Yesterday was a Friday, which meant that good ol’ boys would be mixin’ it up at North Central Arkansas Speedway in the valley last night. Since temps had moderated some from the soul-searing heat we’d experienced earlier in the week, Deb and I tossed our chairs in the bed of the truck and headed down to take in the show.
We grabbed a spot behind the grandstand, then immediately jumped in line at the concession stand before it got too crazy. She had a pulled pork sandwich and nachos. I went with a cheeseburger and a bag of chips.
As we watched one of the qualifying heats — Hobby Stock, I think it was — I happened to glance over my shoulder toward the parking area.
This brief video captures what I saw.
In front of us, quintessentially Southern dirt-track racin’. Behind us, a brilliant Ozarkansas sunset.
At the end of that video, you’ll see a simple block building, which serves as the speedway’s timing-and-scoring “tower.” That’s the track announcer, wireless mic in hand, leaning on the balcony railing.
When intermission arrived — a pause between heats and features — the speedway and its patriotic patrons celebrated American Independence with a fireworks display.
Now you might suspect that a humble venue like this wouldn’t put on much of a show. And you’d be wrong — it was spectacular, running 15 minutes and bringing the crowd to its feet.
I could go on and on about the setting, the people we met, the very American atmosphere, but you’ve heard all that from me before. I’ll simply say that it was another perfect Friday night at the races, full of everything that’s come to mean to us.
We filled our Saturday with chores. Deb got started early tackling housekeeping in the camper. I ran a couple of errands — post office in Yellville, auto-parts store in Flippin. A quick stop at a neighbor’s became a regular confab when a few other folks who live around The Mountain dropped by.
After I got back to the homestead, I drove the truck down to the shed, popped the hood and flung open the doors, and I cleaned it out — which isn’t the same as actually cleaning it, of course. It had become a magnet for lots of extraneous stuff, and it was high time I put things in order.
Tires are fine. Engine oil was a quart low. (That never happens.) It took almost a gallon of washer fluid to fill the reservoir.
The task consumed over two hours, but the result was worth my time and effort. The SilverSilverado, our workhorse with a bum blinker, is ready for its next mission.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB