Mud Bogging and Drag Racing

This weekend, and really all summer, my dad has been racing his trucks in the mud bogs. I usually don't go with him, since it's a long, hot, dirty day, but he's very good at it. He's always been a winner and he's been competing for as long as I can remember. Even as a small child I remember going to races with my parents, watching my dad's trucks race and more often than not, win. Yesterday were the annual races here in Taos, and though dad didn't win, it was an enjoyable day. I got splattered with mud and mildly sunburned, but that's the fun of it. Pity that dad sold his truck, really, but that's what he does. He builds them, sells them, and builds some more. He's always been happiest when he's working on something new. Some racers complain that he must be cheating, because he's such a regular winner, but really, he works hard and knows what he's doing. He's been doing this for so many years that he has experience with what works the best and likes to experiment to try to make it even better. He even sometimes races a heavier truck than the others in his competition class, but he still beats them.

The other thing that I enjoy doing with my dad is drag racing. Not the actual racing, but watching the pros who race with nitro in the National Hot Rod Association. Every summer we go to the races up at Bandimere Stadium near Golden, CO. The last couple of races we've been in the sponsor tents, which is really nice, since there's a cool place to sit and eat that's not under the sun, since of course the races are very hot. In between rounds, we go into the pits, check out the merchandise, and try to catch our favorite drivers for a picture and an autograph. This year our favorite racing team, Team Pedregon, is doing very well, they're brothers, Cruz and Tony, and though they race for different sponsors, Advance Auto Parts and Q oil, they help each other and share information. They're in the top ten and if they can win their next few races they'll win the championship. We were doubly lucky this year to go to the races in Las Vegas as well, and I'm already looking forward to next year.