American Graffiti Cast of Characters

We went to our home track this weekend to race at the Oldies Drags. It's one of my favorite races because the cars cannot be newer than 1970. It's like suddenly being transported onto the American Graffiti set. All of our friends make a huge effort to attend and it feels like back when we first began racing.

As I sat listening to everyone talk, I was fascinated with the cast of characters:

There's Mark who reminds me of Craig Ferguson. He is not much taller than I am and constantly has mischief in his eyes. There is never doubt what Mark thinks about something. He has a dry sense of humor that I appreciate so much.

There's Rich who used to be a Man Whore but seems to have grown out of it. He's wicked funny and smart. He enjoys being the center of attention. He's the guy who checks himself out in the mirror. But the more I get to know him, the more I like him.

There's Doug who was also called "Sofa King" for a long time as his race car had a decal that
said "This Car is Sofa King Fast"
Doug has no censor factor and says whatever comes into his head. Dougie tells stories that make you want to say "BullShit" but you know they're probably true if Doug is telling them.

((Case in point...they told a story about how this guy nicknamed "Too Tall" killed a bird in a bar one night...it was a group story telling and one of the funniest/horrifying stories ever.))

There's Steve & his dad Reg. Steve is one of those guys that used to be somebody and realized that there were other things in life. He has a wife & two daughters now. Reg is the kind of dad we all want. And he likes to give Kevin alcohol after racing is done. This weekend was no exception.

There's Miguel...he's a dad first and foremost. Unfortunately, his two daughters are Hell On Wheels. He's also the culprit of corrupting my language. Miguel has 101 ways to use the word f&8k. Miguel calls Kevin "Tweeker" because of the ADHD.

There's Glenn...Glenn is the guy that has heard "I like you as a friend" way too many times. Finally, he seems to have found someone and has a baby girl. He has the most infectious laugh when something really makes him laugh.

There's Ray who is like the Three Stooges all rolled into one. He doesn't have a car but rolls around the track on a golf cart.

There's Harry who hasn't raced in years but has been all over Kevin's car this weekend. They used to be competitors back-in-the-day but Harry quit racing. Rumor has it he has more money than God himself. No one seems to know how.

There's Dal...one of my all time favorite racers ever. I have some really great Dal stories. I should tell those one day.... Dal is Eastern Indian and has never once treated me like a girl. In fact, it's quite the opposite. At the end of the day, he suddenly announced that he has another child due in a month. Classic Dal.

There are two Kens...Ken from Token and Ken with the racecar...Ken from Token works for the track and does one of my old jobs. I love making Ken laugh because I'm one of those outspoken American girls.

There's Michelle...whom I Swear To God It's True used to be a man. It's TRUE.

The former track announcer Rick looks like he belongs on the show WKRP in Cincinnati. He used to do 80's trivia and I could kick ass at that. Also, he called some import racers "effing retards" over the speakers one Friday night. I've rarely laughed that hard.

I always hate the end of the season or even just the end of the race. It's like the last day of school and you know you won't see your friends for three whole months. They only live an hour away but with the border & new travel requirements, it makes it easy to say "We'll see them next time."