My Love Affair with Anderson Speedway

And yes, it is abusive. I’ve gone there since I was a kid, watching my dad race. When I got my license though, I pretty much stopped going, because I had cooler things to do. Or I was grounded - one of the two. After college though, my husband and I started going again. Dad still races, and my husband started racing. I started getting mean. People wrecking my loved ones on purpose? Are you shitting me? Do you know how much it costs to fix a race car? Bleh. There were many arguements, screaming matches and near fights.

It’s been said that the women there are the worst about holding grudges and causing fights, because week after week the guys just shrug it off. And they’re not talking about the women racers, they’re talking about the sisters, moms, wives, and friends of the drivers. Well, I call bullshit. It’s the men that are beating the crap out of each others cars, threatening each other on and off the track, and making rude, misogynistic remarks about drivers’ wives and moms. Fuck you - if you want to talk about how Offensive Remark Warning stretched out someone’s wife will be after you’re done with her Offensive Remark Warning complete or how you’re going to blow someone’s home up, you’re the dick, not me. Not that driver’s wife and certainly not that driver’s daughter.

It sure seems that with all this negativity, I must be an idiot for continuing to return. Sometimes, I think I am. But sometimes, there is a good race, a good moment, that makes me keep coming back for more. There are people who do respect the rules and people who are interested in putting on a good show. Those are the people who make it fun.