10

Sunday

When I was but knee-high to my dad’s Le Mans, cars rocked. Not just as a symbol of independence, but as a collection of working parts—the automobile was the toy for boys. Now, faced with the hell of a commute from the ass end of suburbia into the always-snarled District streets, I know the truth: Cars suck. Trucks suck. Drivers suck. Having a car is not at all what I thought it would be—no hyperdrive, no Wookiee co-pilot, and certainly no fun. So when you take your kid to the D.C. Motorsports Expo today, let him (or her) poke around. Let him get in the driver’s seat; let her pretend she’s Jeff Gordon, Shirley Muldowney, or even Han Solo. It just wouldn’t be fair to let your child know the truth: The only time you’ll ever get above 55 ’round these parts is at 2 a.m.—when everything’s closed anyway. The expo revs up from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Capital Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Place, Chantilly. $10. (703) 802-0066. (Mike Kanin)