[Shotimes] kids say the darnedest things

[van Oss]

My son David, looking at a race engine photo in Hot Rod, asked me why its 
plumbing and wiring seemed so simple and clean compared with the rat's nest 
underhood of our family cars.

I explained that a lot of race cars operate within a much, much narrower 
range of conditions than street cars, so they only have to do a few things 
well, while street engines have to handle a wide range of weather, load, and 
other conditions.

He answered that European rallye racing is probably as close as formal 
racing comes to the conditions "real" cars face.  I told him he probably was 
right, and I was proud of him for thinking that through.

VO