It was a cool summer afternoon and our plans were to spend the day at the Racetrack. The bill included Funny Cars, Top Fuel Dragsters and Motorcycles. It turned out to be an awesome day filled with noise, smoke and speed. At the time it was $3.00 to get in the gate and if my memory is correct, you could splurge another $2.00 dollars and have access to the pit area. The bleachers weren't very crowded so we sat on the row nearest the track. I don't remember if there was a fence separating us from the racing but either way I do remember it was a sensory-overload type experience. As night fell the visuals became even more stark. Cars racing into the darkness, flames and smoke illustrating the speed and danger, and the Rocky mountains absorbing the roar of the engines before releasing it back into the valley at an even louder volume. I do remember watching a funny car explode at the starting line and the burst of heat that quickly became uncomfortable, even from the safe distance of the stands. The green light and the emerging parachutes on the race cars seemed to be separated by the blink of an eye, and the excitement of watching these mechanical duels never got old.
