Fireworks at Blue Chip Stadium

It sounded like in Belfast in the early 90's last night. People were celebrating Guy Fawkes all around the city by lighting fireworks in their driveways. The news was filled with tales of houses burning to the ground all morning.

What fun it is to live in a country that celebrates a man who tried to set Parliament on fire in 1605! Hooorah! Each year there are fires, injuries and even deaths.... yet the tradition carries on. Heck, it's TRADITION! Now that Guy Fawkes is over, the fireworks have gone on sale... which means we have another week of nightly festivities. My cat will never come home.

Don't even get me started! This country confuses me.

But I do enjoy some good fireworks... but I'd rather leave it to the professionals. Last weekend Brian and I took the girls to the speedway at the Blue Chip Stadium. We walked from our house (last year it took us nearly two hours to get OUT of the parking lot) which took us about 20 minutes and we enjoyed the thrill of the races the moment we entered the gates.

I LOVE car racing! My mother used to race Austin Minis before I was born and that's where she met my father... so I think it's in my blood. I love the sound and the energy. I love the noise and the speed. It gets me really excited and it brightens my worst day. This particular speedway is great because the cars race around a clay track and they slide around the corners with clay flying everywhere! It's awesome. There are different types of race cars and they even have a couple of races for kids between the ages of 12-16 (they drive those cute little cars in the photo). It's fun for the whole family.

They have races every weekend at the stadium but on Guy Fawkes Day the stadium is always packed because people come to see the fireworks at the end of the races. It's a fun thing to do with the family for $45.

Chantelle LOVES the races too. I enjoy watching her. She is absolutely entranced by it - and she gets right into it when her car is winning. If we could afford it, I think she would really enjoy getting into it when she's a little older. We just need to find a her a sponsor. Heck, I'd enjoy it too! Two sponsors - anyone??

Did you know that Tiger Wood's caddy - Steve Williams - is an Amateur racer? Did you realize he's a Kiwi? He's back here for the winter (our summer) doing the racing circuit and he won a couple of races the night we were there. He recently got married and Tiger was in New Zealand for the wedding... there were Tiger sightings all over the place. Kiwis don't get excited about celebrities as much as we do in North America. It's funny... the celebrities in this country are the news presenters!

Anyway, here's a video of one of the races (for those of you reading this on facebook, I've posted it in my videos). I tried to capture Chantelle's reaction but she toned it down because she knew I was filming... a door came off one of the cars and was lying on the track which Brian was pointing out to her but she thought it came off "her" car...