Pirates, Outlaws and Disappointment

(Val) It's been a busy weekend around our household, with friends in town, kids' birthday parties, a trip to the movies and a night at the races. It is now Sunday afternoon, and what I really want is a nap, but what I will probably do is check out a car show in town where my brother has entered his 1956 Ford Pickup.

Friday we went to the first showing at our local theatre of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Because our entire family enjoyed the original movie so much, we bought tickets a week ahead of time for the debut of the new one. As I have mentioned before, we're not real big on going to movies, and I usually average one or two per year at best. Pirates 2 was my fourth movie this year and the sad part is, only 1 of those four was really worth the price of admission, and that was Cars.

Unfortunately, Pirates 2 did not live up to the hype, and in fact, I highly doubt this one will find its way into our DVD collection any time soon. We expected a similar type of adventure on the high seas that we saw the first time out, but were sorely disappointed. To be honest, this latest delivery from Disney fell far short of the expectations of our entire family. With its focus on science fiction, violence, creepy characters and tissue paper thin plotline, this one only gets 1 and a half spark plugs from me. I would definitely not recommend it for small children, as it undoubtedly earned its PG-13 rating, with even my 13-year-old son saying the whole thing was very weird.

Now for the big question: Will I go see Pirates 3? Probably. My hope is that the pattern will follow that of the original Star Wars trilogy, with the first one being spectacular, the second just ho-hum and the third just as good as, and maybe even slightly better than, the first. Since the whole Captain Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth Swann/Will Turner triangle has become a blatantly obvious ripoff of the Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo story, I figure there is still hope that P3 will pick up the slack left hanging by P2. And besides, who doesn't want to see Keith Richards play the part of Captain Jack's Dad? I am nothing if not optimistic!

Yesterday was spent cleaning house, which made me feel like I really earned my night out at the races last night. At about 4:30 my brother and our Dad stopped by to get me and we headed down to I-55 Raceway at Pevely, MO. This was to be a World of Outlaws vs. All Stars event, so we expected a good field of cars, and we were not disappointed. There were 38 winged 410 Sprint Cars in the pits, two of which were captained by women. Yes, Tiffany Wyzard was once again "in the house" as was Becca Anderson. Unfortunately, neither one made it to the A Main, with Tiffany suffering engine problems on her second lap of qualifying, and Becca Anderson getting caught up in a little incident during the B Main that caused enough damage to keep her from finishing the race. Nice try girls, and it was great to see you there. Keep pushing it!

This was the first time in a couple of years that I had been to a WoO event, and along with feeling like I was among old friends as soon as I heard the voice of commentator John Gibson, there were a few noticable changes. It was a bit strange not seeing guys like Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski, who along with many other former WoO regulars have gone over the run with the National Sprint Tour, but it was nice seeing guys like "Neon" Dion Hindi who I haven't seen compete in a long time. Paint schemes have changed as well, which made it a little tough at first for me to remember who was who, but I got the hang of it pretty fast.

The biggest disappointment of the night was seeing that one of the drivers has accepted sponsorship from a smutty men's magazine, which to me just goes way beyond poor taste and right on over into "What were you thinking?" territory. I mean, I know racing is expensive, and teams work hard to get sponsorship dollars, but how in the world does working with a company like that forward your career? If anything, it limits your promotability because the focus is on such a small group of people. By putting that name on your car, you automatically elminate two-thirds of your fan base: women and children. And hopefully, the majority of men out there are decent enough not to want to have anything to do with you either. How many upstanding sponsors are going to want to share valuable advertising real estate with that? So is it really worth the short-sighted financial gains of getting that sponsor's money when in the long run, it's going to cost you your hard-to-rebuild reputation?

When it's all said and done, this was, in my opinion, a very poor choice. This driver lost at least three fans last night, and I doubt that we are alone in our feelings. I do my best not to cheer against certain drivers, because I think that's pretty low-class and unsportsmanlike, and I NEVER wish a crash on anybody, but to be honest, I just wanted to see that car finish dead last with wings bent beyond recognition. It brought a smile to my face when his attempt to sandbag during the dash failed and instead of starting up front, he had to start ninth. All I can do is hope and pray that this team/driver comes to their senses enough to realize that the majority of fans are not going to support their efforts at promoting the porn industry.

Enough said on that subject.

All in all it was a great night of racing, and in fact, one of the best WoO shows I've been to in a long time. The heats weren't your typical fare of whoever starts in front finishes in front, and the feature was outstanding! With a lot of shuffling about, it was clear to everyone that Brook Tatnell fought hard for the win, and deserved to carry that checkered flag. There was a lot of dirt, but in the world of dirt track racing, we take the bad with the good.

I'm ready to go racing again, but not sure when the next one will be. The price of gas is making us, along with a lot of other folks, reconsider just how far we're willing to drive for entertainment.

Romance Rock

(Val) Ok, a little clue to my age here. I grew up, like most kids in the seventies, under the Saturday morning public education system known as Schoolhouse Rock. Even today, every now and then, thirty-odd years later, one of those nifty little numbers runs through my head and I can't shake it, no matter what I do. Most often, it's Conjunction Junction (sing it everybody!) What's your function? That's one helpful little grammatical ditty that beats the AP Stylebook all to bits in the fun with words category.

Well today, another little song comes to mind, and that would have to be the one about how a bill becomes a law. First verse goes like this:

I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill.
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it's a long, long journeyTo the capital city.
It's a long, long wait
While I'm sitting in committee,
But I know I'll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will,But today I am still just a bill.

This song isn't running through my mind because of anything that's happening on the political front, but because today Michele Dunaway sent a nice little file to me that outlines how one of her stories goes from inspiration to publication, with a lot of interesting little stops along the way. In other words, it's kind of a cross between Conjunction Junction and I'm Just a Bill where hookin' up words, feelings and emotions with the right amount of research, determination and hard work gets the job done.

Below are the first few paragraphs of Michele's outline. Follow the link at the bottom for the whole story.

And just to keep you in a Schoolhouse Rock frame of mind, here's a little twist on the lyrics:

I'm just an idea.
Yes, I'm only an idea.
Until I get all typed up in the pc.
Well, it's a long, long journey
To the publisher and printer.
It's a long, long wait
While I sit in the computer,
Hope I don't have to grovel,
And I get to be a novel.
And then I'll be a book someday!

(My most sincere apology to the author of the original lyrics.)

Thanks Michele!

Hi GGR readers!

I got the green light June 30 from Harlequin and NASCAR and so Val has asked me to share with GGR readers how a book goes from concept to reality. I’ll try to walk you through the process of Hart’s Victory (working title) which will be a November 2007 NASCAR-licensed book published by Harlequin Enterprise, the world’s largest publisher of romantic fiction.

