Night 1, Part 2

(Val) As you have probably guessed by now, I am not a serious journalist, and I never plan to be one. You won’t find the typical racing news and re-caps in this blog, because that’s my day job. You can find all of that kind of information on www.whowon.com.

What I love about this blogging deal is that I can write about whatever part of the race night I want to, which may or may not be the actual racing. For me, race nights are about much more than who won the event, or who racked up the fasted time. The racing is the biggest draw and the most important part, of course, but on nights like last night, it is also about meeting people, observing, learning and just taking it all in. That’s what I did at Gateway.

Standing just a few feet away from cars with amazingly powerful engines, one is on full sensory overload. First, is the artistic beauty of some of these cars with their custom paint jobs and in intense graphics. What broke our hearts was the late-sixties era Camaro that hit the wall down at the end of the track. It’s just devastating when something that nice is lost, but it’s the gamble every driver knowingly takes every time they drop the hammer.

There is the smell of the fumes that a burnout stirs up, a combination of rubber and spent fuel that makes your eyes and nose burn and also leaves an acrid taste in your mouth.

The roar of those powerful engines, is like a living breathing thing, filling your ears and making them throb, even with the earplugs firmly seated. Drag racing is a noisy, smelly, heart-pounding, foul-tasting visual feast. It’s easy to see why fans come back, time after time, to watch.

We didn’t see any women racers last night (that we know of) but we did see quite a few female fans, and several gals working with the sanction, track and teams. Spring did a great job of capturing many of them in her work, and I know she is excited about sharing those photos. I got to see them today, and was very impressed.

Spring, Randy and I got a wonderful initiation to the sport last night. We were made welcome, by everyone we met. Photographers, the guys in the media room, fans and teams all opened up to us by sharing information, answering every question we put to them, and even offering up some tasty bar-b-que.

Yes, the night ended early because of lightning, but that just gave us the opportunity to talk even more folks than we may have had the chance to otherwise.

I got to watch Spring work, which was a lot of fun. She was a great sport about the black specks that covered the white jacket she wore, and she was terrific about just diving in and trying to get the best possible shots. Watching all the photographers gather around comparing photos, and seeing her right in the thick of them was very rewarding.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention one little thing, and Randy asked me to make sure I included this in my part of the blog. The racing came to a standstill at one point in the evening, and Spring asked one of the photographers what was going on. He told her they were having problems with the tree, and she asked, “What’s a tree?” Every one of those photographers just looked too dumbstruck to speak, but one of them finally pointed toward the tower of lights and told her what it was called. I know you were a little embarrassed, Spring, but how would you have known if you hadn’t asked? There really are NO dumb questions at the race track!

They may have teased her a little bit about the tree question, but I know that those guys respected her as a fellow photographer, and that goes a long, long way in my book.

There are still so many images in my head from last night that I find it difficult to put them into words here. One of the highlights was the run that ADRL President Kenny Nowling made with a young boy in an amazing old Camaro. The wheelstands were awesome and I know that boy had the ride of his life. It seems to me that there’s not a racer out there who doesn’t have a soft spot for kids, which is just one more reason that you’ve got to love this sport.

To everyone who made last night possible for us, I thank you. My most sincere thanks goes out to all of those people who were so patient about answering our questions. We went into this with absolutely no pre-conceived notions or expectations, and we learned once again just how gracious those in the racing community can be.

Here are links to just a few of the people who were so nice to us:

American Drag Racing League
George and Rhonda with Denny Brothers Photography
Jeff Burk at Drag Racing Magazine Online
Roger Richards at Competition Plus
For conversation and excellent BBQ, the nice folks at Troy Critchley Racing

Girls (Finally) Go Racin’!

(Val) 11:43pm -- Spring is on her way home as I write this, ready to get the photos on a cd so I can get them on line ASAP. She did a wonderful job on her first night out, and I think she passed muster quite handily with the veterans. I had a great time watching her work and can’t wait to see how the pics look once we get them on the site.

My first thought as I make a quick run through of the night’s events is that Drag racing is absolutely nothing like any other type of racing I have ever experienced. As true as that statement is, I would have to add the caveat that all types of racing have one thing in common: The people.

Tonight, at the ADRL Flowmaster Gateway Drags was, for lack of a better description, awesome! From signing in at the gate with Jackie, to talking to drivers, fans and photographers, to watching the last few minutes of the Jason Aldean concert, we had a great time.

Spring, her husband Randy, and I arrived at the track around 5:30 or so and the adventure began as soon as we got out of the car and started walking down the rows of cars. We saw some absolutely beautiful machines, and no two of them were alike. Our quest to find girls involved in racing was off to a great start when we spotted two-year-old Hayley cruising around in a miniature golf cart. Spring got some great shots of her sitting in her Daddy’s race car, and we enjoyed talking to him.

