Two Girls Gone Racin'

Birth of a Valindrome

2009-05-18T16:26:00.002-05:00

I find it ironic that I edit an online news site when I was such a poor student of English/Communication Arts or whatever they were calling the study of nouns, verbs and adjectives in the late seventies/early eighties. Granted, I did well in composition and aced spelling long before we were handicapped by the aid of computer spell checkers, but the actual technical aspect of sentence construction - much like algebra - was more than my patience could stand.

So here I am at the age of 40+ spending my days (and nights, and sometimes weekends) poring over the press releases of hundreds of authors all across the country and various parts of the world, checking them for spelling and grammatical errors, the latter of which are harder to find because while spell checkers are pretty good, grammar checkers are yet to be perfected. I do not do line-by-line thorough checks, but rather glance through for anything that stands out, like a misplaced apostrophe or multiple punctuation marks... My main focus is on getting the headline and the lead-in correct so that our site looks nice and feeds don't look like they were written by preschoolers.

Surely I digress.

This post is really not about grammar or spelling or punctuation but more about my love of words in general. No, I'm not one for giving speeches, but I do love to read and I dabble in writing and I just happen to love the way words fill a page when done in a catchy way that holds the reader's attention. That leads me to a little thing I like to call a valindrome, the topic of this post.

Now, I don't know the first thing about word construction and origin, like the Latin meaning for this or the Greek root of that or prefixes and suffixes and such, so I highly doubt that my description of the word valindrome is going to be spot on correct to those who study such things, but when you read on, I believe that you will find that it is likely a very fitting definition.

The word valindrome is a combination of my name and the word palindrome, which is a word that is the same forward or backword, like "wow" or "madam" or, appropriately to my profession, "racecar." What is a valindrome? It is a word that is created by combining two existing words to make a new one. Hence the word valindrome itself being an example of the word valindrome. (Val+palindrome = valindrome, get it?)

Now that you know what a valindrome is, I would like to share a few of them with you here, and as more are created, I will add them to the list, so check back if you are interested.

The original valindrome, which I have not yet verified was created by myself or my daughter, is the word "Mandol" which is an imaginary product whose name was created by combining the word "man" with the existing trademarked product, "Midol." We use it often when discussing the men in our household when they are disagreeable, cranky, moody or otherwise hard to live with. It is our way of saying that they are hormonal and could use a dose of the imaginary drug if there one on the market. We have been known to send urgent texts with the words "Mandol: Jumbo package!" when warning each other of impending meetings with such afflicted men. I would imagine this product to work much like Midol is supposed to work for women, and I would suggest that instead of taking it with a bar of chocolate or a box of wine, they down it with a beer and some pork rinds, although those pork rinds might cause them to retain water and cause more bloating than the Mandol can fix.

And so was born the valindrome.

Next on our list is a one of my favorites, and it has actually become the name of my other blog, "Throttleshock." The definition of throttleshock is: "The adrenaline rush one experiences as an engine acheives maximum power, propelling car and driver into a frenzy of speed and movement." It's the feeling I get when standing just a few feet from the edge of a race track when the engines rev and the cars fly by and the scents and sounds of a night of racing fill the air. There is no other feeling like throttleshock. I got the idea from the movie Bottle Shock when I was brainstorming over the name of a racing e-newsletter. It would still be good for that, but right now I will keep it as my blog title, and maybe some day use the domain names I have registered for something really fun.

The last valindrome for today is "badgitude," which is a combination of badge and attitude. It originated on the parking lot of the University of Dayton when a guy who is most likely a postal worker by day, was given a badge and told to harass parking lot patrons on the weekends. The definition of badgitude is "the mindset of any civillian who is not a police officer by trade, but is designated as a security worker only for a specific event."

Those are the first three valindromes, but I have a few more already written down and defined, and I have no doubt that more will pop out at unexpectd moments.

Back in the Swing of Things

2009-05-16T21:08:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that my last entry here was when Spring and I went up to Madison, WI to stay at the hospital with Randy. So much has happened since then!

Randy's accident was major, and his injuries severe, but God has been very, very good. It all happened 12 weeks ago yesterday, and the guy who had only a slim chance of ever walking again is doing just that.

Last night we had a trivia night at our church to try and raise some money to help Randy and Spring with some of the financial stress they are under. We had a great time and managed to raise almost $2,500. My original goal was to make at least a thousand, so we went way above and beyond.

In honor of Randy's progess and God's amazing healing power, Spring and a friend made up t-shirts that were for sale at the event.

They say:
weekend with the guys: 385
ski lift tickets: $125
air lift to the hospital: $19, 456

Randy's miraculous recovery: priceless

There are some things money can buy, for everything else, trust the Master's Care.

I love these shirts and am constantly reminded of just how fast God worked here and how far Randy has come. He still has a lot of work to do, but he's a tough cookie and a hard worker so there is no doubt that he will put his all into the effort.

Thanks to all of our friends and family for their prayers. We appreciate you SO much!

A Different Kind of Road Trip

2009-03-03T08:03:00.003-06:00

Over the past couple of years, Spring and I have taken a couple of road trips to go to races in our area. We have always had a great time, filling the hours and watching the miles fly by as we chat and listen to great music.

Today we will leave on a different kind of road trip. We will be heading up to Madison where Randy is still in intensive care, but doing a little better every day. The leaking spinal fluid that was such a concern has stopped, which was a huge answer to prayer. He is supposed to be in a back brace and sitting up soon, and the chest tube is supposed to be removed in short order. All of this progress is amazing, and each step is a miracle. We are so hopeful that he will make a complete recovery.

Spring and I will make the best of this trip, and I have no doubt that we will find some lighthearted moments along the way. I wish with all my heart that this trip was for another reason, but it is what it is, and that won't change. All we can do is keep moving forward.

For updates on Randy's progress, and so sign the guestbook, please visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/randyhansen

The Whole World Can Change in a Minute

2009-03-02T07:42:00.002-06:00

What was supposed to have been a fun guys getaway weekend for the men in our family - Spring's husband, Randy, my husband, Scott and my two brothers, Roger and Jim - turned to tragedy in the blink of an eye.

The guys left last Thursday after noon (Feb. 26) for the Wisconsin Dells where they had planned to do some skiing. They arrived late that night after battling some nasty weather, got some rest and hit the slopes. After just a couple of hours, everything changed. Randy lost control and skied into a tree. He hit it hard and was unconscious when Jim reached him. By the grace of God, right behind them was an off-duty EMT who just happened to be out enjoying a day of skiing. He stopped and took control of the situation.

Randy was taken to a nearby hospital and was then airlifted to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. The boys met him there and the phone calls between St. Louis and Madison began, as did the now all too familiar waiting game.

Scott called me and told me what was going on, then asked me to call Spring to break the news. That phone call was the most difficult one I have ever made. She was so upset, and all I could do was try to keep her calm and talk her through it, and pray. Prayer has become my constant companion in the days since.

The news from Madison got progressively worse, and before long it became apparent that Spring absolutely had to get there. She was able to get an 8:20 flight and was on the ground by 9:35. By then, Randy was already in surgery.

The doctors put 9 pins in his back, and fused his spine, and when it was all said and done, they gave him a 2% chance of ever walking again. That was the news that finally broke me. After holding up pretty well all day long, the thought of Randy never getting to horse around with Caleb again, or care for the sheep, or drive the Charger he just bought brought me to my knees with grief. I just couldn't fathom what life was going to be like for he and Spring, in a house with so many stairs and different levels, it would seem impossible to make it work. It felt like one of those dreams where you're running but you just can't get anywhere.

On Saturday, news started to get better. Randy's heart was good, his breathing was good. He is very strong and he has this awesome support and prayer group around him.

Sunday morning brought some of the best news: Randy was able to move his right leg from the hip down! He had sensation in his left leg, but couldn't make it move, but at least we were getting somewhere. The biggest concern was, and still is this morning, leaking spinal fluid. My prayer is that by now that is stopped, but I am still waiting for word.

Scott, Roger, Jim and Spring will be heading home today. She needs to tie up some loose ends, see Caleb, pack and make some plans. My sister-in-law, Deanna, and I will accompany her tomorrow when she returns to Madison.

This is going to be a long and drawn out recovery, but we are ever hopeful that God will grant complete healing. We cherish your prayers for Randy, Spring and Caleb, as well as our family.

Blessings to you all!

2009-02-27T10:48:00.000-06:00

Secretly. Frisco wishes he had opposable thumbs so he could be a drummer!

2009-02-27T10:45:00.001-06:00

Frisco is so lazy!

One (wo)man's art...

2009-02-19T17:28:00.007-06:00

Last summer, my daughter and I decided that we needed a bit of culture to balance out all of our hours spent mindlessly watching musicals like Hairspray, High School Musical, Mama Mia! etc. In attempt to broaden ourselves (not physically because I'm already beyond capacity that way) we made a trek to Forest Park to visit the St. Louis Art Museum.

I must confess that I had not darkened the doorway of this fine tribute to the gifted since my teenage years. My fondest memories are of my brothers giggling in front of paintings of shirtless women. Our parents tried unsuccessfully to hide their own smirks of amusement at such behavior.

It's nice to know that some things haven't changed. The Art Musum still houses portraits of topless women (some of them hideously deformed) and little kids still find them funny. We saw very few children in the museum that day, but the ones we did see found these paintings fascinating. Some of them probably felt their empty little tummies rumble.

We tried to behave ourselves. Really we did. We put on our best serious art-snob faces when we saw the occasional security guard, then tittered mercilessly as soon as they were far enough away not to hear us.

Now don't think I don't appreciate fine art. Really, I do. Things of beauty and the people who create them leave me deeply humbled, and incredibly jealous. Conversly, things that have been labeled art, yet resemble things found in the common junk yard leave me confused. And again jealous that someone obviously cashed in on someone else's misfortune at being born without taste.

Then there's this work, which, I truly believe I could duplicate with a few bucks and a trip to Home Depot. Maybe I missed my calling.

Anyway...

The time we spent at the Museum was fun and filled with girlish giggles. Sometimes we chuckled at the "art" and sometimes at the expressions on other people's faces as they studied the "art." One of the biggest laughs of the day was at my expense. I did not notice the line of tape on the floor that ran all the way around the rooms and ran parallel to the walls, about 18 inches out. That is, I didn't notice it until one of those security guards came over and told me to "move behind the line." Horrors! I actually got too close to the art as I studied the technique and composition. I did my best to look adequately contrite, but I doubt I really pulled it off, especially with Jesse snickering a few feet away.

It seemed I was destined to get into trouble that day, taking pictures of exhibits I wasn't supposed to photograph (at least I didn't make the unforgiveable mistake of using a flash), looking suspicious (I guess the blue jeans didn't fit in because they didn't have strategically-placed holes) and generally just not taking the whole thing seriously.

By the time we left, Jesse and I had all we could do to maintain enough quiet dignity to make our way out of the building. We did get some fun photos that day. I'm going to share a few here. I especially like the one of Jesse imitating the painting of the woman looking away. It was fun to play with on Picnik this afternoon.

Welcome to the Wheel World

2009-01-30T10:13:00.002-06:00

Today I would like to welcome a new Sprint Car and Midget site to the web. It's called Open Wheel and you can find it at www.openwheel.org plus we have it listed in our Favorite Links section on the right.

Just got word of this site today, so I cruised on over and checked it out. I have to say that I absolutely love the old photos that have been put up so far. That's my favorite part, but look around and see for yourself, because there is definitely more there than just eye candy.

Open Wheel boasts news, photos and a message board for those of us infatuated with everything to do with dirt track Sprint and Midget racing. I have a feeling that as the weather heats up and all of our fancies turn to dirt, this site will be a very popular place indeed.

Welcome, and best of luck to everyone at Open Wheel!

Three years and 364 days to go...

2009-01-21T10:25:00.002-06:00

Bumper Sticker Slogan of the Day: "I'll keep my money, my guns and my freedom. You can keep your change."

Ok, I gave myself one day to mourn and yesterday was it. Today it's back to life as I know it, plugging away at my job, working around the house, raising kids and trying to be the person God wants me to be. I don't like this new administration, but the only choice is just to live with it until things can be made right. My prayer is that we can do that four years from now instead of having to wait eight!

Yes, it was tough knowing that a new President was being inaugurated yesterday, but it was cool having a couple of girlfriends with which to commiserate. Made me feel a lot less alone in my funk, that's for sure! It's just weird looking around this country and not being able to recognize it anymore, and for me, that's the toughest thing to deal with. I have no idea when the moral fiber unraveled and how we have come so far from what our Founding Fathers stood for.

Do I wish Mr. Obama ill or do I hope that he is a big failure? Certainly not. My prayer for him is that he would be successful in helping our country get back on its feet. My prayer is that God will get a good firm hold on his heart and help him to see the importance of life itself. I hope and pray that he finds salvation by grace and he brings that important element back to the White House where it belongs.

In the mean time, he and his family are in my prayers. They will be scrutinized and criticized over the coming months and years. There will be danger, there will be hard and difficult work. I can't imagine being a child growing up under he magnifying glass that will be ever present in their world. I wish them all the best.

Here in my little slice of home town America, we will continue to work hard, pay our taxes (unlike some of those incoming cabinet members), teach our kids ethics and morals and the importance of serving others, and pray that we can continue to do so without unnecessary intrusion.

We'll keep looking forward to 2012 when we hope Sarah Palin gets another chance.

Where Can I Buy a Pair of Ruby Slippers?

2009-01-19T21:32:00.007-06:00

In The Wizard of Oz, we follow the story of Dorothy Gale as she is whisked away from her boring life in Kansas to the magical land of Oz and all of its intriguing characters. I have heard it said that this tale is actually a metaphor for modern society or government and when you think about it, the story still fits today.

The way I see it, Dorothy finds her life in Kansas to be pretty lame. Everybody is always telling her what to do, a creepy old bat down the road hates her dog and wants to take him away, she spends a lot of her time doing chores and no one really has a lot of time to spend with her because they are working so hard to keep up with the responsibilities of farm life.

One day, Dorothy finds herself caught up in a storm and carried off to a strange new land inhabited by little people, witches, talking scarecrows, a lion that walks upright and is afraid of his own shadow and a heartless tin woodsman. They embark on an adventure to find a mysterious wizard who has amazing powers and can puportedly help Miss Gale find her way home. We all know what happens with the good witch and the bad witch and those creepy flying monkeys, and how, in the end, Dorothy has the power to return home any time she wants to, right at her feet.

In thinking about this story in current times, I pondered the idea that even though Dorothy was bored to death and felt neglected in Kansas, it was still home and all she wanted was to get back to her home and family. While she imagined a life more glamorous and exciting, when she actually lived it, she found that familiar and humdrum were actually much more appealing. In effect, change wasn't necessarily a good thing.

So how does this match up with current events? Hmmm, let's compare and contrast, shall we?

First of all, there are a lot of folks who think that this new administration will cast a magic spell on our country. That imaginary potion will supposedly solve all of our financial problems, end the war on terror, end our energy problems, find a solution to the imagined "global warming crisis" and give everyone free high-speed internet access, among many other things. Wow. All this and tax cuts for people who aren't even paying taxes. Who wouldn't love this kind of change?

Well, pardon me if I find it a bit far-fetched to think that one guy can do this, but hey, who am I to doubt? A promise is a promise, right? All I know is that behind every curtain that supposedly hides a wizard is just a man throwing switches that power a smoke machine and some loudspeakers. And all it takes is one persistent and nosey little dog to rat him out.

The key to the whole Wizard of Oz story and today's world is that once Dorothy realized that the beautiful land of Oz was not all it was cracked up to be, she longed for the simple life she knew. That life was made ideal by the basic tenets of life: Hard work, following the rules and most of all, love of family. It was all black and white. Glitter and pretty colors were simply an illusion.

There will always be mean people who want to take what we have, but we have to stand up for what's right and tell them to stay out of our business, the way we need to keep the government in its place and out of our personal lives as much as possible. Instead of depending on special programs, handouts and bailouts, we need to put God and family first, work hard, live within our means and help our neighbors when they need a hand.

When we do those things, we use our brains, our courage and our hearts and we have no need of a fake wizard behind a pretty curtain making bargains he can't keep when we bring him the remains of the evil witch's broom. We need to remember that there's no place like Home Sweet America while we still have our home and before we put our faith in man instead of God.

Instead of blindly following the yellow brick road shortcut to better times through a field filled with beautiful, drug-laced poppies and waiting for a freak snowstorm to wake us up to reality, maybe we should just take the longer, more difficult road around the field and earn our way back to economic stability and a better standing in the global community the old fashioned way: Through the positive example of good old American hard work and dedication.

I keep hoping that we will wake up from this nightmare and find it was all just a bad dream but it hasn't happened yet. Those ruby slippers may be our only hope after all.

Seeing Red

2009-01-19T11:48:00.011-06:00

Well, here it is January, the garnet month, and most folks have probably already broken any resolutions they made. That's why I don't make them!

Since 2006, when we first started Girls Gone Racin', later re-named Two Girls Gone Racin', the web site and blog have been an up and down thing. That stands to reason, since at times like this, we aren't going to any races and it just seems like the beginning of the season is so far away.

With the Chili Bowl over (congrats, Sammy!) and the Bud Shootout and Daytona 500 still a ways off, our focus right now is on football. Yesterday we gathered to watch the Cardinals beat the Eagles, which was very exciting. Since the Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Arizona, and since the Rams released Kurt Warner and he subsequently made his way to Arizona, there are a lot of St. Louis football fans who were more than happy to see Cool Hand Kurt and his team pull off that victory.

It was a very exciting football game, and nearly became a heartbreaker at that, but all was well when the clock finally ticked down. Now it's time to plan a Super Bowl party and cheer the Cardinals on to victory over the Steelers. With the lousy season our hometown team had in 2008, it's nice to have something positive to focus on when it comes to football.

Go Big Red!
------------
Oh, and just a note to the guy who likes to send comments to the site about trademark infringement: I still own the domain www.girlsgoneracin.com, pal, so you can pester me all you want about who owns what, but when it comes down to it, the domain registration dates tell the truth. I know your real agenda and you are NOT getting my domain name so buzz off.

Feel free monitor the site and the blog all you want, leave your little comments, whatever. I can and will use and refer to the original Girls Gone Racin' at www.girlsgoneracin.com for as long as I want to. It's legally mine because I bought it and I will continue to renew it long after your little "business" is just a "page not found" error.

Rest in Peace, Chuck Amati

2008-11-19T09:53:00.002-06:00

Rich Edwards sent out an e-mail this morning with the sad announcement of the passing of local racing legend, Chuck Amati. The "One Armed Bandit" passed away on Tuesday.

Rich included some great photos and a scan of an old postcard in his note. I have a different postcard of Chuck under the glass of my desktop. I scanned the front and back and will include them in this post.

Godspeed, Chuck. You will be missed!

Everything Else Seems So Small

2008-11-12T09:19:00.004-06:00

A week ago today I was grieving the outcome of our elections, stressing about the economy, looking toward a busy weekend highlighted by a big dance for my son. The world, and my concerns, seemed huge.

Today my world has shrunk down to just my livingroom and my kitchen. For the past several days, I have left the house only to run a couple of very quick errands. Today we are engaged in my daughter's difficult fight against mono. This is day 11.

She was sick for several days before seeing a campus doctor last Thursday. Her diagnosis was a virus that would just have to run its course. Three days later, she was much worse so I took her to an urgent care facility where the actual diagnosis of mono was made.

Our days since then have become a blur as I sit here in my recliner working while I listen to her breathing as she sleeps. Sometimes it is the quiet sleep, the kind that sounds relaxing, and other times, like right now, it sounds as if she works extremely hard just to get air into her lungs. Either way, it is good to know she is sleeping because rest is what her body so desperately needs.

The past two mornings she has gotten me out of bed early (4:15 and 2:45am) due to exruciating ear pain. Her tonsils and glands are so swollen that they press in on her ears and cause her to feel like she has the worst ear ache in history. We treat with drops, ibuprofen and the heating pad to get the slightest bit of relief.

My heart breaks at seeing my beautiful daughter brought down like this. I sit for hours listening to her breathe, praying for comfort and healing, praying that my son does not catch this because he is scheduled to march in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade in two weeks.

This could be nearly over, or we could still be at the beginning of a very long road to full recovery. Only time will tell. Only God will bring us through. He is mighty and merciful and I trust Him for complete healing.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for our family. We truly appreciate it!

One, two, three, breeeaaaatthhhe

2008-11-05T09:41:00.002-06:00

Ok, I've had a little time to calm down now, and the counsel of a great local on-air personality and another really good friend. Thanks Jamie Allman on 97.1 Talk FM in St. Louis for helping me to see that my attitude is not the legacy I want to pass on to my kids, and for sharing some really positive points that I hadn't even thought about.

My dear friend and sister-in-Christ, Stephanie helped to tilt my world more toward center when she emailed a photo of her cuddly puffball of a dog, Chloe. How can anyone stay mad at the world when you see a face like that? She also called and gave me some wonderful and Godly insights. Praise God for good friends and spiritual mentors. Thank you, Steph!

As I read through my earlier rants, I realize that they were born out of anger, and that I should have stopped and counted to ten (or maybe ten thousand) before I put my thoughts into print. While I still believe in the essence of what I wrote, I know now that I should probably have said it a bit differently. The words and the context really don't reflect my faith and are not the kind of legacy I want to pass on to my children. If I offended anyone, I apologize. Rants are rants, and should probably be left in my head most of the time.

So here I sit on an absolutely gorgeous fall day as the trees cling desperately to their leaves as the breeze does its best to tear them down. As beautiful as they are, those leaves have to be surrendered in order for new growth to take place. Kind of an analogy on our lives, isn't it? When we hang onto the things of this world, no matter how lovely they are, we fail to let God work in our lives. Sometimes He has to sweep away the good stuff with the bad stuff in order to reveal the nature of His wonderful plan.

Today I am thankful for one last beautiful day before winter sets in, for my job that allows me to sit here by this window and enjoy it, and for new beginnings, no matter how painful they sometimes are.

May God bless your day.

Rest in Peace, America!

2008-11-05T06:47:00.004-06:00

When I awoke this morning and realized that last night's election results weren't just some horrific nightmare, there was such an overwhelming heaviness in my heart that I just couldn't handle it. This feels like September 11, 2001 all over again.

The predominant adjective in my vocabulary right now is betrayal. That's how I feel about the actions of just over 50% of this country. You have betrayed us in the deepest and most heinous of ways by choosing a man whose views are so far removed from those of our forefathers that it's hard to believe he can call himself an American citizen.

Thank you, God that folks in my county have some sense, and it looks as if our state still voted conservatively although it was unbelievably and inexcusably close.

Now, I'm not going to ruin my blog by going on and on about the elections because that's just not what the blog is about. As sad as I am today, as much as my heart breaks for my children's future, this just isn't the place to keep ranting over and over. I'm not a whiney liberal and I don't intend to become one.

With that in mind, I have to say that, despite the title of this entry, I refuse to give up hope. We endured the Carter and Clinton years, we will endure this as well because we are still Americans and deep down I have to believe that we still believe in what's good and right and true and when the rest of you wake up and decide to fight for it, we shall overcome.

As for me, I look forward to 2012. Sarah Palin all the way, baby!

P.S. At least there is ONE good thing about today: No election ads on tv and no more of those robo-calls. I think we can all agree that that is a very good thing. :)

The Stars Go Blue

2008-11-04T22:08:00.003-06:00

As I sit here watching pandemonium break out as the Associated Press projects Barack Hussein Obama the next President of the United States, many thoughts are running through my head. I would have to say that most of them are running toward the negative, although I keep telling myself that God is still in control of my life, no matter what madman controls this country of ours.

Of course, in this moment, I'm just overwhelmed by feelings of sadness, depression, and extreme disappointment at my fellow Americans. Beyond that, I pity those who are so blind that they cannot see through this man in whom they have placed their trust. Unfortunately, it won't be just those who voted for "change" that will see change. That fate will befall our entire country.

