Monday, May 4, 2009

Superbike Races

I'm going to combine the two days of motorcycle races into one post. There were 3 races on Saturday and Sunday. Each race was good. Weather played a role, especially on Sunday.

Ok, enough said about the races.

But I will write a little about the weather, especially on Sunday. On Saturday, it rained hard on the way to the track, delaying the start of the first races due to oil and water on the track. After about an hour's delay, the races were run, and they were more competitive than usual.

On Sunday, it did not rain before we got to the track. Weather was very threatening, with severe thunderstorm watches and occasional tornado watches being announced. Just before the first race was to begin, a very dark cloud came from the direction of Birmingham (the track is about 15 miles due east of Birmingham). The wind got up a little, and a track announcer told everyone to find shelter in a permanent structure.

Well, the only permanent structure available to most fans is the museum. So, we headed for the museum. Even though the outside walls are glass, it has a basement to provide safety from the storm.

We went into the lobby to wait out the storm. It got darker and darker outside, and I was a bit dismayed to see the cashiers charging people to go inside the museum. I felt that under the circumstances, safety was more important than a dollar.

In a few minutes, over the intercom it was announced that a tornado had been spotted near the track and for everyone to head to the basement to safety. So, we did! Free! Got to see some bikes not on display in a garage area of the basement. So, it was neat.

After about a half hour in the basement, it was announced that the storm had passed and for everyone to leave. So, we did, not sure if the races would be run because it was getting late.

We walked back over to our bikes to see that they were safe (they were). After a little more waiting, the races were run. Each had fewer laps than normal, but they got all races run.

When the races were over, we rode back into Birmingham, had dinner, and went back to the motel.

52 miles each day.

No comments:

Post a Comment