Saturday, May 19, 2012

This Week in Motorsport
The dark side of motorsport, the side the passionate fan hopes never to see but knows will rear its ugly head sooner or later, or maybe both sooner & later: requiescat in pace-link. May the Lord have mercy on the souls of those killed, may those injured be restored swiftly & fully to health, & may justice be done, the driver punished only if this tragedy was anything other than a horrible accident. I've not yet seen a fatality in my three years of watching motorsport—there but for the grace of God go I—, my closest brush being last year's IndyCar season finale, in which double Indy 500-winner Dan Wheldon perished, a race I missed only for the most idiosyncratic of reasons (Wayback Machine). I remain all too aware that if I keep watching motorsport then witnessing such a death remains a possibility, & if I keep watching long enough then witnessing such a death becomes a probability & all but a certainty. I am striving to prepare myself for that day, to weigh the costs & benefits of motor racing so as to ensure that I embrace the virtues that make motorsport a worthwhile pursuit even at the costs of life & limb.

'Tis a famine weekend, with no races I wish to watch. Next weekend's the feast, with Formula One in the Principality of Monaco, the World Rally Championship in tempestuous Greece, the V8 Supercars somewhere Down Under, & my third attempt (Third time's the charm?) to appreciate the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Proclaimers, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" from Sunshine on Leith (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: MxPx's cover of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," inexplicably mistitled as "(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles," was in the running, but as you can see I decided ultimately to go with original flavor.

No comments: