ALEX WHO?!?!?!

By now you have probably heard the news that Alex Bowman will be driving the 88 car in 2018.  I am so excited to hear this news because I am Alex Bowman's biggest fan!

I bet you don't know anyone else who can say they are a Bowman fan, let alone his biggest fan!  Let me tell you my Alex Bowman story ....

Several years ago we were at the race in Dover.  We always meet up with the same people every year there, and one of our traditions is to put $5 in the hat and pull a driver's name.  Winner of the race wins the pot.  I hardly ever win anything (although one year I did win $100 when I pulled Jimmie Johnson's name!) because usually the guy whose name I pull is out of the race within the first 100 laps!  It's kind of a standing joke actually.  Well, this one time we were pulling our names and I reached into the hat and pulled out - you guessed it - Alex Bowman!!  WHO?!?!  I really thought the guy who puts the pool together was pulling a fast one on me!  "C'mon man!  This isn't even a real guy!" I said.  No, they assured me, he is a real guy.  He drives the #7 car for Tommy Baldwin Racing. So, of course, I had to check this out and see for myself!

By golly, there he was!  Of course that day he only ran a very small part of the race, but from that point on ALEX BOWMAN was on my radar!

Fast forward to last year when Alex Bowman was called up to drive the 88 car while Jr. recuperated from his concussion syndrome.  And Alex does really well.  Really well!  But he still doesn't seem to be rising to Big Star level.  I saw him at Charlotte last fall walking through the garage area, and no one paid any attention to him (except me, of course!) which never happens when a driver is walking thru that area.  There are ALWAYS groupies trailing them, seeking autographs or photos.  But not for Alex!  No one even did a double take (except me, of course!)

At least Claire B. Lang recognized him and got an interview!

I finally got the chance to meet Alex at Richmond.  He was doing a Q & A, and even then, not very many people stopped what they were doing to come see him (except me, of course!)  I think I acted like a 10 year old at a Justin Bieber concert!!  I probably even scared him a little bit!  He was very gracious and even let Hubby snap a quick photo.  Made this old lady's day!

So there you have my Alex Bowman story!  Next year when everyone is all excited about this "new kid," I'm going to be able to say "Yeah, well I knew him when ... and I really am his biggest fan!!"

TOP FIVE FUN THINGS TO DO IN CHARLOTTE

I hope some of you who are reading this post are camping at Charlotte this week for the All-Star race and the 600 next weekend.  If you have never been to Charlotte, you need to put this trip on your Nascar bucket list!

A visit to this area is like a pilgrimmage to the Nascar holy lands!  And I don't think you even really need to be a big fan to have a great time here.  Hubby and I have been here twice (and both time we brought a hurricane with us!!) and we really love the area.  Here are our Top 5 Things To Do in Charlotte:

1.  NASCAR HALL OF FAME

So many cool things to see here!  And not everything is a car or an engine, although there is plenty of that.  You can also see things like Junior Johnson's still that he used to make the moonshine which was the reason the old guys started racing back in the day.

One of the things I appreciated most here was all the great rocking chairs they have on every floor - think Cracker Barrel's porch.  Lots of spouses choose to hang out here while their S. O. finishes looking at the exhibits.

Check the schedule for the drivers' appearance too.  It is a great place for a casual and personal Q & A.

2.  RCR SHOP

Especially if you have a Dale Earnhart fan with you, this place is a Must See!  There are lots and lots of #3 cars on display here.  Some of the other more interesting things here are a brief history of the relationship between Dale and Richard,

the Childress hunting trophy room that puts Cabela's to shame, and if you time it right you might get a chance to say 'Hello' to Chocolate Myers while he does his Sirius XM radio show!

3.  THE CHILDRESS WINERY

I would recommend going to the RCR shop in the morning and then heading over to his winery for a lovely lunch!  We did the wine tasting first, and can I just say .... delicious!  This is a gorgeous spot to spend a few hours.  And be sure to pick up a few bottles of wine to take home.  I highly recommend their special white wine called simply "3".  It is an easy drinking white wine - not too sweet and not too dry.  And the '3' on the label is the same style as the 3 on Dale's race car, so if you know anyone who was a big 3 fan, this would be a fantastic gift!

4.  HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SHOP

You don't have to be a Hendrick fan to appreciate this place (although if you ARE a Hendrick fan, you willed be WOW-ed!)

There are two truly unique things to see here.  Be sure to look around the grounds (which are immaculate, by the way!) and see the fitness facility!  There is no doubt why everyone affiliated with this team is in tip-top shape!

