MOTORCYCLE RACE

'The husband' is interested in sport car racing......but now this interest has expanded to motorcycles too, so I'm being dragged along to witness the nuttiness of grown men strapping themselves into all sorts of machines and traveling at a high rate of speed around tracks.

Fortunately, I'm able to find many amusing blog worthy subjects to share....and you can read them in the comfort of your own house. This event was held at the Barber Motorsports near Birmingham, AL. where on Friday it was hotter than an oven, and Saturday it was WET.....I tried not to whimper....but often failed.

Now look at this......can you believe anyone would subject themselves to this discomfort.....'sidecar' racing' !?!? This machine is barely 2" off the ground. Both the driver and rider fling themselves around on this thing....I guess to make it go faster or else to prevent it from tipping over. 'The husband' probably has better photos when the bike is actually on the track......showing how the passenger flings his body prone....hanging off the side of his little ramp area. I'm sure if anyone requests more info on this subject, I can post more photos!

Just looking at this, you can't help but puzzle about the thought process of those who race them....surely they can find a better use for their time??

Now this I get......there were about 20 rows of flea market booths where one could purchase an old seat, a gas tank, or even a motorcycle. We quilters know about vendors, so I found this acceptable (even if we had to walk every aisle.)

And of course, knowing a little something about patchwork, I was tempted to help this group with their flooring design. It's made with plastic tiles that snap together, forming a firm but foot friendly surface. I definitely see a shaded 4 patch design that went astray.

The grounds of Barber Motorsports are top notch......it's the cleanest, most litter free space I've seen since we moved to the South! They must have spent a fortune on the landscaping alone.

Artwork is EVERYWHERE......some obvious, like this gate....

....others in the most unexpected places......

We found this remote lawnmower roving around in front of the museum.......it was fascinating to watch it come to the edge of the grass.....back up, turn, and head in the opposite direction. Some people have just tooooo many toys!

You many want to click on this photo to enlarge it......this scene was located in a valley......which was not accessible by foot..... one ant has a coke bottle, one a motorcycle, and one a driver.....cut off the photo to the left was the back end of an ant as it entered a huge ant hill. Someone has a great sense of humor!

Which is how I try to spend my day at these race tracks.......with a smile plastered on my face.....even in the rain. (Well, I don't always succeed!) I didn't take even one photo of the bikes on the race track.....heck, there were so many other interesting subjects.....

More to come tomorrow...the highlight being a visit to the "wall of death"......worth the price of admission to this entire event......it was one of the most heart stopping things I've ever seen.