SATURDAY

Begins with the final attempt to locate 'Media Lot 3', which roughly nine track employees that I've asked have no idea where this is. Mind you, everyone is polite, and WANTS to help, but they just can't. Everyone’s response kicks off with the same three words, that being "Uhm, I think", which has me visualizing a training session for new employees, where an instructor tells the class, "Remember, if a guest has a question, your response starts with ‘Uhm, I Think...’.”

Oh well, I'm just across the street, so it's not really a big deal. While trying to get on the roof, a guard thinks I'm looking for the Media Room and points me to the ACTUAL place. (Turns out the broom closet is where lunch is served.) I get to the roof, and even though I've stood atop Parks Tower before, a divisional points race is NOT the U.S. Nationals. I refrain from going full-on 'Cody Jarrett', screaming "Made it Ma, Top of the WORLD!" and instead see one of my favorite guys from back when Pro Stock mattered making a pass, one Roy Hill. Bump into Jon Asher on the way down, and instead of going all 'Timmy The Tourist' on him ("Remember when we talked in the lanes in 1977?!??") I simply compliment him on his work, and he in turn compliments ME.

Night falls, and it's over to the yearly concert in Raceview thrown by Ike’s Guitars. Ike can really entertain a crowd, and the shows generate a lot of scratch for DRAW, so it's cool on many levels. Heading back to the campsite, I strike up a conversation with a dude who was a part of the infamous 2001'cacklefest in the campground' -- probably the last time a nitro car was fired up at Raceview, that being the 2001 edition of Indy, and what a night THAT was!

SUNDAY

Today kicks off with finally connecting with Mugs. We catch up in rapid-fire fashion and stage a picture invoking the old days. Back then his wife, Donna, missed the yearly class picture on most occasions, so we would do a 'missing camper' deal, with the empty lawn chair signifying her presence. (Later on all three of us did have a great visit, recalling things like the year all the wives in the campsite tried to disguise themselves "as men", to avoid the catcalls of drunk guys -- a move that failed miserably.)

Back on the nitro side of the pits, I forget that I'm wearing my uniform-clothes and have a thing hanging around my neck that says PRESS, and become of the belief that I have "snuck into" the TRAXXAS Shootout pre-party. Even though I have busted on Ron Capps for talking about Van Halen a lot, I strike up a conversation with Ron about...VAN HALEN! He really knows his stuff, explains a lot of studio production techniques to me, he even asks what my favorite songs and albums are! I try to get a photo of us, but the millennial I pass my camera to doesn't know what it (a camera) is, so I get the old "Marie Antoinette Special". (My head is cut off.)