High speed romance on the air?

(Val) Spring called last night to let me know that Good Morning America on ABC is supposed to do a segment on the Harlequin NASCAR Series this morning. I've got the TV on now and I haven't heard any teasers yet, but I am patiently waiting to see who they are interviewing, if anyone. Michelle hasn't mentioned this, so I'm sure it's not her, but it will be interesting to see what they have to say anyway.

Right now they are talking to the Sargento Cheese folks who won the lottery.

Later...

Ok, so I somehow missed this segment. Bummer! I had the tv on and I tried to pay attention, but I'm guessing they ran this while I was either outside with the dog, or running my son's drumsticks to him up at school. No clues on the ABC web site, which is really lame, so I guess I'm just out of luck. Arg!

Did catch the Terry Irwin interview though. Tears! Oh man, I feel so bad for her and the kids. Steve Irwin was such an awesome guy and I can't imagine how they will go on without him. That little girl is sure a cutie though, and very well-spoken! I hope her show on Discovery is a huge hit. May God bless the Irwins.

Racing season is winding down, but it ain’t over yet!

(Val) A cold front is headed our way, and the leaves are starting to show their fall colors, which makes me think, “dang, racing season must be almost over!”

Well, it is almost October, and for all intents and purposes, the regular racing season is winding down at tracks all over the country. The year-end wrap ups and final point standings are coming in by the dozens and we are frantically trying to get everything current on the news site, whowon.com.

But just because the regular season is coming to an end doesn’t mean the action is over. There are some great local events still on the horizon, as long as the weather cooperates.

For Spring and I, October is filling up fast. We have three events, two of which are back-to-back, not that we mind. Originally, we were headed up to Kansas Speedway this Sunday for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Banquet 400, but those plans have fallen through and it looks as if we will spend the afternoon at the mall, shopping for clothes for Jesse’s senior portrait shoot.

Next up on our list of events are the Midget Races at Belle Clair Speedway on Saturday, October 7th, but I am deeply conflicted over this because they are running this show the same night as the Queen’s Royal at Saint Francois County Raceway. Spring really wants to catch up with our friend Brent Nausley who will have his Midget, driven by Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the event, which is fine with me. Belle Clair is a great little track, and I know we will have fun, so I’m looking forward to it. SFCR, we’ll catch you next year!

The next night, we will be at Tri-City Speedway for their Sprint and Midget event, where we hope to talk to some of the drivers we have had the chance to meet this season. It should be a great race, and since the quarter and half-mile tracks will be re-configured into one 3/8 mile track during the off-season, this will be the last time for the 410 Sprints on the half mile. I will miss seeing them there, but I know that the big track is dark in spots, and has the reputation of being an engine killer, so the new track will be a great replacement. I’m sure that Kevin and Tammy Gundaker will pull out all the stops when it comes to making this long-awaited improvement.

After Tri-City, we will take a little break from racing as Spring heads to one part of the country and I head to another for a few days. Once we return, we will be gearing up for what will probably prove to be our busiest event of the season.

The folks at the 4th Annual Got Milk? Winged Outlaw Fall Nationals have asked us to come down and cover their event. They have never had a professional photographer shoot this show, and I know that Spring considers it an honor to be asked. We will be providing on-site printing of 4x6 photographs, with the option of being able to order larger sizes and packages on line. With just the two of us covering the photography, sales and printing, I think we will be hopping.

This two-day event is in the small town of Hartville, MO, about 35 miles south of Lebanon. They tell us this is the second biggest event of its kind in the nation, and from what I’ve been reading on the message boards, I believe it. If you would like to know more about this event, check out the Outlaw Kart Racing forum on www.swmoracing.com We will also have press releases posted on WhoWon.com as they become available.

Unfortunately, Spring and I will only be able to make the first day of this event, but we hope that if things work out, they will ask us to come back next year and do it again. Right now we are trying to get all of our preparations in order for what equipment to bring, how to price the photos, etc. It’s kind of crazy, but we’re enjoying it. I am also talking to a company about creating some stickers and banners for us, so we’ll see how that goes. In addition, we are looking at trying to find someone to do some shirts for us, so if anyone out there does embroidery and would like to give us a bid, please drop us an email!

The Got Milk? Fall Nationals will be our last “official” event of the year, however, Spring is headed out to Phoenix in November for the NASCAR Nextel Cup race there. It looks like we may have a chance to actually get her into the garage area for this one, and if we do, expect some great photographs. We’ll know the week before the race, so we’ll be sure to share the news.

As for me, I am still tossing around the idea of joining my co-workers at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando in December. I went a few times when it was still in Indianapolis, and I sure wish they would move it back! My fear of flying is keeping me grounded, so even though the racing during the event is very tempting, I will probably end up staying home while I hold down the proverbial fort.

Finally, we have been invited to be interviewed on a KGKI Radio Thursday Evening Race Report radio show out of Florida and are currently working on finding a date where we are both available. It will be a Thursday evening, and the shows are broadcast on the internet, so we’ll post all the information here when things are finalized. My co-worker, Ashley, will be a guest on the show tomorrow night. Log on to www.kgkiradio.com and give it a listen!

We are working on a year in review piece that we hope to have up shortly after our last race of the season, and then it will be time to start working on next year’s schedule. You may see the two of us huddled over my laptop at an area Bread Co. trying to figure out where to go and what to do. If you do, be sure and say hello!

