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Remember those elementary school field trips to the Capitol building in Lansing we all took in fourth or fifth grade?  At some time during the tour of the white-domed building, the docent would point out our state seal emblazoned on the flag and read the Latin words which make up Michigan's motto - "E Pluribus Unum." 

Quick, who can remember what that means?

The answer: If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.  Well, that's the loose translation anyhow.

After looking at the cover of this year's first issue of the MARC Times Racing News and Michigan Racing Scene, it became apparent to me it might be a quality idea to recommend Governor Granholm consider revising the motto on our state seal.  After all, very few Michiganders know Latin - isn't it a "dead" language?  It may also be something positive she could do for the state for a change.

We can already assume our peninsulas are "pleasant."  Any of us who have spent more than a year or so here know that to be true. So, I'm proposing we change the phrase on the flag to reflect what every short track racing fan in the Great Lakes State already knows:

If you seek an awesome race track, look about you!

They're all over the place.  There's not a fan in the state that couldn't satisfy his or her need for speed on a Friday or Saturday night at one of the many, many facilities.  In fact, after reviewing the map and the State's track locations; it appears Lower Peninsula fans are within an hour's drive of a quality short track experience regardless of where in the mitten they live.

We're fortunate fans! 

Shortly after Owosso, Dixie, Auto City and Spartan Speedways announced their proposed rule adaptations to attract drivers to the four tracks, I commented on the cooperative effort in a blog on the fan racing web site Rowdy.com.  I mentioned it would be great under this new rules program for both fans and drivers to have their choice of four tracks on a Friday or Saturday night all within a 100 or so miles of each other.  Four choices!

After I posted that note, a fan from Texas responded stating she was jealous we even had two tracks within 100 miles of each other.  She indicated a 150 mile drive to just one track was her only option.  I guess even the drives are "bigger" in Texas!

And, while in today's economic times, Michigan doesn't offer much for the rest of the country to envy, our proximity to great race tracks certainly must be near the top of the country's jealousy list. 

I for one offer them all a hearty "Nah, Nah!"

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