Race Fever is Hereditary, You Can Even Get it from Your Kids!

Last week, author Michele Dunaway had the privilige of taking a behind-the-scenes tour of Roush Racing's facility in North Carolina. Accompanied by her daughter, Alison, Michele got to see the inner workings of Carl Edwards' race shop, tour a hauler, and visit the Roush Racing Museum. This is her account of the events of that visit. Thanks, Michele! (And who would have thought that research could be fun?)

(Michele) My 11-year old daughter has her first crush. (Okay, second if you count Smallville’s Tom Welling, but she never went as gaga for him.) My daughter has become a race fan, specifically Carl Edwards, driver of the Nextel cup number 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion and the number 60 Ameriquest Ford Fusion in the Busch series.So imagine Alison’s delight when, because of my research for Hart’s Victory, my contracted NASCAR book for Harlequin, she got to accompany to Concord, NC, and visit Roush Racing last Monday for an insider tour.

While another author (Abby Gaines) and I took notes, Alison did what any star-struck child would do. She gaped. She screamed when she first saw the number 99 transporter sitting behind the fence. She stood in front of the cardboard cutout in the Roush Racing museum, and then she couldn’t contain her giddiness when later, during our behind-the-glass tour graciously given by James Rodway, Roush’s director of licensing, Alison got to actually go in Carl Edward’s hauler and touch his helmet. She got to stand by his cars and see his shop. Talk about a dream come true.

Alison is going to her first race this weekend, to see her driver hopefully win the Busch series race at Gateway. She’s got a hat to wear and a shirt emblazoned with Carl’s picture. She’s geared up and ready to go. She’s excited, and it’s thrilling for me to see her catch the fever.

As for me, I’ll be there, too. I’m doing more research. I’m going to enjoy myself, of course, but in a sense I’m working, too. I’ll be researching and taking notes. But most importantly I’ll be doing my number one job: Mom. And this mom will be watching daughter’s eyes go wide with joy.