Rockin' Down the Highway

(Val) The closest I got to racing this weekend was seeing the Bass Pro Shop show car hauler at their Outdoor World, and zipping by Lebanon I-44 Speedway on my way to Springfield, MO. For the record, I did wave and say “Howdy” as we passed by. There were a lot of haulers there at 10am, no doubt recovering from Friday night’s MARS/UMP Showdown and gearing up for Saturday’s finale.

We arrived at our destination around 11:00, which would have been a lot sooner if the yahoos at MODoT would actally put up detour signs when they close an interstate highway. Many thanks to the kind security guard at Purina Farms in Gray Summit who got us headed in the right direction.

We drove through rain off and on, and fog rose up in the valleys. There was nothing torrential or threatening, for which I was thankful. Our observations of the damage left behind in St. James by the previous day’s tornado was enough to make me very thankful that we dodged that bullet.

The trip down was uneventful and we enjoyed a little early morning comedy provided by Craig Cornett on 93.7 the Bull out of St. Louis. (The Bull Rocks!) The comedian on his show that morning was hilarious and had us laughing out loud about is post-college days working at Denny’s.

As we neared Springfield, we passed the 3M Company and Jesse asked if I thought they had a gift shop. Picking up on her silly mood, I asked if she wanted to buy some Post It Notes. Her reply was, “Pink is SO last season.” To which I replied, “I hear yellow is making a comeback. It’s the new black.” (Guys, ask the woman in your life if you don’t get it.)

We proceeded into the big city and managed to locate our hotel even after falling for a very misleading blue sign. (Strike two MoDoT!)

I am always cautious about booking hotels, and whenever possible, I stick with a brand I know and with which I have had a good experience. Because we originally planned this as a scrapbooking weekend, we were looking for a place with lots of room to work. With that in mind, we booked a studio with an obscure name that actually looked ok in the pictures.

Below are a few of my own revised guidelines for booking a hotel:

1) Beware if you can’t securely book your hotel online. In this day and age, there’s just no excuse for not providing that feature to customers.
2) If you pull into the parking lot, and realize that the old name of the hotel has been covered up by a plastic banner, you might want to reconsider your accommodations.
3) Finally, if a unit of your hotel is roped off by yellow caution tape…well you get where I’m going here.

To be honest, the place was decent, and we chose to stay rather than go to the trouble of finding a new home for the night. However, I will be writing a letter to management tomorrow. I could put up with all the burned out light bulbs, and the slightly musty smell, but the air conditioner that woke me up every time it roared on, combined with no hot water to shower with this morning was the last straw.

Our tour of Missouri State University was very thorough and we had a great day for it once the clouds finally cleared. The campus is very nice, and I feel as if it will be a good fit for Jesse, should she decide to go. We enjoyed the football game and the marching band too. It helps that we are both sports nuts!

When we left the game, we went in search of our traditional French Silk Pie, and we found it at a Village Inn restaurant. Getting it to go, along with a couple of cold cups of milk, we took it back to our room for the ultimate taste test. We have come to think of ourselves as connoisseurs of French Silk Pie, and Jesse has even devised a score sheet for the task. This trip’s selection rates no where near that of the Tippin’s pies from the Olathe, KS Henhouse that we have come to love so much.

After the long day on the road, and all the walking around the MSU campus, we were pretty beat so we hit the hay right after the Cardinals game wrapped up on TV.

The clear sky of Saturday night was long gone by the time we awoke on Sunday morning. We plotted our trip home over breakfast at McDonald’s and then headed off for more adventure.

As did many girls of my generation, I grew up reading the “Little House” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I loved them. For a while, I remember actually wanting to be Laura, living life in a cabin on the open prairie. All true lovers of Laura’s books know that she wrote them while living with her husband Almanzo in Mansfield, Missouri. Mansfield is just a half an hour or so east of Springfield, and I have always wanted to go there, so this looked like the perfect chance. We altered our route to take us to Mansfield, and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home.

We found it with no problem at all, but unfortunately it was closed when we got there. I did manage to take a few pictures, and pick up a brochure so that next time I’m down that way, I can actually take the tour.

After leaving the small town off of I-60, we headed north on Highway 5 to scope out Hartville, MO. This small town is the home of the Got Milk? Fall Outlaw Winged Kart Nationals and we have been asked to cover the event next month. Because we have no idea what to expect, and because it was sort of “on my way” home, I decided to scope it out and take a few picture so Spring will know how to plan.

Hartville Saddle Club Speedway is actually a horse arena that is converted into a race track one weekend a year. We found it with no problem, and got our pictures. It’s definitely small, but I can see why it would be interesting and exciting to see racing there.

After leaving Hartville, we made the 40 minute journey to Lebanon, MO, home of the famous Walnut Bowl and Barrel Factories, both of which were closed. We also tried to visit the home of the World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle Collection, but they were closed too. Seemed like every hokey thing we tried to do on the way home was closed!

Our last stop was for dinner at Applebee’s in Rolla, which was a nice treat. I’ve missed Applebee’s since the one by our house burned to the ground last month. We made it home in good time, sprung Frisco from the puppy hotel and enjoyed the second half of the Rams game.

It’s good to be home, and I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep in my own bed again. Of course, I’ll be ready to hit the road for my next adventure before too long!