Enjoy the next couple of months, brothers and sisters, because once the liberals take complete control of this country, as they have just done, life as you know it will change forever. It will probably happen in small steps, and you might not even recognize it as your freedoms are slowly stripped away, but one day you will wake up and wonder, as I do now, what country you live in.

What kind of country allows the slaughter of innocent unborn children, the union of two people of the same sex and the total turnover of its country's economy to foreign countries and foreigners living among us illegally? Not the America I know. Not the America our forefathers fought and died for.

Bitter? Yeah, you bet. Sour grapes? Sure. Call it whatever you want, as long as you don't call it racism because that is NOT what this about. Never has been and never will be. I would happily support a candidate of ANY color if they had values, integrity, experience and a positive plan for this country that does not involve socialist and marxist principles. Our projected President-elect has none of those characteristics or plans.

Wow. I just cannot believe so many people have been so incredibly duped. It should not be such a surprise, since the Bible says that in the end days, good will be seen as evil and evil, good. That's what happened in our country today. We handed our future over to the evil side on a red, white and blue platter.

It is a sad, sad day for our country. The scary thing is, it probably won't be long before I won't even have the freedom to write something like this.

Just one final thought before I get down on my knees and pray again for protection and guidance for our newly elected leaders: May God have mercy on our souls. We're going to need it.

God Bless You, Les Nessman

2008-11-04T16:50:00.005-06:00

Yes, it's the off-season, and all of a sudden I am brimming with ideas for the blog. Go figure. Of course, they aren't really race-related, but hey, nobody's forcing you to read this.

My job requires that I work at home. Trust me, I'm not complaining about it either! With the way gas prices skyrocketed this year, I have never been more thankful for the fact. We live in a thre-bedroom house and have two children, so all the rooms are taken and there is no finished basement. Because I really, really wanted a space of my own, I embarked upon a job that took a lot of time and effort. I cleaned up about a 10 by 11 foot section of our walk-out and called it my office.

Because there are no walls dividing it from the rest of the basement, I have the washer and dryer a handy few steps away. (Bet you wish you could throw in a load of clothes on your break, huh?) In place of walls, I have several of those metal storage shelves, which don't go all the way to the ceiling, but they do the job.

For those of you who are of my generation, my office may seem a bit familiar. In fact, I often refer to it as my "Les Nessman" office, in honor of the character from the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. Just for fun, I thought I would give you a tour. Here we go.

All of my work is done online, so that requires a computer. My computer of choice is a Dell Inspiron 6000 which has done a fine job so far. This is where the magic happens.

I have quite a few racing collectibles to brighten up my space. This is a GMP Sprint Car that rests among some of my favorite race-themed books, including two by Dave Argabright. The little Lego girl standing by the car usually holds a camera but my son "borrowed" it back.

Wooden blocks spell out my initials.

My space doubles as office and scrapbook/craft area. This is a basket of scrapbook supplies that are just begging to be used.

This is a sampling of my collection of diecast Cars from the movie Cars. That's a Sears NASCAR Craftsman Truck toolbox and the drawers contain the rest of my Cars collection. The picture of Tony Stewart is one of my favorite shots from last season.

This is my work area. I know it looks cluttered but in actuality, it's very organized and everything is accessable. There's a lot of fun stuff on the walls and the shelves and it all keeps me company while I work.

This is one of my favorite organizational tools for scrapbooking. Those are my kids' pictures on top.

I use every available space to display photos and collectibles. That's the heating duct and those photos are in magnetic acrylic frames. It just dawned on me one day that those ducts were metal and not aluminum so with a handful of magnets, I made an interesting collage of hats and photos.

This is my desktop. It is actually an old door that came out of my childhood bedroom. I had a piece of glass cut to cover the top of it, and the inset panels make a great place to display more racing stuff. The edges are filled with pit passes and I have lots of ticket stubs, stickers, postcards and other fun stuff. Yes, it makes my desktop busy, but I really love looking at all this stuff.

That's a quick tour of my office, which will hopefully be moving soon. I've been working in our basement for a while now, trying to go through all the stuff my kids have stored down here. Once I get a different corner cleared out, I will be moving over there. It will be nice to have a bit more space and to have my current space become a more usable family area.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Come out and Play!

2008-11-04T16:26:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I previewed Brad Paisley's new CD, Play, which dropped today. As you might have guessed, I did manage to procure a copy, but it took me stops at two stores to get the job done. Wal-Mart had not yet received their shipment when I stopped in, so I headed to Target. The first thing I saw was a stack of rain checks, and my heart immediately sank. Then I took another look and saw at least a dozen copies of the CD sitting next to the rain checks. Hmmmm...

Anyway, I made my purchase and put it in my MP3 player to give it a listen. I have to say that this particular CD is even better than I expected. As someone who has all of the previous releases by Brad, I realize that he has a formula that he sticks to, and this CD is the first to really depart from that formula. Yes, it is still full of a great mix of fun songs and ballads, as well as his take on a classic hymn, but that's pretty much where it stops. Usually Brad's CDs contain one beautiful instrumental, but this one is a majority of instrumentals and it is absolutely wonderful.

Brad Paisley has to be one of the best guitar pickers ever, and his talent shines brightly on every selection. His comments on the liner notes begin with the words: "This album is my love affair with the guitar." That pretty much sums it up. For someone who is so passionate about his music, this album must have been an absolute delight to put together.

There are duets with Keith Urban, Steve Wariner, B.B. King and Buck Owens as well as a toe-tapping jam with some of the other greatest guitar players in history called Cluster Pluck. (You gotta love Brad's sense of humor when it comes to lyrics and titles!)

From his dedication to his wife on Kim and tribute to his son, Huckleberry Jam Brad strums it up on such delights as Departure, Turf's Up, Playing with Fire, Les is More (A tribute to guitar king Les Paul, I'm guessing) and my personal favorite, Cliffs of Rock City. The acoustic version of What a Friend We Have in Jesus is the most moving rendition I've ever heard.

There's not a clinker on this disc, so if you love music, especially guitar music, pick up Play. On sale now at Target for $11.98.

A Note About Liner Notes:

Yesterday I mentioned my interest in liner notes and I just have to say that it was lot easier to read them before my eyes got old and they shrunk the notes from album size to the size of a CD jewel case!

If you buy this CD, take time to read the liner notes. There are great comments in there about how the whole duet with the late Buck Owens came about, which unlikely character does the intro to one of the songs, and much more touching and ineresting stuff.

Enjoy!

Music Appreciation 101

2008-11-03T21:32:00.009-06:00

Need a break from all the political talk? I know I do! One of the ways I get away from the craziness of the world is by listening to music. What kind of music depends on my mood at the time and the contents of my MP3 player are very diverse. I've got everything from country to contemporary Christian, classic rock to jazz. There is a song for everything and for everything there is a song.

Music is one of my great passions. As long as I have my tunes, I know I can get through the day. I download a song now and then, but I guess I could be considered a purist because most of the time I still buy CDs. Why? First, because by just downloading a favorite song or two, you miss out on all the rest of the album! There are gems hidden on CDs that people never hear because all they do is download the songs they hear on the radio. How sad is that?

Second, I've been a fan of liner notes since I bought my first Partridge Family album (titled, ironically, The Partridge Family Album) way back in the early seventies. Ok, now I've really dated myself! But seriously, I love liner notes! You just never know what you're going to find out about the members of a band, who they dedicate their songs to, and who even wrote the songs. I like looking up background singers because I have the uncanny ability to figure out who they are and it's fun to check and see if I'm right or not.

This week I've really splurged and bought myself two new CDs. It seems to happen that way, but usually not until after the CMA Awards. Those aren't until next week, so I'd better hide my debit card away now in order to avoid temptation! Of course, I'm not taking it out of my wallet until I buy Brad Paisley's new CD, Play, which drops tomorrow. I've never met a Brad Paisley CD that I didn't like, and this one sounds like another big hit. It is comprised of songs highlighted by Brad's brilliant guitar playing and features several duets.

The first radio release, Start a Band, is a duet with one of my other favorite artists, Keith Urban. B.B. King teams up with Brad on another song. Vote for Brad when you pick up this CD in stores on Election Day.

I mentioned two other CDs that I picked up this week. The first is Jimmy Wayne's new release, Do You Believe Me Now. Spring and I saw Jimmy in concert at Jinglefest 2006 and he really impressed me. I've seen the video for I Love You this Much many times on CMT and heard him tell his story on the Laura Ingraham Show. Jimmy is very talented and I have to say that this album really impressed me. The title song is a powerful ballad about lost love, and is beautifully done. When I listen to his vocals, Jimmy reminds me just a bit of seventies crooner David Gates of Bread fame, but with more depth and richness.

This CD is a nice collection of upbeat songs and ballads that showcase Jimmy's voice. I hope this is the one that will make him more of a household name. Other songs I particularly like: I Don't Come Here to Lose, Stay Gone and I'll Be That.

The other CD that found its way into my shopping cart is the latest release from Little Big Town called A Place to Land. Known for their harmonies on songs like Boondocks, this group caught my ear a while back, but I just hadn't gotten around to getting any of their CDs. After downloading a few tunes, I knew the time was coming.

When I found out that the expanded edition of A Place to Land had the live version of Life in a Northern Town, which features Sugarland and Jake Owens, I knew I had to grab this one.

What a treat this CD is! Full of lively songs and heartrending ballads, it seems like everyone in the group is featured on one song or another, and when they put their voices together, the harmonies are amazing. Every now and then, I catch a little Eagles influence in a line or a verse, and I have to smile.

One of the first songs to get radio play is Fine Line which is a very catchy tune. I'm With the Band is rapidly becoming another one of my favorites. No matter what mood you're in, there is something for you on this CD.

Those are my music preview/reviews for now. Tomorrow I will probably be focused on Brad Paisley's new CD, which I'm sure will be a fine diversion from all the political stuff that will surround us. I can't think of better timing for a much-anticipated release.

One more that I'm anxiously awaiting is American Idol winner David Cook's debut. The self-titled album drops on November 18. I heard the first single, Light On last week on the radio and my first impression was very positive. Saw him perform it on Saturday Night Live and was still impressed so we'll have to see what the rest of the CD holds. David was my pick on this, my first American Idol season, and I think he has a great voice. Hopefully, he won't disappoint.

Wake Me When It's Over

2008-11-03T13:57:00.003-06:00

Yes, tomorrow is the big day. We finally get to go to the polls, stand in line and proudly cast our vote for the next President of the United States of America.

Do I look forward to this? Yes! It is not only a privilige but an important duty that every legal American over the age of 18 should take very seriously. We only get one shot every four years at determining who will lead this country, and baby, it's time!

As we approach this important day, I have been doing a lot of praying. Those prayers range from safety and security for the candidates, but also to every person going to the poles. No, this isn't Baghdad, but with as high as tempers are running, anything can happen on election day. I also pray that the outcome would be certain, that on Wednesday morning we will know without a doubt who will be our next President. I also pray that the outcome would be met peacefully, no matter which way the colors fall. Finally, I pray against fraud of any kind when it comes to those election ballots.

Won't it be nice when all of this is over and we no longer have to ignore the phone or the tv because we are just SO sick of all the electronic phone calls and nasty commercials? I know I will be glad to go back to regular programing and just typical phone solicitors wanting my money for charity. What a relief!
What I don't look forward to is the way I fear that this election will turn out.

One way or the other, approximately half of this country will wake up on Wednesday morning thrilled with the results and the other half will wake and wonder what happened. If things (miraculously) go differently than what the pollsters predict, we might be witness to mass suicide by the mainstream media. Their shock, should their chosen candidate be defeated, would be heard 'round the world! What an amazing sound that would be and I think it would be drowned out only by the collective sigh of relief expressed by those of us on the other side.

But I digress in my vivid imaginings.

Whatever happens tomorrow, when we wake up on Wednesday morning, some things will remain the same. The most important thing that will never, ever change is that God will still be in control. He's not pacing back and forth on the streets of gold wringing His hands with worry.

Secondly, we are still Americans and we still live in the greatest country in the history of the world. For a little while at least, we still have the freedoms guaranteed us by our Constitution. Of course, depending up on how this turns out, those could rapidly dry up and disappear.

I could start a long list here of proposed ideas and their consequences. Things like the "Fairness Doctrine" the "Freedom of Choice Act" and California's notoriously devious Proposition 8, but I'll let you look into those and make your own decisions about whether they are good or bad. You might also want to look up the definitions of socialism and marxism while you're at it. With the Robinhood mindset of one of the candidates, it might be good to be familiar with those terms.

One last thing to reflect on and then I'm going to get off my soapbox and leave this topic alone because I'm just as sick of it as you are. Take a good, hard look at the logo that the Democratic candidate is using. You'll notice the sun in a blue sky resting on the horizon over a red and white striped field. Patriotic, right? Think again and look at it this way: That sun is not rising on a new day of welcome change. That sun is setting on the values, ideals, morals and rights for which our forefathers fought and died.

This Presidential contest is not about race, sex or age. This is about who will do the best job of leading and protecting our country, not only from outsiders, but also from the evil within. Unfortunately, there are a large number of people who will cast a vote tomorrow that don't recognize evil when they look it in the eye.

Think before you vote.

Infatuation or Obsession?

2008-11-02T17:24:00.005-06:00

Ask Spring and she will tell you, I am not what one would call a "fashion plate." My idea of dressing up is to wear my good jeans and a nice blouse. Not that I don't love girly clothes, because I really do. The frillier the better in my opinion. The problem is, I really don't have anywhere dressy to go and I just don't have the body type to show off the clothes. This doesn't bother me.

So we've established that I'm not a clothes horse. I'm also not into make up and manicures and all that jazz. Sure, I'd love the whole makeover experience, but let's face it, I work at home on the computer, so nails just get in the way and I don't get out much. Makeup is expensive and I've never been good at it and it just takes way too much time. Enough said.

Why would anyone care to know these things about me? Well, figuring that not too many people read this, I would have to say that they don't, but I wanted to preface the following with a little bit of background so you would understand just how weird my latest obsession is.

For some reason, I have started to notice shoes. Now I know, some women are way into shoes, but it's an infatuation that I've never understood until now. Granted, I've never figured out why one person needs twelve pairs of black shoes (high-heeled, mid-heeled, low-heeled, flats, patents, shinies, sling backs, open-toes, with a bow, with another ornamentation of some kind, and two others that I can't even imagine) but some women feel that they do. C'est la vie.

My interest is not in pumps of any height or color. My problem is sneakers. A specific kind of sneakers. My current love is Van's shoes.

It all started with a pair of black shoes with black and white checks. As a race girl, I thought they were the perfect expression of that part of my personality. I yearned for them, watched the sale ads and denied myself countless times. Until one day my husband and I were out shopping and I came across a pair of these shoes in the boys' department and just happened to try them on. As it turns out, a size 5 1/2 boy's shoe is roughly the same size as a woman's 6 1/2. The only catch is that they are about $10 cheaper. Always the bargain-hunter, I just couldn't pass them up.

I brought home my treasured purchase and got out my camera. These shoes were just begging to be photographed so I obliged. After their shoot, I sprayed them with Scotchguard. I wanted to keep them looking as nice as I could! These shoes were too nice to wear to a race track, so I wore them around the house at first, then out, but only on nice days. I stored them in their box and took them out only on special occasions.

After the checkered flag Van's, I found myself looking at other sneakers. See, after one indulgence, it becomes easier to talk yourself into a second. And I did. Another pair of Van's. They are black with pink polka-dots and oh-so-very comfortable. Of course, these were not found in the boys' section, but I still got them on sale at Kohl's, with a discount and a some Kohl's cash. They were very reasonable.

Again I sprayed them with Scotchguard and kept them in their box. They stay warm and dry and only come out on nice days.

Today was the day that I finally had to admit that my little infatuation may be getting out of hand. I had to take my son to buy a new pair of "Chucks" (Chuck Taylor Converse high tops) for the upcoming dance. Yes, it's a teenage fashion thing. Wouldn't you know it, but every shoe in the place was buy one get one half off and my son could only find one pair he wanted. He's such a boy! That left me in a quandry. No, the question wasn't "Should I buy shoes?" but "Which shoes should I buy?" That question was soon answered for me.

There on a bottom shelf were the last two boxes of white Van's with checkere flag stripes. Of course you can guess that one of them was my size. It was the one on display. Was it fate, an evil plan of Satan or something meant to be? Maybe I will never know, but it really doesn't matter. These new shoes feel great on my feet and they go with everything!

Yes, I guess it's true that the first step is admitting you have a problem. Is there a Sneakers Anonymous meeting anywhere in my neighborhood?

Picnik on a Rainy Day

2008-10-15T14:58:00.003-05:00

No, that's no type-o in the headline. Picnik.com is a web site that my daughter turned me on to a while back. It's a site where you can upload photos and then play with them by adding text, messing with frames or making a color photo black and white.

It's a fun way to kill an hour or two...or three if you've got it. I don't have a lot of spare time these days, but when I do, I love to head over to Picnik and play. Above are a few examples of the fun I've had.

Gold Crown Photos Posted!

2008-10-14T21:03:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not, it's only Tuesday and I already have photos up on the web site from this past weekend! I know, it's got to be a record, right?

Well, they are there, five pages of images from all three days of the Gold Crown Midget Nationals at Tri-City Speedway. I hope you enjoy looking them over, and if you didn't make it this year, make sure you go next year because it was a blast!

Keeping Pace

2008-10-12T21:25:00.004-05:00

This blog has been pretty stagnant this season, as has the web site and I should probably apologize, but hey, we all get busy and I doubt that many people read it anyway!

That being said, this weekend was amazing. Three nights of breathtaking midget action at Tri-City Speedway was just what the doctor ordered when it came to wrapping up the 2008 racing season. All I can say is "Wow!" The Inaugural Gold Crown Midget Nationals sanctioned by both POWRi and USAC was outstanding.

Since words really can't describe it justly, and since I am tired from my head to my toes after traipsing throught the pits for the past three nights (not to mention bouncing around in the back of the pace truck) I will let a few of my

favorite photos do the talking. Enjoy!

One Normal Day

2008-09-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

We all know where we were seven years ago today. Whether you were just getting out of the shower, or on your way to work or sending your kids off to school when you first heard about the attacks in New York, those moments are frozen in your mind for eternity. I remember thinking of how I wanted to turn back the clock to September 10, to have just one more "normal" day. In the days and weeks that followed, I just kept thinking of how much I took all those "normal" days for granted.

As I sit here reflecting, listening to a re-play of Glenn Beck's radio broadcast from that day, I am reminded once again of just how horrifying it was. The images of fire, smoke, collapsing buildings, the absolute fear on the faces of those on the streets will never be forgotten. So many things come back, many of them too awful to think of.

On the flipside, there are things about that time in our history that I truly want to remember. Things I want to imbed so deeply in my soul that they are never, ever eradicated.

Some of those things are these:

The way we came together, as a country, not red states and blue states or blacks and whites or young or old, but as Americans.

Everywhere a person looked, flags flew from houses, from cars and alongside the roads. Our sense of patriotism had never been stronger.

The way we prayed, and sang our National Anthem, said our Pledge of Alliegance, with the words "One Nation, under God" included, and no one thought of it as politically incorrect.

The way we gathered, in large groups or in twos, to cling to each other and lift each other up in support, to give comfort and friendship and love to each other.
The way we cried. The tears that flowed unchecked down the cheeks of nearly every man, woman and child in this country became a raging river that ran from one coast, through the heartland and on across the mountains to the other coast. They made us equal in our fears, our righteous anger, our need for revenge and our deep and desperate need to cling to hope.

Yes, I want to remember these things, because in the last seven years we have slipped back into our complacency, into that comfortable cocoon of safety that we thought we had before this happened. We have gone on with our lives, as we should, but in moving forward, we sometimes lose sight of the things we had in common in those eerie, surreal days of Autumn, 2001.

Take a few minutes today to remember. Think about how you felt that morning and in the days and weeks that followed. Remember the stirring in your heart when you saw the flags flying and the pride you felt the first time you saw a jet plane fly overhead and knew that gutsy Americans had spit in the face of terrorism and chosen to take wing. Remember those who perished and pray for their families. Praise God for those who survived and pray for them as they cope with the memories of that day.

We have so much to be thankful for in this great country in which we live. This anniversary bring sadness when we think about the loss, but it should also bring a fresh resolve to carry on and take pride in how far we have come. In honor of those who never saw this country united, we need to revive that spirit and not allow them to be lost in vain.

Marching into Fall

2008-09-09T15:55:00.004-05:00

Summer has come and gone and I have not made it to nearly as many races as I would have liked, which seems to be the case anymore. With a daughter in college and a son in high school, I am starting to see that in the very near future, I will actually have more time for racing, but for now, I need to enjoy the moment and make sure I do all that I can to preserve it.

That's not to say that the racing season is totally over though. Two of the biggest events of the year are rapidly sneaking up as the calendar pages turn. The first, the Gold Crown Midget Nationals is slated for next month at Tri-City Speedway. This inagural event boasts $15,000 to win and is sanctioned by both POWRi and USAC. The first entry forms have already arrived and I expect the list to be long and prestigious by the beginning of October.

Of course, the second weekend of October is not only a big race weekend, but a very big Marching Band weekend for our family, so I will be splitting my time the best I can, and I expect by the time it's over, both my camera and I will be ready for a break!

Following the Gold Crown Nationals will be the Midgets Before Christmas, an indoor event at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, which is slated for December 19 - 20. Our family is already making plans to attend this one, which should be a fabulous event. This is a POWRi-sanctioned race which will feature two big days of racing that won't be beholden to the weather, a nice change of pace.

So, yes, it's post-Labor Day and racing is winding down, but there is still a lot to look forward to here in the midwest. Stay tuned here and to WhoWon.com for much more on both events!

2008-07-28T09:50:00.001-05:00

July 18, 2008
As I write this we are on our way home from Macon Speedway in Macon, IL. Tonight's POWRi racing event was outstanding.

It's been a while since my last blog entry and probably longer since my last race.So much has been going on that l really don't know where to begin.

The wet spring has made for a lot of schedule alterations. It's hard to believe it's the middle of July and this is only my 4th race of the year. Between the wet weather and the price of gas it's really no great surprise.

Speaking of rain, Spring has kept very busy with all of the flooding in our area. She lives in Foley, MO but fortunately she is on the high and dry side of the river.

Being the photographer that she is, and living li the hard- hit community, Spring made good use of her talents. She spent ten days in the murky, dangerous flood areas taking well over a thousand pictures. She is currently working with several different contacts to whom she hopes to sell the images. Eventually, she would like to have a show of her own.

As for me, l spend most of my time working and sending my kids to various camps and trips. My son has been to church camp, band camp, a long Lego- filled weekend in Chicago and finally, a trip to Canada. He's been a busy kid and I am imore than a little jealous!

My daughter has been to Birmingham and Chicago, as well as a weekend trip to Kansas City with me. We had a really good time there and spent most of the weekend haunting the various scrapbooking stores we found.

So that's a quick synopsis of my summer so far.

Tonight's race has been on my calendar since the schedule was released late last winter. We had a great time at the Dana Godfrey Memorial last year and we made sure that we could get back to it this year. Funny thing is, the rest of my family is at a Cardinals game tonight. My hubby and it have been texting and he thinks I may beat them home since the game is tied in the eighth inning! With Me being more than two hours from home, I rather doubt it.

It was good to get out and visit with some of the drivers and other folks involved with Midget racing. I had the chance to pass out a few photos from Belleville in June. That is always fun for me.

I also took a whole lot of new pics tonight that I will have to try and process tomorrow if I have time between my son's baseball game and the next race at Belleville. We will just nave to see how the day goes.

Thanks for checking in. Now you Know that we haven't fallen off the face of the planet! I will do my best to get more timely updates on here in the coming weeks.

Magnificent Midget Madness!

2008-07-20T17:04:00.003-05:00

If I hadn't been convinced before, this weekend sealed it: There is absolutely, positively no better racing anywhere on any surface than dirt track Midget racing. And I would have to say that there are no better places to see it than Belle Clair Speedway. Maybe that's overstating things, but I've been to more tracks than I can count over more years than I care to remember, and I truly believe that statement.