If you didn’t get a chance to read Val’s “Good ol’ Summertime Reading” post, dated July 2, I’m Michele Dunaway. Not only am I teacher at Francis Howell High School where Val’s daughter will be a senior next year, but I am also an author for Harlequin American Romance. My 12th book for the line, The Marriage Campaign, will be out in August 2006 and will be followed by two more. Hart’s Victory is my first foray outside of the American line of books, and marks my 15th sale. (BTW, very few writers can quit the day job right off the bat. As I love to teach, I’m not in any hurry.)

I first got the idea for Hart’s Victory after attending Sound and Speed 2006 in Nashville, TN, this past January. My daughter and I went for the country music aspect of it and actually because I needed to see how a festival like this was organized for my December 2006 book, The Wedding Secret. While my best friend Susan has been attending NASCAR at the Brickyard since its inaugural season, and has attended races from Lebanon, MO, to Atlanta, GA, I hadn’t been to one. But I’d seen a few races on TV, watched the Dale Jr. 60 Minutes Uncut special on CMT, and figured, why not?

Read the rest of Michele's story here...

Good ol' summertime reading

(Val) As an avid reader, I tend to devour books like so many chocolate chip cookies. When I "discover" a great author, I will read everything they have ever written, then start over and read them again. It's just something I love to do more than just about anything else.

Right now I am reading through Ray Blackston's wonderful trilogy about church-hopping singles, missionaries, beach trips and a classic Cadillac. The books are, in order: Flabbergasted, A Delirious Summer and Lost in Rooville. I have read the first two books before, but since I finally got my hands on the third one, I thought I would start over so the story and characters would be fresh on my mind.

Blackston has an uncanny ability to string words together in the most interesting way. I find myself laughing out loud while members of my family give me "that look" and then, a few pages later, I am sympathizing with a character in an awkward moment. These books are at the top of my most-recommended summer reading list for those who are looking for a great way to pass a relaxing afternoon or two.

Speaking of reading, my email buddy romance author Michele Dunaway sent word Friday that her book, with the working title Hart's Victory, has been picked up for publication in Harlequin's NASCAR series. Congratulations Michele! This labor of love is scheduled to hit bookstore shelves in Novemeber of 2007.

Michele is a teacher at my daughter's school, and has immersed herself in all things NASCAR in order to do tons of research for her book. It has been so much fun to walk through the phases of publication with her, and I have learned a lot along the way. Hopefully, I have been able to help her with that research as well. I look forward to reading your book, Michele.

For more about Michele, and a list of her other books, check out her web site: micheledunaway.com

I hope everyone is enjoying this long holiday weekend. We have been taking it at a leisurely pace ourselves. No racing on tap until next Saturday, but that's ok with me since it's so hot outside. Air conditioning is my friend!

Boot Scootin’ Boogity Boogity Boogity

Grand Prix Speedways, Earth City, MO

(Val) I am a firm believer in the concept of recycling. When a recycling project involves turning something old, vacant and unused into something fresh and exciting that involves racing, well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Just across the bridge from my hometown is a place called Earth City, Missouri. It’s basically made up of businesses, warehouses, an amphitheatre and some restaurants. Many years ago, one of those warehouses was converted into a country-western bar and dance club which was originally called Little Bit of Texas, then Incahoots and finally, Cody’s. After three failed attempts at catering to cowboys and buckle bunnies, the place closed down and sat vacant for over a year.

Today was the first time I had set foot in that building in probably ten years, back at the height of its popularity under the original name, in the days when I actually looked good in boot cut jeans and Ropers. The place has undergone a dramatic change for the better.

Gone are the cowboy hats, country concerts and sawdust-covered dance floor. In their place are asphalt, helmets and the revved up sound of high performance race cars. Down home country has been replaced by Italian manufactured speed, all surrounded by high-class gourmet food, a pro shop and executive meeting rooms.

Grand Prix Speedways is about to open their first of fifty karting and meeting centers, and Spring and I were privileged to visit the facility this morning. This is not your typical Friday night Mom and Pop go kart track where you hop in and bump your friends into piles of worn out tires. GPS is a 125,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility that caters to those in the executive world. It contains numerous meeting rooms outfitted with all the amenities, just a few steps away from two European-style quarter-mile asphalt tracks.

What a fun concept this is for companies to reward top-notch employees, host team-building seminars, or even put on a bang-up Christmas affair. And for individuals with a flair for something unusual, this is the perfect place to throw an adult birthday party or retirement celebration.

Not only do all participants attend driver training before being allowed behind the wheel of one of the electric-powered karts, but they are outfitted to the nines in driver suits, helmets and neck supports. Races are officiated by a trained staff, and should an on-track incident necessitate, cars can be slowed or even stopped by remote control. Every safety precaution has been thought of, right down to the unique movable barrier system.

We had a great time checking the place out, and look forward to the open house in early July. Robyn Pass, Director of Marketing, was wonderful about answering all of our questions and pointing out things we hadn’t even thought of. Like the idea of laying down three inches of asphalt indoors – now there’s an interesting feat of engineering! I love the idea of competitive karting leagues and celebrity guests and all the fun that will entail. The thought that the two big bay doors can be opened, providing indoor and outdoor karting is pretty awesome too.

In one short hour, we were sold on the idea, and impressed with all of the research and thought that has gone into this. It is a great concept, and one that is already drawing a lot of attention. Thank you for inviting us in to be a part of it!

Elvis, Fountains and French Silk Pie

(Val) A weekend in the City of Fountains was just what the doctor ordered when it came to getting away from the stress of day-to-day living. After dropping the dog at a kennel, we headed up to Kansas City with our daughter behind the wheel for the first hundred miles. She did a great job, and I have a feeling that by the time her 18th birthday rolls around next month, she will have that long-awaited driver’s license in hand.

I had the luxury of riding in the back of the van, plugged into my Dell DJ while alternately reading and watching the scenery roll by. One thing that caught my eye and made me chuckle was an old tour bus parked next to someone’s home. Up in the destination window was the name “Elvis.” I have no idea if that was actually one of his tour busses, but I kind of doubt it.

Along the way to KC, we stopped in Columbia to drive through the MU campus. That place is huge! Our daughter isn’t really considering it as one of her options, but just for fun we thought we would check it out anyway. We’d been on the property for just a few minutes when I remembered the Jayhawk sticker in the back window of Ol’ Blue. For those who don’t know, there is a HUGE rivalry between the MU Tigers and the KU (Kanas) Jayhawks, and we just happen to be big KU basketball fans. None of us has any ties to the university, but we got hooked a few years back and nothing has been the same since. We survived the trip through the campus with no shots fired, but for a while there, I wondered…

Upon arrival in Olathe, we checked into our hotel, and then headed out to scope a local indoor karting facility. With the debut of Grand Prix Speedways just around the corner, I wanted a little something to see for comparison. We went inside and looked around at Sadler's Naskart facility. It’s a nice place with pool tables, video games and a snack bar as well as the race course. Folks of all ages looked like they were having a good time, and we wanted to join them, but the price was a bit steep. For all three of us to take a five minute ride, it would have been over $30. We opted to save that and spend it over at the Great Mall of Kansas.