Back on the Road Again

(Val) When my daughter finally got her driver's license, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, there was the fear every parent feels when they turn their kid loose behind the wheel, and I knew I would miss all the time we shared in the car going here and there. On the other hand, I was excited that maybe I would start to slow down the speed at which miles were quickly adding up on Ol' Blue's odometer. That second part is good, in theory, except that now that I'm not running Jesse everywhere, I seem to be putting the miles on there myself with race trips and such!

This weekend will be different though. Jesse and I are heading out tomorrow for a trip down to Springfield, Missouri for a college visit at MSU and to take in a football game. Just a mother-daughter getaway to which we have been looking forward for months.

I have always cherished time with my kids, but as the time draws nearer for my first baby to spread her wings and head off to college, I find that those moments grow more precious with every passing day. They say that time flies, but I think that once kids start school, that time doesn't just fly, it accelerates like the Space Shuttle lifting off the launchpad. How is it that 18 years have gone so quickly?

The funny thing is, I wouldn't go back for anything in the world. As precious as they were as babies, and as cute as they were toddling around, I really like my kids more now, as teenagers, than I did when they were small. For me, the fact that they can tell me what hurts, or share their excitement in words I can understand, is so much nicer that trying to puzzle those things out when they were still learning to communicate. I have always felt that the older my kids get, the more I like them.

Of course, the older they get, the closer we are to the empty nest season in our lives.

Even as I think about how much I will miss my kids once they move on to lives of their own, I can't help but smile at all that they have ahead of them. Both are so brilliant, sweet and funny, and I know that they are capable of great things. My greatest joy is watching them grow and learn and share in our family's love for the Lord.

So this weekend, I am off to spend hours in the van with my daughter, while my husband attends a father-son retreat with Brenden. We will talk, laugh, shop, eat and have a lot of fun. And when we return home, there will be one more memory to tuck away and pull out again on those "I miss you" days that I know lie in the not-so-distant future.

Behind every rumor...

(Val) Well, here it is, 6:23 on a Tuesday morning and already I am making a correction to the post I created yesterday. Fortunately, it is a good correction, and one that I am happy to share with St. Louis Sprint Car fans.

Below is the letter announcing the retirement of Butch Wood as promoter of Jacksonville, and no, that's not the happy part. Butch has done a wonderful job of promoting this track for many years, and he will be greatly missed. He's a very nice guy, and I wish him and his wife all the best on their retirement.

The happy part is that the new promoter has stated that he will continue to run Sprint Cars on a weekly basis. Yay! That is great news for those of us who love to watch these awesome cars on this wonderful track.

You can read the entire release below. Yes, I should have known better than to even mention this rumor yesterday. I've learned my lesson! Now, if anyone needs me, I'll be here at my computer, dining on my big breakfast of crow...

JACKSONVILLE RACEWAY PRESS RELEASE:

Jacksonville Raceway Promoter Announces Retirement

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. -- Jacksonville Raceway promoter will retire from promoting at the end of the 2006 racing season.

I would like to thank race fans, sponsor, drivers and all my employees who have been with me throughout the last 20 years. I feel very proud to have accomplished 20 years and some very impressive drivers who have visited our track and continued on in there racing careers. This decision was very hard to come to but there is a time in life where we have to know it can be better for the sport to bring new and younger people in with new ideas and a harder drive.

Our new promoters for Jacksonville Raceway was accepted by the Morgan County fair board at there annual meeting. The new promoter is Bill West Jr. and his wife Kim. I think along with his father Bill they will keep exciting racing for the fans at Jacksonville. Bill has plans of running UMP sanction with Late Model, Modifieds, and Street Stock, and Sprint cars.

The last race of the season will be Friday September 29 the Shaheen Race. This race has been a yearly race for the past several years, after the Shaheen race track closed in Springfield, Illinois. The race pays $3500 to win sprint car feature, also running are the UMP Modifieds and UMP Street Stocks.

Last but not least I hope that the community and race fans will continue to support racing in Jacksonville.

Thank you,

Butch & Laura Wood

LAST RACE OF THE SEASON: Friday September 29. Shaheen Back from the past $3500 to win sprints.

Another One Bites the Dirt?

(Val) As so often happens with sports, rumors abound, and at this time of the year, racing rumors seem to increase tenfold. No, it's not Silly Season yet, but one would never know that when reading the various message boards and blogs.

Just today I heard that the track we went to last Friday, Jacksonville Raceway, will be under new management next year, and will be dropping their Winged 410 Sprint program. All I know is that, if this rumor is true, it's a darned rotten shame. JR is one of the best tracks around for Sprint Car racing, and even though it's a 100-mile drive, I have yet to go there and find the racing not worth the trip.

Last week, it was reported that Mount Vernon Raceway will be closing at the end of the season. Earlier this year, Godfrey Speedway was bulldozed. Several years back St. Charles Speedway shut its doors and homes are currently being constructed on the site of one of the greatest little quarter-mile dirt tracks ever built.

Unfortunately, this seems to be a trend in dirt track racing, and it's a sad trend indeed, for without dirt tracks and open wheel racing, where would we have gotten NASCAR drivers like Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, J.J. Yeley, Dave Blaney and Jeff Gordon, among others? Every one of them started out in Karts, moved up to Sprint Cars, and have gone on to find success in the Big Show. Would they have made it to this level without such humble begnnings? Maybe, but it is doubtful.

