Ask Ping
Ping, do you think RC will ever race again? Almost all the great racers in the past that have retired have harbored illusions of again achieving greatness, once they've had time to reflect that hanging around the crib isn't all that. Personally, I think racers shouldn't retire until age 65.
Sincerely,
Hammer. Grasonville MD.
Dear Hammer, Look for the crowd, Hammer. photo: Scott Taylor
Ricky raced last weekend. He is going to be racing quite a bit this summer on dirt bikes and in a stock car. Frankly, I’m surprised you weren’t aware of all this because between Carmichael and McGrath jumping into car seats and our own NASCracker aficionado, Andy Bowyer, we’ve been covering car racing more thoroughly than a Carolina newspaper. If you want to see Ricky race go to the New Smyrna, FL car track—he’s the one with the huge crowd of people around him.
PING
Hey Ping,
Can you tell me why Kamakazi pilots wore helmets?
Andy Munro. Cypress TX
We'll never know...
Dear Andy,
After researching your query on Google and at my local VFW, I’m afraid I can only offer my own opinion, and nothing definitive. Accounts vary and details on the web were sparse but I believe in the very general and simple rule is that people are stupid. If your best war tactic is to yard-dart yourself into your enemy, then you might not be firing on all cylinders, if you know what I mean. It wouldn’t surprise me if those people wore helmets around all the time, like kids that ride the short bus to school. I’ll add your question to my list of things that I’ve resolved to have answered before I die. Others include:
Why do rappers wear beanies in the summer?
What is another word for synonym?
Is Disney World a people-trap that is run by a mouse?
Does a quarter horse only have one leg?
And if a cross-eyed man had dyslexia, would he be able to read okay?
If you can help me with any of these questions I would really appreciate it.
PING
Hi, I'm Corey and I have a question: Why do kids who don't ride motocross have no respect for those who do? A lot of kids at my school make fun of me and say "Motocross isn't a sport, it's the same as racing your friend on a bike in the neighborhood, only you don't pedal." I know this isn't true and try to tell them that motocross takes a lot of strength and coordination to be good, but they usually say something like "All you do is sit and ride around," and then make up a stupid joke about it. Please help me prove to them that motocross is a sport and a good one too.
Corey Radcliff. Cary, NC
Dear Corey,
Hi, I’m David and I have an answer. I’ll tell you why kids say that kind of crap: Because they are stupid. Not you, of course, I mean all the other kids. I know this is kind of a running theme for this week’s column but I’m just bombarded with ignorance every time I leave me house. You just tell your booger-eating, crap-faced, stick-and-ball loving friends to come out to a track or even an open field with a few big jumps or a set of whoops. Give them your helmet and gear and tell them to give it a try since it is “so easy.” Be sure to have your local hospital on speed dial, plus more insurance than Lindsey Lohan’s next movie producer. After they eject from the bike—and they will eject sooner or later—be sure to run over to them, point right in their face and start laughing. That is really important. Good luck, C-Rad.
PING
Something on your mind? Do you think Ping can help? Email him at letters@racerxill.com.
