You started off all wrong.
What you should have done is not tell her about the upcoming AX, and on the morning of the AX set the alarm clock for about 4 am.
Then when it goes off, roll over and giver her a nudge and say "honey, sex or autocross?"
She would have replied "don't forget your darned helmet".
You would have been OK because she told you to go.
I do it every time I want to go play golf
