To those of you who know me the following two statements will not come as a surprise. The first is that I love motorsports. The second is that I'm not particularly comfortable meeting new people.
Twice this week the first statement was reinforced while the second was contradicted. On Thursday I went to Austin Infiniti to see the Red Bull Racing showcar on display. While waiting for the car to show up I ended up talking for 2 hours with other Formula 1 fans about anything and everything related to the sport. While I had to leave before the car actually showed up I enjoyed the experience. Then on Saturday I actually got to see the car on display at the Bob Bullock State History Museum. It's actually an RB1 in drag (there's a keel underneath the chassis) but it's still pretty cool to see the details that make an F1 car.
While I was there I met a fellow enthusiast who had traveled up from San Antonio for the event. While we had completely opposing opinions of Michael Schumacher, we still got along. It amazes me how easy it can be to make friends when you have a common interest as obscure as F1 is here in America. We're like a cult that share a secret handshake, except the handshake is instead words like Spa-Francorchamps, McLaren, blown diffuser and Senna.
After talking for a while we decided to join the Austin F1 Club at Wild Bubba's Wild Game Grill in Elroy, right next to the Formula 1 track. Unfortunately, the F1 Club had decided to convene at a different location so we didn't get the chance to meet up with other enthusiasts but it was great to see Wild Bubba's. To say that they've welcomed F1 with open arms would be an understatement.
What made it wild was to see the contrast of decor. It's a small burger place in a small Texas town with trophy game heads on the wall next to the most F1 memorabilia I've seen outside of Maranello. Taped races were being shown on a TV in the back and there was a burger named especially for the sport. The food was great and the owner was enthusiastic in his support for the race. Austin is a city full of contradictions and this place is the perfect example. I believe it's part of what makes this city such a great place to live in and visit and what makes the track such a perfect fit for Austin. I hope that all the race fans who show up see this side of our city. Let's also hope that all of Austin's residents and the Formula 1 fans who show up next June (or November) are as cool, enthusiastic, friendly and excited as those I've met the past few days. If they are the race can't fail.
There is a similar, but different, post as this on my other blog Focus On What You Can. Check it out.
