Napa 500, California International Speedway, 4/30/00
On Sunday, April 30th, my wife and I awoke excited to get to another NASCAR Winston race event at the California International Speedway in Fontana. We were late getting up, so we were rush to get the kids to their aunt & uncle's, so we could get to the speedway. Weather looked like a wonderful sunny day in the upper 80's. Traffic on Cherry Avenue was bad, and took 1 1/2 hours to get the last 2 miles to the track.
We rushed into the grandstands, and met our friends Tim and Moro at our seats in section 29, just past the start/finish line. We were just in time for the National Anthem, and the jet flyby. The afterburners kicking in was a real surprise. And then the real rumble we went there for: the cars engines!
Everyone on their feet during the parade laps, and then it's GO! GO! GO!, GREEN FLAG!
Mike Skinner takes the lead, then eventually it's John Andretti to the front. Suddenly a caution? Rick Mast comes in and the go under the hood, must have dropped some fluid on the track. Andretti loses the lead during the pit stop and comes out in 38th, major problems there. Around lap 75, Dave Blaney spins and taps the wall. Jeremy Mayfield was a lap behind and moves around Skinner on the restart to get his lap back and pulls away. Lap 217, Jimmy Spencer slides into the 3rd turn wall. Bunch up the cars during the yellow. Dick Trickle spins, and tags the wall. 4 to go with Mayfield in the lead. Restart, Bobby Labonte pulls alongside, but Mayfield holds on for the win. Robby Gordon crashed as the white flag came out.
After the race, we browsed the souvenir trailers. Bought some baby things from the Dale Jarrett trailer for DeShawn (If you didn't know, baby will be born Jarrett Anthony, you figure it out).
Great traffic going out, we were home in 1/2 hour.
Until next time.... Clarence