Two nights in a row of wheel-to-wheel slide job action will wear a person out and leave them breathless. And if the fans feel that way, I can only imagine how the drivers feel afterward!

We witnessed some spectacular action last night between Brad Loyet, Brent Anderson, Derek King and Mike Hess, just among the front runners. There was other action going on all through the race, but nobody wanted to take their eyes off the front group because we knew we would miss something. It would have taken one of those pocket counters to keep track of all the slide jobs, and these young guys know how to do those to perfection.

As if Friday's feature at Macon wasn't action-packed enough, the Boys of Belleville decided to step it up a notch on Saturday. Despite several yellows and one very interesting spin that resulted in two cars being hooked together by the back bumper, one towing the other down the backstretch, the action never waned. It was anybody's guess who would come out of turn four in front on the last lap, and Brad Loyet proved himself worthy of repeat status by hanging onto his position in front of Brent Anderson just long enough to collect the win.

Yes, the weather is very summerish, but that's to be expected this time of the year. I'm just glad it finally quit raining long enough for us to get to some races! We are still trying to decide about I-55 this Wednesday, but it's looking pretty positive right now. Midget racing is like an addiction and I think we're ready to see what these guys have in store for us again.

Thanks so much to all the great folks at POWRi. We love the racing and appreciate the opportunity to photograph the excellent racing. Hope you all enjoy today's two added galleries!

2008-07-20T16:51:00.001-05:00

July 19, 2008

Wow! Racing two nights in a row! And this time Spring was able to join me. Yahoo!

It was warm and sticky at Belle Clair Speedway tonight and the raring was even hotter. If we thought last night's feature was a battle, well it looked like just a warm up compared to tonight's action.

2008-07-19T11:15:00.001-05:00

2008-07-19T10:24:00.001-05:00

Take Five

2008-05-19T10:45:00.004-05:00

The rain stopped, the clouds parted and the sun finally came out to warm up local race tracks this weekend. For me, it meant getting out to some real live racing for the first time this season (with the exception of one indoor POWRi race) and it felt great!

Saturday night, my hubby, my Dad and I headed about an hour and a half from home to Saint Francois County Raceway in Farmington, MO. Leaving my camera at home, I parked my comfy canvas bleacher seat in turn one and just sat back and enjoyed the night.

It was a little different getting there right at race time, rather than arrving hours early, wandering the pits, photographing hot laps and whatever else I can get before the sun goes on hiatus. It was nice though, getting a taste of what it's like to be a fan in the stands, seeing things from that perspective.

SFCR hosts a $5 night once a month, with the exception of July, I believe, and it is obviously very successful! All around us were adults with kids in tow and the place was packed. I loved seeing that after hearing and seeing so much about our tanking economy lately. It was really nice to see so many people out enjoying a night of great weather and awesome racing. I'm sure the track makes a nice chunk of change on concessions, judging by the fact that they ran out of funnel cakes before I could get one. My body thanks you. Skipping that one funnel cake made the difference between gaining and losing at my Biggest Loser weigh-in this morning! :)

It really was a nice night, and it brought a lot of drivers to the tracks as well. SFCR ran four classes and seemed to have plenty of cars to fill each field. There were 22 or 23 Sprint Cars there and they put on a great show, as did the Modifieds, who kept things exciting.

Next weekend SFCR is hosting a $2,000-to-win Sprint Car event but I'm not sure yet what we are doing. Right now, my next race will be the World of Outlaws/POWRi event at Tri-City on June 8. If something works its way into my schedule before then though, I definitely won't be complaining.

Of course this Sunday will be our annual Indy 500 Watch Party at my Dad's. He's encouraging us to go to church during the week so we can spend the whole day over there, which sounds like a great plan to me! I hope the weather is good and that we have a lot of fun watching the race. As usual, we will draw names and cheer for the driver we pick to win. We always have a good time on Indy Day.

POWRi Debuts this Weekend at Valley and Lucas Oil Speedways in Missouri

2008-05-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

From Kenny Brown:

MILLSTADT, Ill. -- O’Reilly POWRi National Midget Series, presented by Lucas Oil, races Friday at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. and Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. These races will feature the series’ debuts at two third-mile tracks in The Show Me State.

Valley Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway kicks off the POWRi Toyota/TRD Challenge this weekend. Along with the races at Junction Motor Speedway and the season ending Gold Crown race at Tri-City Speedway, POWRi competitors will accumulate points toward the $5000 Toyota/TRD payout. You do not have to have Toyota power to participate in the Challenge.

At Valley Speedway, officials from POWRi and Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. will announce details about a two-race swing – part of POWRi’s “Indoor Winter Nationals” – on a temporary indoor dirt track in December. The following night at Lucas Oil Speedway, Lucas Oil’s film crew will be on hand to shoot the race. Clips from the race will be used to promote the 2009 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Okla., at which many POWRi drivers and teams compete. Lucas Oil is in its first season as a presenting sponsor of POWRi.

While the Kemper Arena announcement and Lucas Oil film crew dominate POWRi’s off track news, competitors in the fourth-year series hope to make on-track news with victories at the two tracks. It will mark the first time in nearly three weeks POWRi competitors will race, inclement weather forced cancellation of two races – at Belle-Clair and Tri-City Speedways in Illinois – over the weekend. Three of four POWRi races have been affected by rain this season.

Valley Speedway has been a victim of rain itself, but hopes to open its 2008 schedule with POWRi. The black gumbo track is a third mile. Lucas Oil – known as “The Diamond of Dirt Tracks” – is also a third-mile track in southwestern Missouri. The track was completed in 2006 and has hosted Midgets in other series previously, in addition to late models and modifieds.

Brett Anderson (Belleville, Ill.) is the Midget Series point leader after winning at Macon (Ill.) Speedway on April 26. Anderson leads Gary “Bubba” Altig, Davey Ray, Danny Stratton and Zach Daum in points. All five – as well as Missouri native and defending series champion Brad Loyet (Sunset Hills, Mo.) and drivers from Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Illinois – are expected to participate in the two-race swing. The POWRi 600cc Micro Sprints, meanwhile, have the weekend off.

POWRi Season Starts Friday!

2008-04-22T07:35:00.001-05:00

From Kenny Brown at POWRi Racing:

POWRi National Midgets, Micro-Sprints to Kick Off 2008 Season at Jacksonville and Macon

Brad Loyet and Dereck King will begin defense of their titles.

MILLSTADT, Ill. -- O’Reilly POWRi expects a large contingent of cars for both the POWRi National Midget Series presented by Lucas Oil and the Micro-Sprints in the pair’s season-opening weekend April 25-26 at Jacksonville and Macon, Ill. The weekend marks the beginning of the fourth season of POWRi competition.

Last season’s point battles in both divisions showed how competitive this series is, with the National Midget championship coming down to the final weekend of action. We expect the 2008 season to be the best season yet in POWRi competition.

Brad Loyet and the Loyet Motorsports group – who are coming off the “DuQuoin Winter Nationals” two-race championship at the Southern Illinois Center earlier this season – will begin their defense of the driver and team titles in the National Midgets when the green flag flies April 25 at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill. Loyet won the season opener at the third-mile track last season, one of 5 races he won en route to the championship. The race is one of three for both the National Midgets and Micro-Sprints on the 2008 racing calendar.

The following night, April 26, Midget and Micro-Sprint competitors head about an hour and a half due east to the fifth-mile Macon (Ill.) Speedway, for the first of four National Midget and six Micro-Sprint events in 2008. Brad Kuhn and A.J. Fike won POWRi Midget races last season, while Hoosier Ryan Leek won his first career Micro-Sprint race there in August.

The 31-race National Midget schedule includes 17 races in Illinois. Other states hosting races include Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky, Missouri and Iowa. The Micro-Sprints will also run upwards of 30 races in 2008.

While Loyet is one of the favorites to win the 2008 National Midget championship, he’ll have to fend off several other drivers for the crown. Kuhn and Mike Hess claimed multiple victories during last summer’s action and each held the point lead at some point in 2007. Young guns Daniel Adler and Brent Beauchamp, each who have made their mark at local Sprint car races in the Midwest, also expect to challenge Loyet for the title.

On the Micro-Sprint side, King ran away with the title last season, clinching the championship with more than a handful of races to go. However, King was a non-factor in either of the “DuQuoin Winter Nationals” races at the Southern Illinois Center in January and March. If he wants to win the 2008 title, he’ll have to fight off young drivers such as Jason Ormsdy, Jarrett Cathey, Todd Kirkman, Austin Laskey, Tony Roney, Daniel Robinson and Nic Harris. King is also expected to compete in select POWRi National Midget races in 2008.

Morgan County and Macon Speedway practice will begin at 6:00pm, with racing starting at 7:00pm. For ticket and gate information on both tracks you can visit Morgan County at morgancountyspeedway.com and Macon Speedway at maconracing.com.

A Little Night Magic

2008-04-03T20:17:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday night I had the distinct pleasure of attending my first race of the 2008 season and it was a blast!

The POWRi Midgets and Micros heated up the night inside of the Southern Illinois Center which sits in the shadow of the Magic Mile at the DuQuoin Fairgrounds. This little fifth-mile bullring played host to the final race of the Indoor Winter Series for POWRi, a series that was supposed to include a three-race schedule, which was shortened to two after big-time ice storms hit the area.

Brad Loyet was the repeat victor, nipping Daniel Adler at the line to cap off the night of fast-paced action. Brady Bacon took home the Micro win, having come to race after being rained out of ARCA practice.

Before racing got underway, I was busy hawking the calendars that we had made for the Marty Boyer fundraiser. With a lot of help from POWRi colorman, Jim Childers, the calendars SOLD OUT and I was able to send a check to Marty's benefit fund on Monday.

Everyone was so supportive and wished Marty all the best. Racing folks are just awesome when it comes to supporting someone when they are down. I just hope everyone enjoys the calendars and that the money helps Marty and his family.

And thinking of guys who have had their share of trouble in the last year, it was really great to see Tracy Hines back in action again! He was in the Don Moore Music Publications #10 that I have come to think of as Jerry Coons' Midget over the last couple of seasons. After his terrible four-wheeler accident last year, it was wonderful to see him back in a race car.

I am just so glad that racing season is off and running again! The World of Outlaws are in town this weekend at I-55 Raceway, but we won't be able to make that one. Drumline season is still going strong for our son, so we will be watching him perform and cheering on his unit.

See you on the dirt!

Get ‘em While They’re Hot: 2008 Marty Boyer Fundraiser Calendars

2008-03-09T12:04:00.001-05:00

Marty Boyer is a dear friend of the Open Wheel racing community. He has been instrumental in covering Sprint and Midget racing all over the Midwest and has helped many up-and-coming drivers throughout the years. Last month, Marty suffered a devastating stroke and is working hard to get well. Everyone in the racing world wishes him a complete and speedy recovery.

Marty and his family will have a lot to deal with during this time, and a special fund has been set up to help ease the financial burden. The folks at POWRi Racing, the St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club, WhoWon.com and Two Girls Gone Racin’ have joined forces in an attempt to increase contributions to the Marty Boyer Fund.

These organizations have combined their efforts to create the 2008 POWRi Racing Calendar which lists all of the POWRi Midget and Micro dates for 2008. The calendar starts with the month of March and each of its twelve months has a collage of either Midget or Micro photos. All of these images were shot in the past couple of years at various Illinois tracks by Two Girls Gone Racin’.

Calendars are priced at $20 each, with all of the profits - $8 per calendar - going to the Marty Boyer Fund. The calendars will be available at many POWRi events throughout the season or may be ordered by mail. Information about mail orders may be found by following the 2008 POWRi Marty Boyer Fundraiser Calendar link on www.twogirlsgoneracin.com or by emailing Valerie@twogirlsgoneracin.com

Attendees of the March “Open Wheel Racing Night” St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club meeting in Belleville, Illinois had their first glimpse of the calendars and it received rave reviews. Fifteen calendars were sold at this event, which was highlighted by interviews with several local POWRi drivers, done by Eileen Waters. Attendees were also invited to sign a get well card for Marty.

We are excited to offer these calendars and we hope that you will join us in our efforts to help Marty and his family.

O’Reilly POWRi Racing Series – www.powri.com
St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club – www.stlfanclub.com
WhoWon – www.whowon.com
Two Girls Gone Racin’ – www.twogirlsgoneracin.com

IRL/CART Cease-Fire: Will it Last?

2008-02-26T07:33:00.000-06:00

The impending reunification of Champ Car and IRL is certainly the hot topic of the day in motorsports. Of course, no one would know by the lack of attention given this subject by local media, but this could be a major turning point for American Auto Racing. My Dad and I talked about it at length over lunch at Cracker Barrel yesterday and had some interesting thoughts on the topic.

Since the news broke on Friday that IRL and Champ Car are close to reaching a reunification agreement, many teams, tracks and media have released statements regarding their opinions on the topic. I have read many of those statements, and right now, it seems the most negative feedback I have seen is from the tracks that were set to run Champ Car events but will lose their dates because of conflicts with the IRL schedule. The teams, at least publicly, seem to be embracing the idea, but you just never know what they are saying behind the scenes.

In my opinion, I would love to see these two come back together stronger and better than before, but it is going to take a LOT of work. The damage done by the split runs deep and has been left to fester for twelve long years. People don’t forget that kind of stuff over night. They also don’t forget the way both of these sanctioning bodies have turned their backs on domestic talent while embracing every foreigner on the planet. Is it any wonder that guys like Sam Hornish have defected to NASCAR? I don’t think so.

It used to be the dream of every American Midget and Sprint Car racer to drive in the Indy 500 someday, but that day is long gone because no one gives them a chance to prove themselves on that level anymore. Instead, these drivers are now working their way up through the ranks of NASCAR who (and I hate to admit this because I’m just NOT a huge NASCAR fan) has welcomed these up-and-coming drivers and showcased them in a very positive way. For all its faults, NASCAR has the largest fan base of any sport and those fans support their drivers regardless of on track performance, or off-track antics.

IRL/Champ Car have come off as snobby and elitist and that is a huge turn off for fans. It is going to take a major PR campaign and a large dose of contrition and sincerity to bring fans back to open wheel racing. If they want to do it right, they will take a page from the books of guys like our local POWRi promoters, the World of Outlaws and yes, even NASCAR, and study them well before making their next move.

One has to wonder if these two entities can put their egos aside once the negotiations are complete and the real work begins. When one looks at the situation in light of a divorced couple getting re-married, the chances of things working out for the long haul are pretty slim. Will these two be able to play well together after their long separation? Only time will tell.

In conclusion, I say bring back open wheel racing, but do it the right way. Continuing on the current paths of either IRL or Champ Car will spell certain disaster for American Open Wheel racing. And while they are at it, put the engines back in the rear of the cars where they belong!

RaceBumpers and POWRi Team up to Support Marty Boyer

2008-02-21T08:24:00.001-06:00

MILLSTADT, Ill. -- Our friend Marty Boyer suffered a stroke and may be faced with a lengthy recovery. Marty's efforts at MidgetMadness.com have become an instrumental part in the promotion and growth of midget racing today. Marty has helped many drivers/teams, tracks/promotors, and parts related businesses become successful without asking for much in return. Now its our turn to repay the favor!

From now until May 1st, RaceBumpers.com will donate 5% of all sales to the fund set up for Marty. In addition, we will be auctioning one bumper or nerf a week on Ebay for 6 weeks. 100% of the proceeds from the auctions will also go to the fund.

POWRi Racing will be donating 5% of the proceeds from the Dean King Memorial race at the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, IL March 29th.

We strongly encourage anyone else that has benefited from Marty's efforts to do what they can to assist him and his family through this difficult time.

RaceBumpers.com
Flea Ruzic, Jason Harms
POWRi Racing
Kenny Brown, Jim Siner

(Marty, Spring and I wish you all the best as you recover. Our prayers are with you!)

Feb. 16 DuQuoin Winter Nationals Cancelled

2008-02-13T14:54:00.000-06:00

DUQUOIN, Ill. -- The Saturday, Feb. 16 DuQuoin Winter Nationals have been cancelled due to inclement weather. The Illinois State Police have advised the public to restricted traveling in the Southern Illinois region. The area is currently suffering a power outage that is affecting approx 30,000 homes and businesses along with poor road conditions.

All pre-entries will be moved to the March 29th race. If you would like your refund please contact Kenny Brown via e-mail through the contact link on the POWRi website or by phone at 314-267-4944. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Local Drivers Fare Well in 2008 Chili Bowl Nationals

2008-01-14T13:27:00.000-06:00

Each January, racers from all over the country, representing many forms of motorsports, converge on Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

The Chili Bowl is by far the biggest racing event on the winter calendar. With most dirt and asphalt tracks in hibernation mode in all but the most temperate of climates, racing indoors is the only viable option. With that in mind, two of dirt track racing's top promoters, Lannie Edwards and Emmett Hahn took a gamble over twenty years ago that has turned into much more than just another Midget race.

This year's entry list was comprised of 285 drivers from 29 states, Canada and Australia. Among these drivers were NASCAR Cup champions, Drag racers, Dirt Late Model and Kart drivers in addition to those who routinely turn laps in open wheel machines. Men and women and drivers of all ages from mid-teens to early seventies filled an impressive list of who's who in motorsports today. Missouri boasted 17 pilots, while 29 Illinois drivers made the trek to the Sooner state.

Many of these drivers run our local tracks as a part of the O'Reilly POWRi Midget Series and a few were able to play the alphabet soup game and work their way up through four grueling nights of qualifying in order to claim a spot in either of the "B" or "A" Main events.

Roughly 14,000 fans make up the crowd of this sold-out-by-May event, and untold numbers of others listen to the races via internet broadcasts or get updates through blogs and forums. In fact, so many people logged onto the Chili Bowl web site this year that the server crashed and was down all day on Saturday. This year, for the first time in history, both C-Mains, both B-Mains and the A-Main were all broadcast via HBO Pay-Per-View on Saturday night. That's how we watched it, and the network did a wonderful job of bringing us all of the racing action, behind-the-scenes interviews and commentary that we were hungry for. The broadcast lasted almost four solid hours, and was well-worth the $25 price tag.

The following is a list of the Missouri and Illinois drivers and how they fared in the 2008 Chili Bowl. Many of these drivers and others will be on hand this Saturday at the DuQuoin Fairgrounds for the first POWRi Indoor Series Midget race of the season. Along with the Midgets will be the POWRi Micro Series. All will race indoors at the DuQuoin Indoor Center. With temperatures outside predicted to be in the twenties this weekend, it's time to warm up to some winter time indoor racing!

Illinois (29) – Joey Moughan (2m), Kevin Olson (4ko), Zach Daum (5d), Patrick Bruns (5x), Austin Brown (7a){Made it to the "B" Main], Dan Mecum (8m), Jay Mounce (12m), Tim Siner (15)[Made it to the "B" Main], Chris Windom (17)[Made it to the "B" Main], Kenny Brown (17b), Levi Jones (20J){Finished 11th in the "A" Main], Lee Beckwith (21s), Derrick Myers (25x), Donnie Lehmann (31), Davey Ray (33), Jeff Davis (d33), Mat Neely (35)[Made it to the "B" Main], Tyler Robbins (35T), Don Hammer (45), Daniel Adler (50), Mike Hess (51), Nick Knepper (55k), Bubba Altig (67a)[Finished 24th in the "A" after a warm-up incident], A.J. Fike (69), David Gough (75x), Kellen Conover (76), Justin Allgaier (86), Dave Camfield, Jr. (86c)[Made it to the "B" Main], Rich Camfield (87c).

Missouri (17) – Jesse Stovall (00s), Hunter Schuerenberg (1h), Tony Roney (1T), Robby Ross (4R), Bill Allen (5a), Joey Montgomery (5c), Brad Loyet (05)[Made it to the "B" Main], Danny Lasoski (05L)[Made it to the "B" Main], Joe Boyles (7b), Doug Frye (7c), Eric Todd (7T), Will Pierce (10T), Steve Stroud (21x), Jesse Hockett (29L)[Finished 12th in the "A" Main event], Joe Walker (37J), Andrew Felker (73F), Todd McVay (89JR).

2008 O'Reilly POWRi National Midget Series Schedule

2008-01-03T07:48:00.000-06:00

April 25 – Morgan County Speedway – Jacksonville, IL
April 26 – Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
May 9 – Tri-City Speedway – World of Outlaws – Granite City, IL
May 10 – Tri-State Speedway – Tri-State Challenge – Haubstadt, IN
May 16 – Valley Speedway – Grain Valley, MO
May 17 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO
June 6 – Morgan County Speedway – MSCS Sprints – Jacksonville, IL
June 7 – Belle-Clair Speedway – IL/MO Speed Week – Belleville, IL
June 11 – I-55 Raceway – NASCAR Night – Pevely, MO
June 13 – Tri-City Speedway – Granite City, IL
June 14 – St. Francois County Speedway – Farmington, MO
June 20 – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
June 21 – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA
June 27 – Paducah International Raceway – MSCS – Paducah, KY
June 28 – Tri-State Speedway – MSCS & KISS – Haubstadt, IN
July 18 – Macon Speedway – Dana Godfrey Memorial – Macon, IL
July 19 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Finley Memorial – Belleville, IL
July 29 – Junction Motor Speedway – Cornhusker Midget Challenge – McCool Junction, NE
July 30 – Junction Motor Speedway – Cornhusker Midget Challenge – McCool Junction, NE
August 1 – Belleville High Banks – Belleville Midget Nationals - Belleville, KS
August 2 – Belleville High Banks – Belleville Midget Nationals - Belleville, KS
August 6 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Arnie Knepper Memorial – Belleville, IL
August 9 – Washington Town and Country Fair – Washington, MO
August 15 – Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
August 29 – Southern Illinois Center – DuQuoin State Fair – DuQuoin, IL
August 30 – Southern Illinois Center – DuQuoin State Fair – DuQuoin, IL
September 12 – Morgan County Speedway – Jacksonville, IL
September 13 – Spoon River Speedway – Tom Knowles Memorial – Canton, IL
September 27 – Macon Speedway – Macon, IL
October 3 – Tri-City Speedway – Bob Wente Classic – Granite City, IL
October 4 – Belle-Clair Speedway – Charlene Meents Memorial – Belleville, IL

T'was the Night Before Christmas, Race Fan Style

2007-12-24T09:44:00.000-06:00

Valerie Perkins, WhoWon.com and TwoGirlsGoneRacin.com

T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the land

Not a race track was open, only snow filled the stands.

The pit shacks were shuttered, front gates were secured

And over PA sysems, not one word was heard.

The flagstands were empty, there were no shouts or cheers

And no kids begged their parents for speedway souvenirs

PRI had just ended, Chili Bowl was two weeks away

No races were scheduled to run Christmas Day.

RVs and campers were winterized and parked

Musco lighting was turned off, scoring towers were dark.

And everywhere race fans were snug in their beds

While visions of close finishes danced in their heads.

But somewhere in Ohio, north of Rossburg town

If you listened real close, you could just hear the sound

Of an engine, a Chevy, a small block at that

At the wheel was a driver in a Schlitz Beer ball cap.

He was pushed by a truck, its driver in red

With a long white beard and a furry cap on his head

They moved through the infield, past an empty food stand

Their only witness, a reindeer, with stopwatch at hand.

They rolled out of the pits and down the front straight

Then the engine, it caught, and the car pulled away

Past the bleachers it rumbled, the midget so light

Broadsliding 'round turns on that cold winter night.

Just off the cushion, the driver he flew

Gaining speed as he rounded the corner in two.

He zipped down the backstretch, no fenders, no wings

Because many drivers have no need of such things.

As he circled the track, he laughed in delight

Engine roaring as dirt clods flew into the night,

Many ciruits he made in the snow and the cold

The speed and the skill were a sight to behold.

All too soon, in the east, shown the first light of sun

And alas, it was time to end all the fun.

He was heard to exclaim as he climbed from the car,

"Merry Christmas all race fans, wherever you are!"