For most of these guys, getting back behind the wheel of a Sprint Car is still the thrill it always was, although now they do it more for recreation or fundraising instead of chasing after a championship. My guess is that they still get the same rush they used too, if not more. These are the kinds of guys who understand and appreciate where they came from, and my hat is off to them for continuing to support the path by which they travelled.

Let's hope that more of today's top level drivers will realize the impact they can have on preserving grassroots racing. If they can own and support Sprint Car and Midget teams, operate tracks and help promote the events at these levels, it can only benefit fans, owners and other drivers along the way. By the same token, if you claim to be a race fan, do yourself a favor. Break the Sunday afternoon sofa habit and get out and support your local tracks and drivers. You never know when you might be sitting in the bleachers one night watching a future Cup champion. If the current trend continues, you may never get that chance.

More news, notes, photos and other racing stuff can be found at www.girlsgoneracin.com

Dual (not to be confused with duel) Blogging

(Val) Just this week our local Fox affiliate (www.myfoxstl.com) went live with a new web site which boasts a lot of great new features. My favorite is the new Community section which gives the general public a place to share their views and photos with everyone else. Not one to miss an opportunity to get the word out about Girls Gone Racin', I took advantage by signing up on day one. We are now STLRaceChicks on the Fox St. Louis web site.

For the most part, this will be a scaled-down version of what you have come to enjoy (or not) on the original Blogger site, simply because the features are limited. I have been able to upload a few photos and just do some plain Jane posting, and it's all very simple and easy to use, which is great. I don't know yet if Spring wants me to add her stuff on there or not, but if she does, I'll be happy to do it.

We're still talking about possibly covering a Karting event in Hartsville, MO in late October, but we haven't completely nailed down our decision yet. We have been asked to come down and take pictures, write up some stories, etc. and if folks like what we're doing, we will sell photos on site as well as give fans the opportunity to order them by mail. I picked up a couple of inexpensive photo printers yesterday, which I think will work very well for this kind of event. We will announce it here when we make our final decision.

With regard to what little remains of this year's racing season, we are still up in the air about the Kansas Cup race, but we will be at Tri-City Speedway on October 8 for their last Sprint event of the year. That could be our final event of 2006, which will mean it's time to start planning for next year. Now the question is, what to do with this blog in the off-season? Hmmmm. There's something to chew on until next time...

Broadslidin’ the Back Roads

(Val) The weather started out perfect for racing at Jacksonville last night. Blue skies, fair temps and little wind made for a great combination. The track was in good shape for qualifying, but got pretty dusty as the night wore on, and a breeze kicked in to blow that dust right into the grandstands. It was the first time I had seen that happen at Jacksonville, and who knows why sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t.

There was a good-sized car count and the grandstands were pretty full too, and with a big high school football game for competition, it was probably a tough decision for some. It’s hard to pass up a night dedicated to Sprint Car and Midget action, especially when it’s set on the tight little bullring that is Jacksonville Raceway.

Spring and I spent hotlaps and qualifying in the infield and made the best of light and shadow. Sometimes we would shoot side-by-side and other times we split up and headed for opposite ends of the track. It’s fun to compare shots later and view the different ways we see things. She has taught me so much about angles and watching for background distractions, but I am still very much the amateur to her professional. I am very grateful for every bit of advice and help she gives me!

We traveled to Jacksonville with my Dad, brother, Spring’s husband Randy, and family friend, Bob. Old Blue was loaded down and riding smoothly as we traveled up highway 79 along the rolling river. On the way up we raced a BNSF freight train, and I wished my son, the train nut, was along to see it. We drove past fields of corn and beans, up and down hills and through small towns as we were serenaded by Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban once again.

(The trip there was quick, and we had a lot of fun. One of the best parts for me was visiting with Sprint Car driver Bobby Hawks who lives in Jacksonville and has been racing there and elsewhere for many years. It was announced that evening that he would be hanging up his helmet soon, and that this night would be his last night to race at Jacksonville. Upon further investigation, we found that Bobby has his race team up for sale, but says he will probably get to drive now and then for other owners. He is turning fifty in the next few days, so in addition to wishing him well with his semi-retirement, I also want to wish him a happy birthday. He has always been fun to watch and I will miss seeing him drive. Good luck to Bobby, Mike and all the crew in their last few races of the season!

(On track action was very exciting and there were many races within races. In the Sprint Car feature, we watched Danny Smith work his magic, moving from midway back in the pack up to fourth before he spun and had to go to the end of the line once again. I have lost count of how many times I have witnessed Danny win at Jacksonville, but this was not his night as Paul May ended up the one in victory lane.

The evening flew by, and before I knew it we were back in the van and headed home once again, after a quick stop at Sonic. The miles did not pass as quickly on the reverse trip, but with Roger and Randy making me laugh and doing “deer patrol,” I managed to stay awake. We saw at least a half dozen deer along 79, along with two coyotes and a fox.

Spring and Randy got the privilege of being the first ones home for a change, which I am sure they appreciated with the busy weekend they had ahead of them. I dropped off the rest of my riders and headed down those last few long miles home on my own, ready to drop into bed and sleep for hours. Of course, once there, it is always hard to get the adrenaline to calm down enough to drop off, but it did happen at last.

Our next trip may still be the Cup race at Kansas Speedway, but we’re not sure yet. Details are still up in the air. We are working on a few other fun little things, and will share that with you here as plans come together.