And perhaps my most favorite thing at all of the shops we visited was the beautiful fountain that Mr. Hendrick had built in memory of the family and team members who were killed in a plane crash leaving the Martinsville track.  It is somber and moving and very meaningful, a truly beautiful tribute to those special people and to the faith that sustains them.

And last, but certainly not least ...

5.  RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS

Take a giant step back in time, and plan to spend a few hours here!  You will see Petty's original garage, complete with that 'garagey' smell - you know the one I mean.  It smells just like your grandpa's workshop used to smell.  

There is just so much to see here -- there is a great video about the King and his wife and how they built their family life.  There is display case after display case of the all the things he collected over the years.  Whenever it was possible, he bought the 43rd of a series.  And something unique to this shop is the kids' corner!  It is a great little spot with toy cars and other race stuff for the kiddos to play with while you look around.  And then there is this ...

HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?

Be sure to keep your eyes open for The King himself!  He hangs out here alot and will gladly snap a photo with you.  We saw him drive in in his super cool black Mustang, but he hurried off to a meeting the day we were there.  But we did catch a glimpse of him!

And I would also add to be sure to visit the shop of your favorite driver.  You can see all the team's trophies and buy some souvenirs too!

Have you been to Charlotte?  If you have, what was your favorite place to visit?

CHARLOTTE & MATTHEW - NOT A LOVE STORY!

Well, we are back safe & sound from 9 crazy, fun, interesting and WET days in Charlotte, NC!  We did so many interesting things, met some phenomenal people, and saw so many amazing things that I don't know where to begin to tell you all about it!

But today's installment of our adventures has to be about the story that dominated everything, the whole week long - Hurricane Matthew!

When we left on our trip on Sunday the 2nd of October the forecast called for gorgeous weather - sunny and in the upper 70s all week long, including both race days.  And the closer we got to race day, the more grim the forecast became.  Hurricane Matthew was originally not supposed to impact the Charlotte area.  WRONG!

We woke up during the night on Thursday night to the sound of rain on the roof of the RV.  And not just any rain, hurricane like rain.  And so it began ...

Thankfully, we were camping at the former Tom Johnson's campground (which is now part of CMS property) and we were parked on gravel that drained really well.  The same cannot be said for the hearty souls who like to camp in the infield.  This, combined with the past few races at Dover in torrential rains, is why we will NEVER camp on grass at any track ever again.  Ever.

We sat in the camper formulating Plan B for Race Day #1.  And we were going to need it!

We had visited as many museums and race shops as I could take (Hey!  I never claimed to be THAT big a race fan!) so I really just wanted to go someplace fun and non-race related.  Hubby - who is the guy who picks up maps and brochures everywhere we go - got busy doing some true armchair tourist research and he suggested this place - The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery.  

I am so glad we found this place!  It is a true German-style brauhaus, with some really authentic German cuisine.  And the beer!  SO good!  This was my lunch for the day (and my afternoon snack for the next day too!)

We tried 6 different beers and left with three six-packs to share with our daughters and sons-in-law who are the real beer lovers in our family!  I'm sure they wish I could have brought home some of this meat and cheese plate too!

It was a great way to spend a few rainy hours on a Friday afternoon!

The rain continued the rest of the day and all night long on Friday.  And it was a wind-driven rain which meant there was no way we could put the awning out and sit outside.  So we did some reading, some napping, and alot of tv watching, hoping that the sun would come out tomorrow.

Well, the Nascar gods were not with us on Saturday either.  Thank goodness for college football on television!  The wind and the rain continued and even got worse.  We tried to take advantage of a little break in the downpours and go for a short walk, only to have to turn around and go back inside. All of Saturday's track action was also cancelled, which meant that the night race we were so looking forward to was now going to be a double-header day race.  Oh well.  With all of the folks who were dealing with damage to their homes, we had no right to complain.

Late Saturday afternoon, I opened the camper door to see if it was still raining and guess what greeted me ...

It was a beautiful rainbow, too!  I could see both ends of the arc over the campground.  No pot of gold, but still a great sign!!  We had a few more showers, and then I saw this ..

This is what the edge of a hurricane looks like!  Pretty cool, huh?!  So while the weather was awful, it was also beautiful in its own special way.

And once we were sure that the rain was outta here, all the campers with cabin fever slowly emerged from their cocoons, and the Matthew Survival party began!  I'll tell you all about that and all the crazy campers we met in my next installment!

FELLOW FANS WHO BECOME FRIENDS!

When we go to the race at Dover and at Richmond, we treat ourselves to seats in a suite.  We don't take long trips to exotic islands, so this is how we vacation.

Suites are interesting places.  Some of the people there are HUGE Nascar fans.  They come with their Sharpies and all kinds of things they want to get autographed.  I have seen motorcycle helmets, various pieces of clothing, and even a very large framed photo of a corn maze in the image of Joey Logano!