Broken Bow Records is Primary Sponsor of the Three Race POWRi “DuQuoin Winter Series”

2007-12-14T08:06:00.000-06:00

MILLSTADT, Ill. -- Three events each will make up the 2008 edition of the Broken Bow Records “DuQuoin Winter Series” for the O’Reilly POWRi National Midget and Micro-Sprint Series divisions, officials announced today.

Races at the DuQuoin (Ill.) Indoor Center, which features a temporary sixth-mile dirt track, will be run on Jan. 19, Feb. 16 and March 29 – all Saturdays. Thirty-lap features are scheduled for the National Midgets, who are debuting as part of the “DuQuoin Winter Series,” while the Micro-Sprints are scheduled to compete in 25-lap features.

Broken Bow Records, a country music record label, will be the presenting sponsor of the three-race series. Among those associated with BBR include band Crossin Dixon, which is currently featured on Country Music Television’s (CMT) Studio 330 Sessions. Crossin Dixon, which recently released its first two singles Guitar Slinger and Make You Mine, will play on Friday, March 28, the night before the final event.

The final event will be called the “Dean King Memorial” in honor of Dean King, whose Grandson Dereck King recently earned the 2007 POWRi Micro-Sprint championship. Dean King was avid in racing in many facets, and sadly passed away in 2006. Both the Micro-Sprint and Midget races are expected to award high winner’s shares.

Visit www.brokenbowrecords.com for more information on the record label and its musical artists.

Note from Val: Broken Bow Records is also the label for a 2GGR favorite, Jason Aldean!

Book Review: Hart’s Victory by Michele Dunaway

2007-12-11T21:58:00.000-06:00

A few weeks back I received a much-anticipated package in the mail. It was the newest release in the Harlequin NASCAR series of books. The title is Hart’s Victory and it was written by my friend, Michele Dunaway, who teaches at our high school. She sent me the autographed copy of her book as her way of thanking me for helping her with the research that went into it, and even included me in the dedication, which is really cool because I have never seen my name in a book before!

It took me a while to find the time to sit down and read the book, but when I did, I found it to be worth the wait. It was interesting to me to see how Michele included her extensive research in the book, which revolves around a Mom who’s son is very sick and gets to spend a weekend at a Victory Junction-type camp. While at the camp, Mother and son meet their favorite NASCAR driver, and you can imagine where that leads.

It’s a great story with enough plotline to keep even a non-race fan interested. My Mom was the first person I shared it with, and she liked it as much as I did, even though she doesn’t follow NASCAR at all.

Michele did a great deal of research on the camp and the inner workings of NASCAR to make everything very realistic and believable. One of my favorite things is that this is the type of book anyone can read because it is very clean without the crutch of foul language or spicy sex scenes that tend to permeate the genre. As someone who reads a lot of Christian romance, I can recommend this read with a very clear conscience!

With believable and endearing characters, a fast-paced plot, and the excitement of NASCAR, Hart’s Victory deserves a winner’s trophy!

On a related note, if you happen to live in our area, Michele will be signing copies of Hart’s Victory and The Christmas Date this Saturday at Rose’s Bookhouse in O’Fallon, MO from noon to two. If you need directions, drop me a note.
For more information on Michele and her books please visit www.micheledunaway.blogspot.com or www.micheledunaway.com

Music Review: Relient K – Let It Snow Baby, Let it Reindeer!

2007-12-11T21:34:00.000-06:00

Every year I add at least one new CD to our Christmas collection. This year, my favorite choice by far is Relient K’s Christmas CD, cleverly entitled, Let It Snow Baby, Let it Reindeer!

Relient K has always been known for their clever lyrics and fun musical style, and this CD is no exception. It is a great mix of traditional Christmas carols and silly songs, as well as different twists to old favorites.

Their version of The Twelve Days of Christmas is a rowdy romp which is only outdone by I’m Getting’ Nuttin’ for Christmas and possibly, Santa Claus is Thumbin’ to Town. Each one will have you singing along and tapping your toes.

For the more sedate moments of Christmas, the Silent Night/Away in a Manger medley is a wonderful rendition which really gets down to the heart of what the season is all about.

With 17 tracks, the $10 price tag is a bargain. I absolutely love every single song on this CD and I highly recommend it. It has something for everyone, no matter their age or musical taste.

Here is a list of the titles on the CD:

Have Youself a Merry Little Christmas
Sleigh Ride
Merry Christmas, Here's to Many More
Angels We Have Heard on High
Deck the Halls
12 Days of Christmas
Silent Night/Away In A Manger
I Celebrate the Day
In Like a Lion (Always Winter
I'm Gettin' Nuttin' For Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Santa Claus Is Thumbing To Town
Handel's Messiah
I Hate Christmas Parties
Boxing Day
Auld Lang Syne
Good King Wenceslas

Keeping the Lights On

2007-12-11T21:16:00.000-06:00

Anyone who checks in here at the blog on a regular basis probably thinks I’ve fallen off the planet or something. I can’t believe how long it’s been since my last entry! Alas, the racing season came to an end, and I got totally wrapped up in my son’s marching band season and in getting through the first few months of having my daughter away at college. Now here it is December and the clock is ticking away the time until Christmas and a brand new year.

Beginning with this entry I plan to cover quite a few topics so I hope you have the patience to bear with me!

Right now I am sitting in a hotel room in Springfield, Missouri waiting for my daughter to finish her final final at Missouri State University so we can head back home. This is her last night in her dorm here because next semester she will be at Lindenwood University, which is right in our home town. I am very excited that she is coming back because the drive down here has gotten very old for everyone. She does it so much that it just seems kind of nuts for her to be so far from home.

We started our journey down here yesterday afternoon, waiting for the morning round of freezing rain to pass. We finally left around 2:00 and hoped to be here by 5:30 or so, driving past endless miles of frozen trees, grass and shrubbery. It was an eerie, yet beautiful sight. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the halfway point, a heavy fog had descended, rain was falling and the temperature was hovering just above freezing. We decided to stop for the night, and pulled into a McDonald’s with wi-fi so we could locate a reasonably priced room in the area. You gotta love technology!

After finding a room, we made a quick run to Wal-Mart because my daughter hadn’t planned on spending the night anywhere but her dorm and she had no clothes, toothbrush or other necessities. Finally, we got comfy at a Waffle House and dove into dinner.

Today we drove through the weirdest stretch of weather I have ever seen. Starting with temps in the sixties and a sunny sky, we got within forty miles of our destination and ran into this huge black wall of a cloud. It looked like the sandstorm scene from The Mummy and totally freaked us out. Within a half mile of entering this cloud, the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees and we were surrounded by gray cottony moisture. The saying here in Missouri is “If you don’t like the weather, wait a bit and it will change.” That was never proven more true to me than it was today!

We spent our day doing some Christmas shopping, eating and jus goofing off. It was a lot of fun getting to hang out with my girl. She is an awesome young lady and I love her to pieces. Tonight I took her and her room mate out to dinner at Lambert’s, famous for its “Throwed Rolls” (www.throwedrolls.com) which was very good. The only bad part is that this place doesn’t take credit/debit cards, and I never carry cash, so that meant a quick run to a local ATM to make a pricey withdrawal! I have to say that it was worth the effort though.

Tomorrow we head back home and I know the journey will be just as much fun on the return trip as it was on the way down, if not more. At least on this trip, there won’t be any studying going on!

So until tomorrow morning, I'm hanging out here in a room of my own, watching what I want to watch, snoring if I want to snore and going to bed whenever the notion strikes me. Heck, I even worked for a few hours! And speaking of working, this hotel is full up with electrical workers who are, I assume, here to repair all the area damage from the ice storms. I wish I had my camera to share a picture of the parking lot! Every space is full of white trucks, some with booms and baskets, some laden with other kinds of equipment. They are everywhere you look, even on the streets around the hotel. It looks like an electrical workers union convention or something! Actually, it reminds me a lot of my Dad who spent 37 years working for our local electic company. I have a soft spot in my heart for the guys here because I know they are going to put in some long hours if they haven't already.

Shhhh! Can't You See I'm Working?

2007-10-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

For the first time in over seven years, I had to commute more than a few feet to get to work this morning. In fact, I actually had to drive all the way across town, the town of Springfield, Missouri, that is.

My daughter is in college here, and we drove down Sunday night so that she wouldn't have to do it alone. She only has two days of school this week, and then she is headed home for Fall Break. I spent the last two nights on a makeshift bed in her dorm, which was an experience in itself!

Because I work on line, I was able to bring my laptop and get some hours in while on the road. You would think, in this day and age, it would be easy to find a Wi-Fi connection so that I could get on line and do my job, but alas, yesterday morning was quite a trial! We couldn't get my computer to connect in my daughter's dorm, so I tried a local Panera (aka Bread Co. back home), which wasn't working right. We tried the campus library as well, with the same results. It is amazing to me that a college campus is still relying on wired internet when so many students have laptops that they take everywhere! There are some hotspots on campus, but instead of going that route, I ended up at the Springfield Public Library, also known as the Library Station. I have to say that after all of the hassles of yesterday, I am really glad I ended up here!

Not only is it quiet here, and I have an entire table to myself rather than my daughter's cramped dorm room desk, but it's the most beautiful library I have ever been in. It has a kind of Route 66/Railroad theme which I absolutely adore and right next to my work station is one of those old gas pumps with the glass circle at the top. There are work rooms next to me, which you can sign up to use, which are each named after different types of cars. There is the Corvette, Firebird, Camaro, Mustang and GTO rooms, each complete with a poster depicting the type of car. The funny thing is, the signs next to these rooms that have the name of the car, have a picture of a locomotive. It doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, but oh well.

The library has large model airplanes hanging from the ceiling, separate places for kids and teens to find books and hang out, and a little "paved" road runs around the circulation desk and some of the stacks. Right next door, and connected to the library, is another Panera (with working Wi-Fi!) which is very convenient when it's time for a snack.

Even our newly remodeled library back home just can't compare with this classy place!

It has been an absolute pleasure working here these two days and I really enjoyed being able to bring in a glass of tea and plug into my MP3 player. Not one person bothered me or asked to see my library card or anything. The only nuisance was the guy with the horrible hacking cough that was in here for several hours this morning. Fortunately, he has now left the building! As it was, I just turned up Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban and Dierks Bentley and kept on working.
If you ever get to the Springfield, MO area and needed a place to do some work online, research or just kick back with a book, be sure to stop in at the Library Station. It is awesome!

Gettin' My Kicks on Route 66

2007-09-26T20:44:00.000-05:00

This past weekend my family made a trip down to Claremore, OK. Our son had a marching band competition in nearby Owasso, OK and since we really only had to help with some of the band stuff, and watch the performance, that left us with a lot of free time.

Long before the movie Cars, I have been fascinated with Route 66 and its attractions. I have a beautiful book called Route 66: The Mother Road by Michael Wallis who is the voice of the Sheriff in the movie and an expert on all things Route 66. He also helped the Pixar gang with their research.

Our hotel this weekend was right along Route 66 and that left me longing to go for a drive and see if we could find any of the kitschy Route 66 attractions. After consulting a travel guide and a map, I figured out that we were just a few miles from Catoosa, which is home to the fabled Blue Whale. My husband was up for the adventure, so we hopped into Ol' Blue and headed on down the highway.

Once we reached the little town of Catoosa, I began to watch carefully for any signs, just in case our destination was off the beaten path at all. To my delight, the Whale was right alongside the road, and I shouted gleefully when I first sighted it. I know my husband thought I was nuts, but I was so excited! We pulled into a little roadside park with a ramshackle building and a few concrete tables with whale-themed seats and looked around. The whale was huge! He looked to be fairly well-maintained, except for a few loose boards in the dock on which he rests.

There is no swimming (or swiming, if you read the sign) allowed, but at one time I could imagine this pond as being a very busy place. The whale has slides and a diving platform, as well as a sort of "attic" like room that one can climb up into. He sports a top hat, and a large cane fishing pole with a huge hook on the end keeps him forever in his place. From the smile he wears, it doesn't look like he minds too much.

After seeing the Whale up close, I was reminded of a scene in that old Pee Wee's Big Adventure movie, even though that was a different attraction, it still had that same silly feel about it. The whole experience really made my day, and was one of the highlights of the weekend. I didn't think we would be able to top it, but I was wrong.

Heading back up Route 66, and on through Claremore, we drove to the little town of Foyil which has remnants of the original Route 66 running through it. I got down in the roadway and actually took a few close up shots of the roadbed with its unique curbs. On the outskirts of Foyil is a small park-like setting that contains a dozen or so totem poles, one of which is purported to be the largest in the world! When we talked about going there, I really couldn't comprehend what the big deal was. First of all, why carve a huge totem pole, and second, who would want to see it? I was about to be surprised again.

The World's Largest Totem Pole is a unique piece of art which was carved by a folk artist named Ed Galloway. It is 90 feet tall, has a 54 foot base and you can walk right inside of it. There are carvings all over the outside, and paintings on the inside. Along with the huge totem pole are many other carvings, even a table and chair set with totem designs. On the property is a building which houses the gift shop and museum. This building is a work of art all its own, with carvings inside and out. It also contains dozens of fiddles, which represent the 300 fiddles carved by Mr. Galloway during his lifetime, each made of a different type of wood. There are also chairs, inlay art and photos of the artist and his work.

Although I had my doubts about going to see this, I am very glad we went. It is a must-see stop for anyone traveling on Route 66. The interesting thing is that the place came very close to becoming just a memory like so many other places on the historic Mother Road. At one time, the park was overgrown, and vandals had created havoc on the property. Fortunately, a group of local volunteers knew the treasure in their midst and made the heroic effor to save it for future generations. I, for one, am very glad they did!

We left Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon, and traveled Route 66 up to Vinita before getting back on I-44. Seeing just a small fraction of this bit of Americana left me longing for more. I have dreamed of taking the ultimate trip one day: Chicago to L.A. on what remains of Route 66, photographing living history along the way. It will only be a few short years until we reach empty nest status, and I'm thinking that would be the perfect time to hit the road, and take the highway that's the best.

Maybe I should get a head start on the planning right now!

Remembering 9-11

2007-09-11T09:44:00.000-05:00

As someone who makes a living editing the work of others, it is not often that I am at a loss for words. This morning, as I began to reflect on the events of September 11, 2001 as I always do on the anniversary of that awful day, the words would not come. Instead, my mind was filled with images, pictures that I saw again on my television, and in my mind:

Video of the gaping hole in the side of the first tower, and watching live as the second plane flew low and with deadly aim, into the second.

Images of the towers falling, of the Pentagon, of that black hole in an otherwise green field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The siren in front of school that went off as I drove by to take my son his lunch that morning.

Memories of my husband's pale face as he stepped from his car that afternoon.

The sounds of the radio blaring the latest news from the windows of my children's bus as it pulled up to the bus stop.

A somber ceremony at our church later that evening.

The images and emotions are as powerful today as they were when they first happened. So much changed that day, yet in the years since, we have grown complacent as life has gotten back to normal.

I thought about that a lot this morning as my son and I had breakfast and he headed off to school. I wondered just how much of an impact the events of that day and those that followed has really had on each of us. Have we really forgotten how vulnerable and angry we felt, or have we simply chosen to go on living our daily lives rather than dwelling on the past?

Personally, rarely a day goes by that I don't think about that day because the reminders are all around me:

The flag on our front porch that flies every day in honor and support of our troops.

The basketball hoop where we spent so many hours in the evenings afterward, when we just couldn't take another minute of the continuing coverage of the tragedy.

The emergency siren in front of the local school that went off that morning as I passed by when I took my son the lunch he had left at home.

Clear, blue sky above me, just like the one here and in New York that day.

An airplane flying overhead, reminding me of the bravery of those on Flight 93, and of every person who chose to get back on a plane in the days and weeks that followed.

This morning dawned cool and gray, and in a way I was glad because I didn't really want it to be similar to that day six years ago. Of course, God had other plans when it came to reminders. Before long, the clouds broke up and drifted off, giving way to the familiar blue. I noticed this as I made my way to my son's school to take the folder he forgot, passing the siren on the way, which did not, thankfully, go off this morning.

Instead of taking the road back home this morning after leaving my son's school, I took another route and ended up in the city of O'Fallon at a September 11 Remembrance Ceremony. I hadn't really planned to go because it was just briefly mentioned on our morning newscast, and it wasn't really on my list of things to do today.

With my ever-present camera, I made my way over to the area that had been roped off for the ceremony. Behind me idled a firetruck, and before me was a piece of twisted steel that had been salvaged from the Ground Zero.

The ceremony was brief, yet touching, and included a young lady who sang the National Anthem and God Bless America, a 21-gun salute, and a bagpiper who played Amazing Grace. A haunting rendition of Taps was played by a lone Trumpeter, and it sent chills down my spine. It felt good to place a flower next to the wreath at the memorial, to shed a few tears, and to be surrounded by others who have not forgotten.

I hope and pray that we will never forget, that folks will again fly their flags at half-staff, that we will take time out to thank the men and women who serve so bravely, that September 11 will never become just another day on the calender.

We have to move forward, but every now and then we need to look over our shoulder at where we have been. It's the only way to really appreciate the journey.

Magic on the Midway

2007-09-03T14:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I made my second trip to the Magic Mile at DuQuoin State Fair Speedway. The beautiful USAC Silver Crown Cars were on tap and the weather consisted of blue skies and warm temperatures. It was the kind of day that makes one welcome the setting of the sun and the coolness of evening.

There is something awe-inspiring about this mile-sized dirt track carved from the Illinois countryside, especially when you are used to tracks that are anywhere from a quarter- to a half-mile. No matter your vantage point, at most tracks you can see everything that is going on all through a race. On a track the size of DuQuoin, it can get pretty tough to keep up with the action in the back stretch or a far corner, which actually makes for some fun surprises coming down the front straightaway.

During last night's race, Shane Cottle led flag-to-flag, but that does not mean the race was boring. There were a lot of little battles going on all through the field, and several drivers made some pretty impressive advances. I loved it that they opted to start 32 cars in the feature, rather than the traditional 24, but I did miss the introductions and pre-race line up in front of the grandstands this year. There's a sort of pageantry to that which would have been nice, but knowing that it takes time and a lot of folks have long drives home, I can understand the change.

My Dad and I got to spend a lot of time in the pits together while my husband, our daughter and her boyfriend wandered around to see the sites of the fair. Everyone enjoyed the different foods offered too. My daughter (the amateur baker) raved over some huge hand-made cinnamon rolls she discovered and my Dad was crazy for the lemonade. For me, chocolate ice cream did the trick.

All-in-all it was a wonderful day and I really enjoyed getting to photograph the big, beautiful Silver Crown cars again. It is a once-a-year experience that I truly love. My deepest thanks to the folks at Track Enterprises for allowing me to do it again. I hope everyone enjoys the pictures!

Seasons of Change

2007-08-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I became and official College Mom when we dropped our daughter off in her new home at Missouri State University. She settled in fast, and I know she will be involved and become a part of the community there just as she was at home.

So yes, this week has seen its share of tears, but I just keep reminding myself of how proud I am of all she has, and will accomplish. That, and I am really looking forward to the fact that she will be home next weekend!

Our son is a freshman in high school now and a member of the marching band. He is a percussionist and plays in the pit, which means he gets to learn how to play a lot of different instruments. His first performance is next Friday night, and I can’t wait to see him in that uniform for the first time!

It has been a busy couple of weeks here in our household but it seems as if we are starting to settle into our new routine and our conversion from a four person household down to just us three. Of course, every now and then I still find myself peeking into my daughter’s room to see if maybe she’s in there working on her laptop as usual.

All of these changes, combined with Spring’s month-long sabbatical in the south, have necessitated some alterations to our racing schedule. As of right now, next weekend’s Ted Horn Memorial at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds will be our second-to-last race of the year. Tri-City’s moving of their POWRi race from Friday October 5 to Sunday, October 7 is a welcome change because it means that we will be able to make that our last race of the season. Unfortunately, we have had to drop our return trip to Hartville for the got milk? Fall Nationals because it was moved up a weekend and I have a prior commitment. All of these changes will soon be reflected on the schedule page of our web site.

With all of that said, I am really looking forward to next weekend’s race. Last year was my first trip to DuQuoin and I was blown away by everything from the historical old fairgrounds itself to the awesome racing and all the fun I had on my first trip out with the Pentax K100D. Last year’s weather was beautiful too, and I am hoping that the weather forecast is correct and we are headed for a cool down by the end of next week.

With credentials provided by Track Enterprises, we will make the trip over to DuQuoin after church next Sunday. It looks like we may have a van full this time, although Spring has not yet decided for sure if she will make it or not. Hopefully, my camera techniques have improved enough from last year that I can do a good job even if she decides not to go along. I did okay the first time out, but I have learned a lot since then, and I am much more confident when approaching people, so we’ll see how it goes.

I am looking forward to seeing the big Silver Crown cars again, since this is the only time each year that I get to do that. They are such classic machines that stir up a lot of nostalgia and put on a great race.

For anyone who considers himsef a fan of open wheel racing, this is one event you don’t want to miss!

It's never too hot to go racin'!

2007-08-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

I am not sure what the official high temperature was for yesterday, but I know that somewhere along the highway from my house to Belleville, Illinois, one of those bank signs said 103. That would not be surprising, considering how sweltering the heat was at Belle Clair Speedway. But hey, it's the midwest, it's summer, and we expect it. And as far as this year goes, our weather has been awesome, so this little heat wave somehow feels like it is well-deserved.

So yes, it was warm, hot, uncomfortable, and a host of other related adjectives last night, but that could not stop the POWRi guys from putting on some great racing over at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds. All I can say is, my pal Spring is missing out on some great racing action while she wiles away her time with family and friends in North Carolina!

We headed over kind of late for us, after hot laps and just before the heat races, but it was ok with me. The later we went, the cooler (or rather, less hot) the temperature and the more time we spent in the comfort of air conditioning. Believe it or not, it didn't feel all that bad to me, and I am usually one who does not tolerate summer well. Maybe it was the breeze created by the cars, or my constant duck into shaded areas of the infield, or the bottled water that two different teams kept offering me, but I managed not to overdo it, which was nice.

I met up with our buddy Rich, who is always a lot of fun to talk to. He recently spent some time shooting Super Modifieds in New York and has plans to go back. We talked about racing and photography, and compared some of the shots we managed to get. It's pretty cool how we can have exactly the same camera, yet get totally different pictures.

Rich and I stayed out long enough to shoot all of the Midget heats, but then we lost the sunlight and just couldn't contend with all of the shadows. We both lamented the lack of proper flashes, but those things are expensive and on our long-range wish lists. Belle Clair is a fun track to shoot at because of the low walls, but that also means being extra careful when the cars are in motion. Of course last night we worried less about the race cars and more about the crazy push truck driver who kept trying to run us over!

Anyway, we survived, then went our separate ways to watch the rest of the night's action. And it was definitely action-packed! The feature was especially good, with a ton of movement throughout the field and several lead changes. There is just nothing like racing on old fairground tracks, that's for sure. I kept thinking to myself how all of those NASCAR fans who have never been to a dirt track race have no idea what they are missing!

Brad Loyet won the feature, but really had to work at it. There were a couple of big crashes, but thankfully everyone walked away.

Looking forward to my next, and probabl last, race of the season which will be at DuQuoin in September. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy last night's photos!

Crazy for Cars!

2007-07-31T17:58:00.000-05:00

By now many of you know that I absolutely love the Disney-Pixar movie, Cars. It has become my favorite movie ever, and has inspired me to collect various things related to the movie.

Most of my collection consists of the diecast replicas released by Mattel. My son and I have a great time trying to find all of the new releases when they come out, and he even lets me use him as an excuse when I'm trying to find them, which is really nice. We have been lucky so far, and have only a few more to find of the latest releases, but rumor has it that more are coming in the fall, so we will be on a bigtime safari then.

There is a wonderful message board for others who are afflicted with Cars Mania. It is filled with really nice folks who collect the cars for themselves, their kids, or both, and everyone is great about helping others on the board get what they are looking for without having to cave in to the scalpers on eBay. I enjoy the many wonderful posts there, and am relieved to find that I am definitely not the most obsesses Cars person out there!

