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!!

CHAMPAGNE TASTE, BEER POCKETBOOK!

I am on my soapbox today, so I will warn you now.  But I am getting tired of all the comments on Facebook and Twitter from fans who say the seats at the tracks are empty because they are too expensive.

Today I commented back and forth with a woman who bemoaned the fact that every time she goes to a race it costs her $2,000.  She went on to say that she is disabled, she will never be able to take her grandkids to a race, and then she compared her sorry lot in life to "all you rich people" who have season tickets.  I literally screamed out loud!

And me, being one who can't just leave things alone, had to answer her back.  I told her how anyone who really wants to go to a race, can go!  I then proceeded to give her a lesson on how it's done. Then I find out that what she wants to DO when she goes to a race is to have garage passes ($$$) and also to meet Jimmie Johnson in person ($$$$$).  NO WONDER it costs her $2,000!!  So I just stopped the conversation there.

But that got me to thinking ... how cheaply can a race be done?  I have a few tips for anyone who is on a really tight budget that I want to share with all of you.  Hopefully, you will think these ideas are good ones and you will share them with anyone you come across who says they "can't afford NASCAR" anymore!

First of all, you don't need to buy the most expensive tickets.  Buy the best ones you can afford on your budget!  That might mean you don't have the very best spot in the whole place, but there are lots of empty seats so scout out a place where you think you'd like to sit and if there are some empty seats move there after the race has started.  Chances are no one will care.  Or, walk around the stands during the race.  You might see better while you are walking than if you had not-so-great seats.  Also, call the track ticket office and tell them how much you want to spend for tickets.  You might be surprised what you are able to get!  I have also heard of some great deals that people have gotten on Craigslist.  If you are really feeling adventurous, just go to the track on race day and work a deal with one of the people who are trolling the parking lots selling tickets.  They are everywhere, and they will deal!  We went to a race on a whim once and did just that, and we got great seats really cheap! I'm not recommending any one particular method -- try them all for the very best deal!

Secondly, don't stay at a motel within a 50 mile radius of the track!  We are campers, but we almost always stay at a KOA campground that is an hour or two from the track and then just drive in on race day.  KOAs (as well as other campgrounds) all have really nice cabins for rent and depending on the amenities you want, you can stay for less than $100 a night.  And they don't charge more because it is a race weekend.
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Third, take your own food & drink!  This is a real money saver!  Instead of $4 bottles of water and $6 beers you can control exactly how much money you spend.  You don't have to spend one dime on food if you don't want to and you will see the whole race instead of spending time in line at a concession stand.  I know of NO OTHER SPORT, including high school sports!, that allow fans to do this!

And lastly, check out the deals for kids!!  Most the tracks have incredible deals for kids, especially if you buy early.  At Martinsville, a kid's ticket was $10, no matter where you sit!  You can't even go to see a bad movie for that!  And then there is all the really fun AND FREE stuff to do in the Fan Zone... Every kid deserves a trip to a race at least once in their life!

So, NO MORE EXCUSES about not being able to afford to go to a race!!  Get your rear in gear and GO!!!

If you have any other tips or ideas on how fans can afford to go to a race, please leave a comment!  I would love to hear them and share them with the readers!!

WOWZEE WOW!!!

I am so excited to write this post and share this story with you!

As you know, occasionally when I go to a race I meet a Nascar Wife who is having so much fun!  And I love to share their stories with you too!

This Nascar Wife's story is a personal one for me.  She is one of my very best friends.  We met 40+ years ago in college and we were instant friends.  She was the Shirley to my Laverne, the 'Blasting Cap' to my 'Dynamite' - and those were actual nicknames we used to be called!  We had so much fun together and kept each other out of so much trouble too -- but those are stories that are best left in the past!!

As our lives got busy with jobs and families we didn't see much of each other, but once our kids were teenagers we reconnected.  We would see each other several times a year.  Then one day I got a phone call from her.

She had started to participate in a Nascar Fantasy League and she needed my (ok, hubby's!) advice on some picks!  I c-r-a-c-k-e-d up!!

Last fall we convinced her and her hubby (a casual Nascar fan) to come with us to Martinsville.  And they were HOOKED!!

Now, I should tell you that my friend, who I affectionately refer to as Wowzee Wow, or Wowz for short, took my advice early on and "picked a guy."  She settled on Denny Hamlin because the FedEx man who makes deliveries at her office is a nice guy.  Good enough reason!

