IN MY DREAMS

by Tim Winker

Ever dream of driving for the Ferrari Formula One team? I hadn’t until last night, when some combination of nocturnal REM and stored memories kicked in:

I had been selected to drive for the Ferrari Formula One team (no idea who else was on the team).
The team manager (I assume Jean Todt, but you know how dreams are, it could have just as easily been Linda Vaughn) took me for a slow lap of the track. I remember only a small portion: a downhill left, short straight, left-right chicane, short straight, and an uphill left.

The cars were sitting on the pre-grid, engines off, and the drivers were getting in, preparing to practice. Jean Todt took me out to my car, which for some reason took awhile to locate. The pedals were up around my knees, so the mechanics would be required to alter the car to accommodate my size.

Finally I was on the track. A bit ragged going through the same section described above... I had the left tires barely in the grass on the left part of the chicane. The car ahead of me was on fire. I slowed and checked my mirrors. My car was on fire, too! Since the workers at one station would be busy extinguishing the blaze in the car ahead, I kept going to the next station, just before the uphill left. As I pulled off I could feel the heat through my drivers suit. I hopped out and rolled in the sand, quickly extinguishing the flames.

In the next scene, I was back in the pits, talking with Jackie and Paul Stewart, expressing my concern that my car might be too damaged to run in the race. "They’ll find you a car," said Jackie. "They’re hoping you’ll write about the experience."

And so I have.

Tim Winker

Copyright 1999, Land O'Lakes Region.
Last revised: May 8, 1999