A Room To Write: Writing and Racing--Nitromethane is My Muse

Drag racing is my guilty obsession. I love the smell of nitro. I love the rumble in my chest when Funny cars and Top Fuel dragsters go whizzing by, and I LOVE LOVE that a fan can get up close to their favorite NHRA celebrity.

You may have noticed that I haven't been around this past week. It wasn't because I was deep in novel revisions. It wasn't because I was ill. This past week was filled with racing events!

While some of you may think I was slacking off and just enjoying myself, I happen to think of the whole experience as fodder for the future. You never know, I just may get lucky and land a job with National Dragster or Drag Illustrated. I would have no problem traveling around the country and following the NHRA circuit to do interviews. Yoohoo! Is anyone on their staff listening??

Thursday night, John and I were very lucky to have attended a meet-and-greet with Ron Capps. Mr. Capps is the man who drives the Napa Auto Parts Funny Car. You know him. Sure you do. He's one of the drivers who does those Na-na-na-Napa Know How commercials on TV. Here's a YouTube video to jog your memory:

Haha! Isn't he cute?

This is his Funny Car.

Me & Ron after the Q & A.

VIP tickets for Saturday's race at Englishtown's Raceway Park!

On Saturday, the temperatures were scorching! There wasn't a cloud in the sky and all the sun's rays concentrated on top of my head. BUT I did get a few good pics from the day.

Inside the tent--the only shady spot.

Ron Capps' Pit Crew firing up the engine

Tony Schumacher's Pit Crew

John talking to a couple of soldiers. I was hiding in the shade.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Sunday's weather wasn't as brutal. Yes, we had tickets for Sunday also...

Strolling down Nitro Alley, fans walk among rows of big rig trailers, sporting sponsor's graphics and high-tech equipment, as pit crews ready the top-fuel dragsters, funny cars, and pro-stock cars.

Spectators adjust their earplugs and cover their noses as crew members start up the 8-10,000-horsepower engines. A potent cloud of Nitro Methane hangs in the air. Some people choke and cough, tears streaming from their eyes, while other people breathe deeply, a smile on their face from ear to ear. Ah! The smell of nitro in the morning...