Gentlemen Start Your Engines!!

I hear this statement often at this time of year but on Saturday night it took on a whole new meaning as Jim took part in his own race.   Racing?  Yep, go cart racing. 

Buckle up, safety first

Jim & Mike (pit crew)

And he's off.............

Just getting into position.  Last to arrive you ask?  Of course, we are talking about Jim after all.  Hammer down........

 

Wow, there's Jim at the front 

These are the racers running the first heat to see who will make it into the main feature.  The anticipation was immense for me and our friends watching from the side lines.  We yelled and cheered Jim on but then the unexpected happened and he was suddenly at the back of the pack.  We found ourselves speculating on what the problem could be.  Was he okay, just being cautious or was he having mechanical problems?

As it turned out, it was mechanical problems.  The throttle was stuck half open.  So between heats they went into action and fixed the problem.

Unfortunely, Jim didn't make it into the main event but he was not deterred.  He quickly stepped into the roll of flagman.

 
Here is a pic of Jim with a local fan between heats....

And a picture of Jim's last heat of the night.....

Then it was time to celebrate.  No crashes, no yellow flags and all laps completed. 

What is that beverage Jim is drinking?  Champagne, yes champagne!  Brought by Shelley so Jim could celebrate his first race of the season.  


Picture of Jim with his loyal supporters

 Mike, Shelley, Jim and Nancee

Not pictured is Dave and of course me, the new budding photographer.  Jim would like to give a big thanks to Bryce for his outstanding mechanical work and to Choppy for allowing him to race.

A good time was had by all!