Talladega

What do you get your dad on his 56th birthday? The opportunity to go 169.41 mph around Talladega. How's that for a cure for mid-life crisis? In all seriousness, it was a great idea for a birthday present for my dad, and all credit goes to my mom. Though my dad's birthday was in March, we celebrated in May with a trip to Talladega. After a driving lesson, dad got to drive a race car around the track for six laps, topping out at 169.41 mph. He said it was an experience like nothing else. We were all out there cheering him on, complete with posters! Here are some pics from our afternoon at the track.



After driving school, the drivers came through the crowd like celebrities!

With the drivers on the track for a special tribute to U.S. soldiers before the racing started.

He suited up in real racing gear.

With Ryan before taking to the track.

Not sure who the random guy is in this pic or what possessed him to join our family photo. Random.

Kyle and Ryan watching from the platform.




That's dad! And, yes, there were multiple amateur drivers racing together on the track at the same time. Crazy, I know, but they all had instructors in the seat next to them who weren't afraid to jerk the wheel and gain control of the car if things got out of control.

Pulling in after six laps.




You can tell how excited dad was as he described the experience to mom.


This was my second trip to Talledega (first time was for a field trip as a kid) but I have yet to go for a race. They say it's crazy fun, but I'm not a huge nascar fan (sorry, driving in circles gets a little boring in my book). Still, I think I'm going to have to add it to the list of lifetime experiences to check off. Happy Birthday, Daddy!