I hope you enjoy the pictures under the "Crazy for Cars" heading in the gallery. I know that with my daughter leaving for college in only two and a half weeks, I should probably be doing something else, but this was a really nice distraction from the bittersweet emotions I am dealing with right now.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

TSR Publishes a 2GGR Photo!

2007-07-25T10:56:00.000-05:00

One of the pictures I took at Macon last Friday is now up on the Tony Stewart Racing site. Here's the link:

http://www.tonystewartracing.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=842

This is pretty exciting for an amateur like me! Thanks to Misha for publishing it for us.

Edit: There are actually four photos of mine up on the site now. They are all in the Gallery under Tony-Macon Midget. Look for the photo of the tail with the number 20 on it.

Lots of new photos added!

2007-07-21T22:55:00.000-05:00

I just finished publishing 70 photos from Friday at Macon Speedway. You can find them in the www.twogirlsgoneracin.com gallery and on the 2007 schedule page.

Spring was also busy today, uploading her gallery from June 13 at I-55 Raceway. Those are also linked from both the gallery and schedule pages.

We hope you enjoy the photos!

Macon Time

2007-07-21T20:33:00.000-05:00

Tony Stewart has a lot of fans in Central Illinois. At least, that’s how it looked last night at the 1/5 mile bull ring that is Macon Speedway.

My Dad, husband and I left home around 2pm and made the 150 mile journey east and north to a track we had never been to before. All we knew was that POWRi Midgets and Micros, as well as UMP Modifieds were on the menu, and Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader were scheduled to race.

That last bit of information, more than the racing line-up may have been the biggest draw of the night, at least if the plethora of Home Depot orange in the stands was any indication.

The combination of dirt track Midget racing, NASCAR stars, unbelievably mild temperatures and lack of humidity made for a night that midwestern race fans can usually only dream about. I can count on one hand the number of race nights where everything has come together so perfectly, so this was a rare night indeed!

Our first impression of Macon Speedway was that it was crowded! Cars lined the streets of this small town while Midgets, Micros and Modifieds filled the pits. Fans crowded through the gates and waited in line for autographs from Tony and Kenny. From what I could tell, no one walked away disappointed.

I cruised through the pits for a while, talking to friends and snapping a few shots. Everyone I talked to commented on the weather, so it was obvious that I was not the only one who appreciated it.

The crowd around Tony’s trailer was amazing. Yes, I consider myself a fan, but spending my time in the 12-person deep quagmire of humanity that stood there just waiting for a glimpse of the driver was not my idea of a fun way to spend my time. Anyway, I couldn’t help but having a little sympathy for the guy. All he wants to do is spend his weekend away from his real job doing the kind of racing he truly loves, and he has to be flanked by security guards just to get to the driver’s meeting. I could not live that way, and I wouldn’t trade places with him for many millions of dollars. Being rich and famous is not what it’s cracked up to be.

I thought it was great that Tony came out to race his Midget and I know the fans enjoyed it. It was fun watching him finesse that car around the track, sawing at the wheel, performing heart-stopping slide jobs, and maneuvering through traffic. To me, the person who enjoyed it most was probably Tony himself. Every time I caught a glimpse of the guy, he was smiling, so that has to say something.

Of course, Tony was not the only driver at the track, and he did not steal the show when it came to where he finished the races. A.J. Fike came out on top in the Midget feature, holding on for the win, even after numerous delays due to tangles. Fike was challenged closely by Brad Kuhn and Derrick Myers. Those two rode his tail for all forty laps, doing their best to get around but they just could not get the job done.

Racing wrapped up at the very reasonable hour of 10:30 and we headed on down the road. Even after getting through a little bit of traffic and stopping for travel snacks, we were still back in our own driveway by 1:30 am. Not a bad run at all in my opinion, and definitely worth the trip.

I am working on getting my pics up on the site and will hopefully start loading pages shortly after this post appears, so stay tuned!

Two Girls Gone Racin' Press Release 7.19.07

2007-07-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that we would be sending out a press release to the motorsports community. There were some things we needed to check out before we felt comfortable making the statements in the release. After thorough investigation, we feel that it is now time to announce to the public our new name, and the reasons why it was changed.

Again, we thank everyone for their support as we endure the aggravation that has been forced upon us and the frustration of trying to re-do a lot of hard work. We continue to pray for guidance as decisions are made in this situation.

Blessings,
The Girls

Same Great Web Site, Brand New Name

COTTLEVILLE, Mo. (July 19, 2007) What’s in a name? If you are into racing or any other professional sport, you know that name recognition is a key ingredient of Motorsports marketing. Any negative connotation of a name will turn things in the wrong direction in a hurry. Owners of a Missouri-based motorsports web site recently found out first-hand what it’s like to have your business name associated with something you never intended to promote.

An e-mail with a “cease and desist” order was not what these two girls expected on a sunny July morning, but there it was, alleging trademark infringement and asking them to cooperate or face legal proceedings. Within 24 hours, a name change was initiated and all contents moved to the new domain.

The accusations in the email were disturbing enough, but what made it worse is the nature of the business that the other site conducts. Both girls admit that if this had been another legitimate race-related site, they would have been able to reach some kind of understanding with the other party and moved on with business as usual. The fact that the site is of an adult nature was what gave them cause for concern, prompting the name change.

“We in no way want to be affiliated with the adult entertainment industry,” state the women. “It is our hope that by changing the name, we will not inadvertently direct traffic to the other site because that is absolutely the last thing we want to do. That kind of site is in direct opposition to everything we stand for as Christian women.”

The new name is Two Girls Gone Racin’ and the web site is www.twogirlsgoneracin.com. The site contains the same great photo galleries as before, galleries which include races at many Missouri and Illinois tracks, as well as Eldora Speedway and The Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, among others.

Professional photographer Spring Hansen and writer/webchick/amateur photographer Valerie Perkins began their web site in April 2006 and use it to showcase grassroots racing, as well as an occasional concert. Their goal is to shine a spotlight on the true heroes of Motorsports, the guys and gals who do their best work at dirt tracks throughout the Midwest.

“We love racing, especially Sprint Cars and Midgets,” stated Perkins. “Our focus is on giving these folks as much press as possible, getting photos out there for their sponsors and potential sponsors, and just letting them know that we appreciate what they do.”

The web site also links to a blog where the girls entertain readers with tales of their travels and express their feelings about life in general. Both women are working Moms with husbands and kids who don’t always share their passion for racing, but try their best to be understanding.

With the new name comes new opportunities, and these two gals hope to continue their adventure for many seasons to come. Next on the calendar for Two Girls Gone Racin’ will be the POWRi Midgets and Micros, as well as UMP Modifieds at Macon Speedway in Macon, Illinois. Photos should be up on the site within a few days of the event.

Spring and Val encourage you to stop by to browse the photos, and leave a message on the blog whenever you get the chance.

About Two Girls Gone Racin’:

Two Girls Gone Racin’ was formed in 2006 by Spring Hansen and Valerie Perkins, two women who have a passion for Motorsports and a desire to share their unique perspective with other racing enthusiasts.

Spring, professional studio photographer and owner of Spring Renee Studio, is a long-time race fan who had always dreamed of combining her camera skills with her love of racing.

Val, a life-long Sprint Car fan who dabbles in writing and photography and has been employed in the Motorsports market for many years, had long envisioned a place where words and photos could be shared in a constructive, yet casual way.

Together, we strive to pay homage to drivers of all levels, from the low-budget, grassroots, weekend warrior, to the full-time driver who races to live and lives to race. With that in mind, one never knows just who might show up on the pages of www.twogirlsgoneracin.com

Get the picture. Tell the story. Live the passion.

Crunching the Numbers

2007-07-16T12:21:00.000-05:00

I'm not a numbers kind of person. In fact, most of the time, I do my best to avoid anything involving math of any kind, including balancing my check book, measuring for appliances and calculating lunch money for my kids. Numbers perplex and confound me, yet today I find myself putting together a little table of sorts, the kind of table that involves numbers. Yuck.

Yesterday was a good day in NASCAR for me because I like Tony Stewart. Yes, he can be tempramental and he gets pretty excited about stuff, but to me, that's just part of what makes him the amazing driver that he is. His passion for racing shows up in a lot of ways.

Of course, I openly admit that I am not a big NASCAR fan and I am not ashamed of it. To me, racing involves Midgets and Sprints, preferably without wings of any kind. And racing should always be done on dirt. That's just the way it is.

With that thought in mind, I thought it might be kind of fun to start tracking the NASCAR drivers who got their start in the Sprint and Midget arena. Off the top of my head, I could think of five, and I have listed them in a table, along with how they did this week, and their current points. It seemed to me like it might be kind of interesting to track these guys and see how well they do. The chart is over in the right hand column and will be updated after each week's Cup race.

Currently, Jeff Gordon is the points leader, which is great, but poor Dave Blaney is way out of Chase contention, which is a shame. Dave is a great Sprint Car driver, and I think he would do well in NASCAR but he just can't seem to catch a break. Kind of like Junior these days.

Anyway, these are the five I could think of because I know for sure they have raced Sprints and/or Midgets on dirt. Most of them I have seen in action. If anyone reading this knows of other Cup drivers who got their start running at least a full season or two of Sprint/Midget racing, drop me a line and I will add them to the table. I hope you guys enjoy looking at the numbers. Maybe some day it will all make sense to me.

Of course, I could probably come up with a list of Busch and Truck drivers who started out in Sprints too, but with the way they keep showing up on the police blotters for alleged illegal drug possession, I think I'll just stick with Cup drivers for now.

Same Great Web Site, Brand New Name

2007-07-13T08:20:00.000-05:00

If you found us today, then you know that we have had a change of names, but not a change of heart. Because of all the craziness of this past week, we felt that the best thing we could do to protect ourselves and our web site would be to change names and move on.

Below is a copy of the release that will be going out to the motorsports community in the next few days. We want everyone to know that we are back and that we don't take threats lightly.

So, from here on out, we will be known as Two Girls Gone Racin' and you can still find us at the old domain, or at www.twogirlsgoneracin.com. We will be keeping the original for the long haul.

You have probably noticed the change in the blog name as well. Please update you bookmarks, as the old name is no longer valid and no forwarding was available.

We would again like to thank everyone who emailed us this week. The outpouring of support was just what we needed to get us through this difficult time. After Spring's injury and all of the pain she has been through, this latest setback was really not what we needed! The way I figure it, we must be doing something really right if the forces of evil are doing everything they can to get us down. God is good, and through His strength we will persevere.

Begin Press Release:

What’s in a name? If you are heavy into racing or any other professional sport, you know that name recognition is a key ingredient of Motorsports marketing.

Owners of a Missouri-based motorsports web site recently found out first-hand what it’s like to have your business name associated with something you never intended to promote. An unexpected e-mail with a “cease and desist” order was not what the girls expected on a sunny July morning, but there it was, alleging trademark infringement and asking them to cooperate or face legal proceedings.

The email was disturbing, but what made it worse is the nature of the business that the other site conducts. Both girls admit that if this had been another legitimate race-related site, they would have been able to reach some kind of understanding with the other party and moved on with business as usual. The fact that the site is of an adult nature was what gave them cause for concern, prompting the name change.

“We in no way want to be affiliated with the adult entertainment industry,” state the girls. “It is our hope that by changing the name, we will not inadvertently direct traffic to the other site because that is absolutely the last thing we want to do. That kind of site is in direct opposition to everything we stand for as Christian women.”

The new name is Two Girls Gone Racin’ and the web site is www.twogirlsgoneracin.com. The site contains the same great photo galleries as before, galleries which include races at many Missouri and Illinois tracks, as well as Eldora Speedway and The Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, among others.

Professional photographer Spring Hansen and writer/webchick/amateur photographer Valerie Perkins began their web site in April 2006 and use it to showcase grassroots racing, as well as an occasional concert. Their goal is to shine a spotlight on the true heroes of Motorsports, the guys and gals who do their best work at dirt tracks throughout the Midwest.

“We love racing, especially Sprint Cars and Midgets,” stated Perkins. “Our focus is on giving these guys and gals as much press as possible, getting photos out there for their sponsors and potential sponsors, and just letting them know that we appreciate what they do.”

The web site also links to a blog where the girls entertain readers with tales of their travels and express their feelings about life in general. Both women are working Moms with husbands and kids who don’t always share their passion for racing, but try their best to be understanding.

With the new name comes new opportunities, and these two gals hope to continue their adventure for many seasons to come. Next on the calendar for Two Girls Gone Racin’ will be the Lucas Oil Late Models at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach Illinois. Photos should be up on the site a few days after the event.

Spring and Val encourage you to stop by to browse the photos, and leave a message on the blog whenever you get the chance.

Darkness and Light

2007-07-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

Wow, what an emotional roller coaster this week has been! All I can say is, I will be glad when the weekend finally rolls around. Now I just need to find a race to go to!

There is good news with regard to www.girlsgoneracin.com. Within the next 24-48 hours, we will have re-launched our little enterprise under a new name. As for now, everything will look the same, and you will still be able to find us at either the old address or the new one. When I think about it, all of this may actually be a good thing, because it has really made us sit down and think about what we do and why we do it.

The ordeal has also re-engergized my spirit when it comes to what I believe in. And one of those things is common decency, which is getting more and more difficult to find in our society.

There is not a day that goes by that we are not bombarded by sleaze, whether it is the latest commercial from that no-good burger joint that has nothing to do with selling food, a spam email that pops up when you log in, an advertisement for an adult magazine on the wing of a race car, or a billboard for a "specialty shop." Filth is all around us because we live in a dark and fallen world. There is only One who can save us from that.

You would think this would be the part where I would want to get up on my soapbox and be all preachy, but I'm not going to do that. Suffice it to say that I believe that good will triumph over evil one day, and in a way bigger than any of us can ever imagine.

As for now, it is up to each of us to do what we can to maintain decency and protect ourselves and those we love from the dangers that lurk around us. Watch out for your kids, your spouse and even yourself as you cruise the internet and the interstate. Life will throw garbage your way when you least expect it, like the schrapnel from the tire on the truck in front of me that blew up this morning. You just have to know how to dodge it.

All Good Things...

2007-07-10T16:12:00.000-05:00

If you have attempted to access our web site lately, you're probably wondering what is going on. We still have everything, and we still want to share it with you, but unfortunately, we have been threatened with legal action because our web site name is very similar to another site of a very different sort and because of that, we are taking our pages off-line.

We started this site with no intention of making money, but did it purely for the purpose of showcasing American grassroots racing. We sold a few photos, but it has always cost us more to run this site than what we take in, so there are no funds with which to fight any type of legal action. Because of that we have been left with no choice but to take down the site. As of right now, we have no idea what will become of our little adventure, but those of you who know us can probably guess that this is not the end of the road for we Girls Who Like To Go Racin'.

With that said, we would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person we have met over the course of the past 18 months or so. It has been so much fun getting to know you, making great friends, drinking in your knowledge of racing and just immersing ourselves in the greatest sport in the world. We love nothing better than to hang out at dirt tracks, talking with and trying to get fun shots of drivers, teams and fans. We have enjoyed every minute of it.

In the last two seasons we have had the privilege of seeing and photographing race cars at to Indy, Eldora, Gateway, Tri-City, Belle Clair, Phoenix, Lakeside, Jacksonville, Lucas Oil Speedway, I-55 Raceway, Saint Francois County Raceway, DuQuoin, and Hartville for races of every type imaginable including Lucas Oil Late Models, World of Outlaws Sprints, USAC Sprints, Midgets and Silver Crown Cars, Outlaw Karts, POWRi Migets, UMP Modifieds, Dragsters, Indy Cars and Micros.

To the track promoters and sanction folks who were willing to give two girls they had never heard of a shot at race photography, we thank you. We appreciate the risk you took in allowing us into your world.

At these tracks, we have been welcomed by other photographers who willingly shared tips of the trade, swapped war stories and made us feel not as intruders or competition, but as if we were part of the family.

And then there were the drivers.

We know that without you guys, there would be no racing to chase, no dirt to eat and we would be stuck with stick-and-ball sports that bore us out of our gourds most of the time. There are way too many names to mention here, because I would inevitably leave someone out, but you guys know who you are. You are the ones who were curious enough about the two chicks with the cameras to ask us what we were up to, or were willing to give us the time of day when we approached you. You never treated us like dumb girls, or acted as if our questions were stupid. You willingly supplied answers, and even embellished and gave us more than we asked for. You shared with us your passion for the sport. The passion we see in your eyes every time you strap in, buckle up that helmet and get that motor running.

You guys are the reason we wanted to do what we did.

Right now, the whole thing is such a shock that we do not quite know what to do with ourselves. It's as if we have lost a dear friend and we are in the first stages of the grieving process. It will get better with time, but right now, it's just really tough. Pulling the plug on all of this work feels kind of like taking a much loved pet to the vet to be put down.

We would like to ask that you keep in touch, drop us a note, maybe even give us some suggestions as to where to go from here. We know you like what we do, and we would love to keep doing it, but it's all just a big mess right now.

You drivers, track and sanction owners, promoters and other photographers are our heroes. We admire and respect you for what you do. Drivers, we even envy you, just a little because we would love to get behind the wheel ourselves but are forced to live vicariously through you.

Keep doing what you do. Pursue the win, cherish the victories, learn from the defeats. That's exactly what we're doing.

God bless you all,Spring and Val
girlsgoneracin@sbcglobal.net

Tri-City Speedway Photos Posted

2007-06-17T11:36:00.000-05:00

With the large number of photos that Spring shoots at any one event, it became apparent to us a while back that we needed a better way to showcase those for everyone. With that in mind, we still plan to put a few up on Girls Gone Racin' but the entire gallery can be viewed at the following link:

http://www.millersevents.com/?m=36081

Please keep in mind that the photos will only be available for viewing for a limited time, so if you care to order any, you will need to do it soon. Also, you will need to sign in for viewing, but no information is stored for advertising/spam purposes.

Thanks for looking, and we hope you enjoy them. Hopefully, the ones from Pevely will be up soon too. Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

(The following was added by Val after this original post)

I put the link up on here before actually looing through the gallery because I wanted to get it up fast. Once it was done, I went back, fired up the slide show, sat back and prepared to be wowwed.

And wowwed I was.

Please don't think that I am doing any bragging at all by saying this, because every single photo in that gallery is Spring's, not mine. (She makes me look like the total amateur that I am, thank you very much!) I would be remiss if I didn't give her the credit she deserves.

The slide show starts with a few shots in the pits, then some on track action, and moves through the course of the evening of racing, telling the story of a night at the track. There are no captions, no comments and no music, and quite honestly, none are necessary. Spring's work speaks for itself.

These little snapshots of time capture the emotion that is at the heart of our great sport, creating a visual scrapbook that is like nothing I have ever seen. Yes, there are action photos, and victory lane pictures, but woven throughout those more traditional shots are pieces of artwork that showcase the fans, the crews and what goes on behind the scenes of a night in the life of a race team.

I hope that you, like me, see dust in the air, feel the heat of the engines and the heartbeats of the drivers, taste the tang of spent fuel, and hear the roar of the crowd while you immerse yourself in these images. I am humbled, as always, by Spring's talent and her artistic eye that sees beyond the surface, and into the very soul of what makes auto racing the greatest sport the world has ever known.

Back on Track

2007-06-16T16:57:00.001-05:00

After a lengthy and painful delay, the Girls finally got out for two great nights of racing in a row this week!

On Wednesday, we headed down south for the first night of the Missouri-Illinois Challenge at I-55 Raceway, where we caught up with old friends and enjoyed the high-speed action of the Mid America Sprint Series, POWRi Midgets and Late Models. It felt great to be back at one of our local tracks and I was just happy that Spring felt up to the task.

It was warm, and we had to work to stay cool, but the racing and comaradarie were worth sweating for. The racing was fast and furious and we were just happy to be out again after all of the delays we have had this season.

Thursday we got a bit of a late start, then got stuck in traffic, but at long last we arrived at Tri-City Speedway for a night of World of Outlaws Sprints and POWRi Midget racing. The temperature ramped up a bit more, as did the humidity, but we sought air conditioning in the tower for a bit, then shade wherever we could find it.

The newly reconfigured track was in great shape for racing, and from the way the drivers took to it, it looked as if everyone enjoyed the smaller track with its high banking. It's hard to take pictures of cars that are flying by that fast, but we did our best. I am anxious as always to see how Spring's pictures turned out. I put a few of mine up already just to whet a few appetites.

We enjoyed seeing a lot of familiar faces and meeting some new folks as well. It's really nice when you all who have been to the site before come up to us at the races. We love hearing from you and hope you enjoy what we are doing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Presenting...Pike County Speedway Photos!

2007-06-14T10:28:00.000-05:00

After a bit of a delay, we wanted to let everyone know that the photos from Pike County Speedway have finally been posted. We will have a few on the GGR site, but there is a much more extensive gallery at this link:

http://www.millersevents.com/?m=36081

We invite you to check them out, and if you find something you like, ordering can be done right from the web site. The best way to look at them is in the Slide Show mode, but be forewarned, there are over 300 photos so it may take a while. Trust me though, it's worth it.

Spring did a great job, and she wants everyone to know how much she appreciates their patience, and more importantly, their prayers. She is feeling better, although not yet 100%. We were actually able to go to a race last night for only the second time since our trip to Pike County.

If anyone has questions, please feel free to drop us a note. We really did have a great time at PCS and hopefully we can come back one of these days. Enjoy the pictures!

Four Nights of Racing Action on Tap for Missouri and Illinois Fans

2007-06-11T16:26:00.000-05:00

COTTLEVILLE, Mo. -- If you are a Sprint Car fan in Missouri or Illinois, this is the week you have been waiting for. After winter's cold and icy blasts, and spring's rainy onslaught, racing action is about to heat up to summertime proportions.

It all begins on Wednesday evening when the O'Reilly Midwest All Stars, POWRi Midgets and UMP Late Models rev up on NASCAR Night at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri for the first night of the Missouri-Illinois Challenge. On hand will be Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace who will race in the Late Model division, plus a special NASCAR guest who will join Schrader and Wallace in signing autographs that evening.

Grandstand tickets for this event are $20, with kids 12 and under free, and pit passes are $30, Gates open at 4pm with the autograph session from 5-6:30pm. Hotlaps start at 6pm with racing at 7.

Thursday will see the World of Outlaws Sprints tackling the 3/8 mile track at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois, along with POWRi Midgets. With $10,000 up for grabs in the World of Outlaws feature, it will take skill, determination and a little luck to pull off the win on this newly-configured raceway.

Before the races, ticketholders are invited to an autograph session with drivers Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski and Donny Schatz. Fan give-aways will also highlight the evening's schedule.

Reserved seats in the top eight rows are $32, general admission is $30 and kids under 12 get a free general admission ticket when an adult general admission ticket is purchased. Pit passes are $35. General Admission gates open at 5pm with hot laps at 6:30 and qualifying at 7pm.

The Missouri-Illinois Challenge Week wraps up with the two-night 410 Summer Nationals at Saint Francois County Raceway. Friday night tickets are $10 for the grandstands with pit passes $25 and will include Sprints, Modifieds and Pure Streets.

Saturday's schedule consists of Sprints, Modifieds and 600 Multis. Tickets are $15 for the grandstands and $30 for a pit pass.

On both nights, gates open at 4:00 with racing underway around 7pm.

More information on all four nights of events can be found on www.whowon.com and at the respective web sites of each participating track, as well as those of sanctioning bodies. Those addresses are listed below.

www.i55raceway.com
www.tricityspeedway.net
www.sfcr-online.com

www.midwestallstarseries.com
www.worldofoutlaws.com
www.powri.com

Pause for Dramatic Effect

2007-06-11T14:59:00.000-05:00

There have been a host of new game shows to hit the television market in the last couple of years, and even though I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of any particular one, I do catch an episode on occasion. Through random viewing of shows like Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader and Deal or No Deal, there is one thing that they and other shows have in common, and that is what I call the "Pause for Dramatic Effect."

