Hi!!
Up until 2001, if you had asked me what I thought about NASCAR racing,
I would probably have told you....B O R I N G ! How could anyone
be interested in watching cars going around and around and around in CIRCLES???????????????????????
LOL!! Well... I've been BITTEN and BITTEN BIG TIME!! Now, I
can't get enough of it, so bring it on!!
It was the 2001 Daytona 500, that sparked my interested. Regretfully,
that was the tragic day in NASCAR history when Dale Earnhardt crashed on
the last lap as his car's driver, Michael Waltrip and his son, Dale Earnhardt,
Jr crossed the finished line 1-2 in front of him. It was Michael
Waltrip's first career victory, but his celebration was short lived as
the death of an icon spread through victory lane and the garage.
Those that had seen the wreck just could not understand how Dale could
be gone.....
From that day, my interest grew, but remained on the surface. It
wasn't until August 2002 that the racing bug bit hard, and I do mean HARD!
My sister, Laura and her husband, Seymore, had volunteered for years at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway to serve box lunches at both the Indy 500 and
Brickyard 400 races. In 2002, they asked if I would like to volunteer
at the Brickyard 400 race. I thought, sure, be a chance to see a
race at no cost!! Boy, was I WRONG!! Other than catching a
few laps, I worked my fingers to the bone, so to speak. I decided,
never again. I was going to WATCH the race after that. However, those
few laps I did get to see threw my interest in NASCAR into high gear.
I devoured everything I could about the sport. I cheered on Dale
Jr and Mikey.
In 2003, along with Laura, Seymore, my daughter Ellie and her husband Lee,
and my best friend WolfPup, we purchased tickets for the Brickyard 400
race. We had a BLAST!!!! Although we didn't really see much
of the race itself from our seats and I was a little disappointed in that.
Enough to say that I would only attend practice/qualifying on Friday and
Saturday in 2004. Well.... I couldn't resist, the bug bit me
again. Long story short, not only did I go Friday and Saturday and
to Sunday's race, but also to the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series
races at Indianapolis Raceway Park. I have also attended the September
11, 2004 night race at Richmond International Raceway, in Richmond, VA.
This was the last race before the inaugural Chase for the Championship
races. So it was an exciting night!!
You can view pix from all
the races I have attended at the below links!
My NASCAR trips:
Dodge
Day at Indianapolis Monument Circle - August 4, 2005
Allstate
400 at the Brickyard - August 5, 2005
Allstate
400 at the Brickyard - August 6, 2005 - Album 1
Allstate
400 at the Brickyard - August 6, 2005 - Album 2
Allstate
400 at the Brickyard - August 7, 2005
Chevy
Rock 'n Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway - September 10, 2005
- Album 1
Chevy
Rock 'n Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway - September 10, 2005
- Album 2