After shopping at the mall for a while, we went in search of some French Silk Pie, which has kind of become a family tradition when we’re in the area. The pie was great way to finish off the evening.


Saturday morning we picked our son up from church camp and made our way up to Smithville Lake for a family reunion. The closer we got, the darker the sky became, and just as we got to the shelter, the sky opened up. There we were, thirty or so members of my family, huddled under a shelter on the banks of a lake while thunder rumbled, rain poured down and the wind kicked into a wild frenzy. We stuck it out for a while, wrapped in blankets and vinyl tablecloths, ever optimistic that it would eventually die down, but it just grew increasingly worse. (I was reminded of that scene in Caddy Shack where the pastor keeps saying “It’s going to blow over!” and then he is struck by lightning.) When whitecaps began to form, the guys made a mad dash retrieve vehicles, and like a line of cavalry, they circled in front of the shelter and stopped long enough for everyone to toss whatever they could inside, then hop in and go. We caravanned (in our Caravan!) to my cousin’s house, which was just a mile or so away, and spent the rest of the afternoon there. It all turned out just fine and we enjoyed our time together very much.

On Sunday, we made a quick stop at Union Station before heading out of town, and I had the pleasure of watching each of my kids as they played around with digital cameras. It was so cool to see them scope out different shots of the beautiful, historic train station. They both had a great time.

We ended up running over to Crown Center just long enough to see if the Zoom toy store had any Legos. (Have I mentioned that my son has an addiction to Legos?) Well, he was out of luck, but I found something that I just have to show Spring if we ever get up to KC together. Zoom has dozens and dozens of old, metal lunch boxes, which I know Spring loves because she uses one for a purse. The lunch boxes were so cool, and we had fun looking for the kind we carried back in the day. I never did find my Chitty Chitty Bang Bang one, but Scott found two of his, the U.S. Mailbox, and Adam 12. I loved seeing the Disney School Bus, which is one that I remember lots of my friends having. I took a couple of pictures, but they don’t do this collection justice.

The trip home was uneventful. I drove the first half, then switched places with my hubby. Finally, our daughter got to drive the last 40 miles or so.

As I sat in the comfy back seat of Ol’ Blue, watching the ever-changing panoramic view slip by, I pondered a few things:

• Has anyone ever really paid that cheap price advertised on hotel billboards? And if they did, what did that price get them? A cot tossed in some janitor’s closet and a free bar of soap?
  
• Does anyone but me feel sorry for the really small towns that have a “no services” sign slapped below their name along the highway?
  
• What are walnut bowls and who buys them?


• Has anyone ever driven through central Missouri, spotted the “See Rock City” signs on top of the barns and completely altered their travel plans?
  
• If Elvis is still alive, as some people imagine, would anyone really want to see him after all these years anyway? Seriously, do we really want to see him do ten years of “final shows” with Journey or the Rolling Stones? Maybe the Beatles had the right idea after all.


• I am driving along, and I pass a truckload of logs going east. A few minutes later, I see another truckload of logs, this one going west. Why???

Spring's On-Line Gallery

Just a quick note to let ya'll know that Spring has all of her favorite I-55 photos up on her business site now. That address is:

http://atouchofspringphotography.
easyphotoview.com/OnlinePhotos.asp

When you get there, click on the plus sign next to Motorsports, then click on the I-55 link.

We have lots of other fun things going on, including a sneak peak inside St. Louis' newest karting facility, Grand Prix Speedways, later this week. I have a few things to share from my weekend in Kansas City as well, but this morning, there's a whole lotta work to be done, so that's going to have to wait.

Until later, enjoy the photos and let us know what you think.

Bit's 'n pieces

The newest phase in the evolution of the GGR logo.

(Val) When you get the chance, check out the link below. It is our first time for one of Spring's pics to be used on another racing site, that we know of anyway. Thanks to Paul Pittman at Velocity Wings and the IRA for using one of the pics I sent him on the site. (Yes, he had permission, which is the right way to do it!) Thanks also to Paul for being the first to post a comment on the blog for the Cars movie review. It's nice to know someone out there actually reads this stuff once in a while.

http://www.velocitywings.com/home.shtml

I've been messing around with a collage program that I have, and you can see the results both in the new logo on the home page and in a fun collage on the Gallery page. The program is called Collage Creator and I got it on clearance for five bucks at Wal-Mart. It's definitely one of the best $5 I ever spent! There has to be a way to do this kind of stuff in Paint Shop Pro, but I have yet to get a handle on that program. I was able to figure out enough to finish up the new logo, once I created the collage, but that took forever and a day. Now that I've done it, though, I ought to be able to do it again without too much trouble.

This weekend we have a big family reunion in Kansas City, and there is a slight chance we might attempt to take in the ASCS race at U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, MO tomorrow night. It will depend a lot on the weather and how tired we are after messing around all day in KC. Our daughter may want to check out a college or two, and she found us a go kart track so hopefully, we will get to go hang out there for a while and actually do some racing!

The next race on the horizon, and this is not on the calendar yet, is the World of Outlaws vs. All Stars Challenge at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. As you may remember, we were supposed to be at the National Sprint Tour race at Tri-City last Sunday night, but due to the tragic death of NST promoter Fred Brownfield, that event was postponed. As far as I know right now, things are still up in the air as to the re-scheduling of that event.

That's the news for now. I hope everyone is enjoying the photos on the site. Spring was having some problems with her monitor the last time we talked, so I'll have to see how things are coming on her business site. Until next time, keep all four wheels on the ground. Well, ok, just three in the corners will work.

GGR Gallery Update

There is a quick sample of more of Spring's work from I-55 Raceway on WhoWon.com at this address: http://www.whowon.com/results.asp?trackid=1295&storyid=190278

Also, two pages of photos have just been added to the gallery on Girls Gone Racin'. A link to Spring's business site will be up soon with even more photos.

Get your kicks with Cars

"Even here in Hillbilly Hell, we still have standards.” – Sally Carrera, Cars

(Val) Not in a long, long time have I looked forward to a movie the way I did Disney-Pixar’s Cars. As someone who loves just about everything ever to come out of the Pixar studio, from animated short films to full-length features, I was excited to see what they would do with a movie about racing. To say that I was not disappointed is an understatement. In fact, the day this movie is released on DVD, I will be one of the first in line to buy it.

