For the fourth year, I got to be a corner worker in turn two of the Rock Island Grand Prix. Corner two is probably the highest speed corner on the course as they hit 90mph when they enter the turn. That makes for awesome passes and some pretty scary wrecks.  Certainly draws a crowd.

I saw some awesome racing under great weather.  Being a corner worker though means you are the one responsible for getting the karts (and the drivers) out of the way of a wreck.  A kart sitting in the middle of the track is just a sitting duck.  So we did our job.  Jumped a few hundred bales of hay (and replaced said bales when they got hit).  Dodged dozens of karts.  Had a few close calls.  Saw two flips and one guy helicopter his kart into a barrier.

Through it all, I only suffered one minor injury.  That came when a kart broke something and made a sudden turn into our corner.  I managed to avoid the kart but got clipped by a bale of hay that sent me sprawling.  Only a little bruising and a small amount of blood.  Nothing major.

After driving 3.5 hours home … I get out of the car and pull a muscle.

Irony bites.