Past Thansksgiving but before Christmas.
Thank you to my Dad for reading the ad in the old St. Louis Post Dispatch ,weekend, color magazine. The ad was a full page DuQuoin State Fair program and at the bottom of the page was a picture of the Champ Cars going into turn one.
Dad packed us up and made the ninety minute ( as advertised ) trip down South to the Fairgrounds.
Tickets to the top row of the turn one bleachers. Strange black tarp, within reach, to shade the fans.
Once they rolled out the big beautiful, open wheeled racers, rounded corners, big fat tail tanks, and generous open cockpits that allow view of the drivers, it was a done deal with me.
No other race car style has ever come close to that image introduced to me as a young race fan.
Thanks to POWRi for the indoor version at this time of year. It gave me a chance to walk over to the Fairgrounds. This place holds some sort of magic for me. The main grandstand is a daunting as when I was a kid. Through the gates passed some of the most loyal race fans in the sport.
The front pit gate was the path in for some tremendous cars and stars. Some variety of four footed race fan had left it's tracks and trail from the pit lane, across the track to the gate and down the center of the main straight. No doubt it heard the noise at the indoor drack and was headed that way.
Thanks to all of the POWRi officials , fighting off the cold breeze into the building, staging the cars, and quickly getting every racers off and the new line up on the track.
Thanks to the drivers and fans, all looking to learn the best way to figure out the short dirt drack.
Never think that participating in a race is a day of for anyone. Just ask the Knepper crew on the #25 as the worked, outside, to return the car to race condition.
Yesterday is the kind of experience that makes me happy to be a race fan.
Leaving the track, driving through the downtown DuQuoin district that was decorated for the holidays, was an appropriate closer .
I am fortunate to be a race fan and to be surrounded by family that tolerate the non stick-and -ball member of the family . Maybe thats why I am thankful when I pull into the garage next to an open wheel racer with rounded corners, big fat tail tank, and generous open cockpit.
See you at the track.

Great post

Great post!
Best Regards,
John

Sorry my fault.
I apologize to the Knepper Family.
Of course the family car is the yellow #55.

But it was still cold, outside on the concrete, for the crew.

And I think the tarp over the bleachers could have been green instead of black.

See you at the track