My first car was a ’65 1/2 fastback Ford Mustang

Though I’m not much of a NASCAR fan, the Daytona 500 is still an event I watch every year. It begins the racing season, it’s the place Dale Earnhardt raced for the last time and it always gets really wild at the end.

Like everyone else, I was routing for Dale, Jr. to win the event.  He almost got there until a flat tire and a wreck took him out in the last 10 laps. Instead, a 20-year-old, Trevor Bayne, took the lap to Victory Lane.

When Bayne qualified just a few days before, he was still a teenager at 19.  I can’t imagine what his auto insurance rates must be.

How can you ever be better than winning the Daytona 500 at age 20?

If I caught the Teenage Eating Machine driving a car 200 mph hour, I’d take away his car keys for a month.  And then I’d suffer by having to tote him around in my car for 30 days.

Would NASCAR let you race in these pants?

Of course the Teenage Eating Machine would never finish the 500 laps because he’s have to stop and eat a couple of pizzas before the race was over.

What really got my attention was Trevor Bayne’s mother. When asked about her son winning, she teared up and said, “We said a prayer beforehand and I asked God to help him just finish the race. This is so exciting, he’s worked so hard at this since he was very young.”

Now what exactly do you give a 3 year old who wants to be a NASCAR driver other than a spanking?

The Teenage Eating Machine was always a fan of Dale, Jr. but I never let him get over 55 mph when I was teaching him to drive. And then, I nearly had a heart attack. I can’t image being excited at the prospect of him driving over 200 mph while tailgating another racer around the track.

The Teenage Eating Machine’s first wreck

So, Stephanie Bayne, was Trevor racing golf carts by the time he was was 4? Did he break the sound barrier by 7? How young can you actually be to get a “hardship/racing” permit? Just curious.

Oh what the heck, let’s take another look at the Teenage Eating Machine and those goofy pants.

Try to keep it under 100 mph will you, TEM?

All photos used, other than TEM’s, were labeled public domain and taken off the Internet in good faith.

Spreading laughter throughout the world,

Mikie Baker
www.mikiebaker.com