Then He Got All Up In My Face

Bizarre Sports Event Chronicles

 

This morning on the journey to work I remembered a strange and interesting event that occured during a Main Event race a while back in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

 

It was the final race of the year in the 2004 Dirt Track Schedule in the Yamaha Pro Class and needless to say, tensions were high. I was having a good event, the weather was awful, the blowing desert sands would accumulate like snow drifts everywhere. The main event race started and it was riddled with cautions and tensions between a certain racer and the race officials.

 

Once we did get going again, somewhere around the halfway point, I notice there is a stalled car at the top of the straightaway. At this point the flagman has walked off the track, and the driver of the car has now climbed out on the track and is throwing stuff at one of the drivers, meanwhile we are still going at full speed. The next time around the driver has climbed up to the flag stand and has picked up the flag and is flagging the race. By this point there were only a few laps ahead and I had added a substantial lead over 2nd place.

 

Finally the checkered flag comes out and we head into the pit area, where a confrontation between the driver who left his car on the track and the officials in underway. I drive to the impound area and await post race inspection. When from behind me I notice a man laboring as he picks up a toolbox, before I know it I see this toolbox from over my shoulder flying in the air towards the area where the confrontation is. I duck for cover, when the toolbox lands it spills its contents and everyone is in shock over what just happened. We all pack up and go home.

What a day that was.