Racing Sweeties

In honor of Valentine’s Day, and since I am spending Valentine’s Day sick in bed with the FLU, here’s my thoughts about racing & relationships.

I’ve heard the horror stories… guys who are one more race or engine part away from certain divorce, and I’ve come to realize in my own life that racers are a special breed that “normal” people just don’t understand. Long ago, I discovered that it was extremely difficult to date someone who doesn’t race or have any interest in racing. They don’t understand the amount of time, money, and devotion we as racers put into our sport. Sure, its cool the first couple of outings, but when you start skipping vacations to the beach in favor of sweating it out at a track all summer, they start to view you as a little unbalanced.

You want to be involved with someone who shares your interests. And in an interest like drag racing that plays such a significant part of your life, its even more important. You want to be with someone who will be there with you to support you, encourage you, motivate you, and work along side you. So, I vowed that any of my relationships would be with a person who also enjoyed the racetrack.

At first, I though the perfect match would be another racer. (Cue fantasy crush on Morgan Lucas) But I changed my outlook on that one. Why? Well, I found it to be too competitive. One driver always views their career more significant that the other. It hard to be supportive when you are both competing for the same goals. I’m sure that it can work for many, but for me, it just never seemed to work out that way.

I’m now convinced that perfect drag racing harmony will be with a crew member. Someone who loves the sport and who enjoys working along side their significant other. Someone who can apprecitate the will to win and can help acheive that goal. Someone who won’t look at me funny for spending way more time than I should chasing a dream that sometimes seems impossible. Yes, I believe in a life happily-ever-after, 1/4 mile segments at a time.

Here’s a few Drag Racing Sweeties that share the 1320 and their hearts.

Melanie Troxel & Tommy Johnson Jr.
They were Nitro sweethearts: her reigning in Top Fuel, him in Funny Car. Married on NYE 2003, it was life in the fast lane for both of them. They knew they’d contend with the possibility of bittersweet weekends… what happens when one does well but the other falters? But this year, the stakes…and possibly long nights on the couch, are raised when both Troxel and Johnson Jr. will battle it out in the Funny Car ranks head-to-head.