From the opening scenes where Lightning McQueen is psyching himself up for the big race against his closest competitors for the Piston Cup, to the post-movie clips that only D-P can do, I was thoroughly entertained.

Tonight, Spring and her son, my hubby and our daughter and I all went to see Cars together at a local theater. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions that turned what could have been a ho-hum evening into a night of fun for all.

After stopping for popcorn and drinks, (no, I didn’t sneak any food in this time, I think I was just so excited that I forgot!) we entered the theater and took our prime, top row seats. Maybe it’s just something about being a race fan that makes us instinctively head up as high as we can possibly get to make sure we get the best view. Caleb picked our seats, so he must have inherited that racing gene from Spring.

After sitting through an endless round of movie previews, some of which looked pretty good, the movie finally started. Within minutes, it was obvious that the guys at D-P did their homework when researching this film. The comments by the guys in the booth, the outstanding animation with a very Bristol-esque race track for a background, and even the fans in the stands and the infield were so totally true-to-life that we couldn’t stop laughing about how well they’d been pegged. I love it that Darrell Waltrip plays himself, right down to a well-timed "boogity boogity boogity" later in the movie.

One of the things that really caught my attention about how much work went into the details of this movie were the scenes where Doc is trying to explain to Lightning about “turning right to go left.” There’s not a Sprint Car fan out there who won’t pick up on that one! What cracked me up was that when we first started watching the Sprint Cars at Pevely last Wednesday night, Spring’s first question to me was about why the cars go sideways through the turns. Now that she’s seen the movie, as well as some real Sprint Car and Midget racing, the lesson ahs been learned!

The soundtrack itself is worth the price of admission, with Rascal Flatts doing an excellent job with Life Is a Highway, and John Mayer’s Route 66, along with the musical score during Lightning and Sally’s trip out on the open road are all wonderfully done.

Animation has always fascinated me, and the unique style D-P uses to capture some of the real-life features of the actors who do these voices is uncanny. Of course, in Cars, nobody is more “himself” than Larry the Cable Guy as Mater the tow truck. What truly amazes me though, is the way this studio gives life and character to common objects, such as vehicles. Who would imagine that a car could be flirtatious, silly, serious or lonely? Well, the gang at D-P believes that anything can have a personality, and they are experts when it comes to getting those characteristics across, whether through the tilt of a fender, the lowering of an eyelid or the twist of a bumper.

I loved everything about this movie, from the animation to the music, to what is really a sweet story with a great lesson about friendship, priorities, and respect for the past. This movie is perfect for any age, but I think fans of auto racing, especially NASCAR, will enjoy it to an even higher degree. I give it a hearty five spark plugs!

Movie Facts:

Theatrical Release: June 9, 2006
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Rating: G
Director: John Lasseter
Co-Director: Joe Ranft

Voice Cast:
Owen Wilson - Lightning McQueen
Paul Newman - Doc Hudson
Bonnie Hunt - Sally Carrera
Larry the Cable Guy – Mater
Cheech Marin – Ramone
Tony Shalhoub – Luigi
Guido Quaroni – Guido
Jenifer Lewis – Flo
Paul Dooley – Sarge
Michael Wallis – Sheriff
George Carlin – Filmore
Katherine Helmond – Lizzie
John Ratzenberger – Mack
Bob Costas - Bob Cutlass
Michael Keaton - Chick Hicks
Ray Magliozzi - Clunk
Tom Magliozzi - Clink
Edie McClurg – Minny
Richard Petty - 'The King' Strip Weathers
Darrel Waltrip - Carrel Cartip

Fast cars and freedom

Spring and Kenny Wallace after the races.

(Val) Here's a quick rundown of last night’s winners at I-55 Raceway: In UMP Late Models, Billy Moyer; Winged 410 Sprints, Ricky Logan and in the Midgets, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Ok, now that business is out of the way, it’s time to get to the stories behind the racing.

There is nothing quite so fun for someone who has a passion for something, than to share that passion with someone else. Last night I had the privilege of sharing my intense love of dirt track racing with my good friend Spring. I knew months ago that one of the best places to break her in right would be the first and second turns at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri. It’s a great, high-banked dirt track, and since Spring is a NASCAR fan, I figured the fact that it is co-owned by Kenny Schrader couldn’t hurt. Kenny Schrader and Kenny Wallace were both on hand last night (see photo of Spring and Mr. Wallace) which was the icing on the cake.

We headed out a little late and got caught in some traffic, but it didn’t matter. When two chicks are on the road talking about everything from our husbands and kids to photography and Rascal Flatts, time flies no matter how slow you’re moving. Fortunately for Randy, he got the back seat of ol’ Blue and was able to nap on the way down.

My husband and my brother were waiting for us, literally. Scott was tapped for cash, so I was able to come to the rescue with enough to get him in and get some food for the night. In a scene reminiscent of some switched up episode of the Jetson’s, Spring also had to dig into her wallet to help out her man. What we girls don’t do for a night at the track!

After leaving the boys at the upper parking lot, we headed down below where we signed in at the pit gate and headed toward a fine-looking mix of Late Models, Winged Sprints and Midgets. As we walked, I clued Spring in on a few safety rules (don’t stand in an open pit stall, be aware of your surroundings at ALL times, etc.) and explained a bit about the differences between Sprints and Midgets, and even Sprints and NASCAR-type Stock Cars.

As we were strolling along, getting our bearings, who should we see but a real, live Girl Gone Racin’! Tiffany Wyzard, who has been driving 410 Winged Sprints for the past few years was kind enough to spare a few minutes to chat with us and allowed Spring to snap a few pics. We enjoyed getting to visit with her, and hearing how she and her sister started in Quarter Midgets and Tiffany went on to work her way up to the big cars. I had seen both young ladies race before, at Jacksonville Raceway in Illinois. Tiffany seems to really enjoy what she does, and when Spring asked if the guys give her any crap, she smiled and told us that they really don’t. We got the feeling that if they do, she’s the kind of girl who can hold her own. Tiffany proved that she could manage that big ol’ Sprint Car too, by starting on the pole of her heat race and leading all the way from green to checkers. Congratulations, Tiffany! We’ll get those pictures up as soon as we can. To find out more about Tiffany, check out her web site: TiffanyWyzard.

Speaking of pictures, Spring definitely earned her rookie stripes last night. As I have mentioned before, she has a style and flair all her own, and it shows in her race work as much as it does in her studio shots. We are all familiar with the standard racing shots with cars coming down the track, or turned just so in the corners. Spring wanted no part of that. She is out to take the shots that no one else gets, and we will be sharing those as soon as we can. This morning, her son is having a tonsillectomy, so he will need her attention for a while, but I know that as soon as she can, she will get the pictures on the site. Until then, she sent me a few, just to tease everyone, and I will put them on in just a few minutes. I will also return to add more to this blog, but right now, I need to grab some Cheerios and get to work!

