So soon it will be the weekend, and when it is, I'll be at Unity Raceway. And, Lord willing, there will be more cars in the pits for the Gary Mitchell Memorial than toes on my feet.Last time they went with an $800-to-win 75-lap open for the Super Streets, only 11 cars showed up. Of course, I'm willing to chalk that up to having been a holiday week. With no PASS Sportsman show around, there should be a few more of those cars willing to run on an off-night at every other track in the state of Maine.
Surely, when some people read this, they're going to wonder aloud why I'd be "wasting my time" by going over to Unity." A few will even call me to say, "They still race there?"
Hey, I know the place is struggling. I know the Nason family is working hard to make it a place people want to go and race (and watch races) again. And the whole process is baby steps -- it's better now than it was a year ago, no question.
But Unity Raceway and Oxford Plains Speedway are one in the same in my little childhood memory bank. Both of them scream 'sultry summer night.' The sunny haze over the backstretch at Unity, the bright green grass of the infield, the dust rooster-tailing into the sky as cars roll down the access road to the turn 4 banking.
It's like the sun setting at Oxford, or the lights coming on for the feature, or the cars moving out for Oxford 250 heat races.
It's what I remember, it's what feels comfortable.
1 comment:
Good for you, Travis. And sad for the people who live to rip and tear and cut down from a distance.
Our childhood experiences are the reason most of us in this multi-media racing business got into it, in the first place. For all the silliness that goes into it today, racing is still the sport we fell in love with as kids.
I hope it's a good show tomorrow night.
Kalle Oakes
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