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The 'Stare'By: Roger Ruthhart, Rock Island Grand Prix promoter
My perspective is different as a race promoter. If you haven't been to
the Rock Island Grand Prix, there is a lane that runs from the pre-grid
onto the track. The rest of the track is heavily fenced except for a
couple of pedestrain crossings. I'm standing on the edge of this lane
talking to someone in the pits, enjoying a moment of down time while one
of the classes is racing on the track. This elderly black bag lady (the
most accurate description I can come up with) shuffles past me and is
heading out onto the track, which at a street race is actually probably
the street she takes to get home.
I have no idea how she got that far (especially without a pit pass), but
she was headed for the main straight where the start finish line is
located. I first yelled, "Excuse me you can't go out there" but of
course she couldn't hear me. So I grabbed her on the shoulder to stop
her. She spun around and shot daggers at me and said "Don't you touch
me." I said, ``lady you can't go out there you're donna get killed.''
She turned and started walking toward the track again, so I grabbed her
shoulder again with the same results.
So we're standing there on the edge of the track, seeing who can fire
the best dagger glares and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to tackle
her because I wasn't going to watch her get splattered and let you guys
pick on me for weeks about my insensitivity toward bag ladies.
Fortunately, one of the amblulance drivers who thinks the track is his
personal safety domain (bless him) saw what was going on and sent a cop
over. Situation defused as the lady shuffled off into the pits
accompanied by one of Rock Island's finest (guess they're worth every
penny of the $10,000 grand we have to pay them for crowd control).
It's one of those stories that was much more bizaar than I can ever
describe. But I can still see her in the Salvation Army-bought flowered
dress, black tennies with her socks rolled down, glaring at me like she
was my momma and I'd just messed up.
Have your own funny/weird/scary stories to share?
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