Got Chili?

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!

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

USAC Driver Brea Lopez has Race Hauler & Midget Stolen

We were on our way to Orlando, Florida for the PRI Sprint and Midget Classic; we stopped right outside of Kansas City, Missouri at a hotel to sleep for the night. We got up around 6 am and walked outside and everything was gone.

Our truck was a Black 2005 Dodge Ram, and our trailer was a white Exiss with two big decals on the back one is a WMRA logo and one is a Red Line Oil decal. Every single piece of my racing operation was in that trailer.

The Chassis was a red powder coated 2005 Beast, with black carbon fiber pannels. The motor is an esslinger. Our tool box with all of our tools, shocks and springs, wheels and tires, quad, all of my safety equipment, spare axels rear ends, I can't even name it all off. I really don't even know what to say right now. Just please if anyone hears or sees anything, please let me know.

Email me at brea_lopez@yahoo.com. Thanks.

If seen please call the authorities immediately. Than please contact Dan Press, Telephone - 360-295-3937
Truck License Washington State A82018X
Trailer License Washington State 4533RV
Brea Lopez, Driver
Brea Lopez Motorsports
1397 State Hwy. 506
Vader, WA 98593
Phone: 360.295.3937
Cell: 360.270.2109www.brealopez.com

Jason Aldean, Emerson Drive Concert Photgraphy

(The guys from Emerson Drive wrap their set with a wave to the crowd.)

Spring asked me to write up a quick blog for her because she's so busy. In the aftermath of the winter storm here, our kids have missed way too much school and since mine (finally) went back today, and hers didn't, I guess I can understand that.

(Jason Aldean's Band is smokin'!)

We had a great time at the concert, which you know if you read my blog and looked at my weak attempts at concert photography. If you like pictures, and you like the bands we saw, then you are in for a treat. I have just uploaded three pages of photographs to the web site. In order to view them, just go to www.girlsgoneracin.com/Jinglefest.htm

Jingle All the Way

Last Thursday night, Spring and I were supposed to go to a concert put on by one of our local country music stations, but the nasty winter storm that pounded our area forced a postponement of the event until last night. Judging from the reaction of the crowd, and from our own experience, it was well worth the wait!

(Here we are at the concert, ready to get rockin'!)

We met up early, grabbed something hot to drink because we figured that our general admission tickets (hey, they were FREE!) would force us to stand outside for a while if we wanted to get a decent seat. We needn’t have worried. Upon arrival, we got the best parking spot I’ve ever had at this venue, walked right in and found great seats. Oh, and before I forget, let me say that I brought my Pentax with the zoom and Spring managed to get that big, honkin’ Canon inside too. We weren't really sure we would be able to take them in, but no one seemed to care. Even Cornbread looked right down the barrel of Spring's zoom and shrugged it off.

When you think about it, we weren't doing anything wrong, and we didn't hide the fact that we were taking pictures, so it shouldn't be a big deal anyway. We're not selling the photographs, and the whole point was just to see what we could do under the weird lighting conditions and such. All I can say is that it's a whole lot different shooting a concert than it is a race! It would be a blast to get to do it with no restrictions though, up front, or alongside the stage, even backstage and candid photos. I know that if Spring had her way, she would be shooting CD covers and promos, which would be pefect for her since she has such a great eye for composition and enjoys what she does so much. And hey, I could always work the phones and carry her equipment!

We were right in the middle of a really fun crowd at this concert. I’ve been to a lot of concerts over the years - from full-on rock and roll to contemporary Christian and everything in between – and this was one of the best-behaved audiences I have ever seen. There are times you get stuck with loud-mouthed drunks, or guys who spend the whole concert slobbering all over their girlfriends, or folks who think they know all the words and sing them really loud right in your ear, but can’t carry a tune. This was not one of those nights.

(Our new friends; Michelle, Jake and Zach. Hi guys!)

All around us were teens and early twenty-somethings who were just out to have a foot-stomping good time, and that’s what they did. No boozin’ it up or being obnoxious or anything like that. Instead, they were just downright friendly and we had a good time getting to know them. You guys know who you are, and you really made our night, so thanks! We enjoyed hanging out with you!

(Jason Michael Carroll gets the night going.)

The musical groups were great. First up was Jason Michael Carroll, a guy I had never heard of until the day of the concert, but someone with a very impressive voice. His first release, “Alyssa Lies” is a very moving song about child abuse and he does a wonderful job with it. I loved the fact that it was just Jason singing, accompanied by two acoustic guitars, because I love acoustic guitars. That’s the one instrument I actually attempted to learn, and I even taught beginning lessons as one of my first jobs. That was back when every kid who came to me wanted to learn “Stairway to Heaven,” which really tells a lot about my age!

(Jimmy Wayne performs for the crowd.)

Jimmy Wayne was second up, and I had definitely heard his music before. His songs, “I Love You this Much” and “Paper Angels” are his trademarks. He appeared on the Laura Ingraham Show one morning and told the story behind “Paper Angels” which refers to the Angel Tree Program where kids in need are matched up with folks who provide them with a Christmas gift. It turns out that Jimmy and his sister had been recipients of Angel Tree gifts, which just goes to show that those gifts really do make a difference! Our family participates in this program every year through our church, and our paper angels are right here next to me to remind me to shop for them, but more importantly, to pray for them also. Jimmy did a beautiful job last night, not only sharing his music through his voice and just his own guitar, but sharing of himself as well. His cover of the Hall & Oates classic, “Sarah Smile” was another highlight of the evening, and things just kept getting better.

(Emerson Drive rocks the house!)

The third act of the night was Emerson Drive, and to me, they just stole the show. What a rockin’ great act they have! These guys jammed on songs like “I Should Be Sleeping,” “Good Man” and “Testify.” Wow! I was blown away. It amazes me how many great groups are out there where I sometimes know the songs, but don’t realize who does them. Being a huge music fan, it drives me crazy to think that I might not have paid much attention to them in the past, but I will be making up for that now. One of the best parts of their show was when their fiddle player left the stage and got right down in the crowd to play. He was a lot of fun to watch and it looked like he had as good a time as the fans did.

(Jason Aldean plays for the Jinglefest crowd.)

Last up was Jason Aldean and his band. We started out watching from our seats along the side and just a few rows up from the floor, but it was making Spring nuts that she couldn’t get closer to take pictures, so she went to see what she could do about that. A few minutes later, she came back with floor tickets in hand, having begged them off of someone who was leaving. Score! We made our way down to the floor, and found empty seats just a few rows away from the stage.


(Down on the floor was the best place to get shots like these.)

We had fun down on the floor, and Jason and the band rocked the house with their hits, some new material and then finished up with a couple of Guns ‘n Roses covers, which were really great. It’s a lot of fun for me to hear stuff like that at a country concert because I think there are a lot of folks just like me out there, who have a very diverse taste in music, and enjoy a good mix. The encore cover of Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses” was dead on too, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it.

All too soon the lights came up and it was time to go, and we still had an envelope of photos that we wanted to somehow get to Jason Aldean. We had tried before the concert by talking with one of the guys from the station, but his only advice was for us to “rush the stage.” We nixed that idea, although it did cross our minds several times near the end of the show. Just before we left, we saw this guy hand a drumstick to one of the fans who was still mingling along the stage, and so we decided to see if he could help us out. Spring approached him with the envelope, which contained three photos, a couple of GGR stickers and our business cards, and asked if he could get them to the band. He assured her that he would, so we are hoping that he followed through. Guys, if you got them, can you let us know? Just drop us a line via the web site if you would, please!

It was definitely a fun night and not really such a late one after all. We girls know how to have a good time, whether it’s at the races, a concert, or even just hanging out at the local craft store. Thanks to WIL 92.3FM for hosting such a great concert, and to all the bands who re-arranged their schedules in order to perform. It was a blast!

Blessed Beyond Measure

The song “Winter Wonderland” comes to mind this morning as I look out from my cozy warm living room. It’s hard to believe that less than 48 hours ago it was 74 degrees and beautiful outside when we are now in the twenties and everything is covered with a layer of ice and snow. We have not had weather like this in many, many years, and my husband just remarked that this reminds him of the storms we had when we were kids.

