(Bothell, WA.) Racecars are stupid, or maybe it is just their owners. Hello again bloggers. I was just walking back into my house in the rain, tired, wet, hungry and cold, and it dawned on me that my racecar is stupid!

How else do you explain this? You cannot blame all of this on me! It isn't my fault that the thing needs new tires, and the gas cost's $7.00 per gallon, wasn't me that needed a bigger carburetor because Chuck was catching me, and it wasn't me that needed new pistons because Nat was building a new car, and it sure wasn't my fault that the red paint had faded and it needed a new coat. Can you smell what I am cooking here?

Why on earth would you even consider spending more time with a big huge pile of parts, all carefully and meticulously assembled to just the right tolerances, scaled, waxed, lowered and loud, how could this be better than my beautiful wife??? The stupid car won't rub my back, or get me Gatoraid when the stupid car is trying it's best to kill me. It won't make sure that ALL of my driving gear (including the helmet) made it in the trailer. The stupid car has nothing to do with the beautiful wife checking in the tires for the stupid car.

O.k. so now that I have typed for a while, and my blood pressure has come down some, I guess it isn't the car that has the problem thinking correctly. Men as a rule are over achievers. Look at our wives or girl friends and you will know that I am right on this one! Point is, nothing feels better than picking up the gas just a little early in the corner and it "sticks" or maybe going way to deep into the turn but you still made it! What about the feeling you get, when you take the checkered flag, in a car you built, in the snow, and the rain, and the cold. The car that made you go to the walk in clinic to get a few stitches and a tetanus shot, or the one that shot gas on your eye cause how was I to know that line had pressure in it???

So, maybe it really isn't the racecar that is stupid? But I would be tarred and feathered in the pits next time out if I was to leave this post with the impression that all race drivers are dumb. (spouses pipe down) It is just so cool to go out and do what you love to do, and have your family back you 100% because they know you are... their dad and my kids were taught to never call people names, even logical people who have read this and know that the logical conclusion would be that all race drivers are... someones child and it would not be polite to suggest that some grandma's son was a little dim....

I could go on and on, lets just end this blog this way, I love to see my family in the stands cheering me on, and all my buddies from work and the sponsors and all the fans, even the ones who boo! And I love hearing my wife telling me over my radio "stay low dear, Doug Hinds is about to lap you" See, I love all this, so I was right, my racecar is stupid!

See ya next time bloggers, next race is the 10th of May. Lot's of gossip to share next time!

Mark #01