Lots of the seats in the suites are purchased by corporations who send their star employees to the race as a reward for jobs well done.  Some of these people don't have a clue what a race is all about.  I get a particular kick out of watching these people become Nascar fans right before my eyes!

But my very favorite part of the 'suite life' is all the incredibly interesting people we meet!  Being there a few hours before the green flag waves allows us the chance to strike up a conversation with total strangers.  Nascar is the only thing we know we have in common, but by the time the checkered flag is in the air we have made new friends with whom we discover we have LOTS in common!

This past weekend at Richmond was one of those special weekends. And I want to introduce you to the incredibly interesting people we met ---

First there was the retired couple from Virginia who are both longtime Nascar fans.  They have been coming to Richmond for many, many years!  They entertained us with stories about the track long ago when they sat in wooden bleachers and when they camped right next to the helicopter landing pad. Their young sons would hang out when the copters landed and get drivers' and owners' autographs.

On the other side of us was a couple from Pennsylvania.  We traded stories about our mutual camping escapades and discovered that we had alot in common.  The funniest story of the weekend came from her when she told us about getting on what she thought was a track shuttle bus.  Turns out it was a limo bus that was taking the 48 crew to the infield!  She realized she was on the wrong bus when security came on board and asked to see everyone's hard card.  She was so embarrassed!  But the guys on the bus were so very nice, and the security guy called for a golfcart to take her back where she needed to be!  Her telling of the story had us laughing until we cried!

We also met one of the gentlemen who worked in the suite and in a conversation with him we learned the story of his childhood, growing up as a sharecropper's son in poverty-stricken rural Virginia. He said when he would go to someone's house who had running water and indoor plumbing all he wanted to do was take a bath.  What a great perspective he has on life's littlest blessings.

Do you remember me telling you about the Happy Nascar Wife I met last year?  If not, you can read about her here:  http://nascarwifehappylife.blogspot.com/2015/09/happiest-nascar-wife-possibly-ever.html  Well Jen and her husband Eric were back again this year!  It was great to catch up with them and see new pictures of their gorgeous children.  And guess what Jen's birthday present is for this year .... she is going to do the driving experience at Richmond!  She is SO nervous!!  I really wish I lived closer and could go to watch her.  Something tells me she will have alot to say when she climbs out of that race car!!

And finally, Hubby and I got to meet a Nascar friend I made through his Facebook page several years ago.  Paul runs the Nascar Infield/RV Camping Forum page.  If you don't follow it, you should!  It is about so much more than infield camping.  Paul lives in California but made a two week roadtrip - more like a pilgrimmage! - that started at Michigan and ended at Richmond.  He and some friends combined their love of Nascar with their love of eating and visited stops that were featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  Check out Paul's page and tell him I sent you!

A Rose Between Two Thorns!  HAHA!!

And with all that socializing I still managed to see two races!  The Xfinity race was not so great, but the Saturday night Cup race?!  Now that was a RACE!

Have you ever met anyone at a race who you became friends with?  If so, I'd love for you to tell me all about it!!

RICHMOND BOUND!

We are getting the RV ready to hit the road and head to Richmond next weekend.  Last fall was our first trip to this amazing track, and we had such a great time we decided to head back again this fall.

We camp about 45 minutes away at the Fredericksburg KOA, however we have heard that the camping at the track is pretty great too.  We usually choose to stay a short distance away from the track, just because we like a little more room and peace & quiet.  But that's just us ...

When we visit RIR we treat ourselves to one of the very best hospitality options in all of racing -- the Torque Club!  Talk about FIRST CLASS!!

I mean what's not to love about a place that serves milk and cookies as a nighttime snack during the race?!?!  For cookie monsters like me, that pretty much seals the deal!

This suite is huge -- as in two bars (woot woot!!), a large sofa area with big screen tv's for socializing and multiple tv's throughout.  But my favorite feature of this experience is that you get a seat outside in the grandstands for watching the race!  You are free to come and go as you please, which is also really nice during cautions or red flags.  It is also a nice option when it is raining or as stinkin' hot as it has been this summer.    

RIR also makes a donation to a local church in exchange for volunteers who act as hosts and hostesses in the suite.  They are the greatest people too!  Last year we made friends with the man who was working in the area where we were seated.  He was such a character!  We loved his laugh, which he shared freely, and he was also a great resource for us during our first time at the track.  He made sure we took advantage of every opportunity afforded to us.  I sure hope he is back at the same spot this year!!