If you have watched even one episode, you know what I am talking about. This phenomenon happens every time an answer is about to be revealed, or a shiny silver suitcase is ready to be opened. First the contestant gives their answer, or makes their choice, and then the host waits and waits to reveal the consequence of that decision. My guess is that it is supposed to make everyone giddy with anticipation, when in reality, it simply stretches out the show so they don't have to give away as much money.

Here at Girls Gone Racin' it feels as if we have had or own dramatic pause which has lasted so long that whatever audience we might have reached has probably fallen asleep on us. The lapse in new material on the web site, the unavailability of photos that were taken at Pike County Speedway and the general slowdown of activity have definitely not been done for dramatic effect. Oh, how I wish that were really the case!

In reality, this season has been a rather nightmarish few months for my pal Spring, and though I don't want to get into details because that's her medical business, I will tell you that I have never seen anyone go through so much pain, and just keep pushing through day after day. It all started with that near head-on collision almost a year ago, and it has culminated in a drastic lifestyle change which consists of visits to doctors, therapists and lawyers. The whole thing is crazy, and despite it all, Spring still has an amazing positive attitude that is a testament to her faith and her zest of living.

Now that I've made it sound like all of these delays are totally Spring's fault, let me tell you that it's certainly not just her! My own life has been completely crazy, with a daughter graduating from high school, my son's baseball team starting up a again, and just life in general. The past month has been absolutely nuts for me, and now that my kids are both off to church camp for the week, I'm ready to release a long pent-up sigh of relief! (Of course I miss them, but every parent needs a break now and then, right?) I'm also ready to charge the batteries in my camera, put in a fresh memory card, and get out to the track to shoot some race cars!

This week we are supposed to be headed off to several nights of Winged Sprint Car racing with our hubbies and other friends and family. We kick off the week on NASCAR Night at I-55 Raceway for the All Stars Sprint Series, POWRi Midgets and Late Models. Hopefully, Spring will be able to not only survive it but to enjoy herself and take some fun pictures as well. If that works out, and she's not too exhausted, we will follow it up with a World of Outlaws make up event at Tri-City Speedway. The week is supposed to wrap up with back-to-back nights of racing at Saint Francois County Raceway, but it is all going to depend on how the first two nights play out.

So, please check back to see how things go, and if you wouldn't mind, say a prayer for Spring. It's been a rough road, and it is far from over, but I know she is going to try her hardest to ignore the pain and have a good time. And if you are looking for the Pike County photos, she was working on them yesterday and will hopefully have that batch narrowed down enough to get up on her web site in a very short while.

To those of you who have stuck with us this far, we thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at our local race tracks this week!

Anything Boys Can Do...

2007-05-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

The following article was written by my good friend and former World of Outlaws PR guy, Richard Day. Richard is a gifted author who currently handles PR for Woodward Racing, Redi-Green Motorsports, Dirt, Inc. and Kathryne Minter. It's a great piece about women in racing that I think most of us can really appreciate. Thanks for sharing, Richard!

Richard Petty has never believed women should compete in auto racing. He reiterated that two days before the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

“I just don’t think it’s a sport for women,” Petty said, “and, so far, it’s proved out. It’s good for them to come in. It gives us a lot of publicity. It gives them publicity. But, as far as being a real true racer, making a living out of it, it's kind of tough.”

It was a thrill for me to meet “The King” at the 1994 Knoxville Nationals when Petty attended sprint car racing’s most prestigious event as then-fellow-STP-sponsored racer Andy Hillenburg’s special guest. I have tremendous respect for the man who won 200 NASCAR Nextel Cup races and has been a tireless ambassador for auto racing for many years, but I’m thinking he should have kept those comments under his signature cowboy hat.

I thought 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick’s reply to Petty’s statements were classic when she said racing isn’t for all women, but it works for some. Two top-eight finishes in auto racing’s greatest spectacle prove she’s definitely competitive in the male-dominated sport.

There are other ladies proving they can compete with men at the track, too: Erin Crocker, Nicole Addison and Melanie Troxel.

Crocker, the only lady to win a World of Outlaws feature race, is progressing as a NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver for Ray Evernham. Evernham’s former Nextel Cup driver, Jeff Gordon, never won an Outlaws race. Nor has his current Cup driver, Kasey Kahne. Two-time Indy 500 champion Al Unser, Jr., whose crew installed phone books in his sprint car’s seat to allow him to see over the steering wheel, never won a “greatest show on dirt” feature either.

Crocker, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Management Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is the first woman to join the Evernham Motorsports driver development program. She has also competed in some USAC Silver Crown races for Kasey Kahne Motorsports.

Crocker won the 2006 Race Babe poll on http://www.OpenWheeler.blogspot.com, receiving 31% of the votes. Patrick received 7%.

“The guys don't seem to mind having a woman around the garage,” Erin wrote in a recent installment of her “On The Road With Erin Crocker” column on NASCAR.com. “I've always spent a lot of time around guys, playing street hockey and running quarter-midgets. There were some girls, but mostly there were guys.

“I've always been able to be one of the guys. It's a fine line. Sometimes people will say, ‘You're like one of the guys.’ I'll say, ‘But I don't really want to be one of the guys.’ Let's just say I'm not the average girl. I'm still feminine. I love shopping. I love buying shoes. I also love driving racecars. I love to be in the garage. I love to understand racecars and think about them.

“There are other women involved with the team, but not directly involved with the truck. There's not many involved that way in the entire sport. I know there are women engineers and there's a tire changer on one of the teams, but they're few and far between.”

Addison, the rear tire changer for Jack Sprague when he won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chex 400K race at Texas Motor Speedway last June, is that tire changer. In fact, she’s the only woman to work on the winner’s pit crew in NASCAR’s top three series.

“That’s probably the most memorable moment of my life,” Addison said recently. “I can’t wait to do it again.”

Addison, the only female over-the-wall pit crew worker in NASCAR, will get her chance again in this weekend’s Sam’s Town 400 at “The Great American Speedway” as a tire changer on the #10 Power Stroke Diesel Ford Terry Cook drives for ppc Racing.

“Now I know we’re going to win,” Cook said when he learned that Addison was a member of the pit crew on last year’s winning team at TMS. “Nicole’s our good-luck charm. Without a doubt, she’s proven she can handle the pressure.”

Addison participates in NASCAR’s Driver for Diversity program that attracts women and minorities to the sport.

“It’s a good thing – and NASCAR is pushing it – but it’s not why we hired Nicole,” Cook says. “We hired her because she was the best. We tried out five people. She was the only female, but she just flat whipped those guys. Being a tire changer isn’t just about speed. It’s also about being consistent and not having lug nuts come loose. Nicole had zero mistakes.”

Shawna Robinson, who ran seven Nextel Cup races in 2002, employed an all-female pit crew for a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway the following year.

Troxel, one of eight women in NHRA history to win a pro elimination race, has led the Top Fuel point standings from the beginning of the 2006 NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series.

“I read a headline on an article that said something like we women in racing are following in Danica's footsteps,” Troxel said after winning a Top Fuel national event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in April. “Maybe the rest of the world hasn't been taking notice, but there have been women competing – and winning – in the NHRA for years. I think it's great for her and for promoting women in motor sports. She's done a lot of good things to draw attention to women, which is somewhat necessary when you're looking for the funding to run these teams.

“No matter how much you tell people that women can go out and be just as competitive (as men), it's an entirely different thing to go out and win and show them this isn't about the novelty of having a female in the car. I think we're definitely making progress in that side of it. I've really enjoyed having the bigger story be about our performance.”

NASCAR believes it will have a woman racing with the Nextel Cup series soon.

“I think there is a woman driver out there who will break through,” Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter said before the Coca-Cola 600. “There will be the emergence of a contending woman driver. When? I have no idea. But I do know there are a lot of women drivers in the pipeline today, running sprint cars or whatever, who want to make it to this level.”

Kyle Petty, who runs the two-car operation built by his grandfather (Lee) and father (Richard), says he would never rule out having a woman driver, saying that Petty Enterprises was one of the first teams in the garage to employ female engineers and mechanics.

He also said his father will never budge on his belief that women don’t belong behind the wheel, even if Kyle’s daughter decides she wants to be a racer some day.

“His position is not going to change because that is who he is, that is part of who he is,” Kyle said. “That's just a fact of life. That's how he was raised, when he was raised, the era he was raised in. And that's just the way it is.”

I believe everybody deserves the opportunity to give racing a try. I gained a whole new perspective – and respect – for sprint car racing when Charles “Smiley” Sitton gave me the opportunity to attend his Outlaw Driving School in 1996. Sitton, the first to drive a Top Fuel racecar 200 M.P.H., owned the car Norman Martin drove to victory in the World of Outlaws’ first preliminary feature race in March of 1978.Tom Motter, who co-owned the #71M EcoWater Systems Maxim with his brother Dan, and EcoWater marketing representative Jerry Johnson joined four other “wanna-be” racers and me at Boyd Raceway for my first taste of what driving a sprint car is all about. I also attended the driving school with several members of the sprint car media a few years later at 85 Speedway in Ennis, TX. The Outlaw Driving School now calls Grand Prairie Speedway – “a ¼-mile, medium-banked track formed from the best Texas cleachy” – home. I encourage every sprint car racing fan to attend the Outlaw Driving School (http://www.outlawdrivingschool). It’s awesome!

To Our Friends at Pike County Speedway

2007-05-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

We have had several emails about the photos that were taken at Pike County Speedway, and I wanted to make sure that we let everyone know what is going on.

First, Spring and I both apologize for the delay. Usually we try to get photos up on our site within a week of any event. Unfortunately, we have been unable to do that this time because we ran into some unforeseen problems.

Without going into too many details, Spring was in a car accident about a year ago, and has had some issues ever since. In the past couple of months, things have gotten worse, and she has a pinched nerve in her neck that is causing terrible pain in her neck, shoulder and arm. She was actually in quite a bit of pain the night she took the pictures, but she’s a trooper, and since we had committed to doing this, and she loves to take pictures, she wasn’t about to stay home.

This past week has been very hard on her, and she has actually been restricted by her doctor from doing almost anything, including working on the computer. Because she took so many photos, and she wants to get as many of them online as possible, she planned to do this using her photography site instead of our Girls Gone Racin’ site. She is the only one who can get all of those hundreds of photos edited and loaded onto that site, so it’s something I can’t even help her with or I certainly would.

Please rest assured that as soon as she is physically capable, Spring will get the pictures up. Once she does, there will be a link on the Girls Gone Racin’ site that will allow you to access them, and order any that you choose to purchase.

We sincerely regret the delay, but there are some things that just can’t be helped. I know that Spring would really appreciate your prayers as she endures this painful time. We both enjoyed meeting so many nice people up at Pike and told our families all about the great time we had. We would love to come back again some time.

Thank you for you patience.

Blessings,
Val

Paintin' up our Lips Like an Angel, Kickin' up our Red High Heels, Thinkin' 'bout Tim McGraw & Checking for Ticks

2007-05-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

Tickets won in a "Buy it Now or Make offer" bid on eBay: Below face Value
Parking: Free
Two ridiculously overpriced beers in plastic bottles: $14
Getting one of your Red High Heels signed by Kelli Pickler: Priceless

For weeks now Spring and I have bee talking about how much fun it would be to go to another concert. We're both big Brad Paisley fans, so that one was high on our list. Unfortunately, we missed the beginning of ticket sales, and figured we wouldn't be able to get anything as close as we would like.

Then the other night I decided to check out tickets on eBay, just on a whim. I bid on one set, but lost by five cents, which was really frustrating. I figured there wouldn't be too many others on there worth taking my chances on, but with Spring on the phone and my fingers on the keyboard, we came across another one that we figured was worth a shot. It was a "Buy it Now or Make Offer" deal, which I had never done before. We discussed it, agreed on the offer we would make, and the deed was done. A few hours later, we had our answer when the seller agreed to take our offer, and we were thrilled. Right side seats, ten rows back from the stage. It just doesn't get much better than that!

The biggest dilemma after that was whether or not we would be allowed to bring our cameras in. Unable to find a concrete answer anywhere, we figured it was worth a shot (pun intended) and the worst that could happen was that security would stop us at the gate. After loading up our gear, and trekking across what seemed like miles of parking lot, the moment of truth arrived. The security guard checked my bag, verified that I wasn't bringing in a video camera and let me through. Whew! Spring was next, and passed through just as easily. With only 15 minutes to spare, we were at the rain-soaked venue and ready to rock.

Our seats were spectacular, and after Spring made some adjustments to my camera for me (yes, I'm going to learn how to do it myself some day, really!) we were ready to enjoy the show and take lots of pictures.

Before Brad Paisley could take the stage, we were entertained by Jack Ingram, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift, all of whom are very talented. I enjoyed all three of them, and found out that I knew more of their songs than I thought I did. Spring tried really hard to get a picture of Kelli's shoes, but just never could get it done. She did, however, get Kelli to sign the red high heels Spring wore to the show after the concert was over!

Brad Paisley burst onto the stage and was simply wonderful. The set-up was really cool with light up signs that had words scrolling across at some times, and bugs, mud and beer steins for various songs. A big screen behind the band showed close ups of the concert, and even a Speed Racer-type video during the instrumental set.

We sat by several really fun people who had back stage passes and told us all about getting to meet everyone and how nice they all were. Of course, we were jealous that they got to go back stage but we enjoyed hearing about it. We did ask them to give Brad one of our business cards with a note on the back. Spring really wants to shoot an cd cover one of these days, and we figure any chance we have to get that information into the hands of performers, we will take.

It really was a fun night, even though Spring was feeling pretty rough before it was over. We have a race to cover tomorrow night in Pittsfield, IL so I hope she's feeling better very soon.

We hope you enjoy the pictures. There are three pages on here, and lots more we didn't use. Spring still has some on her little camera that I know she still wants to get on the site too. We'll get there eventually, so please keep checking back.

The Grassroots Gospel: Eldora Speedway

2007-05-01T21:43:00.000-05:00

The Grassroots Gospel is a Girls Gone Racin’ series celebrating the drivers, promoters, fans and others who contribute to the preservation of the grassroots Motorsports effort and its traditions. It is intended as a tribute to the people who believe in the importance of maintaining the foundation of American auto racing.

Eldora Speedway. The mere mention of the name sends shivers down the spines of dirt track fans all over America. It is the Mecca of the Midwest, this half-mile oval carved out of what was once a corn field.

This was the place I had wanted to see for many years. Every fan I know had been there at least once, most, numerous times. It is one of those places that is as famous for its storied history as it is for its racing. Having never been, I felt as if I were being excluded from some exclusive club, so when the opportunity finally came, there was no way I was going to pass it up.

We left the interstate and rolled along country roads that wound past farms and through small towns as we journeyed to our final destination. The closer we got, the more like I felt like a kid again, and I could barely contain those words every parent hears on any trip they take with their children: “Are we there yet?” Finally, we emerged from Rossburg, drove just a little further and at last, we arrived.

At first glance, my heart and mind went back to the first time I saw the entrance to Walt Disney World. All those months and miles of anticipation culminated in one exciting moment of high pitched adrenaline rush. In every photograph or television image I have ever seen of Eldora, the pits were packed, the grandstands and surrounding seating areas were filled to capacity, so the first thing that struck me was how empty it was. We arrived so early that the pit gates were not yet open, so it was like being the first ones at a party.

Haulers were lining up and waiting for the gates to open, and a few fans and crew members wandered around inside. We walked in where the seating area overlooks turns three and four, and stared the way a vacationing family might gawk at the majesty of the Grand Canyon. The track looks huge for a half-mile, and the banking is definitely high. It’s like a gigantic bowl carved out of the earth, big enough to turn out a huge batch of action, using centrifugal force to throw cars against the sides like cake batter in my Kitchen Aid mixer.

Along the front stretch is a covered grandstand filled with wooden bleachers and backed by restrooms and concessions, with the press box right in the middle. If you walk through, and out the other side, you find all of the souvenir trailers, filled with your favorite t-shirts, hats, diecast and the like. On this particular night, there was even an IndyCar simulator for those who wanted to get a taste of speed without the risk of accident or injury.

It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed taking the grand tour of Eldora, pausing every now and then to look out over the place, take it all in, and simply sigh with the satisfaction of knowing we were there.

The pit gates opened, and one-by-one we watched the haulers do their dance in the infield, jockeying for position, rolling into just the right spot, then opening up those rear doors to reveal their amazing cargo. Watching those beautiful wingless Sprint Cars being released from captivity is a little like viewing fireworks on the fourth of July. One wants to gasp and shout with delight as each beautiful paint job is revealed.

We made our way around the track and through the tunnel so we could get up close to the cars and drivers that make up our favorite sport. There were 35 Sprint Cars on hand, each one being tweaked and race-readied by able-bodied crews and drivers. Fans and photographers wandered the pits, keeping an eye on the preparations, taking pictures and chatting with old friends and making new acquaintances.

It struck us how friendly everyone was, from the pit shack, to the concession stand, souvenir trailers to the back gate, every person we met was just as nice and welcoming as could be. Some of our time was spent chatting with drivers Jerry Coons, Jr. and Brady Bacon, who were great about answering our questions. It was interesting to listen to them talk about why they do what they do, how they got started, and the kind of support they get from their families. It would be impossible to be in this business alone, and the support of family and good friends is extremely important.

Moving down the front stretch and on into the first turn, we stopped and looked at the cars, talked with other photographers and checked out an autographed car that was sitting in the infield. Scoping out a spot to shoot was a little tough because there are some pretty high fences around the infield. To me, it just makes sense to do this, because you just never know when a car is going to become airborne and bounce into places it shouldn’t. The fences should prevent that. We worked a corner down by the safety crew, who were a lot of fun to visit with before things got underway. These guys take their jobs very seriously, and enter the track any time a car gets upside down. We enjoyed talking to them about their jobs and find it comforting to know that safety is at the top of the priority list at Eldora.

Hotlaps, followed by qualifying got underway, and we went back to work snapping away and working to get the best possible shots. As an amateur with the camera, I tend to keep hitting the button until I get something good. Sometimes that works pretty well, but I definitely end up with a lot of extra shots that I have to delete later. All I know is that it is a good thing I’ve gone digital because I would spend a fortune on film and developing.

We wrapped up our time in the pits and headed over to grab a late bite to eat and watch the rest of the action from the grandstands. Just as we sat down with our burgers and fries, the skies opened up for a brief shower. While people dashed in out of the rain, we wondered if this would be the end of what had started out to be a great evening. Fortunately, it didn’t last long, and racing got back underway in short order.

It was nice to just sit and watch the racing after having been on our feet all day and evening long. The track was rough from the rain, and a lot of cars got pretty torn up, but the racing was still very close. It was exciting, as Wingless Sprint Car racing usually is, and I would not have missed this trip for anything.

To Earl Baltes for building it, to Tony Stewart for buying it, keeping things going, and making improvements, and to everyone who makes events at Eldora Speedway more than just races, we salute you. It is through the efforts of people with vision and determination that grassroots racing survives and thrives in America. If not for them, fans like us would miss out on the experience of racing at its finest, and the big sanctioning bodies would have no “farm teams” from which to recruit drivers. Most importantly, the drivers who have a passion for driving on dirt would have no where to do it.

Eldora Speedway is definitely the image of what grassroots racing is all about. We can’t wait to visit again!

www.girlsgoneracin.com

Making Lemonade

2007-04-29T21:37:00.000-05:00

Plainfield, IN (April 28, 2007) – Because the sunshine failed to show up on time to fulfill its contractual agreement, and we were rained out at Gas City I-69 Speedway, we have decided that disciplinary action is required. We are officially announcing that the sun has been fined $10,000 and put on probation for the rest of the season. We will no longer tolerate this type of behavior.

We did not find out about the rainout until 3pm Friday, and by then we were almost to Indianapolis, so it was time to make a decision. Should we waste the precious fuel that cost us almost $3 per gallon, turn around and head for home, or buck up, spend the night and wager a meteorological gamble that Eldora would not fall victim to the same fate? For four race-starved fans who have already been shorted, even this early in the season, it was a pretty simple choice to make.

Rolling on into Plainfield, we found a hotel, checked in and unloaded. Spring and I settled in pretty quickly, tuning in SPEED so we could watch some of the Busch qualifying coverage. We took a break to meet the guys for dinner, had some dessert, watched a bit of the Cardinals game, and then spent the rest of the evening watching the ARCA race and brainstorming our next big idea. We were really excited to see former USAC driver, Josh Wise do so well in the ARCA race. Way to go, Josh!

It would have been easy to feel that the weekend had turned sour because of the rainout, but we decided that it was a whole lot more fun to make the best of things and enjoy the little break from our usual family responsibilities. Spring and I stayed up until pretty early in the morning, working on the future plans of GGR. We are brimming with ideas, and the funny part is how often one of us says something, and the other just laughs because they were thinking the same thing. I guess that’s what it’s like to have a really great friend.

Saturday morning dawned blue and beautiful, and since we had plenty of time to kill before we needed to hit the road for Eldora, my Dad came up with the briliant idea of heading over to the Brickyard to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Before walking through those hallowed halls, we took a bus tour of the grounds, which was narrated by our driver, Jim. We enjoyed talking and joking around with him. It is so great when you meet someone who is enthusiastic about racing, and is willing to open up a little.

The museum was wonderful. I have visited several times, but this was the first time I had seen Tony Stewart’s Home Depot Car on display. I had a great time taking pictures and walking around. The history that is housed inside that museum is astounding, and the cars are works of art. It is very interesting to me to see how they have evolved through the years.

Before leaving the grounds, the sound of formula cars practicing on the track lured us to a grassy hillside nearby where we stood watching and taking photographs. Those cars are a lot harder to catch on camera than anything else I’ve ever tried to shoot. Getting the timing down would definitely take a lot of practice. We were able to get right up next to the fence, and although I got a lot of wonderful shots of empty pavement, I know Spring managed to get some good ones.

It was finally time to head on down the highway, so we loaded up and rolled on down the road toward the evening's destination: Eldora Speedway.

Indiana/Ohio or bust!

2007-04-27T07:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Friday morning of a weekend that I thought would never get here. In just a few short hours we will be hitting the highway for our first road trip of 2007!

Spring and I, along with my Dad and brother will be heading east to Gas City tonight, and then hopping over the Ohio state line for the famed Eldora Speedway tomorrow night. The USAC Sprint Border Wars are on the menu, and a tasty dual entree it is!

We can hardly wait to see these two great tracks, catch up with old friends, and make new ones. And of course, we are always excited about all the photos we are going to take.

This should be a great weekend of Sprint Car racing and we will share it all right here as soon as we return.

Green flag drops (finally!) at Tri-City Speedway

2007-04-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

It's offical. Tri-City Speedway has ushered in a new era of racing in the St. Louis area.

After several weather delays, the gates opened on the 2007 racing season at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach and it looked as if every driver and fan in the area turned out to see what all the fuss was about.

With the pits filled to capacity, a tightly packed parking lot, and grand stands bursting with people, it was clear that all of the hard work the Gundakers have put into this facility was well worth it. The new 3/8 mile, high banked track has everyone standing up and taking notice. The show moved along very well, and the action was lightning-fast.

My Dad and I made the trip over by ourselves, and had a really good time. We got there about a half an hour after the gates opened, and haulers were backed up all the way to the road. It was clear that parking would be at a premium, but they managed to squeeze everyone in. The new pit area outside of turns three and four helped a lot.

I walked around and took a few shots of various things, which you can see on the web site. One of the more interesting vantage points was from inside the flagstand. I've been to most areas of the track before, but this was my first time to take in the best view in the house! It was fun being up there for the opening festivites, which included a parade of beautiful classic race cars.

There was a lot of excitement in the air, and I know folks will be talking about opening night for weeks to come. After watching Late Models boogie around that track, I can't wait to see how the Sprint Cars do on it. We'll find out on May 4th when the World of Outlaws come to town.

Before then, we are headed up to Gas City, Indiana and Eldora next weekend for the USAC Sprints. Our first road trip of the year should be a whole lot of fun.

