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You know it's spring when the racetracks start opening up and I had an opportunity to go to the opening at Watkins Glen International. My computer geek buddy Warren Hurd had scored a pass from a radio station contest and decided to "hook a brother up" with a day at the Glen. The package included three paced laps around the track which was Warren's main reason for wanting to go (he'd never been there) so I gladly let him do the driving because everybody should drive the Glen at least once in their life and I'd already done it a time or two.My main reason for being there was the tribute to Mark Donahue by displaying some of the cars that he'd raced during his career. The cars were amazingly restored or kept up and they were all in running condition. After our pace laps Warren and I talked with a guy who used to race and had actually owned one of the Donahue Mustangs for several years.We had a laugh about a group of guys in a pick-up that took some of the fun out of our laps by driving slow like ...well, ...guys in a pick-up truck and went on our way. There were only a handful cars on display but this was definitly a quality over quantity situation.The detailing was outstanding everything was clean and operatonal, they didn't push these cars out there, they drove them and when you consider that the newest of the cars is over 30 years old you couldn't help but be impressed.   Mark Donahue's family came out for the event and posed for some photos as well as spoke with some of the fans. I'm sure that they must be amazed at how many people remember him and came out to see his cars since it's been almost 35 years since the crash that took his life.If they didn't already know, they got a chance to see how much car people appreciate the cars and drivers of their past and how that is truely how legends are made in motorsports.   After the photo session, the real surprise came. They fired up the Indy car gave us a chance to take a stroll down memory lane by letting our ears do the walking. The turbo-charged 4-cylinder wasn't fully dialed in but it was playing sweet music non-the-less and the man standing next to it in the firesuit lead us to believe that this car could be going somewhere. Then they stared firing up the remaing cars (only the Cosworth Ford powered Formula 1 car stayed silent) and they actually took them out on the track for some parade laps! It was spectacular just watching these members of automotive history revisit one of the places where they made their mark. Who knows if we'll ever get another opportunity to see such a thing.   As corny as it may sound, we race fans are grateful to our favorite drivers for giving us the chance to live vicariously through them. Even taking paced laps around Watkins Glen at little more that highway speed, it doesn't take long realize that you are on hallowed ground. Legends were made here, history was made here and many up and coming drivers are working hard to earn a place in that history and become a legend themselves, right here. If racing is in your heart, a few laps around this track can put in your soul and the next time you see a race from the stands or on your TV screen, you'll almost be able feel a car around you as you live the race through your favorite driver. -Dan Davis