Later that same day…

Alrighty, now that I’ve had my fill of racing news and results for the day, it’s time to get back to talking about last night. The response to Spring’s series of photos has been incredible. I knew she did a great job with those, and everyone who has seen them says the same. I can’t wait to see how the others turned out and get them up on the site, but it’s been a very rough day for Spring’s little boy, and I have a feeling she’s going to be pretty busy with him for a while, as well as shooting a wedding this weekend. She is one busy gal!

With regard to the photos, Jason Keith went out on a backboard last night, which is always a scary sight. From what we could tell immediately after the accident, he was moving his arms and such, but I know that the track emergency team wanted to take every precaution when it came to getting him out without further injury. I do not know if they gave an update last night before the races were over, but I sure hope he’s ok. That was one nasty flip, and it’s much better for everyone when the driver is able to get out under his own power and walk away.

When we weren’t in one of the turns trying to get great racing shots, (or should I say dodging flying race cars?) we spent time watching from the top of one of the haulers. My Dad got to talking with Derrick Myers and his Dad, and they very kindly offered us the use of their wonderful raised “patio” for a pretty killer view. There were a few obstacles in the way, but we were able to see much better than when we were down on the ground. I told Spring on the way home how jealous I was. I went to races for YEARS before I got to watch from the top of a hauler, and she did it her first time out. Talk about rookie luck!

Derrick and his Dad are nice folks, and I enjoyed talking to them. They run in the Midget class and we talked about the expense of engines, chassis and the travel involved. We’ll have some pictures up as soon as we can.

Derrick started on the pole for the feature, but had to retire early with some engine problems. For many of the cars out there, engines didn’t seem to be a problem, but tires were going away all over the place. The Midget feature was yellow-flagged numerous times due to flat tires. Even the winning car had a flat tire!

Late Models going into turn two at Pevely.

By the end of the night, we were tired, hungry and dirty, but we got a nice surprise on the way through the back pits. Kenny Wallace was down there talking to folks, signing autographs and just being his hyper self. Spring got him to sign her hat and I took the picture that’s at the beginning of this post. He’s a real nice guy, and was very patient while waiting for my pokey digital camera to warm up.

All in all, it was a great night. I think both Spring and Randy thoroughly enjoyed their first time at the dirt track and I know I had fun showing Spring around. We talked most of the way home and she finally made me a list of “favorites” for the right-hand column of the blog. I got some of them up today but I have to narrow down some of the others because she just couldn’t pick one or two!

We are scheduled to go back out this Sunday night to the first National Sprint Tour event at Tri City Speedway. Promoter Tammy Gundaker and I have been working on an interview this week, which I hope to get up shortly. The idea is to take our readers behind the scenes so you can see what it takes to pull off a weekly racing show. As soon as we get that finished up, I’ll get it posted either here in the blog, or on the web site.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave your comments. We would love to hear from you!

First time for everything

(Val) Life is full of first times. First day of school, first love, first heartbreak, and of course, first race. Tonight will be the first time Spring sees real, live Sprint Car racing up close and dirty. It’s the night I have been waiting for since the day GGR was born.

It’s a beautiful, sunny, dry day here, which for St. Louis in June is next to miraculous. Typically our weather is more like walking around in a steam bath, humidity I like to call “air you can drink.” We are truly blessed to be heading out to a night at the races on such a fabulous day.

On tap for this evening are Winged Sprints, Midgets and Late Models with NASCAR icons Kenny Schrader and Rusty Wallace on hand. Kenny is co-owner of I-55 Raceway, so his appearance is not that unusual. Rusty is also from the area, so he likes to come back once in a while as well.

We will be attempting to get a good spot down in turn 1 so that Spring can get a real feel for the speed and power of these cars. I think she will be impressed, and I’m excited to see her reaction to it all. I have to toss out the fact that Sprint Cars have approximately twice the power and half the weight of her beloved NASCAR machines, just to see what she thinks of that.

Both of our hubbies, along with my brother and my Dad will be joining us tonight, although some of them will be in the stands rather than the pits. We will have a good time, no matter what, and I can’t wait to finish up this work day and hit the road.

Just a quick note here to check out Elaine’s Elaborations in the right hand column, under GGR Departments. Elaine is a true “Girl Gone Racin’” and I think you will enjoy her comments.

Check back tomorrow for all the details of our night at the track.

On a warm night in May

(Val) Wow! I honestly don't remember the last time I got to go racing two nights in a row, but I have to say, it's been way too long. This weekend was a great way to jump into the season.

Last night Dad, my hubby and I headed back down to Farmington for night two of the First Annual 410 Nationals at SFCR. (Note to promoters: Never call something the "First Annual," indicating that there will be one next year, until you see how well the first one turns out.)

It was another steamy afternoon, but the breeze kept things bearable. We had expected a much higher car count after last night's slim turnout, but there were only 20 or so cars. No matter, the racing was still very good, and no one was giving anything away, not even in the heats.

The photo here is a picture of Saturday night's winning car, driven by Tommy Worley, Jr. Tommy was locked into the feature on Friday night, won the dash on Saturday to nail down the pole position, then held off a hard-charging Tim Montgomery for the win. Montgomery looked like he had it up until he backed into the turn 4 wall going for the pass. After that, Worley got out in front and stayed there.

We had a great evening, and thanks to the loan of my daughter's camera, we got better pictures this evening too. My hubby snapped some really nice ones, but since we kept handing the camera back and forth, I'm not really sure who took which ones. The track got a little dusty tonight, but not nearly as bas as some places I've seen. For the most part, I thought it held up really well.

We spent the afternoon today at a family bar-b-que, taking turns catching up on the Indy 500 progress, eating, visiting and working on training our dog. Each year, we each pay $1 per driver and randomly draw names for who will win the race, and the pot. This year's finish was the most exciting ever, both on the track and on Dad's screened in porch. My sister-in-law took home the big $33 prize and turned down the offer of a big glass of milk on her head.

Spring and her family are on their way back from Disney World and were driving through Atlanta this afternoon. We should be out on the road to our next GGR adventure together very soon. I am looking forward to introducing her to the world of Sprint Car racing on June 14. It should be an absolute blast!

Back on track

(Val) After months of thinking about it, planning for it, and praying for good weather, I finally got back out to play in the dirt last night!

