Greenflagsupforsportsfansat NASCARrace

I know a NASCAR race does not exactly fit in with the other three events but I have always wanted to see a race. Every time I have seen it on television, there are always so many people in the stands and so much noise and action going on that I thought it would be better to see in person.

RON D'ORAZIO

The smell of oil burning, the hiss of the tires smoking and the roar of 43 engines can mean only one thing: the start of the race.

I first heard the sounds of a race when I went to the track at Dover Downs to see a NASCAR race.

As many of you know, I am a passionate sports fan and follow almost all of the professional sports. Hockey is my favorite above all others but I do have interest in the other pro sports. With my fanship come dreams of witnessing certain sporting events in person, such as the Super Bowl, the last game of the Stanley Cup, the World Series, and a NASCAR race.

I admit that I have never been a real racing fan, but I thought it would be a good idea to broaden my sports knowledge and absorb a new experience.

Well, low and behold, my roommate, a big racing fan, got a ticket for me for the Dover Downs race on Sept. 26, 1998. I had finally received a chance to experience something that people have told me is like nothing I have ever seen.

My roommate and I gathered all the necessities-like food and drinks-to enjoy the race and started our trip to Dover, Del.

The Dover track, unlike any other arena I have ever been in, allowed the spectators bring in coolers as Jong as they were a certain height and did not contain any weapons. Alcohol and food are allowed into the stadium.

The outside of the acrual arena reminded me of a fair, with many trailers full of racing merchandise. Thousands of people were parading around buying earphones, souvenirs or beverages of their choice. Some souvenirs at the race consisted of tires, steering wheels and other parts of the drivers' cars.

Imagine taking the tire of your favorite race car driver home to put in the living room.

After walking around the arena, we found our seats and waited for the start of the race. We were seated and ready as the drivers fired up their engines and threw the cars into full gear. The sound of the race starting was comparable to a few dozen shotguns going off at the same time (Yes, I have heard a shotgun go oft).

The start of the race seemed to incite all 156,000 racing fans, many of whom were guzzling down beers. I have never seen so many people indulging in alcohol at one time. The atmosphere and the sound were just incredible. I could not even hear myself think between the crowd's roar and the noise from those cars.

Once the first 10 or so laps went by, most of the fans sat down to enjoy the race. My favorite driver, Mark Martin, was leading for most of the race. The race was slowed six or seven times because of cautions, which usually happens when cars crash into each other or the walls.

About midway through the race, a black-flag penalty was charged to defending NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon for having an illegal car part, and much of the Gordon-hating crowd went nuts.

In the end, after 400 fast-paced laps and almost three hours, the crowd stood on its feet and cheered as the witnessed a win by Martin over Gordon, the second-place driver, and 41 other cars.

Thus started the process of having 156,000 people-many of them drunk by this time-herded out of the arena and into the parking Jot. While waiting to for the NASCAR drivers to leave the lot, we tailgated and played the slot machines at the casino that is adjacent to the arena, another first for me.

Besides being packed into the bleachers, the experience of the race was pretty exhilarating. Although it is not the last game of the Cup Finals or the Super Bowl, I would gladly settle for another trip to the races.

RonD'Oraziois a seniormajoringin English/ communication.Heis oneof Loquitur'ssports edttors.HissouvenirtirefromDaleJarrett's caris nowa lovelytablelamp.

by Chris Nielsen Field

Hockey

Last week was a mixed bag for Cabrini's field hockey team.

The week featured four games in a matter of six days, with the Lady Cavs breaking even at 2-2.

On Tuesday the team was defeated by Marywood by a score of 3-1. That defeat was followed by a 2-0 loss at the hands of Wesley College.

Things rurned around for the better on Friday as Cabrini shut out College Misericordia by a score of 3-0. That important victory was followed by a 3-2 victory over Manhattanville College.

The outstanding player for the Lady Cavs was senior Becky Grabie, who scored three goals last week.

The team ended their busy week with a record of 15-5, including a 9-2 record in Pennsylvania Athletic Conference competition.

Volleyball

Monday night, the Lady Cavs lost to Marywood in their longest game of the season. The team won their first two matches, but couldn't put another one away. They ended up losing their next three in a row in the best of five series against Marywood.

Thursday night, the ladies lost in a road match at Rowan University by a score of 0-3. The team ended the week with a record of 5-15, 2-7 in PAC competition.

Cross Country

Last Sunday, the men's and women's cross country teams competed in the Allentown Invitational. It was a rare Sunday meet for the team, and also their first time on the course.

The top finisher for the men's team was sophomore Jason Bull, who finished 100th in a field of 451 runners with a time of 28:51. He was followed closely by sophomore Dom Staino and first-year srudent Patrick Hutton.

The top finisher for the women's team was sophomore Lauren Dean, who ran a personal-best time of 19:52. She finished in an impressive 26th place out of 461 runners, followed by sophomore Sabrina Smith.

Next weekend, Cabrini will be hosting a home meet at Belmont Plateau. They are currently heavily favored to repeat as champions in the PAC.

Women's Tennis

Last week, the women's tennis team was undefeated in two games, with another game suspended due to darkness.

On Monday, October 12, the team beat Neumann College by a score of 8-1.

Wednesday's game against Eastern College had to be suspended. Cabrini lost the matchup 4-5 on Tuesday during the continuation of the matchup. This all but crushes the Lady Cavaliers' hopes of coming up with a PAC championship this year.

On Saturday, Cabrini shut out Wesley College by a score of 9-0.

The top player for Cabrini last week was freshman Laura Leslie, who went 1-0 at both No. 3 and No. 4 singles and 2-0 at No.2 doubles.

The Lady Cavaliers are done for the regular season this year.

Men's Soccer

Last week, the men's soccer team was undefeated in their continued dominance of the PAC.

On Wednesday, the men won a very important game at Eastern in overtime by a score of 2-1. The winning goal was scored by sophomore John Amerman. Senior Paul Donaghy scored the first goal.

On Saturday, the Cavs defeated Holy Family College by a score of 3-0. Goals for Cabrini were scored by first-year students Mike Braun and Andy Zayas and Donaghy. The team ended the week still undefeated in the PAC with a 7-0 record and a 13-l mark overall.

Women's Soccer

The women's soccer team was 2-0 last week, not allowing their opponents a goal in either game.

On Monday, the team defeated Neumann College by a lopsided score of 4-0.

Thursday's game was a closer contest, with the Lady Cavs emerging victorious by a score of 1-0. The hero of the game was Jess Huda, who had consecutive shutouts. The team finished the week 9-6-1 overall, 4-2 in PAC games.

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