Original Message

Williams Grove, National Open as a fan with my grandson, son in law and good friend Glenn Rygiel (stline).

Went on Saturday, place was packed to the rafters. It's the Natty Open fer chrissakes!

Likes: What's not to like? 50 of the best sprint car racers in the country racing for 75,000 bux...qualifying is important, time trials aren't my favorite but wth...track was speedy but widened out pretty good for the feature, very minimal dust and very racey. Don't understand why the local tracks can't figure it out! Posse/Outlaw/Posse member Brent Marks looked strong early but tangled with a lapper and pffft! $75k out the window. Posse/Outlaw Logan Schuchart was on a rail but got caught up negotiating lapped traffic and was caught by Carson Macedo with about 2 or 3 to go and wound up 2nd. $75k to win, $25k for 2nd. Damn! 

Dislikes: Not many, a little dilly dallying before the feature but it's not just a a race, it's a happening. To be expected.

Returning within a month? Nope, done for the season but I'll be back next year.

A side note: My grandson AJ had his heart set on somehow meeting Kyle Larson, but I waasn't sure how I was gonna get that done. He brought his Larson #5 matchbox car with him hopefully to be autographed, but he's only 7 so I couldn't get him in the pits. About 20 mins from the track my daughter calls and says Larson has a merch trailer set up at a restaurant parking lot about a 1/2 mile from the track! We figured it was late, he's probably at the track already but lets give it a shot anyway. Hopefully it won't be too crowded(yeah, right!) We pull in, the line isn't bad so I figured he must've left for the track already....we walk up to the trailer and I see a woman selling souvenirs and some young guy helping her. Glenn says "Hey, that's him!" It was! Couldn't believe it! AJ got a hat, t-shirt and a hoodie and he signed his car and hat..awesome! He even talked quarter midget racing with him for a minute or so...AJ was starstruck! I thought it was really cool that the possible 2021 Nascar champion was hanging out in a restaurant parking lot meeting fans 90 mins before getting ready to race. AJ is without question a fan for life!