Going Nowhere Fast

Today is the day of the great annual paean to unapologetic fuel consumption called the Indianapolis 500, an event with a carbon footprint larger than that of several 3rd world countries put together. Okay, I admit, I love car racing, though one of the reasons I gave up doing it several years back was because of the waste, not just of fuel and rubber but my own resources as well. As races go, Indy is actually one of the duller ones, though the grand prize for dullness goes to Grand Prix racing, where more often than not one driver dominates a season while the rest tag along. NASCAR ain't bad, but the best racing is sprint cars. For fun and excitement there was nothing like Ascot, the half-mile dirt oval here in L.A. that was torn down a decade ago to make room for an industrial park. It was there I saw a several car pile-up one Saturday night that left one of the wrecked cars caught upside-down in the catch fencing. Moments later the trackside announcer was on the scene, interviewing its driver. "How are you?" he asked. "I'm a little shook-up but I'll be okay," the driver answered." "How's your car?" the announcer persisted. "Screw the car," the driver shot back.