<VV> Friends with "benefits"

[levair at aol.com]

Appeared in the Communique; thought the rest of you  might relate to 
it.  Warren
 
 
       Friends With Benefits
Benefits in this old guy's case would be Race Cars. It's
easy after all of these years to connect friends with their cars.  The 
ones
without tons of money that can't afford the latest version of some
stock car either keep and modify their cars or take on long term
projects to build their favorite car.
    Lots of times a person will take their stock Mustang , Camaro,
sports cars, econobox , sport sedan, or grocery getter  and refine it
for 30 years into an SP, Prepared,  or Modified car. Sometimes they
will keep a car near to it's original condition and only modify it to
keep up to the inevitable class changes.  Now we are experiencing
people coming back to their original personality cars after years of
being away. Some even come back to the sport after years of raising
children or pursuing careers.
     When I go to an autocross event, the first nice thing that happens
is witnessing the big smile at the gate by the wrist band/ waiver
person.  This is the beginning of a great day.  This is especially true
if visiting an out of town event (almost all out of town for me).  The
next thing is searching through the paddock for familiar cars and the
faces that go with them; or vice versa. I especially look for the
groups of the prepared and modified car with whom I have a lot in
common.  At four or more events this summer, some of the groups of cars
were  even Corvair based.
     Going through tech inspection is also a good time to visit and
sneak a peak of your competitor's and /or friend's car acquisitions or
improvements.  If I'm lucky enough to work safety, I get to visit even
more.
    When the event is going along smoothly, it's time to notice the
persons without current cars who just come to visit their friends with
benefits. Sometimes you can recognize them by their voices alone. There
is a lot of catching up to do about their lives, careers, car projects,
children, grand children,  and  great grandchildren.  On the track we
often recognize the voice of their racecars.
    I can hardy wait for hugs from the babes that come to race or to
watch their mates race.
    Often the event is essentially a picnic in the motor sports park.
Many times we stop in gangs at a favorite restaurant and hang out
afterward.
    When in the grid, getting ready to run, there is always conversation
with persons new to you who are gridded nearby and rarely about cars.
Sometimes we nearly forget to get into our cars and race until
repeatedly reminded by officials.  If we are lucky, we get to offer
rides and receive rides with new and old friends. I will never be
without a passenger seat unless I go back to my single-seater BM car;
after all, the car is always faster with a babe beside you.   Lots of
times we are lucky enough to have extra runs to trade rides in greatly
dissimilar cars.
     I haven't mentioned winning because it is far down on the list. I
like it when the wins are never certain and remain nail biters to the
very end. It's OK to feel good about a close friend beating you or just
that he has made a significant improvement.  The race car is just the
ticket to the dance; you don't always get to be King or Queen of the
prom.
     At this age you get to observe former/current competitor's children
and grandchildren driving. At one of the event this year I got to take
all of my grandchildren for rides. They each took credit for each run's
improvement.     Some of my grandchildren are racing now.
     All of the above is even more obvious at regional and national
events where you may not have seen your extended family for a while. I
intend to go to the SCCA Nationals and Corvair Nationals soon just to
see all of my old friends; it's on my bucket list.

Warren