At least we were able to sleep in on Friday morning. We missed the hotel breakfast, okay we didn’t really “miss” it but we didn’t get out of the room until well after they stopped serving. The only place to eat near the hotel that isn’t fast food is a Bob Evans. I was only vaguely aware that there is such a thing as a Bob Evans restaurant and my perception put it in the category of a Carl’s Jr or a Culver’s. My husband assured me it was more like a Southern version of IHOP. He was pretty much spot on in his assessment. I would even give Bob an extra point for having more variety than IHOP. I had a turkey and spinach omelet that appeared to have about half a turkey stuffed into it.
We arrived at the track a little before noon. This would normally be hideously late for us, but our only practice for the day started at 4 pm. The weather was gorgeous and the track is amazing. It’s like a compact version of Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
I shot quite a few photos of Scott and Dario as they were getting ready for the practice. Dario is really easy to photograph. He almost always seems relaxed and is often smiling. Scott is much more introspective and sticks closer to the control booth in the pit, which throws him into shadow. After 8 years of opportunity, I still don’t feel like I have a really great photo of Scott. I did get some good ones today and I’ve included one of my favorites here.
After practice wrapped up at 5, we headed for Mansfield looking for someplace to eat. Just when we were thinking we would have to settle for a dive bar or a diner, we found a great martini bar that also served individual pizzas. Best lemon drop martini and best margherita pizza. Ever. Sometimes the serendipity works.