Can’t Get Enough Speed Day At The Track Was Fulfillment Of Childhood Dream To Drive Flat-Out In A Race

I like the auto racing scene. And, while I’ve never owned anything more powerful than a Nissan Sentra, I’ve been a passenger in some much faster toys. I like the feel of speed, and I’ve often dreamed of soaring down an open highway with my hands planted on the wheel of a really fast car.

I grew up in Seattle with three older brothers who were always fixing up old cars. While my friends were off baby-sitting, I often could be found in the driveway helping one of them work on the latest clunker.

Cars were always coming and going from our home. Our next-door neighbor hated all of the noise and commotion, but that just made us love it all the more. My parents supported our interest in cars, and sometimes Dad would take us out to watch the drag races at the local speedway. At age 16, my interest in cars became more active when I acquired a ‘67 Cutlass from my brother Gary. My friend Kris and I beat the heck out of that poor car. I was never interested in the mechanics of cars, I just wanted to go fast.

In 1981, my youngest brother, Kevin, decided to build a demo car, (the kind you smash up), and enter it in an upcoming derby. He called his entry “La Bomba.” I did some minor work on the car, but the idea of smashing La Bomba up for fun really excited me, so I asked if I could drive it during the women’s portion of the demolition derby. The answer was no, and just like that, my dreams of driving a race car went up in smoke.

That was nearly 15 years ago, but I still haven’t forgotten. I had all but given up on my hopes of driving a race car when Ron James called me at KHQ regarding the Dave Rogers Memorial Media Drag Races. It was a charity event to be held Sept. 17 at Spokane Raceway Park, with some proceeds benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

I told James about my interest in racing, but he suggested we put recognizable, on-air people in the cars. And, since I work behind the scenes, I didn’t qualify. However, when another TV station failed to commit to the event, two cars became available. And thanks to James, and Spokane Raceway Park director Orville Moe, my name was slated in to drive.

I was struck by race fever the minute I entered the pits. Fast cars, loud engines and lots of men. I felt right at home. Auto racing is still a male-dominated sport and some of the guys seemed surprised when they found out I would be racing, but that didn’t bother me. After I won my first time trial race I must have been accepted because some of the veteran drivers made their way over to my car offering me tips to help improve my time off the starting line.

These weren’t actually dragsters we were racing, but nice cars off the Appleway lot. Still, the speed was intoxicating. I won another time trial race, and that’s when I was hooked. I thought about the demo cars. I thought about my brothers. But mostly, I thought about winning. An event that had started out as something fun had quickly become a personal challenge to fulfill my teenage dreams.

After winning a qualifying race and beating out four other drivers, I was ready for the finals. My competitor was KXLY sports anchor Dennis Patchin. I positioned my car next to Patchin’s at the start line and began to mentally prepare myself for the final quarter-mile race. My fuel was a mixture of caffeine and classic rock music. I beat Patchin off the line, and as I passed the spectator bleachers, I felt a surge of energy from the muffled screams of race fans. What a rush.

I kept thinking: faster, faster, faster. I had to go faster. It’s like you and that car are one, and nothing else matters. I raced across the finish line, and my mind raced back in time. I thought about my brothers, I thought about my best friend Kris, and I thought about La Bomba. That was my moment; I had won the race. I felt like I was 16 years old again.

Back in the pit area I was greeted by a whirlwind of race sponsors. I smiled so much my mouth hurt. One of the most interesting moments came when my friend Matt Peterson, a KHQ photojournalist, interviewed me for my own station’s newscast. I’ve worked behind the cameras for nearly 10 years, but that’s the first time I’ve had one staring me right in the face. It felt both strange and exciting at the same time.

I was equally surprised when a little girl no more than 10 walked up and asked if she could have her picture taken with me and my trophy. She was more excited than I was. As an added bonus, $500 was donated by race sponsors to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery in my name.

My day at the drag races made me feel like a kid again.

MEMO: Cynthia Prentiss is a viewer development producer for KHQ-TV.