Meanwhile, check out all of this week's photos. I got to use the new zoom for racing for the first time, and I love it! It's great to be able to get up close to the cars, and I look forward to getting better at it as the weeks go by.

Thanks for dropping in!

Random Notes

2007-04-16T19:21:00.000-05:00

It never fails that after our racing season is delayed by two weeks, we finally get perfect weather...on a Monday. Oh well, who can complain when it's sunny and 70+ outside? Not me!

Despite all the delays, it looks like we will finally kick off the season the weekend of April 27-28, starting at Gas City I-69 Speedway in Gas City, Indiana, and winding up at the famous (or is it infamous?) Eldora Speedway. USAC Sprints will highlight the race card both nights.

Spring is gradually getting better, and as of right now, she will join my Dad, my brother and I as we make the journey to Indiana and Ohio. None of us have been to Gas City before, but I have heard a lot of great things about it. Neither Spring nor I have been to Eldora, so that will definitely be a treat. Now all we have to do is hope that the weather holds.

When we do head off to the races, we'll be easy to spot as we roll down the highways. Just this weekend, I installed the vinyl graphics that were made by our friend at 87 Designs on the back window of Ol' Blue. Hopefully, there will be time to get Spring's done sometime this week, but we'll have to see how it goes. The vinyl turned out great, and I hope Chris knows just how much we appreciate his hard work.

My van wasn't the only thing to get a little racing TLC this week either. On Saturday, my hubby installed a phone in my "office" which is just a little corner of the basement that I've taken over. The phone wouldn't be such a big deal except that it's a Lightning McQueen phone. How cool is that? Also new in my office is my fancy new barstool/desk chair. I bought the chair, minus the seat, for $5 and my Mom and step-Dad fashioned this awesome one-of-a-kind seat. I absolutely love it. Getting the chair so cheap was good, but having a custom-made seat is icing on the cake. Thanks guys!

The highlight of this day, besides getting the just-finished chair back from my Mom, was getting a postcard in the mail from the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. It seems they have selected one of my photos for display in their "Salute to the Shooters" tribute at the museum. The photo I submitted is a close-up shot of Tim Siner in his Silver Crown car last year at DuQuoin. It's one of my favorite shots from last year, and I feel truly honored that the photo has been chosen for the display.

So now we just sit back and count the days until we head out for our first race road trip of the year. Thanks for checking in!

Doing the Right Thing

2007-04-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was supposed to be the start of our local racing season, but Old Man Winter just keeps hanging on and messing things up.

Tri-City postponed their Play Day to tonight and thier opener for Friday. It's still mighty breezy and looking a bit wet for tonight but I hope they get it in.

Saturday was supposed to be the World of Outlaws race at I-55 which was finally called late Friday night. I was really glad to hear it and I think it was the right decision for the fans and the promoter. It would have been a really lousy night for racing, and I think after seeing the effect of the cold on the crowd Friday night at Paducah, the World of Outlaws officials realized that.

So now it looks as if our first race will be at the end of the month. We are looking at the USAC Sprint events at Gas City and Eldora, and Spring is hoping to be in good enough shape to go. We had lunch together today, and she seemed to be doing pretty well. I hope that she continues to improve and is able to make the trip, because I know we would have a great time.

If the weather gets better, I will probably head over to Tri-City for their opener Friday night. I am really anxious to see how folks like all the changes over there. It's pretty exciting stuff!

A dash of optimism

2007-04-04T07:47:00.000-05:00

Here in Missouri, we have a saying: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change." Unfortunately, the saying is also true when you do like the weather, as evidenced by what has happened here in the last 24 hours!

For the past two weeks, our weather has been balmy, with a few bouts of rain thrown in. Perfect racing weather between storms. Yesterday, the temps were in the low seventies and we got a couple of rounds of thunderstorms. Overnight, the mercury began to fall and it is now 32 degrees outside. Great weather for building a snowman (if we had snow) but definitely not the best weather for racing. I'm still holding out hope that things warm up a bit before the weekend, but it's not looking good.

Right now, the meteorologists, both national and local are predicting highs in the forties for Friday and Saturday, which means dressing warm for Friday night's opener at Tri-City and Saturday night's World of Outlaws race at Pevely. It's been a number of years since I've had to dig out my gloves and warm winter coat to take in some racing action, but it looks like I don't have much choice in the matter!

My hubby and I are still planning on spending our 23rd wedding anniversary at I-55 Saturday night, but I don't know how I will shoot photos with frozen fingers! It should be very interesting, to say the least. As of right now, it is doubtful that Spring will make our kick-off weekend. She was still in a world of hurt when I took her to physcial therapy on Monday. Please keep her in your prayers!

Speaking of prayers, it is Easter weekend, and if you haven't figure out yet that it is about more than bunnies and chocolate eggs, I encourage you to check out your local church this Sunday. May God bless you on this, the greatest holiday of the year.

If you re-build it, they will come

2007-03-25T23:20:00.000-05:00

It is the dream of race promoters everywhere to look up into the bleachers and see them filled to capacity with excited race fans. With all of the changes going on at Tri-City Speedway right now, it is not hard to imagine that dream becoming a reality on opening night.

Despite the challenge of wet weather, an extremely cold winter and other unexpected delays, progress is obvious at the 46-year-old Illinois speedplant. The newly configured three-eighths mile oval is banked and ready for racing. Concrete walls are going up all around the perimeter, many of the old lights have been taken down and new ones are delivered and ready to be lifted into place. Old bleachers by what once was turn one on the half-mile have been demolished and debris is being removed.

Clean up is also ongoing in concessions and all around the track. It is a big job, but things are coming together and this season will mark the beginning of a new era in racing at Tri-City.

Yes, the work has been tiring, and muscles have gotten a workout, but there are parts of it that have been emotionally taxing as well. Tearing down the old guardrails and cutting down the big half-mile meant taking a walk down memory lane. Ask any driver who has turned a significant number of laps at a track if there isn't some sense of nostalgia there. Most will tell you that there is.

Ripping apart the metal and earth where those memories were made is a bit like watching your childhood home being demolished. You know you will carry the images with you, but it's never quite the same when the physical structure is gone.

I snapped quite a few photos, and I will do my best to add more to the gallery tomorrow. Right now, there are eight up on the web site. Just follow this link:

http://www.girlsgoneracin.com/TCSConstruction07.htm

Once you've had a chance to look at those, check out the all new home page at www.girlsgoneracin.com. I hope you like it!

Here's a taste of the new Tri-City Speedway:

It's Springtime in St. Louis: Let the Racing Begin!

2007-03-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

Trees are blooming, flowers are poking their heads up after their winter slumber, birds are chirping merrily outside my window and all of that points to only one thing: It's almost racing season!

There are a whole lot of great opportunities on the horizon for motorsports enthusiasts in St. Louis. It's time to get off the couch and head to your local race track to support the greatest sport on dirt. The Girls Gone Racin' dirt divas are more than ready for racing season to begin. We've already had our fill of televised NASCAR and are anxious to get out for the up close and personal thrill that is what makes grassroots racing so great. There is nothing to compare with the roar of the engines, the smell of spent fuel and the great people we meet each season.

Over the winter, I made some cosmetic changes to the blog and web site, since there wasn't a whole lot of actual racing to keep me busy. Today I added a slide show that uses several of the photos we shot last season and I think it turned out really well. I also found time to put together a web site for the all new Ozark Mountain Midget Series which kicks off their inaugural season in May.

Here is some of what is on the menu for the first week or so of the 2007 racing season in St. Louis:

Belle Clair Speedway will be one of the first tracks in the St. Louis are to open the gates for 2007 with their first weekly racing event scheduled to take place on March 30. Racing will include UMP Late Models, Modified and UMP Sportsman and Allied Pure Stock.

March 31 will be opening night for the Ken Schrader and Ray Marler owned I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri. The weekly racing there consists of Late Models, Modifieds, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions.

On Friday, April 6 the St. Louis racing season officially kicks off at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach with the first running of Late Models, Modifieds, C.A.R.S Late Models, Street Stocks and Factory Stocks. It's Kenny Wallace night, and Herman himself will be on had racing his dirt Modified. Rain caused a few problems before the season even began, delaying opening night at Tri-City by one week. They have been scurrying to get the final touches on the new track design, lighting, concrete wall and all the other loose ends that need to be knotted beforehand. Don't miss the opportunity to see history in the making on this first night of racing on the new track.

Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois also opens on April 6 with a $1,000-to-win 360 Sprint Invader race, as well as Late Models and Street Stocks. This will be the first year for the former Jacksonville Raceway to be under new promoters Bill West, Jr. and Kim West.

Heading on into next weekend, Saturday, April 7, will see the return of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars to I-55 Raceway. This will be the first night out for Girls Gone Racin' and there is a good chance that my pal Spring won't make it to this one. She is laid up with some serious back problems and until she gets those straightened out, traipsing through the infield trying to catch racing action with her camera is out of the question. It will be up to me to get the best shots I can, take notes and get everything on our blog and web site the next day. With my new camera lens and way too much time since my last race, I think I'm up for the challenge. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for racing and a little tailgating beforehand.

Get out and support your local racing!

New Track Passes Test Run at Tri-City Speedway

2007-03-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

PONTOON BEACH, Ill. -- For the last few months, dirt has been moving and a new track has recently emerged from the gumbo clay at Tri-City Speedway. Gone is the half-mile circuit, and the quarter-mile is nowhere to be seen. In their place is a new high banked 3/8 mile track that has drivers anticipating the start of a new season like never before.

Last Friday, track owner Kevin Gundaker, along with his long-time friend Eric Jacobsen took the new track for a test drive. Eric had stopped off on his way to Kentucky Lake Speedway to check out the changes, and volunteered his #5 Late Model to be the first car on the new track.

Kevin and Eric both took turns, and, according to Kevin's wife, Tammy, it was "awsome and fast."

Below are a few photos from this momentous event, all taken by Tammie Easley of the Tri-City staff.

The Grassroots Gospel: The Gundaker Family

2007-03-14T06:41:00.000-05:00

Don't pimp my racin'!

2007-03-08T16:49:00.000-06:00

It all started with the half-dressed girls in orange shorts with owls on their shirts. You know the ones I'm talking about. They don't need any more press and I'm not going to give it to them.

Then, about six years ago at the Belleville Midget Nationals, I saw some oiled up, bikini-clad pornstar-wannabe slithering all over the front of a Midget Car in victory lane while a photographer snapped away. Baby oil, Kansas dust, breezy summer day. Yeah, I can only imagine that chick having dirt in places she didn't know existed after that photo shoot!

Why is it that when it comes to marketing, whether it's shaving cream, cars, web hosting or hamburgers, the advertising industry thinks that using scantilly-clad women to promote their products is ok? Does it really increase sales or is it just an excuse to legally pornify the marketplace? It sure doesn't make me want to go out and plop my money down, I'll tell you that. And it doesn't work on the majority of the guys I know either. If they have even an ounce of respect for women, this kind of marketing should have just the opposite effect than is intended.

And why is it that as the female fan base for motorsports grows by leaps and bounds, the racing industry gets deeper into the sleaze pit? Do the brains behind these promotions really think they are going to attract more women fans, or are they intentionally trying to drive us away from an historically male sport?

Yes, it started many years ago with the girls who represent the place guys go to because they supposedly have great wings, (don't know, never been there) but unfortunately, it didn't end there.

Last year a Sprint Car driver signed a sponsorship agreement with a men's magazine so now when you take your kids to the track, and they see that billboard go buy, you get to explain to them that it's just a fancy apartment that rich people live in.

As if that wasn't enough, today another major player in motorsports announced a partnership with another men's magazine, and is even going to have their trademark girls with the big ears and the fuzzy tails walking around at an upcoming event. I can just hear that explanation now, "No sweetie, that's not the Easter Bunny."

Why has it come to the point where the motorsports marketing gurus have decided that it's not bad enough we are bombarded with sleaze on tv, radio, internet and highway signs, but they now have to trash live racing as well? Aren't there enough reputable sponsors out there that they don't have to stoop to this?
If they want to make racing an adults-only sport, which appears to be the direction they are headed, then they are shooting themselves in the proverbial bank account. Where do they think future race fans will come from if their parents keep them away from the tracks when they are young? We already have to shield them from the violent and sleazy commercials during televised racing. At live events, our biggest challenge before was always trying to find a "family friendly" area to sit in order to avoid the one foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, drunken redneck who, without fail, would always end up sitting behind us. What's next? Mud-wrestling on the front stretch?

The only thing worse than the companies, sanctions and tracks that parade slutty women around in order to sell products, make money and finance their racing are the women who allow themselves to be bought. Yes, every now and then there is a commercial that uses half-naked guys, but I'm guessing it will be a freezing cold July day in Daytona before the Chippendale Dancers show up in victory lane!

One month to go!

2007-03-06T19:51:00.000-06:00

With just one month to go until the official kick off of the 2007 GGR season, all I can say is, "Bring it on!"

Like most race fans, I have watched the oh-so-slow revolution of seasons changing from those mild October evenings, to the ice storms of November and January, all the way around to violent thunderstorms of pre-spring. It's an ongoing circle that will finally make the turn to spring in the very near future.

As we gear up for the season, Spring and I have been working on confirming dates for races, getting credentials, organizing our paperwork and brainstorming over what to do differently and better this year.

We've had some fun lunches with other race girls, mainly Tammy and Tina from Tri-City, where we have learned more about how things work when it comes to promoting a dirt track. The girls have also been great at giving us tips as to things we can do to make sure we maintain good relationships with track and sanction owners. With all of that in mind, I like to think that last year was our rookie/learning season and this, our sophomore season, means we will apply much of what we have learned. Of course, it's an ongoing process, and I would also hope that we will never stop learning.

These past few months have meant basketball season at our house, and since I can't be outside shooting race cars, I've been honing my skills inside, taking photographs at high school varsity games, as well as junior high feeder league and Upward basketball games. It's been a lot of fun, and I managed to contribute hundreds of photos to our high school coach for use at the end of the season awards dinner, which is always a lot of fun.

Besides taking pictures, I've been trying to learn more about how my camera works, and how to process and manipulate photos in Paint Shop Pro Photo. I still have a whole lot to learn about all aspects of photography, and I doubt I will ever come close to making the kind of magic that Spring creates, but I sure have a good time trying. I'm posting one of my manipulations here just to give you an idea of the kind of playing I've been doing. I like the effects, and I'm going to play around some more when I have the time. Maybe one of these days Spring will even have time to give me a few tips.

While learning about the camera, and really pushing my current lenses to their limits, it became apparent that I just couldn't get as close to my subjects as I would have liked. With that in mind, I broke down and ordered a new zoom lens that should be here by the end of the week. My current lens goes out to 200, and the new one goes to 300, so I am anxious to see how much that helps with shooting cars. I will still have the problem of not having a decent flash, so any night time photography is still going to be left up to Spring.

It's funny, as the days are crossed off the calendar, I look forward to the racing season, yet I want to hang on to each precious hour. My daughter graduates from high school this year, and will be attending school in Springfield, Missouri, in the fall. We took a fast trip down there this weekend so she could interview for a scholarship, and had a great time. Of course, it would be a whole lot better if I didn't get all weepy at the thought of packing her up and saying good-bye! She's quite a kid though, and I know she will do well.

While in Springfield last weekend, we had about 90 minutes to kill, so we did what most women would do in our situation, we went shopping! Finding our way to Battlefield Mall was easy, and as luck would have it, two local tracks, Lebanon I-44 Speedway and Monett Speedway, were holding their pre-season race car show at the mall! All lined up in one wing of the mall were beautiful shiny Late Models and Modifieds polished up and ready to roll. It's fun to see them looking all clean and new and then think about how they are all going to look in about a month's time!

Speaking of new, things are coming together over at Tri-City. My Dad and I are hoping to make a run over there on Thursday to see it firsthand. The new Musco lighting is on its way and the weather is looking good so far for the pouring of the new concrete wall. That place is sure going to look different from the track I grew up with, but I think that all of the changes will be great. The Gundakers have sure put a lot into it, and I know they are excited about unveiling it to the world.

As it stands right now, Spring and I are hoping to get over there for a couple of hours on Play Day, March 25. We'll head back over on April 6 when Kenny Wallace is supposed to be in attendance.

Saturday, April 7, we head down to Pevely, Missouri for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. I haven't been to a WoO show in a few years, and I'm really looking forward to it. Our plan right now is to go down early and do some tailgating before the race. We're hoping that a few of our friends will stop by and say hello. I'm planning to bring a few Girls Gone Racin' stickers to give away, so if you stop by, be sure and ask for one!

Yes, the weather is warming up, and all over the midwest engines are being tuned up in preparation for another run at a track championship, or a rookie season. I don't know about everyone else, but I can't wait to get the party started!

New Series, New Track, New Season!

2007-02-28T06:49:00.000-06:00

Last evening I put together a web site for a friend of mine who has created a brand new racing series. The Ozark Mountain Midget Series will be coming soon to a track in the midwest. This is a Sportsman Midget Series and is a spin-off of the Illini Racing Series. Check out the site, which is bare-bones at the moment, and watch for updates and changes. This should be a very exciting and groundbreaking series.

While working on line, I saw an email come in from our buddy Rich Edwards in Arnold, Mo. He got the chance to go for a plane ride and do some practice shooting with his new Pentax K100D of the construction going on at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL. Nice guy that he is, Rich shared the photos with us and gave permission for us to share them with you. Enjoy!

Of all the lamb excuses...

2007-02-27T07:25:00.000-06:00

We've all done it, right? We've been invited to do something or go somewhere, and we don't really want to go, so we make up some silly excuse to get out of it. No harm, no foul, nobody's feelings get hurt.

Well last Friday I called up Spring to see if I could take her out to lunch for her birthday. I couldn't get her at home or on her cell, so I left a message. A few minutes later, I got a text messaging asking, "What's up?"

When I responded, letting her know what I had in mind, she replied that she would love to, but the only way she could do lunch was if I brought it to her because she couldn't leave the house. Finally, we caught up with each other long enough to verbally communicate what was going on.

As it turns out, one of Spring's sheep had given birth to triplets Monday night. Of the two boys and one girl, the Momma really only wanted to take care of one, so the other two were getting shoved aside. One was bad enough that it had to be brought into the house to get warmed up and so they could attempt bottle feeding.

City girl that I am, this was something I just had to see, so I stopped at the Bread Company (where else would I go?), picked up soup and salads, and headed up the highway to Spring's house. When I got there, sweet Sadie greeted me at the door with lots of excitement, jumping up on me and passing out licks.

We had lunch and visited for a bit and then it was time to go see this little miracle of miracles.

I grew up in the suburbs, but I've been to Grant's Farm and fed the goats, ridden horses, seen cows up close and personal, but never before had I seen a less-than-a-week-old lamb. My goodness, how adorable he was! Little Cisco looked like a stuffed animal all curled up in his wicker laundry basket. He was laying on a heating pad in front of a space heater to try and get warm and didn't respond to us much when we stroked him or said his name. Even Sadie tried to help by licking the top of his head and nuzzling his ears.

It was feeding time for the little lamby-pie, so Spring went and heated up a special formula and put it in a small glass Coke bottle with a rubber nipple. She showed me how to hold it and get Cisco interested. He was interested all right! That little guy almost polished off the whole bottle in no time, and once he did, it was amazing how fast he got energized!

Before long, there was no keeping him in the basket or even in a big cardboard box. Instead, he followed me around the dining room (the song "Mary had a little lamb" kept going through my head the whole time) and exploring the house and the cat. His tiny hooves made the cutest little clopping sound on the hardwood floor! It was really something to see and I just couldn't stop taking pictures of the little guy. He finally settle down after quite a bit of wandering, and just nodded off in a corner of the room.

What a fun day it was for me as I got to make friends with Cisco!

Dirt Track Divas Dare to Dream

2007-02-21T21:39:00.000-06:00

Things are starting to look up around here now that we've broken out of our Arctic freeze and shaken the ice off the thermometer. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get warm anywhere but under my electric blanket.

We spent last Sunday at Spring and Randy's watching the Daytona 500 and pigging out on all kinds of down home comfort food. Spring cooked up some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and slaw which we washed down with some kind of fabulous punch. We topped the whole calorie-fest off with hunks of a specialty cake that my daughter made to look like the finish line with Junior crossing in front. (Hence the "dream" part of this title.) That was for Spring, who is a Junior fan. I was, of course, cheering for Tony, who made a great showing and should have won the darned thing. Once he was out, I took to cheering for Mark Martin, and we all know how that turned out. Oh well, don't ever take me to Vegas!

So now I'm starting to think that racing season will eventually get here, and I'm really excited. We already have credentials in place for several events, and I am working on getting them for a few more. It will be a busy summer, which is fine with me. The more time I spend chasin' racin', the less time I will spend mourning the fact that my oldest will head off to college in the fall. Yikes!

For now, I am working on a web site for the newly formed Ozark Mountain Midget Series which is a Midget racing series for low-budget racers. Our buddy Dustin has been working his tail off for ages to put this thing together and it's looking really good. He also let me know that he will be racing a Sprint Car on Friday nights this season, and I know he is excited. Congrats, Dustin!

Girls Gone Racin' is the official photographer of the OMMS, and we look forward to this new venture.

In other news, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. who drives Brent's Midget won two USAC events, both Sprint and Silver Crown, while out west. Way to go, Ricky! We have asked Brent if we can ride along sometime this season to see just what goes into a race weekend, and we're going to try and figure out when we can do it.

Saturday is Spring's birthday so drop her a note when you get the chance. We'll be going out with a bunch of other gals for a true "girls's night out" which should be a lot of fun. I'll be sure to bring my camera...

Wake me up when the engines start!

2007-02-17T10:39:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know it must seem as if this blog has been in hibernation mode, and I guess maybe it has, but that does not mean that I've been sleeping for the past two weeks. Not by a long shot!

In all actuality, work has been keeping me busy. Usually this time of year, we can kind of kick back and coast for a while, but there has actually been a lot going on in the racing world. Of course, none of it is anywhere near me, so I've had to settle for watching some of the NASCAR hype and wondering why in the world anyone still gets caught up in it. Maybe this time of year it's a bit more understandable because there is no real racing going on, but in two months, NASCAR will definitely be on the back burner as we head into dirt track season.

With that in mind, you just never know where you might find interesting motorsports stuff this time of year. Thanks to my friend Ron, I learned about the Shifting Gears exhibit at the Missouri History Museum. Yestereday my Dad and I headed off to see it, and we had a good time.

The exhibit features cars that were manufactured in St. Louis. It is amazing how many automobile manufacturers were here over the years and how diverse the styles of cars. We saw cars made by Dorris, Moon and many others on display. Most of the cars had been painstakingly restored and were absolutely beautiful. I was surprised by how big some of them were too. The 1924 Dorris (pictured above) on display had to be at least as long as the modern Suburban! The front bumper on this car reminded me of Lizzie's smile in the move Cars.

There was also an area devoted to auto racing, which I found to be particularly intriguing. The trophy on display was intricately detailed and I can only imagine the pride of the driver to whom it was presented. One of the descriptions of a race, which started at night, described the track as being lit by hundreds of gas-powered torches. Can you imagine? No Musco lighting in those days, that's for sure!

I also enjoyed the display of "motoring togs" that were popular in the early 1900s. The first photo in the blog is an example of one of those styles. Her goggles are lined in purple fur! I think she is quite elegant, but I can't imagine having to get into all that gear just to run to the mall.

There was another section with information about motoring safety and how new laws had to be enacted as automobiles evolved. At one point, the speed limit in St. Louis was 8 mph. This left us with an intriguing question: How did the cops know if someone was speeding? They certainly didn't have radar guns, in the driver's defense, there were no speedometers! Sounds like a slick way of padding the coffers of city government to me.

All in all, this is a small but interesting display. There are only about a dozen or so cars on display, but the exhibit is open to the public, and free, so the price is right. It runs through March 31, 2007.