I would have to agree, and the current winter storm reminds me very much of the one we had during the winter of 1972-73. It was an amazing ice storm, where things looked beautiful, the trees and everything else encased in a thick layer of ice, but in truth it was very dangerous. My Dad was a lineman, and then a troubleshooter for our local power company for 37 years and that storm, as well as the Great Flood of ’93 are most likely two of the most memorable weather events over the course of his employment.

Yes, it’s cold, frozen and windy out, but we are so blessed here because our power has stayed on so far, and if we would happen to lose it, we have a good supply of firewood to get us through. At last report, over 400,000 people here are without power in these frigid temperatures. It is in stark contrast to this past summer’s storm where even larger numbers of people were without electricity in the stifling heat. Both would be bad, but I have to imagine that this is far worse for those in the dark, and those who try to restore power. It’s backbreaking and dangerous work and my prayers are with all of the Ameren and Cuivre River employees who are out in this mess.

As for my little family, we are all snug here at home. School is cancelled, Scott called into work last night and I am still in my pajamas thinking of getting some work done but trying to keep up with the latest news on this weather system.

It has been a strange one, that’s for sure. After experiencing freezing rain, ice and sleet all day yesterday, we went to bed last night with a temperature of 28 degrees, and the sounds of sleet pinging off the windows lulling us to sleep. Just before midnight, we awoke to the sound of this same precipitation melting and dripping off of our roof, as the temperature had gone up to just above the freezing mark. Not long after that, the temperature began to drop and the wind began to blow, and we opened up the doors to the cabinets under the bathroom sinks and turned on the taps to keep the pipes from freezing. We have been through that experience before and do not want to repeat it!

It was a long night, with little sleep and I anticipate a nap a little later on this afternoon of the first day of December. It’s a heck of a way to start off the countdown to Christmas, that’s for sure! All this frozen stuff put me in a Christmas-y mood last night though and I even set the table with my Christmas dishes, put out my little kitchen Christmas tree and plugged in my Santa night light. It’s definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas here!

Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful!

It's 9am Thursday and after a night of steady rain, we are now getting freezing rain and ice, with a bit of snow mixed in. It's very nasty outside. Despite the current weather, and the predictions of worse to come, our school district chose to go ahead and have school. My kids are tucked safely in their beds becasuse I didn't want them out in this. Close call, but I'd rather have them here and safe, than on a school bus.

Of course, it looks like our big plans for tonight's concert are off. I'm hoping the radio station re-schedules it so we can go at a later day. It figures that we try to plan something to fill the long days of the off-season, and this happens. What luck! Rain in the summer that cancels our races and snow in the winter that kills our concert. Grrrr.

Ah well, there is always a positive side to every story, and since we won't be at the concert, that just means I'll be home listening to a radio show that has offered to plug Girls Gone Racin' for us. K-Mac Sports does internet radio broadcasts for racing and other sports and sends releases publicizing their shows to us for publication on WhoWon. They have appreciated our help, and offered to do a few plugs for us on their show. Today I received the scripts for three thirty second spots that will air not only tomorrow night, but on all of their 2007 broadcasts. How exciting! Now I just hope we have some good stuff on here for anyone who decides to check us out. To listen to the show, head on over to http://www.kmacsports.com

Spring is (still) working on her piece from the Phoenix NASCAR experience and told me she will have it up very soon. I hope she gets it edited to her liking because I want to read it and see the photos that she plans to share. Of course right now her concerns are taking care of her home and her animals. Because they live on a farm and rely on a well for their water, she is busily gathering up containers and filling them with water. They have already lost power once with this storm and when it goes out, the pump on the well won't work and they won't have any water.

With all of this cold and nasty weather coming through, racing season seems even further away than before. Of course, many people I know will be attending the big Chili Bowl down in Tulsa come January, but with Spring's big Vegas photo convention falling on that same weekend, we won't be able to make it. Lucky for us, there will be several cars with our stickers on them, which is pretty cool indeed. If you are going, check out Joey Montgomery and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for starters. There will probably be a couple of other ones, but for now, those are the only ones I know for sure, so keep your eyes open and report back to us if you see one somewhere else!

To all of you in warmer climates: Enjoy! Meanwhile, we'll just be hanging out here, watching the ice and snow stack up outside my window.

Music Review: Brad Paisley Christmas

We've done book and movie reviews here, so I figured, hey, why not music? Since Spring and I are both huge fans of music, it only seems right that we throw in an album review now and then. As a big fan of Brad Paisley, I just couldn't resist grabbing a copy of his Christmas release while at Wal-Mart yesterday during my ongoing chase for Cars diecast.

Out just in time for Christmas, Paisley's newest release is a compilation of classic Christmas songs (Winter Wonderland, Away in a Manger, Silver Bells and the like) combined with several of Brad's original compositions. As on all of his CDs, there is an instrumental, and on this album it's a beautiful version of Jingle Bells, performed in Paisley's own unique style.

There is a formula to Paisley’s CDs that fans have come to expect and he does not disappoint us here. He always includes a hymn, at least one or two funny songs, and starting two or three CDs ago, an episode of the Kung Pao Buckaroo series. The Kung Pao Buckaroos consist of "Little" Jimmy Dickens, Bill Anderson and George Jones, who play country music cowboys on what is supposed to sound like an old radio show. The dialog generally consists of lots of double entendres, a little singing, and several inside jokes. On the Christmas CD, the Buckaroos attempt to sing Christmas carols but are continuously “bleeped” because the lyrics are politically incorrect. The bit is really funny, and pokes fun at those in our society who are offended by virtually anything to do with the Christmas holiday.

Among the other original compositions is Penguin, James Penguin, which is a cute, bouncy song about a secret agent Penguin who assists Santa in his annual duties. A take off on James Bond, the song is fun and something kids and adults will both enjoy.

The highlight of this CD for me is Born on Christmas Day which features a recording of then 13-year-old Brad Paisley in his first live performance on a show called Jamboree USA. The song begins with Brad being introduced and then he begins to sing the song. The second verse is sung by Brad as an adult and it wraps with adult Brad singing with his teen self. When I think about how cool it is that this recording exists, and that someone came up with the idea to use it in this way, I get chills. The song is so sweet, and the lyrics about the “little important baby” really say all that needs to be said about why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

In summary, I would give this offering a solid thumbs up. It’s one that I will look forward to listening to every Christmas for years to come. If you want to treat yourself to a great new CD that will get you in the Christmas mood, this one will do it!

Song List:
1. Winter Wonderland
2. Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy
3. I'll Be Home For Christmas
4. Away in a Manger
5. Penguin, James Penguin
6. 364 Days to Go
7. Jingle Bells (Instrumental)
8. Silent Night
9. Born on Christmas Day
10. Silver Bells
11. Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday

To listen to a clip of the songs, or purchase individual downloads, check out www.bradpaisley.com

Girls Get Rockin’

(Val) It’s Tuesday afternoon and right now, our temps are in the sixties. Amazing for November. What’s even more amazing is that by Thursday evening, we’re supposed to be below freezing, with some nasty precipitation on the way. Of course, the timing is perfect, because Spring and I have tickets to a concert that night, and because this is a general admission event, we will need to get there early and stand in line to get decent seats. Oh yes, I am so looking forward to the cold…not!

The upcoming concert should be fun. Performing along with Jason Aldean and Taylor Swift will be Emerson Drive, Jack Ingram and Chris Young. Yes, it will be full night of foot-stompin’ country and we will be there to witness it all. We are still working on getting credentials in order to shoot the event, but time is running out and no one has come through yet. If they don’t, then we will just kick back and enjoy the show, and if they do, we will do our best to get some great pics to share with you.

Spring shot Jason and his band back in April when we were at our first race at Gateway and she’s hoping to get another crack at this whole concert thing. I think it would be cool, and I’m more than willing to go as her assistant. We figured this would be a great way to get out and do something while racing season is in hibernation mode.

