FEATURE
SPRINGSTEEN VS. CARR
P70
"I see a lot of people I've known
my whole life when I come back
to Northern California," Carr said.
"It's kind of like a family reunion in
a ways. And I still get to work too,
so that's cool."
Since he's been retired since
2011, it's been awhile since the
47-year-old Carr had been on an
XR. So what was it like to be back
in the saddle again?
"It was a little nerve wrack-
ing at first," Carr said. "I haven't
been on an XR in three years,
but it came back pretty quick. I
enjoyed myself. That was what it
was about. We were here to en-
tertain. All the feedback is we put
on a good show and that's what
we were here for."
Both Springsteen and Carr
weren't really in shape, but that
didn't stop them from setting
times that would've put them in
the main event – and within a half
of a second of what the top guys
were running in the first heat
race.
"They said that we were fast-
er than the second heat race,"
Springsteen said. "In practice
I was faster than Jared [Mees];
I had two-tenths on him and he
was fast time. And then I only
went five laps."
So they may be old, but they're
not slow. So is a comeback in or-
der?
"Well, like I say, I told every-
body my mind says I can still
race, but my body don't," Spring-
steen said. "You know arthritis…
And I got metal all down my back
and I've pins in my hands and col-
larbones. I said Arthur ain't bad,
but that Ritus… he's a son of a
gun." CN
It was a homecoming of sorts
for Carr, who is originally from
nearby Stockton.