My Dad and I headed down to Farmington, Missouri yesterday afternoon to meet up with my brother and a buddy for the First Annual 410 Nationals at Saint Francois County Raceway. It was a warm afternoon, but we found some shade in the drivers stands when we needed it, thanks to the wonderful billboards along the backstretch.

It felt great just to be out and the facility at SFCR is excellent. Surrounded by trees on three sides, it is a picuresque setting in which to watch the greatest sport on earth. With only 19 Sprinters in the pits, we were a bit disappointed, but the talent there would definitely be worth watching, and Saturday is sure to draw more drivers as the winner will receive a $7,500 paycheck. The top four spots were locked in Friday night, and it was a major case of sibling rivalry with Joey and Tim Montgomery started on the front row of the feature. They duked it out the entire time with Dale Howard, Tommy Worley, Jr., A.J. Bruns and others hot on their tails.

For Saturday night's big event, the Montgomery brothers, Worley and Howard will face off in a scramble to see who will sit on the pole. It should be an all out battle that keeps the fans on their feet.

Before the racing started, we wandered the pits checking out the cars and chatting with a few of the drivers. There were a few cars we didn't recognize, others with different names on the sides, and still more with the same diehard drivers behind the wheel. The Webb Racing number 51 has carried a slew of talented drivers over the starting line, including Jarrod Hull and Danny Smith, but it would be Paul May behind the wheel for the first time tonight. May pushed the car to its limits and put on a Sprint Car driving school of his own as he figured out just what it could do. He will be one to watch on Saturday.

While watching the races, I made a few observations. Here are just a few.

The billed cap has many uses
Caps have many uses other than just keeping the sun out of your eyes and off your tender scalp. I'm not a real cap person since I just don't look cute in them the way Spring does. I do, however, snap my WhoWon.com cap (signed by Brad Doty and Sarah Fisher) on my purse and retreive it for a variety of reasons. One of the handiest, is that it can be used as a fan or a bug swatter. It can also be used to keep one's drink mud-clod free or to hold peanuts or other snacks.

Buggy Babes crack me up
SFCR has these cool little buggies they use for pushing off sprint cars and recovering disabled vehicles. Usually, they are driven by a guy while his girl (aka the Buggy Babe) rides shotgun. I can't help but chuckle when I see the vehicle pull up to a car because the same thing always happens. The driver hops out to check on the condition of the racer and assess the situation, while the Buggy Babe sits idly in the passenger seat chewing gum, twirling her hair and looking bored. What's the problem ladies, afraid of getting a little mud on your tennies? Or does your man just like you to stay put while he flexes his muscles while putting the car on the meat hook?

(I added the photo on Sunday. Not a Buggy Babe in the passenger seat, but at least now you know what the buggies look like.)

Dirt track concessions are usually cheaper and better than those at ballparks:
I know I did an entire post devoted to sneaking snacks into sporting events, but for a night at the dirt track, there's really no need. When you can get a fresh grilled burger or a big-as-your-face pork tenderloin at the track for less than the price of a bag of M&M's at the stadium, who needs to pack snacks? Ok, so I brought in two small bags of sunflower seeds, but I got them for free at a Missouri Valley Conference basketball game and they were just begging to be taken to a dirt track. Besides, we didn't touch them because the burgers, fries and tea were too good!

I'd rather spend a bad night racing than a good night at a soccer game
Come on, a good night at a soccer game? Impossible! And there's virtually no such thing as a bad night racing. Even when it rains, we find ways to have fun.

Hoping to get back to SFCR tonight for night two of the First Annual 410 Nationals. Be sure to check out last night's photos. They're no way close to what Spring would have taken, but at least you can tell those are cars in the pictures. Most of 'em anyway.

It's great to be back!

Days go by...

(Val) Wow, I am amazed at how much time has passed since my last post. My most sincere apologies to anyone who has checked back here hoping for something new only to come across my agonizing diatribe on pain. My only excuse is that I really was in a lot of pain and I needed an outlet.

Here I am, nearly a full month since the morning I woke up in excruciating pain, and I have to say that it has been a long, long road to recovery. I just completed my third week of physical therapy, and have one more session scheduled. Hopefully, I will be released after that. Through excercise, stretching, rest and patience, I am very close to recovery. Last night, I slept through the night for the first time since Easter. It was heavenly!

We are still not sure what I did, and I'm still going to have to be very careful not re-injure my shoulder, but I am so thankful to have come as far as I have. I have a great trainer, and it's been wonderful knowing that so many people have been praying for me. Those prayers are being answered!

In the last four weeks, I haven't been able to do anything regarding racing, but that will change soon. Tonight was supposed to have been a night of watching Midgets at Belle Claire Speedway, but weather is curtailing those plans. Instead, tonight we will hang out and watch the NASCAR race at Darlington. Spring and Randy may join us if they feel like making the drive. It should be a lot of fun!

Next up on my schedule is a double night Sprint event at Saint Fraincois County Raceway on Memorial Day Weekend. Saturday pays $7,000 to win and we will probably hang out in the pits. Spring will be in Charlotte that weekend, checking out the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, if everything goes as planned.

Ashley had the good fortune of spending a lot of time at Talladega a couple of weeks ago and she really enjoyed it. She has plans to write up her own entry here though, so I won't steal her thunder.

We'll keep you posted on our ramblings and, God-willing, there won't be such a gap between this post and the next one. Thanks for hanging in there!

Pain

(Val) Pain can steal our time, rule our days and torment us throughout the night. It can be unrelenting, brutal and completely dominating. It is heartless, thoughtless and raw. Pain isolates us into our own cold, dark, windowless prison cells, where others may visit, but they never understand the depth of our agony.

This past week, I have learned a lot about pain. Unfortunately, I am pretty sure the lessons are going to continue for a while. In fact, just the effort to type this quick post will undoubtedly cause more pain. But I miss doing this and I’m willing to take the risk.

It all started Monday morning when I sat down to start the day’s work. My shoulder began to hurt, and, having assumed that maybe I’d just slept in an odd position, I tried stretching, bending and massaging the ache, but these actions only made things worse. Eventually, I took myself to a doctor, was diagnosed with a rotator cuff injury and a pulled tricep. He gave me some pain meds and I took them and prayed for relief. I’m still waiting.

On Thursday, I saw another doctor. Her diagnosis was muscle spasms. This time I not only got different meds, but orders for physical therapy. I start tomorrow, and I can only hope that this is the answer.

The pain is in my right shoulder, tricep, bicep, and elbow, and my index and middle fingers are asleep and tingly. I call them my “mouse fingers” because they are the ones I use the most when working with my computer mouse. Typing is uncomfortable, but doesn’t cause the sharp pain that working the mouse does. It’s very strange indeed.