Besides looking forward to the upcoming concert, we are knee-deep in basketball season here at home. With my son on two teams, and my daughter managing her high school’s boys varsity team, we pretty much eat, sleep and breathe hoops around here come winter. On top of that, we are all big Kansas fans so when the Jayhawks are on, our tv is tuned in and we’re cheering. Last Saturday night’s game against Florida went a little late for me, and I missed the amazing overtime win, but I heard all about it from the three night owls in my family.

The Cars diecast collecting is still maddening, but at least we are starting to find the “rare” vehicles now. It’s funny how just a few come out and folks immediately start driving up the prices on eBay, when if they would just wait a bit, they could find them for the regular price at the store. We are now down to looking for just a few of the new releases, including Hamm, Brand New Mater, Dirt Track McQueen and Buzz & Woody. Other than that, I know Caleb has them all, and I have most of them myself. Yes, I caved and started my own collection, which is really stupid but the cars are just so darned cute! They were just too much for me to resist.

So that’s the news from here at home. December is almost here, and then Christmas and all it entails. Once the holidays are over and the kids are back in school, it will be a fast-paced race to spring and racing season, baseball and (sniff!) my daughter’s high school graduation. Would someone please pass the tissues?

In Hot Pursuit of Childhood Dreams

(Val) It’s been a busy week here on the home front as we gear up for the holidays. Thanksgiving looms, and Christmas is not far behind. It’s amazing to me, because it feels like we just celebrated these holidays just a short while ago. While we enjoyed the fun-filled months of racing season, all those good times sure make the time pass quickly.

So now we focus on the great American holiday of Thanksgiving and all that it entails. Spring and Caleb will be joining our family, as will my brother and sister-in-law. I haven’t even begun to clean the house or prep anything, but at least my menu and grocery list are down on paper. It’s a start anyway.

One of the reasons I haven’t begun to prepare is because I’ve been so busy doing other things. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve been haunting toy stores, Target and eBay in search of hard-to-find toys.

A couple of weeks ago, Cars was released on DVD and since then, a whole new set of diecast cars have shown up on the market. The new “supercharged” cars include all the old favorites, plus a few new paint jobs. Spring and I have spent a lot of time trying to track down a complete set for Caleb for Christmas, and we’ve done pretty well, but it has become a lesson in frustration.

Why is it that toy companies like to produce limited quantities of items and force parents to go searching for them for their kids? If they know an item is going to be popular, such as the infamous Tickle Me Elmo, then why not make enough to go around? They are going to make a killing in profits, so what do they have to lose? It’s just ridiculous. It all started with those ugly Cabbage Patch Dolls, and has progressed to Elmo, PlayStation 3 and even these little Cars diecast toys.

The thing that is so frustrating is the whole eBay deal. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been buying and selling on eBay for years, and I’ve made some amazing profits in the process, but these people who have multiple copies of the most sought-after items confound and exasperate me. How is it that they can get their hands on 20 Cruisin’ Couples: Radiator Springs McQueen and Sally diecast cars when we have yet to see a single one in a store? Something stinks in retail, that’s for sure.

Yes, people are camping out for days to get their hands on the newest PlayStation for the sole purpose of selling it on line to make a profit, and I can understand that. What I can’t understand is why people are willing to pay thousands of dollars for them, but hey, to each his own. What it comes down to is that for parents like Spring and I, who just want to get a complete set of cars for her son Caleb, the whole thing is just irritating. Why doesn’t Mattel just make enough to go around and rake in the dough instead of letting all the eBay profiteers cash in like they do? Or is it possible that Mattel is actually selling this stuff at auction themselves in order to inflate their own bottom line? It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the sellers are actually Mattel employees who are paid to auction off “hard to find” items to make big money for their employer. Conspiracy? Hmmmm.

Whatever the truth, it’s just nuts to keep up with the chase. They are just little cars that only crazy people pay big bucks for. Folks like us aren’t going to pay $30 for a Hot Wheels-sized toy just to hand it over to a six-year-old who only wants to race Radiator Springs McQueen against Dirt Track McQueen to see who is the fastest!

Trust me, we’re not the kind of materialistic parents raising materialistic children who have to have the biggest and best, latest and greatest of everything that comes out. Our kids are not label babies who wear whatever logo apparel is popular this week. We don’t shell out top dollars for iPods and GameBoys and all that stuff. These are little $4 Matchbox-sized cars for heaven’s sake!

So listen up, Mattel: We’re not buying it anymore. It’s like when we got caught with a piece of gum in grade school and our teacher told us that if we didn’t bring enough to share with the whole class, we had to leave it at home. Don’t tease our kids with your toys if you’re not going to make enough to satisfy the demand because we’re finished with trying to chase them down. Target and Toys R Us have both told us how stingy you’re being with shipments, so if you can’t play nice, get out of the sandbox, take your pail and go home.

As for me, you won’t see my Fabulous Hudson Hornet with the cool decals and my Lightning McQueen with the Radiator Springs paint job on eBay because I’m not out to make a buck. I just want to get down on the floor and play cars.

Jack Roush, Cardinals fan?

(Val) At the beginning of the World Series between the Tigers and the Cards, my former boss and I made a bet. He now lives in Detroit, and works for Roush Performance (part of the Roush Racing family) and our bet was pretty open. Whoever won had to send something representative of their area to the other. My thoughts ran the vein of how would I ever get away with shipping a case of Bud, and my hopes went to seeing a Roush Mustang pulling into my driveway. Ha!

Well, this afternoon my payoff arrived. In the mail was a big kraft envelope and inside was a Michigan magnet, a Mustang DVD and, drumroll....a card featuring the Roush Race cars, signed "To Val, Congrats Cardinals! Jack Roush." What a trip! I totally cracked up. This is definitely the best bet payoff I have ever received!

Thanks to my buddy JC in Detroit. Better luck next year with your Tigers....not! :)

You know it's Monday when...

You walk into the laundry room to find a blinking error message on your eight-month-old washing machine.

Your daughter loses a contact lens up under her eyelid and asks you to help her remove it.

A friend calls and asks if you've heard about the threatening message scrawled on the wall of your kid's high school.

Your daughter still can't find the contact lens, even after trying your first suggestion.

You finally get all your email downloaded and realize that 75% of it is spam.

A second friend calls about the supposed threat at the high school.

Some of the spam you downloaded, particularly that about weight loss, actually starts to look appealing.

Every time you turn on the tv they are showing the last 15 seconds of yesterday's Rams game, and it ain't pretty.

Your son calls from school because he left his gym clothes at home.

Your gas tank is empty, you're out of milk, and pay day is four days away.

Your best race pal is on a her way back from Phoenix and has yet to call you about her experience at her first NASCAR race. Of course, she thinks she has redeemed herself because she called you during the race and held up her phone so you could hear the cars go by!

Life in Technicolor

(Val) As I sit here in my kitchen, glancing out at the beautiful colors God himself painted on our Bradford Pear trees, I am overcome with what an amazing artist He is! It’s hard to believe that it’s the second week of November when the temperature outside is supposed to get into the upper seventies today and the sky is such a vivid blue. Makes me wish there was a race to go to, because the weather is perfect!

Although it will be a few months until I get to attend any races, my pal Spring is headed to sunny Phoenix for this weekend’s NASCAR Nextel Cup event. With garage access that we managed to finagle via a friend who works at Roush (THANK YOU JC!!!), and armed with her big ol’ Canon, I know Spring is going to have the time of her life. I hope the weather is as perfect there on Sunday as it is here today.

It has been a long-time dream of Spring’s to go to a Cup race, and to get to see it from the inside out ought to spoil her for any future events. She will be in the garage area when she can, and then in the grandstands for the actual race. I know she is hoping to get to participate in some pre-race activities as well, so it will be interesting to see what she gets herself into.

This week has been tumultuous, at best. Despite the crazy outcome of the elections, the rest has been good. Disney-Pixar’s Cars came out on Tuesday, so Spring and I met at the local Wal-Mart, picked up our copies of that (the bonus copies with the Rascal Flatts video and behind-the-scenes stuff of course!) along with Keith Urban’s new CD, Love, Pain and the whole crazy thing. After watching the CMA’s on Monday night, I could have spent a lot more on new music, but I limited myself to Keith’s new CD, although Sugarland’s latest will probably be next.

