Courtesy of TJSlideways.com
Onion rings, cigarettes, methanol, screeching tire—these are a few of my favorite sights and sounds that get me pumped for my favorite time of the year, race season.
It’s always this time that Petaluma Speedway comes calling my name.
The three-eighth mile dirt racetrack located off Highway 101 at the Petaluma Fairgrounds has been part of my life since I was 10.
A sprint car is an 800-horsepower vehicle that runs on dirt or pavement, usually powered by 360 or 410-cubic inch engines, with awesome wings that stand on top, giving it ultimate down force that lets it slide through the corners. The track plays host to weekly Saturday night races March-November with five divisions, while hosting special events like the 360 California Civil War Series and 410 King of the West Series.
Methanol, a type of gasoline for the cars, has a strong smell, a smell that not everybody can handle. I love the smell—mainly because I’ve been around it my entire life. It brings me back to sitting in the grandstands when these cars blow an engine or a crewman spills gas while filling it up. Smelling it while on the street brings me joy. It reminds me race season is around the corner.
The onion rings at the track are one of the best food inventions ever made. I love the rings. Their sweet, crunchy taste that makes my taste buds dance. I sit at the bus stop and get this sudden aroma that takes me back to standing in line and breathing in the rings.
Now the cigarettes, they’re bad, but breathing in the second-hand smoke gives me a euphoric feeling that takes me back to the smoke-puffing old men that smoke outside the entrance to the speedway.
I love screeching tires. They’re scary for some people, but music to my ears. Walking home and cars peeling from the intersection when the light turns green is awesome to hear. Standing at the intersection of Mendocino Avenue hearing or seeing the cars leave is like being at the racetrack when the modifieds, (a type of racecar) slam on the brakes under caution or to avoid a wreck.
The best part of the speedway is the screaming fans. They make it fun. If it wasn’t for us, there wouldn’t be racing, or for that matter, a racetrack.
The fans make everything worthwhile and we have fun doing it.
Whether we’re fighting, drinking, cheering for our favorite drivers, or booing, it’s what we do best.
Petaluma Speedway is another home for me. The track gets my adrenaline pumping every time I go there. It’s the place where you will see me yell or jump up and down.
I just can’t wait to go back. It all starts March 28.