Richmond also had (and hopefully still HAS) the best Fan Zone I have ever seen!!  They had a whole section geared to the kids, with things like a whole science building where they could learn about things like speed and friction, all while playing with race cars, and a petting zoo!  It is a very large area, almost like a high-end amusement park!

The racing is usually pretty great -- I sure love a night race!  There is just something about the nighttime that makes it seem so much more fun ... kinda like a Friday night high school football game.  

I sure hope you will put Richmond on your Nascar Bucket List!  I promise you, you won't be sorry!!

RANDOM THOUGHTS ...

I feel like I need to apologize to those of you who have become regular readers!  Lots of you check in with me every week to see what's on my Nascar mind and I haven't had much to say lately.  You see, I usually wait for something noteworthy or controversial or new to happen and then I write about that. And it just seems like 2016 has been a pretty 'quiet' year!  Nothing really stirring the pot, but I do have a few random thoughts to share ....

Dale Jr., Concussions, and Jeff Gordon ...

Having had a daughter who sustained a concussion during her college athletic career, I know firsthand how scary a concussion can be.  Multiple concussions are just plain dangerous.  And they get more dangerous the more of them you get and the older you are.  I am sure Jr. doesn't want to retire, but he really needs to consider the toll the sport is taking on his brain.  Unless he WANTS to be a vegetable when he is 60 ...

And I wonder what Ingrid, Jeff Gordon's wife, thinks about his getting behind the wheel again.  When I heard him speak at Dover he said that she was patiently waiting for his broadcasting gig to come to an end in a few weeks so that they could start to do all the things he promised her they would do as a family.  So - family vacation in Paris, the phone rings, and hubby is goin' racin'.  I'm thinking he might be sleeping on the couch!  No Happy Wife in that family I'm guessing!

Empty Stands, Ticket Prices & Rule Changes

There is no denying it -- there are LOTS of empty seats at these races.  Lots.  Even this weekend at Watkins Glen, which they kept saying was a sellout, looked like there were a bunch of empty seats. There are all kinds of discussions about why that is.  Some fans don't like the rule changes, but I think you can't argue the fact that the racing has been alot more fun this year.  Some say they can't afford to go to the races, but the tracks that we go to have some pretty amazing deals on ticket packages.  I think it probably has more to do with the fact that TVs are so big and the pictures are so good that people are choosing to watch from home.  

Wait Til You Hear! ...

...what we are going to do next week!  We are taking a short trip to the Watkins Glen area of New York and Hubby plans to drive his GMC truck around the track!  I'm not sure if I will be riding shotgun or if I will be the official videographer, but whatever I do, I will be sure to share it with you here, so stay tuned and check back often!

HOW TO MAKE A NASCAR FAN

There has been a lot of talk lately about the future of Nascar and what can be done to get young people interested in our sport.  Tracks are trying all kinds of marketing strategies to draw in the younger crowd - things like concerts (by artists my generation has never heard of! Haha!!) and reduced price tickets for college students and kids who come with their parents.

I discovered a very easy and fun way to make a new Nascar fan, and I am going to share it with you in the hopes that you will do the same and before we know it we will have a whole new generation of fans!

Awhile ago, I introduced you to my friend from college, Wowzee.  (In case you missed that post, you can read it now:  http://nascarwifehappylife.blogspot.com/2016/04/wowzee-wow.html )  Well, Hubby and I went to Wowzee's house last Saturday night to watch the race from Kansas.  We were so happy when we got there and learned that her son Jon and his girlfriend Kristen were going to hang out with us!  It might have been the food, or okay, the beer, but I choose to believe they wanted to be with us on a Saturday night because we are just so darned fun!!!

Kristen is such a cutie and it didn't take her long to come clean with us -- she is not a sports person. At all.  Not football, not basketball, not baseball.  And definitely NOT Nascar!  She didn't know a single driver's name, but we cut her a break because she just graduated from college in December so she has been a little preoccupied.

As we watched driver intros, we were telling her who the key players are.  Then she saw Kyle Busch in his M&M firesuit, and Kristen boldly declared "I LOVE M&M's! THAT is my guy!"  As the race got underway we told her that everyone should have a 'back-up guy', you know, just in case a lug nut comes off or something (wink-wink!).  She studied the cars for a lap or two and then she said, "Is that a Jimmy Johns car?!  I LOVE Jimmy Johns too!!  That's gonna be my backup guy!"

Well, do you remember how the race ended?  Yup, M&M's won and Jimmy Johns finished #2!!!  And now, Nascar has a new, really big fan!  Simple as that!!

When we left the party, Kristen was trying to convince Jon to take her to Dover on Sunday to see a race in person!!  If you are going to be there, keep an eye out for them.  She will be the one wearing an M&M's t-shirt, so she should be easy to spot! LOL!!