Cars on DVD is just as good as it was on the big screen, with the exception that I can watch it whenever I want to! So far, I’ve played it twice, and watched all the bonus features. I love the making of the Rascal Flatts Life is a Highway video. Those guys are so awesome, and seeing the set and the things that go into the making of the video is really cool.

While we were chatting over breakfast on Tuesday, talking about the future of GGR and what we want to do over the winter, the photos of Jason Aldean came to mind. I decided to contact someone about getting them on his web site, and managed to hit pay dirt. They were looking for new photos to add to his site, and it looks like they will be using a few of the shots Spring took at Gateway back in April. Yay!

With that in mind, and the Keith Urban CD booklet in front of us, Spring mentioned how much she would like to shoot a CD cover for a band. We started thinking about how fun it would be to go check out some local bands and see if we could get anything going there. Then, this morning, I’m surfing around Jason Aldean’s site to see if the photos are up yet (they’re not) and I decide to check out his schedule. It turns out that he, along with Taylor Swift and three other bands will be in our area later this month at a free concert put on by a local radio station. I thought Spring was going to come through the phone when I called her about that!

So now we are trying to figure out how to get credentials so we can cover the event. We’ll let you know here what happens, so wish us luck!

Besides the concerts and Spring’s coverage from Phoenix, we have a few other things in mind to fill in those long winter months ahead. Keep checking back for more information on our plans, and as always, thanks for your support!

Defining Truth

Integrity is telling myself the Truth. Honesty is telling the Truth to other people. – Spencer Johnson

(Val) Yesterday was a day of privilege for Americans. A day where we had the opportunity to cast our vote for people, amendments and propositions that would help to shape the future of our government, both locally and nationally.

As I stood in line to cast my vote, I looked at the words stenciled on the wall above the voting booths. The honesty and integrity quote by Spencer Johnson stared down at me, and I couldn’t help but think about the irony of those words hanging over the heads of hundreds of voters as they checked “yes” or “no” next to one of the most deceptive and contentious items ever to be put before Missouri voters.

In the weeks and months leading up to this election, I had prayed that the truth about Amendment 2 would be known. The truth that it would actually allow for the legalization of human cloning for scientific research, research that would be paid for by Missourians for now until eternity because there is wording built in that mandates funding that can never be taken away or decreased. It also makes it illegal for this amendment to be challenged in a court of law, making any attempt to remove it, even if no cures are ever found, a criminal offense.

I thought to myself that surely Missouri voters would not be as radically nutso as the Californians who passed their own ridiculous piece of “scientific legislation” two years ago. I knew that true Missourians live up to their “Show-Me” reputations with pride and would not allow big business to shaft them again the way they did with the gambling disease that has infected our state like a parasite.

As I fell asleep last night, the numbers looked good. Amendment 2 was losing by a healthy margin, and although I knew that anything could happen as more votes were counted, I closed my eyes with a calm heart.

When I awoke this morning to the news that Amendment 2 had passed, I honestly thought I was going to be physically ill. How this could happen is beyond my imagination. How could so many people fail to educate themselves on such an important issue? How was such misleading wording allowed on our ballots in the first place? Who was responsible for the craftily-worded deception that blinded so many people to the truth?

At first I was angry. Very angry. All I could think about was what I wanted to say to the Stowers family: “Bravo! You bought the outcome you wanted so now you can start raking in your billions of dollars off the backs of Missouri taxpayers. You are masters of the ultimate conspiracy, sellers of the big lie, and you will now be responsible for the sacrifice of unknown numbers of potential lives. You must be so proud.”

Then I sat back, took a deep breath and prayed, and I realized how sad it the whole situation is. I wanted to cry with the understanding that so many people cling to this false hope because they are hurting and will grasp at any available straw, no matter how tiny the chance that any cures will ever be found using embryonic stem cell research. It breaks my heart that people like Michael J. Fox, who, like so many Missourians, never even read the amendment, put their hopes in man and science instead of the only One who can really help them.

Deception and lies are the opposite of honesty and integrity. The group responsible for the creation of Amendment 2, who supported it, pushed for it and actually got it passed are experts at the craft of treachery. They are so deep into it that they actually believe their own lies and are so blinded that they can’t see the truth when it is right in front of them. In other words, they have no integrity because not only did they lie to the public, but they lied to themselves.

Today I made a choice. Rather than hold on to my anger, I let it go and gave it to God. Instead of being mad at the people who did this, I pity them and pray for them. I pray for those who lied to Missouri voters, and I pray for those who were deceived because eventually the truth will come out, and righteousness will prevail, and they are going to feel a terrible sense of shame and guilt.

Yes, we conservatives lost a battle yesterday with regard to our candidates, and more importantly, this huge stem cell debacle. But for those of us who know that this earth and the things in it are fleeting, our hearts are not troubled. We are simply on a brief detour. Yesterday’s battle is over, but others will follow. The good news is that each and every one of those battles belongs to God, and He has already won.

Knowledge is relevant. Truth is absolute. Problems arise when we confuse the two. – David Tait

When the new wears off

(Val) My Dad has only bought one brand new car in his entire life, and my Mom has never owned one at all. Likewise, I had gotten quite used to driving “pre-owned” vehicles myself, that is until last year.

In May of 2005 I bought my very first brand new vehicle: A Dodge Grand Caravan SXT (with Stow ‘n Go seats!) that I absolutely love. It’s the perfect vehicle for our family, especially for trips, whether for a weekend or a week. It’s a dream to drive, gets decent mileage, and unlike my old Jimmy, everything still works, including the speedometer.

When your kids are used to riding around in older cars, they tend to get used to being slobs, so when we bought the van, I had to work really hard to re-train them. It took quite a while before anyone was allowed to eat or drink in there, and muddy shoes are still an absolute no-no! (Not easy when you are a frequent visitor to dirt track infields!)

They whine and grumble, but they usually comply. So for over a year, the van has stayed in pretty darned good shape. I don’t wash it or vacuum it as often as I would like, but I do it when I can. I keep it cleaned out, take care of the maintenance, and work really hard at maintaining that sense of newness.

Last Friday was payday, so after running my usual errands, and since it was a nice sunny day, I decided to take Ol’ Blue to the new Green Lantern Car Wash for a Super and I even splurged on a basic inside clean up. Since I hadn’t done a thing after our return from Minnesota, it was way past time.

Well let me tell you, when I climbed in after it was all cleaned up, I was excited. That blue paint gleamed, the inside was free of dog hair and crumbs, and it even smelled nice! I rolled happily out of the lot with a new sense of pride. All too soon I was reminded of that saying about how pride goeth before the fall!

Later that afternoon I had an appointment to have some warranty work done on the van, and my daughter followed me to the dealership. Just a few miles from our destination, there was some building construction, and, following the city’s code, the street was being washed down after the dump trucks moved each load from one place to the other. You probably see where I’m going here, but I’ll continue anyway. With no warning about the wet pavement, I had no time to slow down, and when I hit that water all I could do was try not to say all the nasty words that came to my mind. I was alone, but still, God is always listening!

I sighed, thinking maybe the van was just wet and would dry to its former shininess, but alas, that was not to be. I soon discovered that it was covered with a dirty film from front to back. So much for my spotless paint job, but at least the inside was still sparkling.

The next day, I had both my kids and my son’s friend with me and we had had a very busy day volunteering at our church, so we stopped at McDonald’s for lunch on the way home. The deal was that we would get food only, and get our drinks at home. My son, being 13, is not the best listener, and he thought he was getting a good deal by ordering a meal, so he and his buddy both ordered meals, which of course, come with drinks.

You probably see what’s coming here too, but again, I’ll finish the story.

On the way out of the parking lot, I hit a pothole, and the next thing I heard was my son shouting, “Get me some napkins, and I need a bunch!”

Well, wouldn’t you know it but there wasn’t a napkin in the entire van, but my daughter quickly tossed back the box of tissues I keep handy. I chanced a look backward and saw a river of Coca Cola rolling toward me and I started yelling at my son. No, I’m not proud of it, but I’ll admit it, I yelled, and it wasn’t pretty. And when my daughter told me to quit yelling, I did, and everyone got the silent anger treatment the rest of the way home.

