Race Day At The Rock!

Got in bed last night right at midnight. I was reaching for the lightswitch just as all the neighborhood fireworks (and maybe a gunshot or two) were going off.

Woke up at 3:37 because I had to pee – damn those beers at the party – and never could go back to sleep. Finally got up around 5:30 to start the day.

Foy pulled up out front about ten minutes to 7. Long day ahead of us. Today is the inaugural running of the Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway and yes, we're just crazy enough to sit outside for six or seven hours in the cold to watch loud cars go around in circles.

The high for today was forecast to be 42 degrees, so I got totally layered up – two pairs of running tights, topped with artic pants. Up top, 2 base layers, topped with an artic shirt and a jacket. Hat and gloves as well.

Due to the pounding sunshine, by 2:45, I had peeled down to a t-shirt up top. Had to take off the hat, gloves and jacket long before then.

The race was a blast. There were 61 cars at the start, and 31 running at the end. In between, lots of wrecks and downtime as the safety crews cleared the track of debris from the wrecks. Although it was only a 150-lap event and had started just past 1pm, it didn't finish until about a quarter after 5, just after the sun went beyond the horizon. The Rockingham track doesn't have lighting for night-racing, so they wouldn't have been able to race much longer.

After driving back to Raleigh, we hit a couple of our favorite spots near my house for a frosty cold beverage. Foy's wife Terry joined us at High Park Grill at some point. After that, my memory's a bit murky…