SANTA ANA, Calif. – For a Disneyland enthusiast who marked his 15,000th spin Monday on an auto-racing attraction inspired by the animated film “Cars,” it's not about winning.

It's about the ride.

Jon Alan Hale said he was eager to try out the Radiator Springs Racers ride at Disney California Adventure after undergoing gastric bypass and knee replacement surgeries in 2010 and 2011. He said he quickly found himself hooked on the ride, which debuted in 2012, and began tracking his races in a notebook, jotting down his car's color, lane and whether he wins or loses.

“I fell in love with the ride,” said the television technician from Brea, California.

Hale said he started carrying a sign to mark every hundredth ride, and remembered how Disneyland workers clapped when he reached 1,000.

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