Because of all this pain and tingliness, I have been unable to work for most of the week. It has been frustrating for me, to say the least, and I know it has to be even more so for my co-workers who are trying their best to cover for me. We are behind in posting the news, but I know that every effort is being made to keep up. I can only hope that my co-workers realize how much I appreciate their efforts. As someone who is always in the thick of things where work is concerned, having to sit on the sidelines has been a humbling experience.

And so I sit here, and I count the hours until my physical therapy appointment, and I ponder pain and why God allows it. It’s one of those questions I want to ask when I step through the gates of heaven. All I know is that He is always with me, in the dark of night when I can’t sleep because of the pain, and in those rare, brief moments when I find a position that doesn’t hurt. I am thankful for God’s promise to give me hope, and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). I just hope that the future is a little less painful.

Spring Has Finally Arrived

(Spring) I have finally arrived and the lilacs out my bedroom window are fantastic. I impatiently await their scented arrival every spring, kinda like the feeling one has for chocolate chip cookies in the oven or waiting for the arrival of the Daytona or Indy 500. Racing has been in my blood as long as I can remember. Going to my Uncle Lonnie and Uncle Brice's house and watching Richard Petty win. It gives me chill bumps now remembering the feelings I had. And then the Dukes of Hazzard appeared on the scene and that General Lee just did something to this southern bred country girl. I enjoy all kinds of racing; horse, auto, bike, boat.... pretty much anything with speed, but cars and horses..... yummy and my blood gets to pumping. I still would take a horse to work any day and appreciate all that they offer to us and society, now and then. I have had the privilege to be in England for the early morning exercises at Newmarket and WOW, the power that shook the ground I stood on was breathtaking. Hey, brainstorm... Val, we must go to a horse race. I hear there is a really big one coming up, haha. Anyway, I will save my horse racing stories for another late night of work.

Val and I have been toying around with this idea of Girls Gone Racin' for a while and it is amazing how things come together. I and my husband, Randy, hosted a Daytona 500 party and it was then that Val and I made the decision to stop talking about it and do it. I am so excited to be working with Val and I foresee many a late night and side splitting laughter, even if some of it is at my own expense. I will be doing more homework, so I don't make many more rookie mistakes, but was so glad to brighten everyone's evening with my tree comment. Ok, just remember my expertise is photographing things that move me and Val writes fabulously, thus we are going to make a great team. Keep up with the craziness and please leave comments.

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.

Walk Softly and Carry a Big Purse

(Val) Cardinals fans here in St. Louis are all set to christen the opening of our new baseball stadium during Monday night’s home opener against Milwaukee. It’s a big deal that has dominated the local news for quite sometime now because of the controversy involving tax use, the sentimental attachment many had to the old Busch Stadium and the worry that the new venue would not be completed in time.

Earlier this week, an exhibition game was played at the new stadium, and the reviews, both positive and negative, were bantered about like fielders warming up before a game. As someone who loves the game of baseball, but would rather watch my son play little league or take in a local Frontier League game than make the trip through the hubbub of downtown, my excitement has been somewhat tempered. I definitely want to go checkout the new digs, and I’ll cheer just as loud for my beloved Redbirds as the rest of the crowd, but when it comes right down to it, I have a beef with the whole experience of big league play, and it’s not limited to baseball.

Without turning this into a big rant that no one cares to read, I’ll just lay it on the line: Concessions at our stadiums, arenas and superspeedways are the biggest rip-off known to fankind. When I saw the price of a bottle of water at the new Busch Stadium listed at $4.50, I was astounded. If my math is correct, that multiplies out to over $34.00 per gallon. And I though $2.59 for gas was bad!

It all seemed to start with the movie theaters. It’s not bad enough that one can rent two movies for the price of one theater ticket - assuming there is actually something out there worth seeing - but then you walk in and pay three to four times the convenience store price for candy or soda, and it’s ridiculous. This is one of the main reasons that our family sees, on average, only one to two movies per year at a theater.

So what is the solution? Until the powers that be start listening to folks like me who say “we’re not gonna take it anymore,” the only thing we can do is to bring snacks with us, an act of criminal proportions, according to the signs posted at some events. Because most places ban outside snacks and beverages, we are forced to resort to sneakiness. This becomes more challenging all the time, especially in this day and age of terrorism where purses, packs and coats are subject to random search and snack seizure.

Of course, there are ways around such measures, and I have to admit, I have used them in the past, and will continue to do so as long as prices remain in the “utterly ridiculous” range.

When my kids were still young enough to justify the carrying of a diaper bag, it was pretty simple to conceal snacks and even drinks when the need arose. After all, even the burliest of security guards is intimidated by thoughts of what the average diaper bag might contain.

Now that my diaper bag toting days are over, I have had to revise my plotting, planning, snack-sneaking ways. This has led me to do extensive research in my quest to find the best purse for the job.

When searching for the perfect snack-sneaking bag, there are several things too look for. The first is size because let’s face it, those dinky little bags that teenagers carry can’t hold much more than an earring and a stick of gum. You need something large, but not overly so because you don’t want it to draw attention. A duffle bag might be a bit obvious.

The other main thing to keep in mind is containment areas. Look for a bag with lots of smaller compartments or divisions in which to stow your stuff. During most searches, it’s that main compartment in the middle that’s going to be scrutinized, not the little zippered areas or the area hidden by the “false bottom” of some bags.

Currently, L.L. Bean’s (www.llbean.com) Travel Touring Bags fit the bill nicely. They come in four colors and two sizes, regular and large, and have lots of pockets, zippers and flaps for stowing your stash. All those little areas are perfect because as noted above, the smaller spots don’t look like they could contain a whole lot, and therefore, don’t often rate a search. The inside pocket of these bags is my favorite because it is virtually unnoticeable and can hold lots of goodies!

Once you have the perfect bag, it is important that you pack the perfect snacks. In fairer weather, most candies, nuts, crackers and cookies will work, but on steamy outings, be sure to pack sturdier fair. There is nothing worse than anticipating the chocolatey goodness of M&Ms, and then reaching in and drawing back a hand full of melted candy mess. They may not melt in your hand, but they sure will melt in your purse!

Packaging is also important. While most treats will survive quite nicely in their original wrappers, some items may need to be reinforced, or split into smaller serving sizes using a series of zipper type bags. Of course, if you are worried about overzealous security guards ratting you out, you might also want to disguise your snacks inside tissue wrappers or pain reliever bottles.

In the event you do find yourself busted by a party-pooping snack-confiscating security guard, remember to remain calm. Crying, ranting and screaming will get you no where, but bribery just might work. You might consider packing one super-sized snack with a small amount of paper cash inconspicuously taped to it for just such occasions.

