Editor:

It’s fun to go to the races. Stock car races are exhilarating, exciting, the kind of thing that gets the heart to pumping a little faster and blows some of the rust out of the pipes. There’s just something about the thunder created by the roar of a field of 3, 4, 500 horsepower machines with the pedal to the metal when the green flag drops and they come out of turn four of the track, that strikes a note in the core of the soul of most any red-blooded American. There’s something there that speaks to our competitive spirit, a nod to the ingenuity, intelligence and craftsmanship that goes into designing and building these machines, and a salute to the skill and daring of the drivers to push their steel horses to the limit.

These are the unique qualities that have defined Americans from the very beginning, and have allowed us to excel in so many different fields of endeavor. Cars are, of course, as American as apple pie – created by the genius of men like Henry Ford. There’s one other important part of this American icon that we dare not forget, one that is quietly understood, but seldom talked about: Freedom. Automobiles opened up a whole new level of freedom to the people of the entire country. You want to go to town, visit your family two states away, go shopping in Minneapolis (hmmm, with what’s all going on there, I don’t know about that one) , or take a trip to Vermont – just jump in the chariot….and GO! It is a real, live, working example of freedom. The contrast is striking where, in some countries, if you want to go visit Aunt Tilda you need permission from the government. Oh, how much we sometimes take for granted here!

There’s probably quite a few young fellows (and even a few girls) who would revel in the glory of winning one of these racing trophies – and even enjoy spending the menial purse that goes along with it. However, it’s one thing to wanting something – but a whole different breed of cat to actually achieving it. There aren’t any of these drivers that got that checkered flag in their hand by simply wanting it. There were years of learning and study behind it.

First off, racing isn’t for dummies. If you’re not smart enough to figure out how to make your wheels go around faster than Joe Blow’s, you’re going to be left in the dust – quite literally. A great deal of intelligence and particular attention to detail goes into the building of one of these machines. A whole truckload of components – and as many variables – go into the design. Just the engine alone has enough equations to numb the mind of the uninitiated: the pistons, timing, balancing, cooling, camshafts, fuel systems, oils, horsepower curves, and a slew of other incidentals. Then there’s steering geometry; weight distribution; tire size, type and pressure; gearing; and a basket full of handling characteristic nuances. Then too, this is more than just academic facts and figures. The trick is to assimilate all these components to complement each other to work together so we don’t end up with an Edsel that is out of sync and out of step with reality. When it’s all put together properly, we have a creation that is both of exceptional function and true beauty.

It may seem like a strange place to do so, but I was pondering all this a few days ago while I was waiting at an appointment at the clinic to see my sawbones. On schedule, he bounced through the door, just bubbling with knowledge about what systems of my body were working, and a whole list of exotic procedures and elixirs to make the ones that weren’t, to work better. The functions and complementing rhythms of the human body are indeed amazing. As I listened to him explain a myriad of organs and parts thereof, and how they worked and interacted with other pieces, it was truly spectacular. I was thinking that, as impressive as all the knowledge, creativity and skill it takes to make one of these screaming-eagle hotrods, this all is as archaic as a Model T – compared to the unfathomable intelligence it took to make the stunningly intricate systems that make up our bodies.

There are, of course, some mental midgets who bypass all of this and tell us this came to be from a big bang in a cloud of dust eons ago. I don’t know about you, but I find this explanation as likely as an explosion in a parts factory and, presto, all of a sudden it morphs into a tire-burning, fire-breathing, race-winning late model stock car. Well, maybe this doesn’t happen right away….perhaps we have to wait a few hundred million years for this to gel. Nope, this doesn’t cut it either. Methinks that by that time all these parts would have rusted into netherland. I think they call this the ‘Scientific Method’ of study, or something.

Thinking on these things, the New Testament apostle noted that, “by him (God) were all things made” and the Psalmist added, we “are fearfully and wonderfully made.” I think I’ll go with that one. Only a being of infinite intelligence and power could make such an intricate creation such as we … and then He even gives us the choice to deny His work of creation and redemption, along with rejecting the freedom from our trespasses and past that He offers each of us.

So I think I’ll continue to enjoy watching the young broncos build these fantastic machines and tear up the racetrack and cheer them on for all their ingenuity and hard work – while at the same time acknowledging the Great God who made it all in the first place. And that makes for a great time!

Jim Hofsommer

Markham