A little bit Redneck

I am feeling a little bit redneck, because last year I went to the Crash up Derby at our local County fair and I had a blast. I went as a little kid but didn't remember how much fun it was. Crammed into the stands with hundreds of others, sticky from heat, dirt, pop and Fair food, we cheered and roared as the cars smashed into each other until the very end. We watched as the fires were doused, and one man was rolled away on a stretcher. We stared amazed at the flat and destroyed peices of metal as they were displayed around town the next week. We thought, wouldn't it have been fun to own one of the cars to cheer for?

We have a local speed track and last night we took the kids. Classic figure 8 track and the last feature was camper pull figure 8. What a blast. Even though it is mid-July there was no humidity in the air, and we had an off -the- lake breeze and cloud coverage making it perfect for sweatshirts and a big towel wrapped around us. Hot dogs, pop and cheesy fries we were subdued at the beginning prayer from the local priest, wishing safe crashing that night. We cheered for each driver who won their time trials. Only one woman, and amazingly several drivers under the age of 16 doing better than the seasoned drivers. The crowd was a mix of regulars, first-times and old-timers. Infants to a group of bachelors at their bachelor party and even a wedding party showing up later in a limo wearing their wedding finest.

Only in small-town Ohio, America, I thought. How lucky I am.

As the cars drove in for the final feature we roared with the crowd. Cadillacs pulling full size campers, Pick-up trucks pulling trailers with outhouses attached. Monte Carlo's with pop-up campers and two family vans pulling trailers, one with a lawn chair and a big bear riding in the seat and one with a John Deere Tractor.

It was chaos and crashes, red flags to clear the debris and green flags at the encouragement of the crowd as the cars pulled what was left of their original load. Several cars driving on rims, tires rolling in all directions.

At the very end, two cars remained. A van and a pickup truck and then the skies opened and a deluge of rain fell on us. Everyone went running for their cars and men could be heard yelling for thier kids to get in the god-damned car, women telling the kids to stay out of the mud. It was a mass exodus to the exit. Men still pumped up from the racing it felt as though we were all about to be crashed and smashed into as we left.

What a blast. What an excellent dose of redneck.

I am feeling a little bit redneck and you?