Thanks for stopping in again. I have a few of my pictures up in the gallery, and with a little luck, and maybe a bit of duct tape, we’ll have some of Spring’s up before too long. She’s had a rough week of computer problems, flash card issues, and software snafus. I think she’s ready for things to just go right for a change.

On the Road with Thelma and Louise

(Spring)The day began with too much to do and really no time to do it in. I headed out the door to meet Val for our girl weekend and as I was pushing the pedal to the metal I received a voice mail. It was my son’s school nurse. I immediately turned around and went to find out the situation. He was fine but I had to have him checked out. So over an hour later than what we had planned, Val and I were off.

Val drove and in a way it was a blessing, I was forced to relax. Unfortunately, many of you do not know who I am for I never have time to blog, much less relax. However, I really must admit, it is very hard for me to be in the passenger seat of anything, especially a car. The tunes kept us going and the white lines continued whizzing by as we inched closer and closer to the much anticipated Lucas Oil Speedway.

After 3.5 hours of what seemed forever there the track stood. Majestic and glowing in the sun beginning it’s descent for the day. What a beautiful facility that awaited our entrance. Weld Racing Wheels had requested our presence and we were met with smiling faces and walked in with ease. It was a pleasure to work there. Friendly folks, clean facility and I must mention the kettle corn… well it was fantastic. I wish I would have tried the toasted marshmallow. As for the Colorado Bulldog, it was great… thanks.

I immediately geared up for the walk through and my adrenaline was full speed ahead. How is it cars and wheels, engines and fumes, grease and dirt and oh Yes! One must not forget the speed can affect a girl so much? It is in her blood. Why do I spend my free time of which I remind you, I really have none of, stopping cars for a moment in time… because it’s in me and I get it. I truly want to share with others what I feel when the cars blur by. There is beauty in everything in this world even when it is covered in mud. I can get dirty with the best of them.

Walking around the pits any of the guys hanging around the cars are the owners, friends, and family members, all of whom seem to like racing and are very much involved. I met Jerry Coons Jr. again and spoke with him and the guys hanging around the car. There was something the same about all of them, the light in their eyes when it was time to go. I believe racing is something that comes from within. If it’s not down in there, what is the point of getting behind the wheel? Walking around I could see it in some and in others it was missing.

SO my new lens was baptized that wonderful Friday evening. You may wonder with what, well, what else but mud. It was flying everywhere and the exhilaration of catching some just adds to the experience. The guys got on the track and went to work. I admire so many of them, doing what they love and happy where they are, yet others have dreams of more. I have a wonderful son who is turning 6 on the 25th and he has a huge interest in things with wheels. As I watched from the stands the wild ride Bryan Claussen took, I shook. It was a nasty one and my thoughts and prayers are with him during his recovery. I would like to thank Bob Baker of Weld Wheels for having both Val and I out to do our jobs and spread the news.

After the cars had exited the track and the pits were quiet and empty, Val and I headed off on yet another adventure… to find our cabin for the rest of the morning. We found it with ease and it was very nice and very clean. Randy of Stillwater Resort said we would have a great view of the lake, well we are certain that we did, but arriving around 1am and pulling out at 5:30am, we missed the beauty. But Randy, I can see it in my mind.

Val and I were both exhausted but when our heads hit the pillows we found ourselves talking racing for another hour. I had a wedding to shoot that day, but how do you stop the spinning? We woke up and dragged our weary bodies out the door in search of coffee and sustenance. The sunrise was worth our early rise as we traveled home. Our first Road trip is under our belt… the next one we are hoping for is Kansas City, we will see.

In this road of life keep on spinning and loving what you do.

Finally...Friday!

(Val) Well, here it is, Friday again. Yay! Believe it or not, Spring and I will be heading out to the races for the second week in a row. Tonight, we journey 100 miles north and east to Jacksonville Raceway in Jacksonville Illinois and we will be accompanied by my Dad and my brother, Roger.

This dirt bullring is one of my favorite places for Sprint Car racing and the weather looks like it will be perfect for the show. Some of the reasons I like this track are the fact that it is the "old-school" fairground-type speedway with covered grandstands, a curfew because it's in the middle of town, and they serve up the best pork tenderloin sandwiches you will find anywhere. My brother calls them "big as your face" pork tenderloins because, well, they are as big as your face!
We will drive up and back tonight, which will get us home probably around 1 or 2 in the morning. Not a big deal for most of us, but Spring has another wedding to shoot tomorrow so she'll probably be pretty tired again. I always tell her she can sleep on the way home, but we're usually so psyched about the racing that we can't help but gab the whole way. For once, she will have the shortest journey, as we will pick her up on our way there and drop her off on the way back, saving her about a half an hour in each direction.

There are basically three ways to get to J-Ville from our area. The first, is to go up to Godfrey and take 67 north. The second, which is the way we usually go, is to hop on 61 north, cross the river at Louisiana, go through Pittsfield and then on over to Jacksonville. We'll do something similar tonight, only we'll be on 79 instead of 61. No matter what, the trip will take about two hours each way and we'll spend a lot of time on two-lane roads. Not my favorite place to drive because of deer and other critters, not to mention crazy drivers that cross center lines, which Spring knows way too much about, but we will drive safely and pray.

Spring and I will be in the pits talking to drivers and taking pictures. We will probably shoot some qualifying too if the light stays with us and the dust isn't too bad. After that, we will head up to the stands and watch the action from there. Look for an update tomorrow morning, although not too early, and pictures from me if any of mine are decent. Spring's will get up later.