The Motorsports Zone Radio Show Returns for 5th Season

2007-02-02T07:36:00.000-06:00

Our friends at The Motorsports Zone are gearing up for their fifth season on the air. Here's what's in store for 2007:

Courtesy: Chuck Licata

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Motorsports Zone radio show (KVET-AM 1300, Austin, TX) will return Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007 at 10 a.m. for a fifth season of broadcast.

Chuck Licata, who started the show with former co-host Ric Clark, will return to host the show. Licata, co-owner of K-MAC Sports Productions of Austin (an online broadcast company), will be joined by a “rotation” of co-hosts for this season.

KVET-AM 1300, known as “The Zone,” is the flagship station for University of Texas athletics. Steaming of all Zone programming can be found at the station’s web site, www.am1300thezone.com.

“This is going to be a great season for the show,” Licata said. “We’re going to continue to grow the show. This season, we’re going to bring in different co-hosts in anticipation of different racing events. The co-hosts all have different ‘strengths’ that cover the wide variety of racing topics.”

The rotating co-hosts will include “BA” otherwise known as Brian in Austin; Bobby Chaffee, Ric Clark and Dawn Murphy, all of San Antonio; and “Zippy,” also from Austin.

Licata will be joined by Chaffee March 2-3 at the Pro-Cuts Dirt Track Championships at Texas Motor Speedway, where the duo will broadcast the show live from the TMS Dirt Track.

The Motorsports Zone is also available for replay, 24/7, on www.kmacsports.com. Listeners just need to click on “The MZone” logo on the web site.

Listerners can call into the radio show to share their thoughts and opinions at 512.390.LIVE (5483).

Counting Down the Days

2007-01-22T14:45:00.000-06:00

The 2007 Chili Bowl has come and gone (congrats Tony!) and now we are counting down the days and weeks to our first live race of 2007. So far it looks like that will be a World of Outlaws Sprint Car race at I-55 Raceway on April 7. Being as that is my 23rd wedding anniversary, I had to ask my hubby if he would mind celebrating at a race, and he willingly agreed to the arrangement. So, as long as the weather cooperates, I guess we are good to go.

Until then, we will continue to muddle through the cold and snow while we patiently wait for spring time and fair temperatures. As a last resort, we will most likely get together for the Daytona 500 and maybe even another NASCAR race or two before the real racing season gets underway.

In local news, it looks like our friends Kevin and Tammy Gundaker will now have double the promotional duties starting today. Over the weekend, they finalized a deal to purchase Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri. Lucky for us, they run 360 Sprints and since this is a track I've never seen, I am more than anxious to make the trip down. Congratulations to the Gundakers and best wishes on the new endeavor!

Before I forget, I need to thank someone who really helped us out. Check out the new logo on the web site if you haven't already. A big "THANK YOU" goes out to Chris and his company 87 Design for the new design. We love what he did and we are happy to be working with him. Be sure to check out his place on MySpace when you get the chance. Thanks, Chris!

Chili Bowl Serving #4: Spicin' it up

2007-01-12T20:59:00.000-06:00

Tonight's races are going on despite nasty weather all over the midwest. Inside the Tulsa Expo Center, dirt is flying like nobody's business. It will be exciting to hear stories about the races, and what's going on with folks trying to get where they need to be.

Back here in Missouri, real life is more exciting than the movies, or any race could ever be.

Earlier this week, a young man was kidnapped from near his home in Beaufort, MO. This afternoon he was found, alive, and as if that was not miracle enough, along with him was another young man who had been missing since October of 2002. It's an amazing discovery, and when I first saw the news flash across my tv screen, I thought I was seeing things. When the story was confirmed, I cried.

All week long our family has prayed for Ben, and each day I have followed the news, hoping to see positive news. When it finally happened, the news was even better than the scenario I had imagined. Wow.

So yeah, I guess going to the Chili Bowl would have been fun, although I wouldn't want to have to deal with the weather. For me, being right here at home finding out this wonderful news is better than any race I could be watching.

Of course, I still want to hear all about it, and I'm looking forward to all of tomorrow's news stories. This has to be one of the best-covered events of the racing season, no doubt.

Ben Ownby FOUND!

2007-01-12T14:30:00.000-06:00

Ben Ownby, of Beaufort, MO has been missing since January 8.

Contact: FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT 636-583-2567

ABDUCTION INFORMATION

Case Number:
Date Last Seen: Monday, Jan 8th, 2007
Time Last Seen: 3:30pm
Location Last Seen: Beaufort, MO

INCIDENT INFORMATION

Victim got off bus after school approx 1530 hrs and was walking home and did not arrive. White Nissan pickup with camper shell seen in the Beaufort area.

VICTIM

Name: William "Ben" Ownby
DOB: 1993-12-06
Age: 13
Race: white
Gender/Sex: M
Hair Color: brown
Eye Color: blue
Height: 4' 10"
Weight: 100
Clothing: st louis rams hooded windbreaker and blue jeans
Other: wears glasses

Type: Nissan compact pickup
License: unknown unknown
Description: white older model nissan compact truck with white camper shell. Vehicle has "Nissan" in black block letters on upper left corner of tailgate. Last seen in the Beaufort area.

Ozark Mountain Midgets Ready to Roar!

2007-01-11T09:59:00.000-06:00

The new Ozark Mountain Midget Series logo.

(Thanks to Dustin Arnall for keeping us in the loop about this exciting new series!)

HARTVILLE, Mo. -- Starting in 2007 will be the Ozark Mountain Midget Series for Sportsman Midgets. The series is a spin-off of the Illini Racing Series in the Chicago area.At this point, the series will race strictly on dirt.

Schedule will be limited to tracks no larger than 1/3 mile. 1/4 miles are perfect for us. OMMS is based in Southwest Missouri.

Any 4 cylinder midget or upright mini sprint (13" wheels, bladder, and no wings) is legal.

An engine restriction formula is in place to keep OEM type engines and older midget packages competitive with any engine package currently used in midget racing.

Chassis specs are in place to keep older cars competitive.

Mickey Thompson sportsman DOT tires are the series spec. The tires lack of grip balances out the competition to an amazing level.

With this rules package, 20 year old cars frequently win races/ Quad 4 spec engines frequently win championships.

Two tracks are already on board to provide an 18-25 race schedule in 2007.

Complete schedule coming soon. Waiting to see final schedule for SMRS, MARA, POWERi, & MOLS. We do not want to schedule on top of any other groups in this region if at all possible.

At this point we expect 16-22 cars on opening day. This is not an optimistic #, this is reality.

IF YOU THINK YOUR EQUIPMENT CAN'T BE COMPETITIVE, WE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND!

Here is where to find more info about the newly formed OZARK MOUNTAIN MIDGET SERIES.

Dustin Arnall, President 417-741-7815 djbarnall@centurytel.net
Neil Gamble, Board Member 417-369-3751
Chris Talburt, Board Member 417-861-5992 jatalburt@aol.com

Complete rules and Illini Series history http://www.illiniracingseries.com/

We will use the Illini Series car/engine rules 100% word for word. Format info and contact info will be different.

OMMS website coming soon!

Special Thanks to Bill Allen at Dallas County Speedway in Urbana, MO and Greg Clemmons at Grand River Speedway in Urich,MO for providing a place for this series to grow!

Chili Bowl Serving #2: Tossed Salad?

2007-01-10T16:34:00.000-06:00

Tonight is night number two of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo. We're looking for all you fortunate folks who made the trip to fill us in on all of the details. Otherwise, links to results and related stories will be posted right here Thursday morning.

Remember to click on the "Comments" link below to share your impressions of the big event!

Chili Bowl Pre-Qualifier News & Notes

2007-01-10T07:14:00.000-06:00

TULSA, Okla. -- Bubba Altig was victorious in the first night of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, taking that win on the last turn of the last lap just to make things really exciting.

You can read the entire story, get the results and view photos here:

http://www.whowon.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=0&StoryID=210647

For even more news and information about the event, check out www.chilibowl.com or go to:

http://www.whowon.com/ResultsDates.asp?TrackID=843

More stories will be posted throughout the day today, and all through the week, so check back often.

Chili Bowl Serving #1: The Appetizer

2007-01-09T06:47:00.000-06:00

Here it is at last, the first day of th 2007 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Haulers are parked, tickets are sold out and race fans from all over the country will be packing the place to the rafters.

Practice starts at 11:00 CST this morning and no doubt folks are hungry enough for racing in these bleak winter months that they will come for practice and stay right through tonight's races.

We're ready to hear from you folks down in Tulsa. Be sure to click on that itty bitty "Comments" link at the bottom of this post to add your thoughts.

While many of you are enjoying tonight's kick off in Tulsa, I will be at a high school basketball game cheering for my alma mater, which is now my daughter's school. Maybe not quite as exciting as Midget racing, but a different type of fun all its own.

Below are a few of my favorite Midget photos from this past season, and all of these cars are registered to be racing at the 2007 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. Good luck guys!

Tim Siner, Waterloo, Illinois

Doug DeWitt, Sunnyvale, California

Mike Hess, Riverton, Illinois

Nick Knepper, Belleville, Illinois

Brent Nausley's #52, driven here by Randy Bateman. To be driven at the Chili Bowl by Joey Montgomery of Farmington, Missouri

Hunka Hunka Burnin' Chili

2007-01-08T15:51:00.000-06:00

Well here it is, January 8th again and me and the King (Presley, not Petty) are celebrating our birthdays together. Of course, I'm the only one getting any older and one of these days, I'll actually catch up with, and pass him, God-willing.

I've talked to several people today who are packing their gear and heading for Tulsa, and I have to say that I am green with envy. That's way better than the kind of green Spring is experiencing today as she deals with an ear infection and the flu. Get well soon, chickie! I guess it's a darned good thing we didn't get tickets to the Chili Bowl after all.

With that said, it's been an interesting day of posting news of sadness and that of excitement. The passing of NASCAR legend Bobby Hamilton has been one of the top stories of the day in the sad department, while big news of sponsorships, new sanctions, big rides and all the other silly season stuff is filling up the ol' email box. I've been posting them almost as quickly as they arrive and they have been showing up in surprising numbers for January, let me tell you. Usually I am working hard to stay busy this time of the year, but not today! As usual, for all the latest racing news, check out www.whowon.com

Along with the news, schedules are rolling in as well. Tracks and sanctions are starting to nail down their dates, and so are the GGR girls. Just today I confirmed at least a half dozen dates for the 2007 calendar, all of them Winged Sprints in the bi-state area. Already lined up for this year are several POWRi Midget races, a possible NASCAR race at Talladega and maybe even a run up to Knoxville for the Midget Nationals. And just for fun, an ASA Challenge Series event at I-70 Speedway has been thrown into the mix. No drag races so far, but you just never know. Of course, we will wrap up the season back in Hartville, Missouri for the Fifth Annual got milk? Fall Karting Nationals. Speaking of Hartville, I talked to Dustin Arnall just this afternoon, and he will be making a big announcement of his own soon. Not to spoil the surprise, but I think local Midget fans will be very happy!

Of course, thinking of Midgets leads me back to the good ol' Chili Bowl. With a record number of entries (last I saw the number was 275), and an extra night of racing with tomorrow night's qualifier, things are bound to be exciting in Tulsa this week. I hope that many of you will remember to share your thoughts and comments here as the week progresses, as we are really excited to see how it goes. Remember, we want your pictures too! Feel free to email them to us at girlsgoneracin@sbcglobal.net.

To those of you heading out, drive safely and enjoy the races!

P.S. I received a link to an absolutely adorable web site today. If you're into racing (if you found us, you must be!) and love dogs, then check out www.racerdogs.com. Beautiful artwork and the cutest racing t-shirts ever. Great work!

Chili Bowl Drivers and Lady Ann Doin’ Donuts

2007-01-08T06:39:00.000-06:00

(Courtesy Dennis Michelsen)

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Join hosts Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen as they welcome Chili Bowl drivers Shannon McQueen and Michelle Decker to the show. In addition Lori and Dennis will be taking a virtual road trip to the amazing “Land of Velocity” and meet artist Ann Boyer LePere. (“Lady Ann”) Cue up house band “Tar and the Nicotines” and let the fun begin. If it’s Monday at 8pm eastern, it’s time to make the donuts with Lori and Dennis on RaceTalkRadio!

http://www.doindonuts.com

Meet Shannon McQueen The first female driver to win the Budweiser Outlaw Nationals, Shannon is also the only female driver to race on pavement and dirt at the same time. "I'm a pretty simple person really. I work hard as a CPA to fund my racing. All I ever wanted was a chance to make it." This twenty-seven year old from Tehachapi, California has quite a racing resume. This will be her third trip to the historic Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Meet Michelle Decker Hailing from Guthrie, Oklahoma thirty-three year old Michele Decker has been involved with racing most of her life. Michelle runs both classes of sprint cars at her local track and will run her second "Chili Bowl" this year. "They are evil little machines but so much fun to drive,” exclaimed Decker. Michelle works for a mortgage company when she is not busy working on her own racecars.

Meet Lady Ann Boyer LePere Hear ye, hear ye, thee royal court is in session with Lady Ann Boyer LePere presiding. This grandmother of three is an amazing realist painter who spends most of her time working on commissioned portraits. Explore her "Land of Velocity;" the mixture of speed and fantasy are blended into a sort of NASCAR renaissance fare in the wondrous imagination of this creative lady.

Doin’ Donuts Every Monday Night 8-10pm ET A dog named Carbon Super Sport doing commercials? Show hosts blowing up people’s stills? Finding out who ain’t getting any in NASCAR? This provocative racing show will entertain, enlighten, and yes sometimes confound you! Sit down, strap in, and sound off for two hours of high-octane fun NASCAR-style with Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts!”

Do you have a product that needs the best commercial spokes-pup in the business? Put Carbon Super Sport to work for you today! Please contact Dennis Michelsen for details on how Carbon can get consumers wagging their tails for your product!

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2007 season on many of the RaceTalkRadio shows. Contact us today and learn how our radio shows, websites, and newsletter can be put to work for you!

In Racing, as in Cooking, Preparation is Key

2007-01-05T13:27:00.000-06:00

Much like a chef preparing ingredients for a big batch of chili, car owners and teams must ready their cars for any big race. The Chili Bowl is one of the biggest races of the year to prepare for and the close quarters, large number of entries and type of facility (indoor) make for many challenges.

(The team works on the #52 car after the crash at Belle Clair in October.)

Car owner Brent Nausley shared a little insight about his team's preparations with me today. He will be entering two cars into next week's competition. Car #52 will be driven by Joey Montgomery and #50 by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Both cars will carry Girls Gone Racin' stickers, so keep your eyes open!

Here are a few insights from Brent, to whom we give thanks not only for sharing this background information with us, but for the friendship we have been priviliged to share. Thanks Brent!

Good morning,

Well we had alot to do to the 52 due to the crash at Belle-Clair, [Oct. 7, driven by Randy Bateman. See photo.] we have repaired the chassis, the rear end had to be repaired, along with a lot of bolt on parts. I took the motor to Dynotech to have it checked on the dyno and everything for it is back and the car is together. The 50 car is still waiting for the motor today. Ricky Jr is bringing it up from Memphis and we will put the 50 together when he gets here.

I try to gather and load as many spare parts as I can for the trip. I also go through every thing on the cars to make sure they are in good shape. I replace parts that are worn. I clean every thing up and Harold repairs and repaints the body work.

It is a lot of work, but this race isn't like any of the other races because there are so many things that reduce your chances to win. The amount of competitors on the track increase the chance of tearing up the car, but the list of great drivers who come each year makes this race special. So the opportunity for me to take my cars makes it special for me.

The uniqueness of the race for preparation is the amount of cars on the track wearing it out. The track being indoors doesn't have weather affecting it but is does dry out and with all the races ran on it it does wear down. We have found it to be consistent though, it is dry slick. The motors also run a little different indoors and we have to work on that.

I don't have a good camera any more but I will get some kind of picture.

We appreciate you writing about the team and following it. I know you will enjoy it when you make the race.

Brent

P.S. Harold and Debbie bring alot of food and take care of the meals. They make the trip a whole lot more comfortable.

Pass the Chili My Way, Baby!

2007-01-05T13:17:00.000-06:00

Hey, Mama always said, "Don't cry over spilled chili," right? Something like that anyway. Well, if you're like Spring and I, and can't make it to Tulsa for the biggest event of the winter, that doesn't mean you can't experience the excitement just like everyone else.

We just got this press release today from the folks at Racin' Boys, (Racin' Boys and Girls Gone Racin' hmmmm) letting us know that they will be doing a live broadcast right from the Tulsa Expo. So next week, instead of sitting around wondering which briefcase holds the million dollar prize, or who will get to hear the Donald's famous farewell, fire up the computer and log onto the internet to get all of the Chili Bowl information you can stand.

Many thanks to Bryan Gapinski at Racin' Boys for this report:

Chili Bowl Broadcast Times Set

TULSA, Okla. -- Fans unable to attend the sold-out 21st annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway on January 9-13, can hear all the action via the internet. The event can be heard only on the internet at www.racinboys.com . It’s the second straight year RacinBoys.com will provide the live audio webcast of the country’s premier indoor racing event.

Fan1st.com will be the title sponsor for the broadcast. Fan1st.com allows ordinary fans to become a part of the sponsorship of a car by putting their name in the logo that goes on the car at the track. In 2007, Dave Blaney will be driving the Fan1st.com car in the NASCAR Busch Series.

The RacinBoys, Scott Traylor and Kirk Elliott, are co-hosts of a popular Saturday morning Midwest regional motorsports show called "Track Talk with The RacinBoys" on the countries Largest all Sports Radio station the 50,000-watt Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City, Mo.

The Racinboys will be again joined by Bryan Gapinski, well-known open wheel racing announcer. Gapinski has been involved in previous broadcasts of the Chili Bowl, in the area of television, simulcast, radio/webcast and video. Gapinski is also the media director for the Badger Midget Series and founder of the National Midget Driver of the Year.Veteran sprint car announcer Scottie Cook has been added to the broadcast team for 2007, and will head up the Saturday afternoon ‘alphabet soup’ feature coverage. More than 35 hours of action concludes with the 50-lap championship feature on Saturday night, January 13. More pit and trackside interviews are planned as well as Saturday pre-race ceremonies.

The evenings broadcasts will start on Tuesday at 6:30 pm CST (local-Tulsa time), Wednesday-Friday Jan. 10-12 at 5:30 pm CST. The broadcast of action on Saturday will tentatively begin at 12:00pm CST. Stay tuned to www.racinboys.com for any updates.

The broadcast team will be joined by three lucky fans Dan Anders (Wednesday), Melissa Lazzaro (Thursday) and Bill Morrow (Friday). The trio were the highest bidders to receive a fan package and the opportunity to announce a heat race during the evenings events, that was recently held on eBay. Rod End Supply also recently signed on as a broadcast sponsor.

Got Chili?

2006-12-23T08:59:00.000-06:00

COTTLEVILLE, Mo. – In just two weeks, all eyes in the Midget racing community will be focused on Tulsa, Oklahoma and the 2007 Chili Bowl. The Tulsa Expo will be packed with cars, crews and fans as the five nights of the mayhem, madness and excitement that make up this great event unfold.

The girls at Girls Gone Racin’ have been asked many times if we will be there this year, but unfortunately, other commitments prevent us from making the trip. Despite this obstacle, we still want to bring our readers as much coverage as possible. That’s where you come in.

Each night, starting with Tuesday’s pre-qualifier, we are asking folks to contribute their own coverage directly from the Chili Bowl so that those of us who can’t be there get as much information as possible. If you have access to the internet while in Tulsa, jump on to our blog and give us your thoughts and insights, or cheer on your favorite driver. Whether you are in the pits, the stands or a suite, we want your exclusive viewpoint.

If you do not have access to the internet, but want to share your views after you return home from the Oklahoma pilgrimage, you can do that too via our Chili Bowl wrap up blog which will go up after the 2007 Chili Bowl champion has been determined. So take notes on a napkin, the back of your program, or via your cell phone, PDA or MP3 player and then transcribe them when you get back to your computer and post away.

In order to post on the GGR blog, simply navigate to www.girlsgoneracin.com and click on the Girls Gone Racin’ Blog link, or go straight to http://girlsgoneracin.blogspot.com
Each night of the event will have a separate thread, and you can add your comments by clicking on the word “comments” at the end of the thread. Because this is a family-friendly site, all comments will be moderated before they go live, but we will do our best to turn them around as quickly as possible. So keep it clean and rant-free so we can share your views as you write them.

If you are taking a digital camera, and want to share your photos, we welcome those as well. Just pick your favorite one or two, make sure your files have been reduced to a reasonable size and are in .jpg format, and email them to girlsgoneracin@sbcglobal.net We will post as many as we can in the blog and on the web site.

We look forward to all of the great coverage that our readers will provide and we are excited to see just how many respond to the call. Be sure to look for cars with Girls Gone Racin’ decals, as we know there will be a few down there and we are anxious to see how they do.

Good luck to all of our bloggers and photographers. Have fun and thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts on this event with the rest of the world.

Brea Lopez Midget Found!

2006-12-13T07:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, word spread quickly about the theft of Midget racer Brea Lopez's car, hauler and truck which were taken from their hotel parking lot in Kansas City. They were on their way from Washington state to Orlando for the PRI race tomorrow night.

I am happy to report that the race car, truck and hauler were found. It just goes to show that the racing community is a tight-knit group that works together when someone in the family is hurt or threatened. It is unfortunate that the thieves made off with expensive equipment and parts, and did the damage they did, but I know that Brea and her family are grateful to everyone who got the message out.

Below is a report on the recovery of the stolen operation.

If you are a member of the racer community, Dan Press and Brea Lopez extend the biggest heartfelt thank you to everyone. The car has been found thanks to you.

Two truckers early this morning, a William and a Darren (known as Bear) drove by some brown buildings next to a flying J truck stop in the Kansas city area, and one of the two spotted the midget sitting outside of a white trailer and commented to his partner that he just saw a midget sitting in the wide open between these buildings. The other trucker, being a serious racing fan, immediately responded and said "What!, I just read about a stolen midget on one of the message boards. They went back, and sure enough, there was the midget, trailer, and the Dodge Pick-up. The truckers than called Dan and informed him they were standing there staring at the #25.Dan contacted the police. Shortly following a Mark Hockemeier, a police officer from Kansas city (and a racer himself) contacted Dan to report that he and his partner, Brandon Steele were responding. At the same time, Officer Lambert, who is a police officer in the Kansas City area and married to Rachel Lambert, cousin to Rob Lindsey, past president and now business manger for the WMRA heard of the find, and responded. All three officers arriving pretty close to each other.

Status - the contents of the trailer are gone - tools, spare parts, generator, lights, heater, and the personal luggage of Dan's and Brea's. However, the car is INTACT, no visible signs what soever of damage or missing parts. Brea's drivers' bag was not taken, Helmet, drivers suit, Hans were left in the trailer. The locks on the trailer were gone and some damage to the drop gate is evident. Spare Tires mounted on Wheels were left, however, spare axels, quick change rear were also taken.

The drivers door handle on the Dodge Ram Pickup broken (gaining access) and the ignition on the column was stripped out.

Once the officers confirmed and did their police stuff at the location, Rachel Lambert than made arrangements for the #25 midget and trailer to be dropped at a secure location (locked compound) and the Dodge Ram was taken to a nearby Dodge Dealership. Mechanics at the dealership, when the P/U came in knew it was the "racers" stolen rig, and quickly assessed the damage and ordered the needed repair parts.

Dan reports he most likely will be flying out within one to two days to bring hauler, trailer, and the #25 back home.

Yes, Brea didn't make it to PRI - however, thanks to the racing community, the excellent work of Marty Boyer in getting the word out on the radio stations, and the posting of the theft on the message boards,Brea and the #25 will be racing this spring.

Dan Press and family, Brea Lopez, and the whole WMRA community so thank each and every one for caring and aiding in the recovery.

The bond of racers, never cease to amaze.Thank you, everyone!
Dan Press / Brea Lopez#25 WMRA Vader, Washington