Craftsman Truck and Indy Car races at Kansas Speedway, 2009

2009 KANSAS TRUCK & INDY RACES
Last things first - this weekend was a washout! For one thing, they didn't run the ARCA races on this weekend, the ARCA race will be on the Friday during the Kansas Nationwide and Cup race weekend... bummer. Friday was nice weather - it quickly fell apart by Saturday afternoon. The weather forecast had not been that great, we were under the gun for heavy thunderstorms. I guess Mother Nature can't be put off, even by the TV programmers, who have scheduled Kansas Speedway Truck races to start at 5 p.m. - prime time tornado weather! And - we have no lights! The Driver introductions were rushed through, and the green flag dropped 20 minutes sooner than expected. The race was suspended due to severe weather after 52 of the scheduled 167 laps. Mike Skinner held the lead on a restart brought out by the second caution involving Ricky Carmichael when a light rain began. After one caution for precipitation, it didn't take long for the rain to pelt the track and as the fans headed for cover amid accompanying thunder and flashes of lightning, NASCAR red-flagged the race. About 30 minutes after the race was called, tornado sirens went off at the track and a local TV station showed a twister on the ground to the southwest. Rusty & Tina had left at the first sprinkles, headed back to Oklahoma - wasn't too long till we got the scary text, they had just driven through a tornado! By this time the rest of us were huddled under the bleachers. I don't mind telling you, folks, I haven't been that terrified too many times in my life, and don't care to repeat it, race or no race! We did a bumper sticker once that said "If you're skeered, say your skeered". Well, I was! That's what happens to me when the barometer is dropping as fast as Jr.' chances of making the Chase - I'm skeered!

It takes a mighty big man to sit in a chair this small... Funny story: James and NASCarla were shopping at Walmart when they spotted a chair sale! James picked out a dark blue folding chair for himself, and NASCarla chose the cheaper greenish/gray folding chair. Left the chairs snug in the bag until the first race, which was the 2008 Kansas Cup race, where NASCarla proudly pulled her "cheap seat" out of it's case... Lesson learned, you really do get what you pay for! But hey - it's got cup holders! (tippy cups...)

It's always fun watching the race fans watch the race! We got to do a lot of that on this day, and as it turns out, the whole weekend... None of our group made it to the Indy races on Sunday, or to the truck race on Monday. Just hated wasting the tickets like that, but there ain't no placating a twister! Monday's Truck race was finally called because of rain, the Indy race was completed, and we were able to watch it in the comfort of our homes. Bummer to miss all that tailgating, but I think our nerves were pretty much gone by the time we got home Saturday evening, check out the picture below - that's why!