With regard to Spring's photos from last weekend, we hope to bring those to you soon. Her hard drive crashed early this week and she's working like a fiend today to get her cards ready for her big wedding shoot tomorrow, and so she can go to the track tonight. She hasn't lost any photos, for which we are thankful, but it's been a long and stressful week.

For those of you who might be reading this and would like to know more about tonight's race, here's what I know: Pits open at 3, Grandstands at 5. They are running Winged 410 Sprints, Midgets and Pony Stocks. Admission prices are $30 for pits, $18 grandstands, kids 12 and under are free. For more information call the track at 217.243.5896.

NASCAR Chase drivers not ready for prime time

(Val) In case you're like me, and you just can't stay awake long enough for late night television, here is last night's Top Ten list from Letterman. I actually tried to keep my eyes open, but I just couldn't do it!

NASCAR Drivers Perform Top Ten List on The Late Show with David Letterman

From the home office in Wahoo, Nebraska...

The "Late Show" Top Ten "Things Never Before Said By a NASCAR Driver"

As presented by the 10 NASCAR drivers competing in the 2006 “Chase for the Nextel Cup” on the Wednesday, Sept. 13 broadcast of the Late Show with David Letterman on the CBS Television Network.

10. Kasey Kahne: “Anyone know how to drive a stick?”

9. Jeff Gordon: “Does this gas taste funny to you?”

8. Jeff Burton: “I don’t care much for country music or beer.”

7. Mark Martin: “Switch the ‘R’ and the ‘C’ in ‘racing’ and you get ‘caring.’”

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “Wow, Letterman looks so young in person.”

5. Denny Hamlin: “You’re looking at a guy who can drive 500 miles without taking a leak.”

4. Kyle Busch: “A truly great driver doesn’t mind asking for directions, am I right, ladies?”

3. Kevin Harvick: “It would be nice if the guys in the pits occasionally surprised me with a piece of carrot cake or something.”

2. Jimmie Johnson: “The Nextel Cup is great, but what I’m really excited for is the LATE SHOW Ventriloquist Week.”

1. Matt Kenseth: “If you think I’m fast in my car, you should see me in the bedroom.”

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a presentation of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Maria Pope, Barbara Gaines, Rob Burnett and Jude Brennan are the executive producers.

The Suite Life of Thelma & Louise

(Val) Last week when the idea for our trip down to Wheatland was first discussed, I started calling Spring “Thelma” in my emails, and signing them “Louise.” I knew that our trip would be nothing like that infamous journey, despite the fact that we would come very close to Brad Pitt’s hometown, yet the idea of taking our first Girls Gone Racin’ road trip with just us two girls held mighty appeal for my adventurous spirit.

I know that the story of our trip to Lucas Oil Speedway must seem to keep dragging on for some of you, but there is just so much to say. We spent a total of 21 hours away from home, eight of which were on the road, and slept only 2 and a half of those, so we girls had a lot of time to talk. In fact, by the time I finally fell asleep last night, I had come very close to losing my voice. By the way, I’m sure the people in the other half of the cabin were probably not very happy about sharing such close quarters with two mysterious guests who showed up way after midnight and left before the sun had made an appearance. We really did try to be quiet, but I’m sure they had to have heard us hauling all of that camera and computer equipment across the porch.

As is the case after many great nights of racing, it takes me a long time to unwind enough to finally fall asleep. There is just such an adrenaline rush that occurs when one watches a close race, and the Sprint Car racing at LOS was VERY close. Josh Wise and Jerry Coons, Jr. duked it out lap after lap and used every inch of that track to get the job done. I can only imagine the kind of high a driver must feel after being involved in a race like that, despite the order that you finish. Of course every driver wants to win, but to get to put a car through its paces like that in close competition with another driver of equal caliber just has to feel good.

What truly amazes me when I watch these guys drive is how they finesse the throttle, saw on the wheel and manage the brakes in the perfect combination that sends them right to the edge of the line of danger without sending them over it into disaster. When that front tire lifts as they go through a corner, it is like watching a perfectly choreographed ballet. You don’t get that kind of grace and style in any other kind of racing.


Right now it’s Saturday night and I’m kind of halfway watching the Cup race on TV as I type this. It’s just funny to me the amazing difference between the race on TV and the one we saw last night. It doesn’t take a whole lot of thought to figure out why so many of the guys who make it to the Big Show, spend their off nights at dirt tracks behind the wheel of a Sprint Car or Late Model. And why guys like Ken Schraeder, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Tony Stewart own Sprint Car teams or race tracks, or both. They obviously want to get back to their roots and experience the kinds of thrills that they knew as they were working their way up, and they want to be sure that kind of racing is still around for the next generation of drivers and fans.

I told Spring last night that I can’t imagine being someone who was raised on Cup racing, and has never gone to a local dirt track. They have no idea what they are missing! I admire those drivers who remember where they came from and I hope they are successful in bringing new fans into the fold.

Right now I am so tired that I know if I were to lie down and close my eyes, I’d be asleep in less than half a second yet it’s only 8:30 and it seems a shame to waste a perfectly good Saturday night in slumberland.

After arriving home this morning and transferring Spring’s belongings into her car, I headed over to my Dad’s to lend a hand. Two big trees needed to come down in his back yard, so we spent the better part of the day holding lead ropes and gathering felled brush into piles. It was warm, and I was already tired, so the 4 hour drive combined with all that physical labor has me pretty wiped out. But all I can think of is the fact that at this moment Spring is still working on a wedding shoot and has about an hour and a half to go. With the little sleep that she’s gotten already this week, that poor girl ought to be ready drop when she gets in the door.

