Yesterday, I attended the Historic Races at Laguna Seca Raceway. What a hoot! I was able to see the Can-Am cars run through the gears at 8/10th’s or 9/10th’s speed, which was something I had not seen before.
The winning car of the Can-Am race I witnessed was number 5, a McLaren. We wanted to sneak a peek of this beauty at close range, so we headed to the paddock. The first thing I noticed once I turned down the lane the car was parked in was… it was being wiped clean using a bottle of Meguiar’s Cleaner/Wax. Instead of the obvious thought, “Cool- they’re applying a coat of wax to the car”, my mind wandered elsewhere.
I just couldn’t help wonder if I was witnessing much more.
“Perhaps some payback for a job well done? A definite possibility.”
“Maybe this is a ritual of sorts, thanking the soul of the car for keeping its driver safe throughout the race? Could be…”
“Is this a reward for delivering a 1st place finish? You know, I think it is!”
“Oh, wait! This must be a tradition, not to be broken by any man.”
In the end, I suppose it’s reasonable to assume that my imagination had gotten the best of me. As I walked away feeling confident that what I had witnessed was nothing more than a guy throwing a coat of wax onto a much-respected car, I stole a final glance of the orange beast.
Wouldn’t you know it? I coulda’ swore that its number placard winked at me.