Butler Motor Speedway, 07/17/10

Another beautiful night for racing!!! Hot, hot, HOT, but so much fun, I can still hardly contain myself. There was a slightly smaller field for the nights races, but nonetheless enjoyable. Eighteen cars duked it out on a seriously banked 3/8th mile track. The wind was blowing away from us, so unless you were very near the fence, the dirt wasn't bad. It's been very dry, so there wasn't much mud being thrown. And...Rand is still grinning from ear to ear.

Our two daughters and their families, plus good friends made it an especially "warm and fuzzy" night for Rand. I LOVE the whole tailgating part of it, so he takes care of the garage and I manage the kitchen.

In the feature event Rand got to experience a couple of "firsts", the first one was a serious "about-face" due to getting too high on the cushion. The second was what could have been another machine-wrecking accident. The 58 car got too far around while sliding between turns one and two. Rand was so close behind him that to avoid t-boning him jammed on the brakes, which also turned him sideways. Not for long, tho. He executed a full 360 and kept going. The track official, not having seen the entire incident, sent Rand off the track. MTS (Michigan Traditional Sprints) has a two spinout rule. Two spinouts and you're out. An apology afterwards for the incorrect call on the part of the official, made the sting a little less, but the night was a HUGE success. Rand's comfort in the car is showing with each race.

Randy and "grands", Tommy and Ally at Butler. 

Mike Berry, left, and Dave Ockerman are a huge help. They love pitting for Rand, and we love having them, but I'm nervous. (I think Dave's catching the "bug")