2006 Wilroc Sprint Car season opener.The Gods of Thunder where with us. Rains were held back and the grandstands filled as the 2006 Wilroc Sprint Car season opens at Western Speedway! Now usually I hang around bars as my friends consume alchol while watching some powerfull band but my other closet pastime is going to the speedway and watching powerful sprint cars consume alcohol. These are the short wheel based, direct drive, winged, no holds barred get up and go cars. They are the best and the fastest... making 14.5 second laps at our Western speedway ashfalt track, normally these babys race on dirt tracks (Cassidy RIP). There is nothing more exciteing than seeing a line of sprint cars coming broadside down a corner then putting the pedal to the metal and lifting the front tires off as they come into the straight streach. Is the flagman happy? Yes it's a green flag and I GET HIGH as these loud mouthed cars open up and pass by. I took my two daughters with me and a handfull of friends, we found a spot in the granddstands just before the flagman. Daughter #2 quickly consumed a complete bag of cotton candy and I sat and watched the effects transform her into spaz hyper girl screaming and jumping at each racecar. I quickly documented the time trials on the sprints to help aid with the evenings gambling program.... yes gambling. The odds where not bad tonight with eight people laying bets. Tonights races also included Old Timer stock cars and a moto cross type motorbike race so there was eight short races (twelve lap heats) to win some cash on before the main event. You only win the pot if your car wins so it is important to know your racers. But with the sprints it's always a close race and as I found out on one heat it not over untill its over. My car was leading most of the way. Just about three laps to go my car spins out and ends up at the back. My fellow racefans laughing as I can no longer gloat at the money that was just about to go in my pocket. Screw them. The main events are always a gooder with sometimes up to twenty plus cars on the track. The oldtimers ran a good race with only a few spinouts and bumps. I personally don't like to see these cars crash because some of them are original 1930 ish bodied cars from the day. The motorcycle racing is exciting at the start but then the bikes form a line and thier isn't really that much passing to keep the excitment going. The sprints 30 lap main is the one that gets my hair standing on end, again it was a good race with minor spinouts and crashing. I like a good race and thats what I go for but inside all of us is the desire to see things get hit. Thank goodness for the demos to fill this hunger. So next time your going to head down to the bars and consume alcohol, check your race schedule and go and see the alcohol comsuming sprints instead. We are the ugliest tattooed bunch with kids and usually sit in the same spot, so come on over and lay your money on the bench. -ricky jak