Being initiated into Drag racing was a lot smoother than I expected it to be. Everyone around us was so friendly and helpful about answering our questions. We added several new phrases to our vocabularies tonight, and learned their definitions as well! Much, much thanks goes out to George, Rhonda, Don and Tom who opened up a whole new world for me tonight. I had no idea that watching cars fly at top speed for 1/8 mile could be so exciting!

We had been forewarned about the earplugs, and we came well-armed. They are a definite necessity, especially when one is standing mere feet from the edge of the drag strip! The sound is indescribable, and the smell -- a mix of spent fuel and burned rubber -- combined with the smoke, is a bit overwhelming! But all of that was nothing compared to the heat of the flame-throwing Chevy S-10 Wheelstander, and the amazingly powerful Jetcar. Whoa! Talk about something that could literally set you on your backside, that’s them for sure.

There is a lot more to say, and I took notes so I wouldn’t forget anything, but I’m going to keep this brief tonight, because I’m wiped out and tomorrow morning will come very quickly. With it being Easter Sunday, it will be a busy day, but I will do my best to get back on here and fill in the details. Hopefully, those will be accompanied by pictures.

Happy Easter!

Val

The best-laid plans...

Let's see, it's been about 45 minutes since that last post, and as often happens, our plans have changed. I think it just goes to show that the saying is true: "People plan, God laughs."

Spring just called to say that her son's doctor appointment did not quite go as planned. As it turns out, what seemed like just springtime allergies may in fact be pneumonia. They are on the way to get a chest x-ray right now.

Because I'm a worrywart Mom, I knew that Spring would not have a good time tonight if she was worried about Caleb, so we decided to postpone our first Drag race adventure for tomorrow night. We apologize to everyone who is following this, but our kids have to come first!

So, stay tuned, cross your fingers and say a little prayer for Caleb. He's a cutie and I hope he's feeling better soon.

Until tomorrow, I'll just sit here and enjoy the air conditioning. I finally broke down and turned it on because it was getting unbearable!

One hour and counting...

(Val) Well, here we are, finally! It's Friday afternoon, and within the hour Spring will be here and we will be on our way to Gateway for the ADRL Drag races. It seems like it's been ages since we first started talking about this and making our plans, and I was beginning to wonder if this day would ever come.

With temperatures near 90 today, it is unseasonably warm and we will have to work hard to stay cool. Because I have only been to the oval track, I have no idea what the facilities on the Dragstrip side of Gateway are like when it comes to shade or a cool place to duck inside. There is also a chance for storms later this evening, so hopefully my circle track luck will not follow me to the straight track and we will stay dry.

Depending on when we get home tonight, I will either update the blog late this evening or early tomorrow morning. The photos will probably be Spring's job so we'll just have to see how that works out. Hopefully, we will be able to get those up before heading back over tomorrow afternoon.

Another racechick has joined our ranks and will be adding her comments to the blog in the near future. My co-worker Ashley, down in Birmingham, is checking out the newly re-opened Childersburg Speedway tonight and will be bringing us that news. She also has everything in order to attend NASCAR Weekend at Talladega in a few weeks. Leading up to that weekend, will be interviews with Kevin Harvick, Burney Lamar, and hopefully, a few surprise guests. Look for our "Staying on for Eight" segments featuring uncommon questions that will hopefully spawn some interesting answers!

Thanks to everyone who is following along on our adventure. I hope you will enjoy the news we have to share.

Girls Gone Racin' takes straight and narrow path

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- While bats are swinging on the west side of the Big Muddy tomorrow night, there will be a completely different kind of action going down just across the river. If the consistent recommenation by friends to wear ear protection is any indication, it is highly possible that the cheers of the crowd at the new Busch Stadium may be drowned out by the roar of the engines at Gateway International Raceway.

This weekend Gateway welcomes the American Drag Racing League Fatheadz.com Gateway Drags, and Girls Gone Racin' will be there to witness the action. Not only is this the first event in our inaugural season, but it is also the first time either of us has been to a drag race. With that in mind, we are prepared to be awed by the power, noise and quickness of these cars.

Plans for Girls Gone Racin' have been in the works for quite some time, and we have put together a schedule of events that will cover many different types of racing. Please join these two "Moms on a mission" as we leave husbands and kids at home and venture out into the male-dominated world of racing. As veteran oval track fans, we are excited to see just what the fuss is all about when it comes to running a straight line. The ear plugs are packed and ready to go. It's time to get this party started.

About Girls Gone Racin'
Girls Gone Racin' powered by RaceFan is geared toward women racers and fans everywhere. Our goal is to highlight women in the sport, from behind the wheel, to behind the scenes, and even the fans in the stands. Watch for interviews with some of the top men in racing as well. We will be traveling to several different events this summer, covering everything from Drag Racing to Sprints, IRL to NASCAR, all through the eyes of women. Our coverage will include stories via the GGR blog, interviews and brilliant photography, all of which will be available through the Girls Gone Racin' web site.

For more information, visit www.girlsgoneracin.com www.girlsgoneracin.com.