Las Vegas, Nevada

My brother Jeff and I decided to make the two hour drive from Hiko and spend a day in Las Vegas.

We started the day off on the right foot by eating lunch at Outback Steakhouse and putting a dent in the worlds shrimp population. After that, we made a stop at the world famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, better known as the home of the hit tv show Pawn Stars, now in it's 13th season (watch it on the History channel with new episodes Mondays at 10/9c). Unfortunately we arrived just before a segment shoot so we weren't able to make it onto the TV

I quickly learned that there isn't much to do in Vegas if you don't want to spend a lot of money, you aren't a rotten scumbag, and if you haven't planned much ahead of time, but we eventually found ourselves being drawn back onto the streets of competitive go-cart racing. By spending a few bucks we payed for an opportunity to race in at least 3 heats and if we did well enough against our competition, we had a chance to win our money back with a little extra.

Preparing for the races

Jeff was serious about winning and he had plenty of time to scope the field and get a feel for what we were up against, as well as devise a strategy for victory. After a practice run, I found myself in the hot seat as our hope for a chance at eternal glory. Jeff made sure that I could handle the pressure of the moment by putting extra amounts of pressure on me before the races had even begun (I'm not sure I convinced him I could pull through for the team but we stuck to the plan anyway)

Can't touch team Rowley

After a random drawing for carts and lane positions, the competitors made their way to the track for the first of three heats. I was in the middle of the pack while Jeff was put dead last (not what we had hoped for). As the flag was raised, then lowered, then waved, the engines sputted and the tires skidded and we were off. There were spin outs, there were crashes, there was whiplash, there was blood, there were tears. After the first heat, I finished in 4th, Jeff was... somewhere behind me. 

I drew the same cart for the second and third heats and as fate would have it, she was an old clunker that needed some serious time to warm up and get going. The tires were in poor shape too and making left hand turns got me feeling a bit like Derek Zoolander. Jeff got a beauty for the second heat and ended up starting near the front. I had to do everything I could to stay on top of the racers behind me, cutting them off at each turn.  He and the other leaders were way ahead of me and the rest of the pack but I maintained my 4th place position. As Jeff rounded the last corner of the final lap, he saw that I was in the lead of the stragglers and so he pulled to the side in an act of selfless sportsmanship, allowing me to pass him and thus securing me the 3rd spot finish in the second heat.

The final heat saw me once again starting near the rear of the pack with my crap-cart, but with a bit of luck and some help from Jeff, there was a major crash at the start of the race, allowing me and him to pull ahead of the rest of the pack. Sadly, Jeff took a nasty hit later on in the race, spinning him out and getting him hit again and again by other racers, thus taking him out of play for the rest of that race. I knew I had to continue onward without looking back or worrying if he was still alive. It's what he would have wanted me to do. I ended up finishing the heat in 4th place.

Our scores throughout the heats qualified us for the final race. This one was for all the marbles. We had another draw for carts and starting positions and I pulled the best cart by far, the one Jeff had used in the second heat. We were both put in the front of the pack, and at the starting line, we took a look at each other that said we've got this and we both knew what to do. I zoomed ahead in my little cart and Jeff stayed behind to take care of the rest of them, creating a nice comfortable cushion for me to cruise to the win. I didn't get any video of the races, but I'm assuming it must have looked and sounded something like this

#1

Mission accomplished

Victory is mine!  ...thanks for your help Jeff :)

After that experience, I've begun to seriously consider a career in profession cart racing. This is the most money I've made in a month! I believe I've found my calling.

And Jeff found his! We spent a good amount of time at the Bass Pro Shop and after picking up some equipment, Jeff was selected to be an on-the-spot model. He's still waiting for the right time to debut his perfect model hands though. Someday...

He's so hot right now