Funny thing is, if I was a betting woman, I’d put money on her to stay up looking at the photos she took at the wedding, or the ones she shot last night at the races. She’ll be analyzing and playing with different artistic effects and driving herself nuts trying to make each photo perfect. Spring is driven to do her job well, and it shows in everything she does. She has a passion for her work, much like the passion that I see in the eyes of the drivers we meet at every track we visit.

Passion is easy to spot. There is intensity in a person’s eyes, a spirit of determination that is unmistakable. You can hear it in their voice when they talk about that one thing that they love to do above all others. How fortunate are the few who have the privilege of making a living doing that about which they feel truly passionate.

That’s what I love about meeting the drivers, teams and people behind the scenes in racing. Every one of them has one thing in common: A passion for racing. We hope that through the words and pictures we post on GGR and in this blog, we can help to feed that passion.

Lucas Oil Speedway Photos

(Val) I wanted to get a few more photos on here because I know it will be a day or two before Spring has a chance to get hers posted. These are just a few that I shot from in the pits Friday night at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO.

Thanks to everyone who made our evening fun and exciting, especially Bob Baker from Weld Wheels, Chuck Stowe from the track as well as Jerry Coons, Jr. and the entire Hoffman Racing Team. We really enjoyed visiting with everyone and we hope you enjoy seeing and hearing about what we do as much as we enjoy doing it.

Two girls, a cell phone and a long journey home

(Val) Saturday Morning. 5:28am. Stillwater Resort outside Wheatland, MO. It’s dark outside so I can’t see the view of the lake we were promised.

Cell phone alarms are handy, annoying little things. Ours went off about a half an hour ago which was approximately two and a half hours after we finally shut our yaps and went to sleep. Believe it or not, I am showered, dressed and ready to go.

Yes, my hair is still wet, my Lucas Oil Speedway wrist band is still in place, and I’m trying to figure out if I got each of my contacts in the correct eye, but I know that with rapid doses of sugar and caffeine, I’ll be awake enough to drive home. At least I don’t have a wedding to shoot this afternoon, just a couple of trees to help take down in my Dad's back yard.

The cabin Spring found for us is a pleasant surprise, at least it was in the dark when we got back here sometime after midnight. Since I’ll probably never see it in daylight, that impression will remain. We’re trying to figure out how to settle up our bill since Spring neglected to tell the owner we would be pulling out at first light, or earlier. My guess is that since he has her credit card number, it won’t really be much of an issue.

My navigator has already declared possession of the map, which must mean she’s riding shotgun again so I guess I’d better shut this laptop down, load up, and hit the trail, Dale. Since I can find no open internet access here, this missive will not be live from the road, but should show up right around the time that most intelligent people get up on a Saturday morning.

Holy cow, where’s a Denny’s when you need one?

Road Trip for the Girls

(Spring) So, what a day! Girl I may be but mom I am. So today I was pretty much ready to leave for the big race and I receive a call from Caleb’s school saying to call informing me to call. I did and had to pick him up, thus we left later than original plan.

The trip down was fantastic, no worries and music that I loved. It is pretty amazing how Val and I have similar tastes. Now to racing and the boys. The track here is amazing and it would have been spectacular to have had more cars, but the ones here gave a show. When those engines start and the wheels wave at me through my lens my adrenaline just goes through the roof. I hope you enjoy the photos and I have more to say but the lake cabin awaits.

Thank you to Weld Racing for their hospitality.

Two girls, a map and a quest for dirt track racing...

Val) 9:43pm, Wheatland, MO, Lucas Oil Speedway, Suite 3E…

(It’s kind of tough to type with a pit band on our wrist!)

If the true test of a friendship is to take a road trip together, then I think we’ve passed the first half of the test pretty well. Final exam is tomorrow morning, when we try to roll out of bed with the chickens to make the four hour drive home in time to get Spring to a noon wedding shoot!

This track is amazing! I have never been to such a nice dirt facility in my life! There is a huge screen over in turn three where the race is broadcast live. Everything is clean and well laid out. The pits are paved, which was great for walking around and shooting beforehand. And right now I’m sitting her taking advantage of the track’s Wi-Fi! Yes, dirt track racing has come a long way, and this place is definitely state-of-the art!


Brady Bacon took fast time qualifying in his first time out in a 410 Sprint and broke the track record to boot. Then he came out and won his Show-Me Racin’ Series heat race. That kid can drive.

We got a late start on the road due to some unforeseen issues at home, but we finally got down here around 5:30 and it’s been non-stop ever since. I just got a burger and a Coke about twenty minutes ago, and now I feel lie I have some energy again.


I’m going to post a few pictures here while the Mods are running, then get back to watching the races.

Road Trippin'

(Val) Well, it looks like Spring and I are finally going to be heading out on our first actual "road trip" of the season. We girls were extended an invitation yesterday to attend the USAC Sprint/SMRS Midget races this coming Friday night at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. This is about a 200 mile drive for us, so we're going to have to find somewhere to stay instead of making the long drive back afterward. It will be an early trip home on Saturday because Spring has a wedding to shoot at noon. Guess maybe I'll be doing the driving so she can get some sleep.

