Search...
Username
Password
This week’s column involves a confession, which I’m sure will not surprise many of you. I’m confused. Try as I might to truly grasp the Tommy Baldwin Racing/Stewart-Haas Racing collaborative partnership announced this week, I’m still scratching my head regarding the finer details. Sure, the generic hand wave of an announcement I can process, but dig too deep and I’m confused as hell.
Imagine a NASCAR fan opens the refrigerated case to grab a Monster Energy drink while standing in the line at the grocery store. As he reaches for the liquid fuel in a can, he pauses. Remembering last week’s big announcement, the fan grabs a bottled water instead. A few minutes later, a woman wearing an M&M’s hat enthusiastically throws not one but two Monster Energy drinks into her grocery basket while remembering the very same announcement.
My January issue of NASCAR Illustrated had been neglected since it arrived in the mail. With Snowmageddon crippling the Pacific Northwest, I enjoyed a moment of stillness and sat to read it cover to cover. No driving kids to school. No sports practices. Spotty electricity and internet. Today was the day I finally liberated Tiny Tony from between those glossy pages and adopted him into our happy family.
One of the many simple joys in my life is a fabulous cup of coffee – a drop that hits the taste buds and whisks me into immediate and complete relaxation. With an ideal balance of cream and sugar, all my hopes for the day are exceeded in an effortless caffeine-laden sip. Preseason Thunder at Daytona is like that perfect sip of coffee.
Some drivers have a distinctive style. Scott Speed comes to mind as a driver who is always modern with an edgy urban flair. Yet few drivers have ever been more universally recognizable in their “signature look” than legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Being household names with easily identifiable accessories made the two NASCAR icons the perfect subjects for fun fan impersonations.
I was trying hard to read a magazine article titled “Ten Great Christmas Gifts” in the airport, but the conversation of the couple sitting across from me in the Las Vegas terminal was just far more interesting. So, in the spirit of great eavesdropping, my magazine served as a decoy while I strained intensely to hear every word of the conversation. It became clear what brought this couple to Vegas was the same thing which brought me – NASCAR. And with that knowledge, I put down the magazine, introduced myself, and jumped right into a champions’ week conversation.
LAS VEGAS – My expectation was that NASCAR’s Champion's Week would shimmer and shine like the sequins on a Vegas showgirl. In reality, Sin City seemed to swallow up the celebration.
NASCAR fans will flood to Las Vegas this week to celebrate what was most definitely a memorable season. Despite the vast amount of shows and buffets on The Strip, there is only one place for the true die-hard racing fan this Thursday. The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will be the spot for the very candid and often comical NASCAR After The Lap. NASCAR After The Lap is an event specifically for fans. Structured as a question-and-answer session, it features the top 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. The unfiltered format gives fans a glimpse into the real personality of those drivers with their off-the-cuff answers and light-hearted jabs.
I’m absolutely not superstitious. My only gripe with black cats is they make me sneeze and not being supermodel height means ladders are my friends whether I’m standing on the rungs or walking under them.
The penultimate race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Season takes place Sunday at newly reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway. Here's what is on tap for fans heading to PIR this weekend:
