Short Track Racing and the AKS Nation

Wednesday night short track racing has been going on in the hay fields of the ETSU campus for a a few weeks now but I've yet to make an appearance until tonight. I wasn't sure what to expect other than to get my ass handed to me especially after running an 8k this afternoon in the heat of the day with a sprained back muscle. What is it with me and pulled back muscles?
The crew was bigger than I thought but most of the local heavy hitters pulled a no show so my first experience proved to be more fun than I thought. After a few warm up laps complete with enough heckling to run off any newbies we paid our measly $1 entry fee and lined up in front of the curly headed kid who was running the show. He laughed when I paid all in quarters but I don't know if it was a good laugh or a laugh that said "what a jerk" but hey a dollar is a dollar, right?
The AKS Nation was spouting off here and there earlier this week on my local mtb forum even stating that there would be a full on showing at Wed. night short track, I called his bluff but he proved me wrong showing up with the prettiest Santa Cruz Chameleon I've seen in a while. Spec'd out all in black, even Dale Earnhardt would have been proud. Speaking of NASCAR, two things that go hand in hand here in the south, short track racing and yer alcohol in a tall boy can. We had short track racing and the alcohol in a can was the trophy to the winner. I don't think the rednecks would have approved of the camo purple can of ghetto juice the curly headed kid handed over to the winner but it would have fit in downtown for sure.
The race: I wasn't sure about half the racers having never ridden with most so I figured I'd get up front early and see what happened, it was only 20 minutes, surely I can hang on with out puking or falling over. I took off the line in 4th place and held it until the guy in front of me stalled at the first jump and Alan passed me like his ass was on fire. I passed the stalled rider and hopped on Alan's wheel trying my best to keep him close. After a couple of laps he started to pull away which really didn't bother me too bad because we were already starting to lap some of the other riders. The longer we rode the farther Alan pulled away from me. Luckily Mike Thomas the local cult hero/bike collector was there on hand spewing foul language at me every time I passed to keep me laughing. When I thought all was lost and Alan was outta sight I came around the corner and found him pushing his bike off the course with a mechanical. I asked him if all was ok and he said yes so I continued on now in 3rd looking over my shoulder hoping no one was coming to challenge me. None did and I finished in my secured spot even though I was lapped by 1st and 2nd. Like I said before most of the normal heavy hitters didn't show so I got lucky tonight with 3rd. It's not often I get a decent finish so I'll take it but it'll be another week or two before I make my return due to work conflicts.
No there were no chicken bones or beer cans flying from the stands but this isn't NASCAR short track racing, it's just a few college kids trying to raise a few bucks for there mtn bike team at a college that only cares about stick and ball sports that are more main stream but it was definitely by far the most fun I've ever had at a college sporting event.

On a more positive note it's been brought to my attention by some of my blogger fans that I'm being to negative lately so I just want to wish everyone a wonderful day tomorrow and may your day be full of sunshine and waist thinning cheeseburgers.