Memorable Memorial

So how did you spend this year’s Memorial Day weekend? Personally, I broke with a long-standing tradition. Historically, I’ve spent the better part of my Memorial Day weekends lying on the couch in my underwear and a T-shirt – a small driblet of drool hanging from the corner of my mouth – with a glazed look in my eyes from having watched 46 continuous hours of motorsports. Without doubt, if there is one “high-holy day” in the world of motorsports, it’s Memorial Day. No matter what flavor of racing you like – F1, Indy, CART, NASCAR or sports cars – there will always be something on the tube for you on Memorial Day.

However, this year I broke ranks with my mind-addling, televised racing bacchanalia to venture several hours into the heartland of California for the Second Visalia Motorsports Festival. The organizers had promised a unique cross-section of racing history set against the backdrop of Visalia’s picturesque Mooney Grove Park. They didn’t disappoint.