What can I say? When opportunity knocks, answer. Back in the year 1998, it was about midweek when I received a call from my close friend, David Barron, who had in his possession not 1 but 2 tickets to paradise. Okay, they were tickets for two to the Indy Racing League’s race held in Las Vegas. This event, about 3 days away, would be the last race of the season for the Indy cars. David wouldn’t be able to go so he asked if I would be interested. My eyes lit up, my heart started pounding, my thoughts raced as I tried to plan in my head in an instant the trip in front of me. I agreed and told him I would find SOMEBODY to go with me.

After much scouring, okay maybe not ALL that much, my brother Rory was selected as my co-pilot for this journey. The race was on Sunday October the 11th, so we decided to leave by car on Saturday for the 390 mile trip. Planning to get a hotel in Vegas that night then leave for home right after the races. I was driving a 1992  red Ford Probe at the time, like the one pictured here, It’s actually a Mazda 626 chassis with a Ford body but who’s counting. It was a very reliable automobile and I always took good care of it which didn’t hurt. But this is what we would be traveling across the desert in.

We set out down Hwy 99 south to Bakersfield then up the Tehachapi Mountain range on Hwy 58 on our way to Vegas through the desert. We pass through the town of Mojave and it’s interesting sights such as the Mojave Airport. Now,this was my first time to Vegas and first to this area of the state. I was in wonder with all that was to be taken along this trip. I was in the desert! Miles and miles of it! It was fascinating to me. To view all this landscape, where many say, der ain’t nuttin’ around! But if you look closer, you’ll find alot of hideaway sites. I noticed a sign for a test track for either Nissan or Toyota out there for instance. Among others. Just outside Mojave, you can look out over the desert and see Edwards Air Force Base So cool!

After much driving we come upon the town of Baker,Ca which has it’s own moniker. The site of the world’s tallest thermometer.  It stands 134 ft tall and has digital display of the temp. All these nuggets out here in the desert. You don’t have to stop to view it unless you want a photo op. We pass on thru to stay on schedule but will stop on our way back for dinner. I just find it all amazing and wonder what else is out here. Since there is so much aerospace activity out here and not to far away Area 51, I wondered what me might see next. Aliens maybe?

We make it to the California/Nevada border finally and it’s a cool view coming down into Nevada Now this is the border, and that’s Primm, Nevada in the distance. Couple of casino’s and things. We drive on. Once in Vegas, we need to find a hotel for the night as we don’t have reservations. Bad timing. All the hotels are booked with all the big conventions going on and the race no less. Mandalay Bay is still being built at this time, The only place we find with a vacancy sign is in a seedy part of town and has bars on the windows and two police cars out front. Uhhhh…no. Rory went into the last place we checked and he told a story of how there was a German couple visiting the states and that hotel “accidently” gave up the room they had reserved. The hotel told them they could probably find a room in Laughlin, Nevada, which was a little ways away. I would have punched the desk clerk.

So, out of normal options, we had no choice but to drive back across the border at a rest stop we passed and park it there for the night. Ugh. I guess others were in the same boat because when we arrived, there were probably another 15- 20 cars crammed in the lot too. All stayed. We hung up coats and whatever in the windows for privacy while sleeping and would get up at different intervals during the night to turn the engine on to run the heater. It gets cold in the desert!!!! What a turn our trip took. We wake up the next morning, and as others are doing, take a sink bath, washing our face and arms the best we can and put on a ton of deodorant. We’re feeling a bit refreshed and jazzed about the days events by now.

We make it to the track early enough to take in the usual pre-race fanfare and mill about the place getting souvenirs and whatnot. We make our way to the grandstands and I’m in awe at my first visit to a professional oval race track! So awesome!

Due to our proximity to Nellis Air Force Base, just up the road from here, we saw this pretty often throughout the day, an F117A Stealth fighter     When they played the National Anthem, this did a flyover which was really cool…Stealth Bomber

But now it’s race time. What we’ve traveled 390 miles to see. Open wheel racing of the IRL Indycars! The race provided alot of action, much more than what tv would capture. Alot of pack racing and duels between various drivers. We sat right behind the friends and family of the Delphi Motorsports Team and of their driver Scott Sharp. Here are a few pics I took from this event. This last one is of Smoke, otherwise known as Tony Stewart when he drove in the IRL Indycar series before going to NASCAR. Arie Luyendyk of The Netherlands would win the race but Kenny Brack from Sweden would win the Championship. What a good time at the races! Memorable to say the least.

This post wasn’t much about the race itself, but the journey that we took to get there. Much like life, the destination may be your goal, but the stories that are made along the way are what makes life interesting and challenging both. Thank You again David for the tickets. It was alot of fun despite some of the hiccups we encountered. I now want to go back to the desert for other reasons, other exploring. Time will tell. This is a picture of the sunset we saw as we drove back into California that Sunday.