This is a picture of the "World's Fastest Half Mile", also known as the Bristol Motor Speedway. Twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, my home, Bristol, TN. swells in population from just under 50,000 to nearly 200,000 people. Right now it is the "calm before the storm". The fall race is just two weeks away and already fans are camped across the street from the track. They come early and line up in order to be the first ones through the gates to the campground next to the track.

 

For me, the race crowd brings a mixture of excitement and dread. Heavy traffic in the areas surrounding the race track, means I spend almost as much time driving as I do working on RVs. Many of the RVers who come to the race arrive in borrowed or rented RVs and do not even know the make or model of RV in which they are sleeping. Over the years I have seen almost everything. Last year was a scorcher and I installed air conditioners non-stop from dawn until dusk. When I wasn't pushing "coolers" up a ladder onto the roof, my stops including reinstalling a rear cap on a diesel pusher, using crow bars to get a slide room unstuck, and trying to come up with "work arounds" for electrical problems.

 

Since I am local and have been covering the track for a number of years, most campgrounds know me and let me enter without a problem. Of course, by the end of the race, all of us who work the campgrounds are ready for things to be over. The stress of trying to remain pleasant and work, while surrounded by gawkers, is not the easiest way to make repairs and there are always plenty of folks willing to tell me how to fix something they have never before seen. One year it snowed for the spring race and I was still surrounded by "helpers".

 

With a week to go before race week, I build inventory and check my stock of standard parts I know will sell. Then I load my truck. Sometimes I stock too much of one thing and not enough of another, but I have never lost money at the race. Most nights I get the truck home by 10:00 and am back up by 6:00 the next morning reloading. By 7:00, I am usually at the track. I have had calls as early as 6:00 in the morning and campground owners might call as late as midnight, if there is something they need help with.

 

My wife usually rides with me on the last two days before race day. We use her cell phone, as well as mine, and it is not unusual for her to have calls for service on both phones at once. She is much better than I at scheduling and keeping customers up to date regarding our progress. If the weather is cool, Picard, our Australian Terrier, will be in the truck with us. This week we are getting the rental units ready for the early arrivals. The first race fans will be here Sunday and it is our job to make sure everything in the rental units is working and we have documented a safety inspection in each rig. One week and counting!