June 2019

Wheelworks – Why do they do it?

By Blake Tatum

Ever since I was a kid I was jealous of the men and women who worked at the SCCA events. I think my jealousy came from the eyes of a ve year-old kid at the race track. When you are ve years old, your attention span is short as well as your stature. Back then, SCCA races were at places that were converted into race tracks, such as the port of Stockton. There were no grandstands; and the ability to see the action on the racetrack was determined either by height or status. Since I did not have status, I had to rely on height, which I did not have. Naturally, the fencing at these converted race tracks was wooden snow fencing (how did that ever y). When you are less than four feet tall, your view of the race track was the total sum of ashes of light that would pass between the slats of the snow fencing. I remember seeing Corvettes, Cobras, and Porsche’s ash by, only to disappear to an area unknown. I would wait and the ashes of the cars would come by again. The time between the cars ashing by was painful; and the idea that the people holding the ags knew where they were going was even more painful. When the races were over, I would just stare at the people wearing the SCCA of cial clothing. I would wonder how I could be one of those guys.

Read more in the June issue –>