Remind me next year not to forget the sunscreen -- people in traffic today were craning their necks to catch a glimpse of my glowing red face and flourescent white eye sockets.

Was a great race and a big crowd. High attrition, it seems (based on 'quiet time' around the 8th - 9th hour and later), though I haven't had the chance to sit down and digest in detail all the documented incidents. As usually happens, I leave a spectating spot just moments prior to an incident, so I didn't get to see in person the #4 Vette sloshing up the mosquito factories in Sunset Bend, or all the punting that the #2 Audi was involved in.

The Aston, Maserati, and Ferrari? All sound as delicious as they look, and I do have sorrow for those of you who had to suffer through the blasphemy of Speed TV's dumbing it down for your ears with excessive camera cuts and incessant babbling.

Perhaps the most rewarding part of the day came when, 30 minutes after the start as we vacated our encampent outside the Turn 1-2 stretch, my hopelessly-and-mindlessly-lost-in-NASCAR buddy from work turned to me and mouthed "I'm hooked!" Success!! Another one turned from the dark side...


B. Riley Melbourne, FL '01 Camry LE V6/5-spd Was: '00 Black/Tan SVT Contour #560 - Sold 3/26/03 Before that: '95 Champ/Blue Contour GL V6 ATX