We missed some racing.
But then… We missed a lot of things… Air conditioning, refrigeration, lights, computer, internet, television…
We were luckier than many as we had hot and cold running water. Natural gas for the water heater… Some had no running water at all.
Yes. The storm along the eastern United States got us. The last thing on the television was qualifying from Sparta, KY. High winds shut it down. Bits of pop-up tents were flying around the infield and garage area sweeping up setup notes, driver caps and SPEED personality scripts. At the time that seemed a bit unusual. Unusual to the point that we checked online for the weather in the area of Sparta. It was a storm with an arc of color indicating heavy rain moving across Ohio and northern Kentucky.
“Hmmm – That is interesting” and “Wow” and “Sucks for them” were pretty much the thoughts at the time.
Three hours later we had no power. Perhaps “sucks for them” was some kind of karma ignition switch.
Apparently, this weather phenomenon has a name. “Derecho”.
It is derived from a Spanish term for the word “straight”, as in a straight line of wind. It covers great lengths in distance and size. It is somewhat like a tornado as the thing forms with little warning and even though it moves great distances the people it leaves behind are too busy shaking from their “WTF” moment to warn anyone in the possible path.
Ironically, like us, the storm that rolled over NASCAR qualifying left millions of fans with no power for their TVs to watch Brad Keselowski win the thing. If it weren’t for smartphones we wouldn’t have known it until Thursday evening.
We also missed the Action Express Corvette winning at Watkins Glen in Grand-Am and the first several days of the Tour de France.
We thankfully missed all the chatter about this storm and the upper 90’s or better temperatures being a result of “global warming”. Apparently, because we had some wind and heat the protocol is to politicize the event and blame it on people and coal and combustion engines and Republicans. We do not have any direct knowledge of news reporters linking the wind at qualifying in Kentucky to evidence that God is punishing NASCAR for being a fossil fuel user.
We know the temperatures, while some science and evidence points to consecutive increases over the 20th century average, are not unprecedented. High temperature records go way back as documented. Even this wind storm, the derecho, is not unique or a new weather condition. Descriptions of it as an “event” go back to the 19th century, possibly further. They have a name for it and that name was not invented just for this event.
“Climate change” or “global warming” or whatever can be explained away by sun activity, previous historical events (ice ages and warming periods, for example) and does not necessarily point to humans using air conditioning and Camaros. However, we are not saying that cleaner (or greener) technology should not be pursued. Humans living better with less destruction of the world that sustains us is a good goal and marvelous quest to pursue. What we dislike and disagree with are the claims that polarize the conversation with less than proven science that frighten the general population into questionable actions or policies.
It would be just as silly to blame the “derecho” on illegal aliens because the term is of Spanish origin…
Now we’ve got NASCAR back at Daytona. The Nationwide series race has run and apparently Kurt Busch took the win after a couple of good crashes thinned the field. As predictable as the “warmers” are for blaming us for global warming the Danica haters were out in force blaming every spin on her.
Formula 1 is getting pounded by rain at Silverstone. Is that “global warming” or is that just Britain…?
We also missed something about Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. taking the Rousch ride currently known as the Matt Kenseth team. Kenseth is currently on top of the Sprint Cup points and qualified for the pole at mid-summer Daytona. Where is he going? Why?
Mongo don’t know…
We do know we have power back. We have AC and TV. We have a computer and access to the world once again. We can now sit back and enjoy some combustion competition.
Go race.