As the kids hopped out and headed inside to eat, I quickly got to work trying to sop up the mess. There didn’t appear to be as much as I had feared, and fortunately, the carpet is Scotchguarded, and I was able to blot it up rather quickly. I was feeling pretty good when I went in to eat my own, cold lunch.

Later, I went back out to really go over the mess and see what I had missed, plus blot up the carpet cleaner I had sprayed on, according to the directions. A pool of brown caught my eye, and I realized that my lovely Stow ‘n Go seats, as wonderful as they are, had also caused a problem.

You see, these seats, when in the upright position, lock into big brackets that are bolted to the floor of the van. The brackets are in a slightly recessed area, and poke up through slits in the carpet. It turns out that Coca Cola, like most liquids, seeks the lowest point around, and it had flowed through those slits and down into the dips in the floor of the van, under the carpet. I had to wipe up a mess I could only feel, but not see, soaking it with a rag, wringing it out, then starting the process again. Oh boy, was that ever fun!

Not only did I have to do that, but when I was done, I had to explain to my son why I had yelled, and do my best to apologize and set things right. Then I had to humble myself in front of his friend. Talk about eating crow. Yes, even McDonald’s is better than that.

So the moral of the story is, don’t get too attached to anything new. No matter how much you appreciate it, and work hard for it and do your best to take care of it, the new will always wear off eventually. And even those “new car smell” air fresheners can’t change that. And besides, stuff is just stuff, no matter how old it is. It’s our relationships that matter the most.

More Karting Photos!

Spring finally had the chance to sit down and upload the rest of the photos from the got milk? Fall Nationals in Hartville, Missouri last Friday. Believe it or not, even after editing out over 200 photos, she still ended up with 730!

We hope everyone enjoys looking at them, and especially the collage poster she created. It's really awesome. Way to go, Spring!

Here's the link to the pictures. Enjoy!

2006 got milk? Fall Nationals photo album.

Back to the Basics

(Val) There is a scene in the movie The Rookie where Jim Morrisey is torn between hanging up his big league dreams once and for all, or sticking it out in the minors just a little bit longer. He wanders out into the night and hears the sounds of a nearby little league baseball game so he makes his way over to the fence to watch for a while.

A young outfielder sees him, tips his hat, and Jim nods back. That’s it, just a tip of the hat and a nod, not a word is exchanged. Yet in that moment, a whole conversation takes place, and it is that unspoken dialog that sets the wheels in motion for one of the greatest player comebacks in the history of the game.

I have no idea the percentage of kids who start out in minor league sports, dreaming of some day making it in the big time, that actually see that dream through to reality. It has to be low, but not low enough to discourage hundreds of thousands of kids from trying.

Last weekend, Spring and I saw dozens of young athletes who have sports dreams of their own, and those dreams involve not baseball or soccer, but racing. These kids look, sound and more importantly, race like professionals. The only thing missing were snobby attitudes and big paychecks. I think that’s what made it so refreshing.

These kids don’t go out and race for big bucks every week. These cars don’t come into the track via million dollar haulers followed by million dollar motor homes. There are no deep-pocketed sponsors or sleazy agents knocking down their doors. Media circuses don’t exist at this level, and no one seems to mind. These guys and girls race for the joy of racing, for the thrill of taking home a little trophy or an even smaller check. They do it for the sheer love of the game. And I’ll bet those kids are more proud of those little plastic trophies than some professional drivers are of the real thing.

To me, this is what it’s all about. Grassroots racing at its very finest.

All evening long, I wondered if I might be witnessing history in the making because you never know which of those kids might just pursue that dream to the highest possible level. For all I know, I met a kid who may some day kiss the bricks or drink the milk at Indy.

Sure, the odds are against them, but anyone who’s worth their salt doesn’t let a little thing like odds get in the way of their ambitions. And yes, a large number of those kids may get just as tired of trekking to races every weekend as other kids get of making three baseball practices a week. For the majority of those drivers, it won’t be long before these days are all just fun memories tucked between the pages of a dusty scrapbook, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that because kids should be kids.

But a few of them feel the passion, fall asleep running through the turns of the next track in their mind, hands gripped tight, foot mashing the imaginary gas pedal. They live for the rush and even now they understand what competition really is. They understand defeat, and they yearn for victory.

These young drivers have one thing in common with the guys who suit up every Sunday afternoon and climb into cars that cost more than the average American home. And it’s the only thing that matters. They dare to dream and they won’t let it go.

It’s too bad more of the big guys don’t take a night off now and then and head out to a small town Karting event. Maybe they would see that kid in his Daddy’s too-big, hand-me-down driver’s suit nod, tip a hat in return, and then walk away remembering what it’s all about.

GRRREEEAAATTT? Not so fast....