Thanks to Bob Baker at Weld Racing Wheels for the invitation. He liked Spring's work on the site and has asked her to come and shoot some pictures for him. Once racing starts, we'll be hanging out in the suite to watch the action. Sounds like a fun night to me!

If the situation allows, I will provide updates from the track, if not I will get them on as soon as possible after our return. Looking forward to our first long night out!

Motorsports Magic

(Val) Over the years I have used many different adjectives to describe various racing facilities, but never once have I used the one that I find appropriate for DuQuoin State Fair Speedway. This track with its lush green infield, canal, and perfect one mile dirt oval can only be described in one way: Beautiful.

For a long time now, my Dad has been trying to get me to join him for the annual Ted Horn 100 USAC Silver Crown event at DuQuoin. Every year, it seemed that something came up and I couldn't make the trip. This year, things finally came together and boy, am I glad they did!

On a beautiful Labor Day Sunday, my son, Dad and I made the 108 mile journey to the old Fairgrounds in southern Illinois. I had requested credentials just a few days before, because I was dying to try out the new Pentax SLR from the infield and had a hunch this would be a great place to do it. Fortunately, the credentials came through (thanks, Jay!) and I had access to the infield at the Magic Mile.

Awestruck with the grandeur of the place, with appropriately named "grandstands" stretched down the front straightaway, I wandered through the pits just as drivers were strapping in for qualifying runs. Reaching for my camera, I started snapping away: Driver close-ups, distance shots of cars and teams, a picture of Josh Wise (the first of many) for Spring, and more.

One of the best things about using a digital camera is being able to see your shot right away, while you still have a chance to take another picture. It's also nice not having to pay to develop all those pictures, scan them in, and then finally upload the to the web site. I took well over 150 shots, but I think I ended up with roughly 50 or 60 on the web site. And while not all of those are breathtaking, I think I did ok for an amateur photog on her first day out.

The weather could not have been better for shooting. The sky was brilliant blue, with just a few clouds, the temperature was cool and the humidity almost non-existent. For the midwest in August, this was a rare treat indeed!

I spent a lot of my time between turns 3 and 4 trying to get the hang of shooting the cars in motion. It didn't take long to figure out that doing this while they are at full speed was next to impossible, yet snapping them when they were just getting started, or just wrapping up worked really well. Some of the shots I got turned out great, but in many I managed to catch just front wheels and a hood or back tires and gas tank. With practice, I know I will get better.

Because I do not yet have a mondo flash, I figured that staying in the infield for the race and trying to take pictures at night was pretty pointless, so I met my guys over in the stands and settled in. My Dad had warned me that racing on the big one mile track could get kind of boring when the cars got strung out, but I think he downplayed it for no reason. I loved every minute of watching those big cars roar around the speedway. The best part was when, after driver introductions, they fired up those engines all at once and took off into turn one. What an awesome sound!

There were several cautions, and that helped the cars to not get too strung out. Plus there were a lot of little races inside the big race, with guys battling constantly for position. Bud Kaeding had amazing run, going from last to second in the "last chance" event, and from last to fourth in the feature. Wow, can that guy drive!

I managed to work my way down to the gate to get in the front of the line when the race was over and was able to snap some decent winner's shots before the crowd filled in and chaos ensued. The shot of Josh Wise's tire just shows how these tires wear after 100 miles of work.

We walked through the pits for a few minutes, but it was pretty crazy there so we headed out to hit the road. The two hour drive went pretty fast, and I think everyone slept in the next morning, but as always, it was worth it. I loved having three generations there together watching the race and I hope we get to do it again real soon!

Redbird Fever

The corner of the new Busch Stadium.

(Val) I'm very blessed to be the Mom of two very talented and brilliant kids, and it's wonderful to get to reap the benefits of their brainpower sometimes. Wednesday night, Jesse and I had the pleasure of attending a Cardinals baseball game using tickets she earned through her school's Straight A Program.

We had a really great Mother-Daughter night out and took full advantage of our city's public transportation system to do it. With the price of gas and parking, it's much cheaper and more convenient to take the MetroLink, so that's what we did.

Me and my girl at the Ballgame!

The new stadium is absolutely beautiful, but I do miss the old one. There were a lot of memories there. We arrived over an hour early for the game, so we made good use of the time to go exploring. We even got to walk through the "exclusive" club area when we ended up on the opposite side of the park from our seats. All of the new signage, and the electronic boards are really something. The color is brilliant, and all of the ways they encourage the fans to interact is a lot of fun.

Molina steps up to the plate.

The marching band that performed the Star-Spangled Banner did a great job, and we were impressed with the number of students involved in that band. It was at least three times the size of the band at Jesse's school.

Jesse patiently poses for a picture.

Everyone was really nice there, and the game was wonderful! The Cards started out slowly, but they made up for it and came back to win. One funny thing was that I told Jesse I really wanted to see a home run there so we could watch the fireworks and all the great display screens do their thing. Right after that, Alber Pujols walked up to the plate and blasted one out over the left field wall. It was pandolerium! What a cool show they put on to celebrate a home run.

Juan Incarnacion and Jose Oquendo confer at third base.

We left after the fifth inning knowing that we had a long trip home and an early morning to face, but we had a really great time. I didn't even have to use the "big purse" method of sneaking food and drinks because they let you bring in a small, soft-sided cooler if you want to, so we did!

A great view from inside of the new Busch Stadium.