I've been attacked by the Meme bug and it burns!!!!!!!!!!!!

We raced a Honda Civic for about 8 years winning a couple of regional championships, then a Honda Prelude VTEC, after about a 5 year hiatus, again winnning a couple of championships, in a 7 or 8 year period.

 

What kind of racing does your family do?  You're right, it does not matter what you race, as long as you are having fun. 

 

I am currently enjoying the Champ Car series as a spectator.  My wife and I went to the inaugeral downtown Vegas race ths year and had a really great time. 

Michelle, if you really want to do it, well, do it!!!  It's was scary the first time but it was really, really fun.  My first jump was while I was stationed at Ft Benning in the early 70's.  There has a sport parachute club there and we were jumping out of Huey's.  Not the best platform to jump from!

Carol,

 

I'll tell you a little story about that experience that probably will not ease your fears.  Normally, when you jump from a plane, you either go out on a wing strut and get into a semi-stable position or you just jump out of the door and extend your limbs into a stable condition.  In jump school, we were instructed to NOT extend upwards for very obvious reasons.  Which meant that despite weeks of training from experienced instructors, going out of the Huey door with all of the prop wash resulted in a tumble fall rather than getting in to a stable position.

 

My first jump, I tumbled and when my chute opened I was head down and the chute wrapped around my neck.  This in turn pushed my helmut down over my eyes.  So, I could not see anything until I figured out I had to lean my head forward and push my helmut back into place.  Whereupon I saw that my lines were twisted and my chute was not fully opened.  Fortunately, my lines untangled by themselves in a series of ever decreasing rotations.  

 

Once, my heart started beating again I was able to relax and really enjoyed the glide to earth.  It was very quiet and peaceful and it was fun watching the other jumpers from my group above and below me.

 

Jumping was something I had really wanted to experience in my life and I have no regrets.  I only made three jumps becasue at the very time the first oil crisis hit in 1973 and the Army could no longer allow us to use fuel for sport jumps.  If I ever jump again..............I'm going to jump out of a plane!!!!!!!