After our relaxing adventures at the Slugger Museum and Toast on Market in Louisville Saturday morning (if you missed Part I, scroll down!), it was time for the real fun to begin…and the ultimate surprise to be revealed!
Ted knew only that he was to keep Saturday, July 21st clear and free, for some maniacal reason his crazy wife had been brewing up for months and was apparently inclined to drive 7.5 hours back to Cincinnati from Michigan to participate in. That was about the extent of the information I imparted. I may have also imparted that anyone who works as hard as he does really does deserve a “Day of Awesome” to which he rolled his eyes, lovingly bopped me on the forehead, and moved on. It’s tough to get anything past that guy.
I gave Ted driving directions from Louisville, instructing him to stay onto 75-S until Exit 57, when the surprise could no longer be contained because the road sign quite clearly read “Sparta, KY – Kentucky Speedway.” At that point, the jig was up. I think it was fairly obvious why were there and what he’d be doing…
…driving 10 solo laps around the Kentucky Speedway in a NASCAR style race car!
A dream come true for any NASCAR fan.
Surprise!
(As always, click on each picture to enlarge.)
We drove through the tunnel that circled underneath the race track and lead to the inner field and pit row. We parked at the gate by the pit. As Ted was checking in signing his life away on liability forms, his parents arrived to witness the beginning of their son’s racing career…surprise again! He knew his parents would be in town that weekend, but was under the impression they’d be meeting us later that evening for dinner and roller derby, since he obviously was unaware he’d be at the Kentucky Speedway to the begin with.
There, right beside pit row, Ted got suited up in his helmet, fire suit, gloves, and other racing gear …
…participated in a safety briefing and crash course on the tips and technicalities to driving a race car…
…took a few quick pics…
…and then we waited around for 2 hours until the right race car for Ted’s height and an instructor-driven lead car for him to follow was ready. Who doesn’t love the “now hurry up and wait” game? We took in a little a lot of sun, watched the other drivers race around the speedway, and excitedly awaited Ted’s big debut. When the time arrived Ted took a cool stroll to his car…
…got loaded up and securely harnessed into his vehicle…
…and off he went! He took 10 laps around the track, reaching speeds up to 5500 rpm (that’s 145 mph)! He looked amazing out there! I took all kinds of great video that I’d love to share, but my version of WordPress does not support video uploads, so you’ll have to take my word for it. It was completely awesome!
After his speeding frenzy, he squirmed out of his car – because, really, squirming is truly the only way in or out of those suckers…
…we snapped a few more mugs…
…and called it one helluva good day at the racetrack!
Operation “Day of Ted” epic surprise = smashing success.
To wind down after a long day of adventurous activities Ted’s parents joined at the Bank of Kentucky Arena on NKU’s campus for some classic yet tasty sporting arena eats and a bout of roller derby featuring the Cincinnati Black-and-Bluegrass Roller Girls – a first for all of us!
Ted and I had been curious about attending a live bout of roller derby for quite some time, and Ted’s parents knew relatively little of the sport, so it was a fun experience for us all – and the A Team did not disappoint! But we were all so worn down from the sun, long drives, high adrenaline, and big day ahead of us – er, me – on Sunday that was due to start frighteningly dark and early at 3 a.m. that we, unfortunately, had to call it quits early and head home to the comfort of a comfy, cozy bed in an air conditioned apartment – read: not a cot in a cabin in the woods.
I am pleased to report that the Awesome Day of Ted was a perfect success. A definite bucket lister achieved!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post…Part III!
