Knoxville Sprint Car Nationals

 

Everyone but Dad experienced their first Knoxville Sprint Car Nationals last Saturday. Dad got free tickets through work, which included free dinner, so we decided to take the kids. It doesn't hurt as much to have to leave early if they get tired when the tickets are free :) So all of us headed out Saturday night after a fairly full day of riding four wheelers with friends. 

 

Here Superboy got to sit in the car of the racer who races for the people who gave us the tickets, Factory Motor Parts. He and Pony Gal both thought it was pretty cool to sit in a real sprint car.

 

Pit stop for a phone call. Honestly, with the crowd, it was nice to slip aside for a moment to regroup.

 

Des Moines River bottoms mud. Apparently, my husband tells me, this is why Knoxville is the sprint car capital of the world. This mud is prime for racing on. It looks for prime for gardening in, too :)

 

Our personal sponsor for the night. 

 

The view from my back. Lovely G did rather well, especially from her perch from my back.

 

Before everyone else started seating. Usually things are pretty flexible as to where you can sit, but with the Nationals every seat is called for. Ours weren't too bad, though turn 2 was impossible to see since we were so far to the West.

 

Since the last time we were here they have improved on their push vehicles. Usually a slightly souped up golf cart, they are now seriously souped up, with high end tool boxes integrated into the back and means to haul a lot of gear onto the track rather than taking out larger haul vehicles.

 

Pumper trucks wet the track to prep it for the races. A lot of rounds with a lot of water.

 

Chocolate frosty malts for everyone. It was a gorgeous night for racing, not too hot, just slightly cool. I brought some footed pajamas for Lovely G to change into, and the rest of us had sweatshirts.

 

Here the old pickup truck brigade comes out to pack the mud down and prep the track for the actual races. Whether this is work or fun for the guys in the trucks is debatable :)

 

This was nearing when we left. Someone was getting a little antsy. Not bored with the races, but with sitting still amongst so many people and in close quarters. 

 

As you can see, the place filled up, as did the seats on the far side of the track. It's a big deal!

 

Made some friends...

 

The sky was beautiful, as you can see. Seriously, no better night for going to the races.

 

One last shot before we packed up and headed home, just before the C Main. There are four groups of races, the D being the lower rated cars, the A the highest. They work backwards, so we didn't get to see the car we were rooting for race, but we know he placed well. Superboy did get the racer, Brian Brown, to sign the hat he was wearing before we left, too.