A Racer's Exploits
The following was written by my father for my 40th birthday. The photo below was drawn by my Uncle also for my 40th. As a way of saying thanks to both of them, I'd like to share it with you all. As many of you know, it really did happen to me last year.
Now listen my children and you shall hear of a racer's exploits who had no fear.
The news traveled fast about this little known saga at a recent event by a driver named Galaba.
It happened one weekend at the Putnam track as Scott's little "M" car was tearing down the back.
The first sign of trouble was a rear wobbling wheel and then lots of noise and the sound of a squeal.
And shaking and shuttering the drive really got worse but Scott kept his cool and didn't even curse!
He said to himself as he spun around and around I'll head for the infield where there's lots of soft ground.
So off of the track the racer did go as it started to decelerate and go very slow.
When he came to a halt and stared all around he noticed the rear wheel was lying on the ground.
He thought and he thought as he wondered to himself could I have left a few wheel bolts just sitting on the shelf?
But what actually happened he soon did discover was that the wheel bolts did shear so he couldn't recover.
So into the garage his "M" car was taken for he seemed not to worry though even quite shaken.
So ready he got for race number two and said to the pack, "I'll pass lots of you".
The results of the first race he ended up last but in the second he'd recover by going real fast.
At the start of the race he was in back of the pack only because those wheel bolts had fallen out on the track.
But he had a good race with the finish in sight when the motor did cough and it gave him a fright.
The racer did slow as others did pass and he knew right away he must be out of gas.
Then he jumped from his car and ran to the back and he pushed and he pushed the car down the track.
And as he pushed across the line he heard the crowd chatter "Fill up the next time because it really does matter".
And we heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight "I'll return another day but for now just a good night".
by Dan Galaba, 03-09-01