TONY STEWART"Not So Fast, My Friend!"
(Ash) Tony Stewart is out of championship contention, right? Wrong. Or in the immortal words of Lee Corso, analyst on ESPN's College Gameday built by The Home Depot, "Not so fast, my friend!"While Stewart will not be able to defend his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship, the driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing is still in line for a championship this season.Stewart's title run in 2005 earned him a ride in this year's edition of the International Race of Champions, better known as IROC. The series, celebrating its 30th round of racing, is incredibly simple. Take 12 of the world's top drivers from different racing disciplines. Put them in identically prepared cars. Give them a strict set of rules that prohibits pit stops, qualifying or driver setup of the chassis. Drop the green flag.In IROC XXX, Stewart has dropped the hammer in the three races leading into Saturday's finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After finishing eighth in the season-opener on the 2.5-mile oval in Daytona (Fla.), Stewart scored back-to-back wins at Texas and at the Daytona road course to take a 15-point lead into the deciding race at Atlanta. Only NASCAR's Matt Kenseth, Grand Am's Max Papis and NASCAR's Ryan Newman have a shot at usurping the title from Stewart. Kenseth is the closest of Stewart's pursuers at just 15 points back. But no matter what Kenseth does, if Stewart finishes third or better, the IROC championship will be his.If that happens, it will mark Stewart's 11th driving title in his 27 years of racing, as his first championship came at age nine in the 4-cycle rookie junior go-kart class championship at the Columbus (Ind.) Fairgrounds. Stewart's other championships are as follows:1983 International Karting Foundation Grand National Championship1987 World Karting Association National Championship1994 USAC National Midget Championship1995 USAC Triple Crown - championships in the National Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown divisions1997 IRL IndyCar Series Championship2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ChampionshipAn IROC championship would be Stewart's first, as the closest the two-time and reigning Nextel Cup champion has come to securing an IROC crown was in 2001, when he finished second to his former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Bobby Labonte.And just as Labonte's name is etched next to the likes of A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Cale Yarborough and Dale Earnhardt, it's Stewart who is ready to add his name to the ever impressive list of IROC champions.While you're racing in the Bass Pro Shops 500 on Sunday you're also competing in the last round of the IROC series on Saturday. You're capable of winning the IROC championship that day, and if that happens, where would it rank amongst the other championships that you've won in your career?"Any time you can win a championship it's big. But the IROC championship… to compete against so many different drivers from so many different disciplines and to beat them in a series where the cars are so evenly matched, that's big. It really is about driving the cars, and whoever does the best job driving their car is going to win the championship. If you can beat those guys on talent and not because you've got a better race car, that's a great honor. It would rank right up there with the rest of the championships I've won, that's for sure."Is IROC a fun series?"Its fun, but it's competitive too. It's fun to race with guys you normally don't get to race with and real fun to race against guys from all those different disciplines at the same time. I really enjoyed seeing Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor get a chance to run stock cars for the first time, something they've never had an opportunity to do in their careers. And it was really neat to go to their specialty on the road course at Daytona, and go out there and kind of let it all even out a little more. I keep preaching to (IROC) that we've got to get a dirt race on the schedule because (racing stock cars) leaves the guys like (National Sprint Tour drivers) Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski at the truest disadvantage. It's stacked toward stock car guys, obviously, because of the type of cars and the tracks we're running, but the cars are set up to where it's easy for us to drive and easy for those guys to learn to drive also. It lets us all run together, a format that nobody else has ever duplicated."You mentioned that you'd like to see an IROC race on dirt. How serious are you? Would you offer up your track - Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio?"I told Barbara and Jay (Signore, owners of the IROC Series) that if I won the championship, I would give them back the million dollars it pays to win if they would bring a race to Eldora for next season. We can make Eldora perfect for the IROC Series. We have two of the biggest dirt late model races with The Dream and the World 100. It's definitely smooth enough and wide enough for IROC."What about the road course guys running on a dirt oval? How would you get them ready for an IROC race at Eldora?"We can get them plenty of practice. I guarantee that we can get enough volunteer dirt drivers to help teach those guys what to do."With your IROC car, what you're given is pretty much all you have, because you're not allowed to work on the car. IROC mechanics handle that aspect. But when it comes to making your No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet perform at Atlanta, what are the keys to being successful?"You just have to constantly adjust your race car. We've led so many laps in the first half of a race there and then been outside the top-five at the end of the day because we didn't stay caught up with the changing track conditions. Atlanta cools off so much and changes so much that you always have to be on top of your setups. You need to make sure that you have enough adjustability as the day goes on. You don't want to get your car so good at the first half of the day that it gets too tight at the end of the day. You almost have to be a little bit on the loose side to really be good at the end of the day."Until your ninth-place finish in the fall of 2001, Atlanta was the last track for you to score a top-10 finish. In your very next race at Atlanta in the spring of 2002 you won, and you've finished outside of the top-10 only one since. Can you explain your progress at Atlanta?"Greg Zipadelli (crew chief) has found a package that works really well there. I'm extremely comfortable in my car there, and every time we go back it seems like we just make The Home Depot Chevrolet a little bit better. It's not a track that we spent a lot of time testing at, but Bobby Labonte's reputation and track record at Atlanta have always been good, and that did help us. We haven't won a lot of races there. We've only won one. But it is a track I like."What's the trickiest part to making a quick lap at Atlanta?"It has its set of bumps. You need to make sure your car gets over the bumps but still turns well. Normally, if you turn after you hit the bumps, you're tight. If you turn before you hit the bumps, you're loose. Just finding that common balance - getting the car over the bumps but having it turn at the same time - that's what you're shooting for. And because the track is such a momentum race track, if you're a little bit off it seems like you're way off. If your stuff isn't right, you can't expect to run with the pack all day. You've got to be on your game, because it seems like there's always two or three guys who always get it right. And everybody's who's just a little bit off - it shows up big time on the clock."Explain a lap around Atlanta."The frontstretch is a D-shape, so you're running a natural arc all the way into (turn) one, but you kind of drop down into one when you turn the car into the corner. There are a couple of bumps that tend to upset the car, and you really have to work on your shock package on Friday to get your car nice and stable through there. But as soon as you go through those bumps and you get the car settled down, you're right back in the gas, carrying a lot of momentum off of (turn) two and down the backstretch right into (turn) three. You can carry a lot more momentum into three than you feel like you can, but that can be what hurts you later in a run because you're abusing the tires by getting into the corner so hard. But once you get to the bottom of three, the entrance into (turn) four comes up quick. It's a little bit tight getting in there, so you have to be careful and pay close attention to what's happening around you. Atlanta is fast because it allows you to be on the gas so often."

In the chase or not- he's still our favorite! Give 'em gas Tony!

Racin' to the alter...

(Ash) Have I been missed? Most likely not, but I have missed my racing "outlet," especially since I have been among family, lots of family, for many days- all for my sister's wedding. (Dubbed the BIG FAT BEACH WEDDING) Of course the members of the family that are from Alabama relate everything "racing" to Talladega or what they see on TV. The family members from South Florida can at least think outside the track with Seabring and other tracks that gain some attention in the cities where they are located. But after all these years of my dad "being in the business" and then here comes tomboy daughter for the past 5 years: They still don't "get it!" But what I did enjoy is the perception of the entire sport/industry that was represented within these 20 or so cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Remembering that in the south, it is football, football, football, so of course everything was compared to "you know, like tailgating at an Auburn game." Ha, they have no idea. Tailgating goes on for a day and a half-- and if your team is lucky enough to go to a bowl game, maybe several days, but that "loyalty" pales in comparison to NASCAR fans, at the top of the tier, and racing fans in general.
To the southern football fan it is a fun diversion from everyday work and life, a time to let loose and party like you did in college. To the racing fan, it is a way of life: What happens at the track does not necessarily stay at the track. But these true fans will "duke it out" over a bag of ice or a stack of wood.
The stories I was relaying to them from just local track racing (some of them did not know they had a track practically in their own back yard) and then of course the NASCAR weekend long stories- had them in stitches. But, as you know--- they are true, they need no embellishing. One cousin and aunt/uncle had no idea that there was a track that existed on a road that is my last name and to get to that road you turn off of one that is my first name--- I kid you not, if you followed (fallered) that directional.
I was the maid of honor (old maid of honor) at the wedding, which provided me a weekend of jobs and other fun duties, but the best thing I could "bring on" was my ability to further educate yet 20 more people about the seriousness of racing--- or at least entertain them!
Happy motoring!

Year in Review: Rookie Season Surpasses Expectations for Girls Gone Racin’

(Val) It’s hard to believe that it’s been only eight months since we were inspired to start Girls Gone Racin’ because so much has happened in such a short time.

For those of you who don’t know already, Spring and her family invited my family to watch the Daytona 500 with them at their house back in February. I had always known she was interested in racing, but what I didn’t know was just how crazy about it she is!

While enjoying the race and the company, we started talking about how we should go to some races together this season, and how much she would love to try her hand at Motorsports photography. Sometime that day, the idea for Girls Gone Racin’ was born.

In just a few short weeks we had set up our web site, and put together a preliminary schedule of races we would like to attend. Over the coming months, that schedule would see some changes, but for the most part, we managed to make most of our original dates. The one goal we had was that we would attempt to observe some types of racing that we had never before seen. For Spring, that would be pretty easy, but for me, it was more of a challenge. Having grown up around dirt track racing, and having attended everything from Indy time trials to Stock Cars on asphalt, there wasn’t a whole lot left.

Funny how that dilemma was solved on our first night out!

Below is a list of the events we covered this year through Girls Gone Racin’ with a brief review of each one. We had a great time, and are very thankful for the support and encouragement we received along the way. Besides thanking our families, who were very patient with late-night phone calls, crazy schedules and our being gone, there are a few other folks to whom we owe our appreciation.

First, the tracks and sanctioning bodies who provided us with credentials for most of the events we attended. Thank you for taking us seriously, and for giving us such a wonderful opportunity. We were honored by the privilege.

Next, the drivers and teams who so willingly took the time to talk to us, pose for pictures and answer questions. You guys are awesome and we absolutely love you for what you do. Without your drive and passion, Motorsports would not be the greatest sport on earth.

There were several businesses who also provided their support to this endeavor. My employer, RaceFan, Inc. is first on the list, and is followed closely by Weld Racing, SPEEDtv and Intensitee Graphics. Also, our Chrysler/Dodge vehicles got us everywhere we needed to go. To Vaughn and the guys at Zeiser Dodge, thanks for keeping us rolling!

We would be remiss if we left off the track photographers who were a wealth of information and support. It is so refreshing to see the spirit of cooperation that flows among you. To those who took the time to chat and share tips, we thank you. To the rest of you, who looked at we girls like we didn’t have any business treading on your turf, smile nice and we might give you another chance next season!

Finally, there was one person without whom I probably never would have gotten the web site started, and unfortunately, he never got the chance to see how it all turned out. Gene, you may have missed the dance, but you definitely heard the music. May God bless your babies who I know must miss you terribly.

Without further ado, here is our year in review, through the eyes of Val:

April 15, ADRL Outlaw Pro Mods, Gateway Int’l Raceway:
This was our very first drag race and we really didn’t know what to expect, but it was awesomely loud and incredibly exciting at the same time. That first rushing, roaring car is a visual and audible feast we will never forget. The Jason Aldean Concert was fun too, and we appreciated having Randy along on our first night out.