Last weekend we made a return trip together to Martinsville.  Our first stop, of course, was the Martinsville hot dog stand.  Then we headed straight to the Fanatics tent so she could stock up on some Denny gear.  According to her, she needed to be easily identified by "her people".

After we finished our shopping, we still had plenty of time before the start of the race, so I suggested we head over to the terrace where some of the drivers' motorcoaches are parked.  I also wanted her to see the Hollywood Hotel where the TV broadcast originates.

So ... we are standing there checking things out, and here comes a couple of police motorcycles. Ooo, I said, somebody important is coming!  And wouldn't you know it?!  Here comes Denny Hamlin!! And all of a sudden, these almost-sixty-year-old women became instant teenagers at a rock concert! HAHA!!  Of course, we didn't want to look like desperate stalkers or anything ... so we kept our distance but we did get close enough to get this picture ...

See Denny over her shoulder there?!?!  He got in his golf cart and drove right past us.  She waved, but he was a little preoccupied and didn't wave back.  But that's okay ... he made my friend of over 40 years a very Happy Nascar Wife!   WOWZEE WOW MAN!!!!!

MARTINSVILLE'S TOP 3!

Hubby and I are getting the RV ready to head to Martinsville at the end of the week and I am SOOOO excited.  Probably too excited because I am neglecting things that ought to get done around here -- you know, like paperwork and cleaning and important stuff like that!

So I've been thinking - what is it about Martinsville that makes us so excited to go there?  Here are my Top Three Reasons:

1.  THE RACING!!  At some tracks I find that I look forward to other things like the camping or the town, but at Martinsville it is all about the racing for me.  Such a great little track with just enough 'old school' touches (like the train that runs right thru the property!) to appeal to the history lover in me.  We've seen tons of rubbin' and racin' here as well as Denny's legendary burnout ...

a wreck or two ...

and of course I will NEVER FORGET the race in the Fall of 2015 when Matt Kenseth took out Joey Logano which resulted in Jeff Gordon's final trip to Victory Lane.  The place went W-I-L-D!! (which is my way of saying I don't have a picture of that one - lol!!)

I can't wait to see what excitement this weekend's race will hold!!

2.  THE "PAPERCLIP" - Short track racing at its finest!  Such a cool place to watch a race!  Short straight aways with little banking in the corners make this track so unique, especially when compared to the super speedways.  

And you may have guessed what my #3 reason is ....

3.  THE FOOD - I have to admit that I am not a big fan of the famous Martinsville hot dog, but there are lots of other goodies that you don't find at any other track I've been to ...

Happy Hubby loves the Martinsville hot dogs!

Fried Bologna Sandwich

And my personal favorite -- the Virginia ham sliders!!

So, how about you?  What would be your Top Three reasons for going (or wanting to go!) to Martinsville?

A REAL CLASS ACT

By now you have probably heard about Jimmie Johnson's hard hit into the wall at Phoenix during the third round of qualifying ... at 200 mph ... with no steering wheel!  Once he was released from the infield care center, the media was there to get his comments about what happened.  And much to Jimmie's credit, he decided to withhold his comments until he was able to talk to his team.

What he knew at that point was that he was coming out of turn one looking into the steering column of his car and he was holding the steering wheel in his hands, but it was not attached to that steering column.

What must have been running through his mind when he was asked what had happened?  What would I have said if I was the one in the same circumstances?  What about you?

It would have been so easy, and so understandable, for him to blame his crew!  "How hard is it to make sure the steering wheel is attached to the steering column?!"  "People on this team need to learn to do their damn job!"  Those are the kinds of comments I expected to hear.  But Jimmie, being the seasoned professional that he is, chose to wait until his crew had the chance to examine the car and determine exactly what had gone wrong before he made any comment.

Good thing, too!  Because what had happened was that Jimmie himself had screwed up!  He was the one who just didn't get the steering wheel on correctly.  What?!?!  This was a mindless, routine little thing that he has done probably tens of thousands of times over the year!  It couldn't be that!  But it was.  And Jimmie said so.  He didn't try to deflect the blame or minimize the seriousness of his screw-up.  He told us all exactly what HE did.  No one else.

And that is the kind of athlete our kids need to look up to - a man who is slow to blame others for things that happen to him, a man who is willing to accept the blame when things go wrong.  A real class act!