we can go to the dirt-track races locally and see smaller cars, how there’s a NASCAR track in Pennsylvania that Mom has been to…
And a NASCAR fan was born!
Louie would be proud. He has been a Nascar and sprint fan for years. In fact, he worked on the pit crew of a friend who owned an drove a sprint car before we began dating…in the dark ages. now he works with him and they build sprint car engines for local drivers.
I lived in PA for four years when I was a teenager. My Dad took us to see a NASCAR race. I was amazed at how loud it is!