Race Time!

Today's Walk Down Memory Lane seems timely. My husband is a HUGE race buff. He has attended practices at the Indianapolis Speedway since he was 2, or says his family. :) So, naturally he is gone most weekends in May to go to the track. He is able to get passes to go into the pits for the entire month which means, he has met many drivers and had great fun with his buddy,Warren, over the years. (he was the best man in our wedding) Warren and Matt share the passion for the track and open-wheel racing in general. (scares me that I know that term!) They also like to meet the drivers and the crew that work on the cars. It all excites them to no end.

That's my man looking ready to race!

When Matt and I first met, I knew one of his passions was racing. I knew he would be gone to hang at the track the month of May. I knew what I was getting into fully and I did not mind one bit. That is what I love about him, he is so passionate about what he does or enjoys. Which brings me to my point of the day. While I have never fully learned to love this passion of his and am so thankful he does not make me suffer through the month at the track, my girls love going with Daddy to the track. Each in their own version.

Doodle loves the Indy 500. She loves the planes flying overhead. She loves the songs sung. She likes learning about the drivers and hearing who he met at the track each time. She likes going to all the pomp and circumstance before the first engine is heard. Then the roar of the engines begin and she is so excited. This passion her daddy has had for years is now in her.

The same is true for my younger daughter except with different vehicles. Bean loves to go to the Moto GT with Daddy. For those of you who do not follow racing...well that is motorcycles. She gets just as excited to head out to the track for the day and watch these guys soar past her in circles all day long. She loves the sound they make as they pass her. She loves the junk food only Daddy can give her at the track. She loves the smell of the pits. She loves it all. She even has toy motorcycles from this last race which are proudly sitting next to her collection of international dolls.

Matt and Victor ? on his big day at the track. The 2 seater race car.
(I would not make brownie points for not knowing this drivers name!)

Why write about this today, you may ask? Well, it seems to me, that over the 18 years I have been married to this man, he sure has changed his tune a lot. While he has had his picture taken with the most famous drivers over the years, A.J. Foyt, Arie Lyendyk (sp)...etc. and he has had the chance to go for 3 laps in a two seater IndyCar at 200+ miles per hour, he still would rather spend the day at the track with two little starry eyed girls than any of them. That makes me even more grateful for this man God brought to me. He has never complained about taking them and is eager to pass on this legacy with them even though I know it has to be a different kind of day going to the track with his girls than with his buddies. And in case you wondered, they aren't starry eyed over the "famous" drivers. They are starry eyed because of the way their Daddy makes them feel. They adore being with him at something special to him. Those stars in their eyes are all for him. Love it!

This picture is when Doodle first went to the Indy 500 when she was in first grade.
That girl loved it and has gone back every year. This year, her little sister has decided to give it a shot. I'll post pictures after the race on Sunday because I get to go with them their first year.