May 26-27, 410 Sprint Nationals, Saint Francois County Raceway:
I went to this one with my Dad and brother, and had a good time. Despite a lower than expected car count, the racing was close and it was well worth the drive.

June 14, Winged Sprints, Midgets, UMP Late Models, I-55 Raceway:
This was Spring’s first night out at a Sprint/Midget/Dirt Late Model race and I had a blast watching her take it in. She was fearless in her quest for great pictures, and it shows. For a rookie race shooter, she did an awesome job. Our perch on top of Derek’s hauler was perfect for the night too. This is the night she got hooked on dirt track racing and there was no turning back after that.

July 8, World of Outlaws vs. All Stars Circuit of Champions, I-55 Raceway:
This was another night out for me and the boys. It was a little different sitting in the stands instead of prowling the infield, but it helped me to appreciate that perspective as well. I-55 is such a great place to watch Sprint Car racing that I am never, ever disappointed.

July 12 Grand Prix Speedways Open House:
What can we say about GPS but “Wow!” We had a ball slinging those cars around the asphalt and trying to keep up with the pack. Going through the process of training, putting on all the gear, it was very, very cool! We really appreciated the invitation and look forward to going back again one of these days.

July 29, NASCAR Busch Series, Gateway Int’l Raceway:
This was Spring’s night out while I stayed home for a change. I know she had a good time, and I love her photos, even if she had to shoot from the stands!

July 30, Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models, Tri-City Speedway:
An interesting day of fighting the heat and making new friends among the staff at the track. The racing was fast-paced and full of drama. I would definitely do it again. Watching one hot-headed driver lose his temper while the fans booed was something we won’t soon forget.

August 6, USAC Sprints and Midgets, Tri-City Speedway:
Another hot night at the track, but not quite as bad as the week before. Good, close racing and a test of my nerves when Spring edged her way close to the “danger zone” while taking pictures! She seems to have a major addiction to anything that goes fast, and Wingless Midgets became a quick favorite.

August 19, O'Reilly Sprint Bandits Ron Shuman Classic, Lakeside Speedway:
A very long day of driving up and back with racing in between. The weather held off and I enjoyed hanging with family at the track. First time trying out the new camera too, and I found out I had a lot to learn! Spring had to stay home for this one, but I hope to get her there next year.

September 3, Ted Horn 100 USAC Silver Crown Series Race, DuQuoin State Fairgrounds:
A three-generation outing, I was enthralled with the sheer beauty of the place, and incredibly pleased with the pictures I managed to shoot. This was one of the highlights of my season. Another one of those “must take Spring there next year” places.

September 8, USAC National Sprint Cars, Show-Me Racin' Series Midgets, Lucas Oil Speedway:
What hasn’t already been said about our first girls-only road trip? The company, the track, the racing, the cabin…When can we do it again?

Sept. 15, 410 Sprints and Midgets, Jacksonville Raceway:
Another great night of close racing action. Even though the track got dusty, I wouldn’t have missed this one. Did not enjoy the long, late drive back, but it was worth it! Good luck to you in retirement, Bobby!

October 7, POWERi Midgets, Belle Clair Speedway and October 8, Winged Sprints and POWERi Midgets, Tri- City Speedway:
Despite the fact that Spring was sick and I had to do this entire weekend on my own, I had such a great time that I almost felt guilty. Everyone was so nice, and I loved meeting new people. The best photos I shot this year were at Belle Clair too, and that really made me happy.

October 20, “Got Milk?” Winged Outlaw Kart Fall Nationals, Hartville, MO:
This was the absolute highlight of our season. The fun we had meeting folks, and the successful experiment of on-site photo sales made for a great combination. We loved this event because it was so family-oriented and small-town, which are two of our favorite things. We look forward to going back next year for the whole weekend.

Who knows what’s on tap for next year? We don’t have access to all the schedules yet, but you can bet that DuQuoin, Hartville and several POWERi events will definitely make the cut. Check back with us often, as we refuse to let the site get stale just because the racing season is over!

Got milk...and cookies!

HARTVILLE, Mo. – Tonight is the kick off of the 4th annual Outlaw Kart Fall Nationals and Spring and I are here to take photos and see what the karting scene is all about. So far, we have met several nice folks and are getting a huge kick out of these kids in their driver suits. Oh, and we’ve already sampled the grilled burgers too. Yum!

We hit the road about 11:30 this morning after a detour to FedEx to pick up some sample trading cards and business cards that Spring had printed up. They turned out great and I think the traders will be a huge hit. I know how much I enjoy my son’s little league pictures, and so I can’t imagine why parents wouldn’t want a good photo of their kid with his or her race car.

The trip down went really fast, but that’s mostly because Spring is a race car driver at heart. I tried not to sneak too many peeks at the speedometer, but when I did, it was dialed in at a comfortable 80mph. Despite the speed, and Spring’s tendency to eat with one hand, talk on the phone with the other and steer with her knee, she never once made me nervous. I teased her with the nickname of Dalena Earnhardt, but I don’t really think it’s going to stick.

We had a nice chat about last night’s Cards victory over those nasty ol’ Mets and from the sound of it, we would have had a good time watching it together. Oh well, we have at least 4 World Series games coming up, so maybe we can plan to watch one of those instead.

The farther south we drove, the prettier the colors became. I was down here only about a month ago, and I can’t believe how much things have changed. Of course, on my last trip it was cloudy and rainy, and today the sky was picture-perfect blue, so that certainly helps.

I can hear cars warming up from our table here in the concession building, and the temperature is dropping fast. A space heater was on my list of things to pack, but when I went to look for it, I couldn’t find it, so I think I’m just going to have to tough it out.

Spring is out taking pictures during hotlaps, and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. She was very excited to see these little cars, and has been wishing Caleb was here all afternoon.

We have had several folks stop in to see what we were doing and everyone seems to be pretty interested. I’m anxious to see just what kind of business we actually do. Could be overwhelming, or just the opposite, none at all. Either way, we have already decided that this trip is all about having fun and enjoying our last race adventure of the year.

LEBANON, Mo. -- 1:51 AM

Well, we survived it! The road back from Hartville to Lebanon is about 35 miles and we were fortunate because we had a big ol' tractor trailer leading the way. We figured if there were any deer alongside the road, he could take care of them for us.

Right now, Spring is polishing off her apple walnut snack from McDonald's. She's trying to get me to split the last cookie with her too. Since they go well with wine, I think I'll go ahead.

What a fun night this was. I am exhausted, but I know I won't be able to sleep for a while be cause the adrenaline rush is still going strong. Things worked out really well. Spring spent the whole time out shooting, and I stayed at our table printing proof sheets, taking orders and printing pictures. The crowd was awesome and the photos Spring took were fabulous. Everyone loved her work and was glad to see us and we already have our invitation for next year. We will be back.

The track really did undergo a major transformation to go from horse arena to kart track and we spent a little time out in the middle during the hotlaps sessions. There were a lot of little bitty kids racing these karts, and they are really something to watch. You can tell that they just eat it up and the parents I met were right there cheering them on and doing whatever it took to keep them going. What a blast.

We both wish we could stay for tomorrow night's races, but it's just not meant to be as Spring has a big family shoot to do. We're putting this event on our calendar for next year though. What a fun time! And maybe next year we'll actually get to race against each other. That would be SO cool!

Here at the hotel, we celebrated our last race of the season with a glass of wine and these McDonald's chocolate chip cookies. There's nothing like $3 wine in plastic cups from the Days Inn, let me tell ya!

We hope everyone has enjoyed our adventures this season. I know I have had a great time. This blog and our web site will not be idle, however, so please keep checking up on us even during the cold winter months.

A huge thank you goes out to Dustin Arnall and everyone at the Hartville Saddle Club Speedway for making us feel so welcome and at home. We really enjoyed getting to meet so many fun people! We will have lots of photos up ASAP, and Spring is actually blogging at the same time I am so you'll get her perspective shortly.

