It’s really starting to seem like every track we go to this year, we have to deal with rain.  And I know you are saying “well not every track,” but it sure feels like it.  I also know its pretty much pointless to discuss rain delays, because there isn’t a thing we can do about them.  But I also thought it would be fun to talk about how we pass the time while the wet stuff keeps us from going racing. 

I don’t know about everyone, but I know one of the first things I check when I get back on my computer after a race weekend is the forecast for the following weekend.  And if it looks like rain is a possibility I already start thinking about my entertainment options at the racetrack. 

After a little thought, I came up with a Top 5 list of how we survive a rain delay and hopefully not die of boredom:

1. Television/Movies: Everybody’s pit boxes and haulers have TVs in them, so that is how a lot of people kill the time.  But hauler lounges can get crowded and watching on the box means you are wet, cold, or possibly both.
2. Video Games: A lot of the guys have portable gaming systems to pass the time and a lot of us end up playing poker, football, racing each other, or any number of other games.  But being competitive as most of us in racing are, those multiplayer sessions can often end badly.  Its all fun and games until somebody loses an eye… 
3. The veritable “Safety Vehicle 500”: Watching the countless safety vehicles run around the wet track at about 80 hoping to speed up the drying process can hold your attention for about 3 minutes.  You end up hoping the ambulance will get a run down the backstretch to setup a pass into three and get by the tow truck, but you realize soon after the ambulance just doesn’t have the grip in the center.
4. People Watch: Race fans are some of the coolest and most creative people on the planet.  Half the fun of being at the track is seeing what crazy stuff the fans come up with in terms of their appearance and their vehicles.  The guy (or gal for that matter) I saw at Martinsville with the RV that has an Earnhardt Monte Carlo spliced onto the front is one of my favorites.
5. Pit Road Sports:  You’ve seen on TV and we’ve all participated in pickup games of tape baseball or football on pit road during a rain delay.  But again, those tape baseballs sometimes get a mind of their own and its all fun and games until somebody loses an eye… 

I think everyone has their own variations on these activities and could probably add a few more, so don’t take this as an end all of Top 5 lists.  And wouldn’t you know it, as I write this, Weather.com has a 30% chance of rain this weekend in Mexico City…

Related posts:

• I’m Racin’ In The Rain! Just Racin’ In The Rain!
• Stock Cars Were Not Meant To Race In The Rain
• Rain Delays Aren’t Good For Anyone
• Vintage Insiders: Rain Delays Aren’t Good For Anyone
• SYWTWIN? Part Two Delay