Girls Go Karting

(Val) Yes, the weather is growing cooler and the Cards are one step away from another trip to the World Series but for my pal Spring and I, this weekend means one last chance to hit the road and go racing.

When we first came up with the concept for Girls Gone Racin’ one of our goals was to experience new kinds of racing, and we did that right out of the gate by checking out drag races at Gateway back in May. This weekend will be a different experience entirely as we head to the small town of Hartville, Missouri for the 4th Annual got milk? Outlaw Kart Fall Nationals at the Hartville Saddle Club Speedway.

Hartville is about 35 miles south of Lebanon and the other 51 weekends of the year when the Saddle Club is not being used as a Speedway, it is actually a horse arena. I stopped there on my way back from Springfield last month just to check out the place, and it was hard to picture cars racing there, but the more I hear about it, the more excited I am to see how this place transforms into an actual speedway. To say the least, I am intrigued.

I had never heard of the got milk? Fall Nationals before we met up with Dustin Arnall down at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri back in September. We were there doing some work for Weld Racing and Dustin told us about the event and invited us to come down to take some pictures. In the three years the Nationals have been in existence, they have never had a professional photographer in to shoot the races, so Spring will be the first.

So far, the weather looks good for Friday and our plan is to head out bright and early in the morning so we have time to set up shop when we get there. We will be printing some photos on site, which has proved to be a bit of a challenge to set up, but I think we finally have it figured out. Spring has done little league team pictures for years, and we thought it might also work well to offer this kind of service to race car drivers. Who wouldn’t want a nice shot of them with their car? We have no idea the kind of response we will get, but we figure it’s worth a shot and we really have nothing to lose, so why not?

Anyway, we’ll be out and about one last time for 2006, watching Outlaw Karts, meeting new people and just doing what we love to do. As for me, I’m just excited to see how this place transforms from a horse arena into a racing venue! There are drivers coming from as far away as California, and some full-sized Sprint Car guys will be in attendance too, so that ought to really liven things up.

However things turn out, I know we will have a good time. It’s been a while since Spring and I have hung out together, and we’ve both had a busy couple of weeks. It will be nice to get away for a while and see what kind of trouble we can get into.

Check back here on Saturday (or sooner if the hotel has wireless) and we will share all the details of this latest adventure.

Hartville or bust!

Rainy Days and Mondays

(Val) It's been a rainy Monday, so rainy, in fact that tonight's NLCS game between the Cards and the Mets has been postponed until tomorrow night. After last night's performance, maybe it's a good thing that the Cards get an extra day to rest up.

The countdown is on to our next (and my last) race of the season and so far, the weather for that looks perfect. I just hope nothing changes!

As it stands right now, Spring and I head down to Hartville, MO Friday morning for the got milk? Fall Nationals for Outlaw Karts. I am looking forward to the event, if not the drive. After last week, spending more time in the car is really not all that appealing!

Spring should be back in town now after her big wedding shoot over the weekend, but I haven't heard from her yet. More than likely, she's trying to catch up on calls, emails and everything else that got put on hold while she was gone. We'll get our schedules aligned soon enough, and then finalize our plans for the weekend. Stay tuned for updates and more!

There’s no place like home

(Val) My family has spent the last five days on the road, taking a little “vacation” of sorts. Of course, according to a former co-worker of mine, a trip is when you take the kids along, and a vacation is when you leave them at home! So in other words, we just got back from a mighty long trip!

About three years ago, our school district instituted a fall break, which is much like a spring break in that the kids get a week off from school, only it happens when the weather is changing over to the cool side and the leaves are starting to turn. For someone like me, who loves fall, it’s the perfect time of year to hit the road and visit new places.

Most (aka: normal) people would think, “Ah, fall break, let’s head to where it’s warm and soak up enough sun to get us through the winter.” Well, as you’ve probably figured out by now, our family is anything but normal. Did we head to the sunny south for this gift of time? No way! We did the exact opposite and headed due north, to the great state of Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes.

For the record, we all agreed to this, so I have no one to blame, and also for the record, we all had a good time. We (ok, my husband) drove over 1,200 miles and spent part of two days in the biggest shopping mall in the country, The Mall of America, adding a few dollars to the tax base of the local economy. The shopping was fun, and the mall was certainly impressive, but I have one thing to say about the first three days of our trip: Minnesota weather stinks! For three days we saw nothing but clouds, snow flurries and winds from 30-40 miles per hour. Ick.

The temperature did nothing but drop from the time we left home until the time we arrived, plus we drove through snow showers after we crossed the state line into Minnesota. It was a very long drive, and we did the trip up in one day. It took us 11 and a half hours with an hour stop for lunch at a microbrewery in Cedar Rapids. (Yum!)

Along the way, we passed towns with names that I see on a very regular basis because of the news and results they send in to WhoWon. Iowa towns like Donnellson, Vinton, Burlington and Cedar Rapids. We spent our first three nights in a hotel just down the street from Raceway Park in Shakopee, MN, drove by Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN and spent our last night just blocks away from Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, IA. From the looks of it, everything was closed down for the winter, which was a darned rotten shame. I’ve been known to plan vacations around race schedules. Heck, I arranged our trip to Disney World so that we could squeeze in a race at East Bay several years back. It must be in my genes because my Dad did it when we were kids and still does it today!

So the Mall of America was ok, but since I’m not a huge fan of malls, I could have seen all I wanted to see in about half the time. However, because my son is still a huge fan of Lego, and they have a Lego store in the mall, we spent an inordinate amount of time there. Ah well, it’s cheaper than a trip to Europe where they actually make the things!

No, my favorite part of the trip was not the Mall, but instead, it was Saturday, when we traveled south and east to Red Wing, Minnesota. I have long been a fan of antiques and anything country, and I am fortunate enough to have in my possession one of the older crocks made by the Red Wing Pottery Company.

This was the one and only day when the weather cooperated. The temperature went up to almost 50, the sun came out and the wind finally died down. We stopped at a store just outside of town that sold the pottery, and I took advantage of their “seconds,” which we dug through until we found some we liked. It was one of the times when I really appreciate the fact that my husband works in quality assurance! He’s a great inspector and has an eye for flaws that would have gotten past me with no problem.

After my buying binge at Red Wing, we drove across a bridge and into Hager, Wisconsin for lunch at the Harbor Bar, after it was recommended to us by one of the locals. It turned out to be one of the best meals we had on the entire vacation.

Once we finished lunch and stopped for a few photos, it was time to put some miles behind us. Our goal was Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which we made in time to check in, unload and watch most of the Cards game. And what a game it was! It was great to see the birds do so well, and I hope they continue on the same way in tonight’s battle.

As we drove along the open road Saturday, we were amazed by how beautiful it was. On both sides of the highway, for as far as we could see were fields being harvested. It was quite a site to see and I was once again awed by the hard work that goes into everything we consume. I didn’t grow up on a farm, but I was fortunate enough to visit one often. My Grandparents farmed in northwestern Missouri, and an uncle, as well as a few cousins, still do.

The farmers are the folks who hold this country together with the way they play the odds, fighting weather, the economy and every other kind of obstacle one can imagine, just trying to make a living and keep America fed. Seeing those fields under harvest makes me appreciate all the more what a privilege it is to live in the greatest country on the planet with all the luxuries we have.

Speaking of thankfulness, I’m very grateful we got to take this little trip. It was nice to get away from this computer and all the obligations we deal with on a daily basis, and just spend time together. It was a great break, and I’m sorry it’s over, but I am so glad to have a job to come back to that I really enjoy doing.

There are a couple of things I learned on this trip that I would like to share before I close this post:

First, the songs that were popular when we were teenagers aren’t necessarily songs that I want my own teenagers listening to. Were we that naïve, or did we understand what they were talking about and snicker because we figured our parents didn’t?

Second, there are a LOT of race tracks in Iowa and I think I know why. I think farmers get tired of having to drive slow vehicles like tractors and combines, and they need to get out and let out some steam by going fast!

Finally, the game of Auto Bingo loses a lot of its fast-paced intensity when all you see out your window is thousands of acres of corn. Although, it does make it easy to cover the tractor square.

Oh yeah, only 9,991 lakes to go!