Finally, I have to offer this caveat: I do not advocate snack-sneaking at smaller, local tracks for many reasons, and in fact, I encourage you to support them with your purchases. First, they usually charge much less than the mega-venues for their food and beverages, therefore making it much less necessary to sneak. Second, the small tracks generally do much better job of catering to the needs of families anyway with most offering free parking and affordable ticket prices. Thirdly, these businesses are most often run by individuals trying to eke out a living, not by major shareholders and conglomerates who pay millions of dollars to athletes in order to boost their own salaries.

Best of luck to all you snack-sneakers out there, and my most sincere apologies to President Theodore Roosevelt for capitalizing on his favorite quote for illegal purposes. Feel free to share your tips in the comments section of the blog. The best ones will be posted for all to see and use!

Wooden Crosses

(Val) On days like this I wish I'd never gotten out of bed, never turned on my computer, and never answered the phone. There are no more shocking moments than those that bring the news of the passing of a someone we care about. Today is one of those days.

Friendships take on a whole new twist when one works in cyberspace. For the last six years, that is what I have done, and it is something I really enjoy doing. There is a unique relationship that forms between people who use only e-mail and instant messaging for communication. Yes, we miss out on inflection, tone, visual expression, but in some ways, I am convinced that we get to know each other better because we open up a little more in writing our thoughts and feelings instead of speaking them. We maybe give just a little more thought to what we want to say, and have the opportunity to backspace over something we shouldn't say before hitting that "send" button.

There is a downside to this though. Because we use the written word, we have no idea the color of a person's eyes, and as it's been said many times, those eyes are the windows to a person's soul. We can exchange a photograh but it's just not the same. A one-dimensional portrait never really gives us a three dimensional look at the person behind the face. Without ever meeting a person, we never get the privilige of hearing their voice, watching their expression, sharing in their laughter. In other words, we only get to see one side, and for some, it may be the only side they want us to see.

Do we really reveal who we are through what our fingers type on the keyboard? Or do we hide our insecurities, our failures and even our shame because we are afraid of what others might see?

This morning I got word that a co-worker had passed. It came like a bolt out of the blue, and my first thought was that it could not possibly be true. We just "talked" last Thursday, making plans for a teleconference this week. It would be the first time we actually heard each other's voices, and I was looking forward to it. There were exciting things happening in the company, and this person was one of those wonderful people who always lent encouragement and support, someone who seemed excited about what he was doing, despite the challenges and headaches he encountered along the way.

So as I sit here and reflect about life and death and what it all means, there is a part of me that feels as if I didn't earn this grief. After all, we had never met face-to-face so how I can I say that I miss him? But the reality is, I do miss him! I'm still waiting for that little Instant Messenger box to pop up on my window saying that he has signed in. I keep checking that list, hoping to see his little IM picture but instead it's just that faceless red IM icon. When I follow the instructions: "Right click to see ways that you can interact with this person," my options are "Send Email" and "Send Other." Because the only real choice I have now is "Send Other," I send my prayers, prayers for his parents, his two little children, for my co-workers in New York who worked with him every day, and for myself because today I feel cheated. Not only did I lose a friend, but I lost the opportunity to hear him laugh and I will never get that chance again. Even in death, he's still teaching me.

When someone loses their life in a highway accident, a white wooden cross will often mark the spot. Because we worked together on the "information highway," I would like to dedicate my own "cross" in the form of the song below.

Godspeed, Gene. May we never forget the joy you brought into our lives.

Cry Out To Jesus
Words by Mac Powell / Music by Third Day

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

Weather...or not

(Val) Over the years, I've watched races from just about any imaginable place, bleachers, infield, NSCHoF suites, the sofa in my livingroom. Yesterday, however, was the first time I ever heard part of a race while crouching in our storm closet with the tornado sirens blaring outside.

To be honest, we did not intentionally turn on the race, but we have a TV band radio in our basement storage area so we can hear what's going on during dangerous weather situations. Because our local Fox affiliate does such a great job with their weather coverage, it just so happened that we already had them tuned in, which meant we got to listen to the race when they weren't breaking in with updates. So as I sat there trying to keep the kids and the dog distracted, it was kind of nice to have the race on to help divert my attention from the possible destruction going on outside.

As a midwestern gal born and raised, tornadoes are just a part of life. We know the signs, what to watch for, and quite often, we hit the basement before the sirens even go off. Such was the case yesterday afternoon. When the trees stopped swaying from side to side, and began twisting instead, we decided to head to the hidey hole.

My husband designed, built and reinforced our glorified closet a few years back, after many debates about whether or not our full-framed walkout basement was really the safest place to go during destructive weather. It’s a great storage place with a hallway long enough for the four of us to sit or stand. He built it before the dog came along, so it’s a little bit crowded now, but we don’t mind.

As much as small spaces bother me, I always feel pretty safe there. After watching the coverage of the destruction of the last few storms to hit our area, I am more thankful for our safe room than ever before. There's no place like home during an outbreak of severe weather.

Weather plays a huge factor in Motorsports, and not just for the drivers and their teams trying to drive a race or set up a car. Ask anyone who has logged on to the NOAA site in the hours leading up to a planned race trip and you may find out that we know more about weather patterns, storm fronts and barometric pressure than fans of any other sport ever imagined.

Quite often, that radar screen, combined with the weather report, will make or break a race weekend. However, erring on the side of caution can also cost us when we’re wrong. That happened Saturday night.

My Dad and I have this agreement. Because we can’t stand freezing at the race track, we’ve decided not to go if the night time temperature is predicted to fall below a certain point. Let’s face it, no one wants to pay to be uncomfortable all night long, no matter how exciting the action on the track. Over the years, we have attended a few races in the cold, and it’s never been a pretty site. We anticipated that happening last Saturday night with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car race at I-55 Raceway, and it kept us from seeing what turned out to be some great racing. With 55 Sprint Cars signed in, the temperature didn’t drop below our cutoff point until after the feature. Needless to say, we blew it this weekend!

One of those weekends that really did turn out to be uncomfortably cold happened on a quick trip my husband and I took down to Dallas a few years ago. Richard Day, then PR Rep for the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, invited us down to Lanny and Beverly Edwards’ Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. A friend got us a great rate on stand-by tickets to fly down, so there was just no way we could turn down the invitation. My only problem was overcoming claustrophobia long enough to survive the flight.

We made it out of St. Louis on the second flight of the day, and after waiting through the de-icing procedure, we were on our way. The flight was uneventful until it came time to land, which turned out to be the one of the most frightening experiences of my life. Our pilot must have moved from flying F-15s straight into flying jumbo jets and no one explained to her that landing one is in no way similar to landing the other. Even my husband, who is a stalwart flyer, was ready to kiss the ground when we deplaned.

We picked up our rental car, navigated the traffic and found our way to Devil’s Bowl Speedway. What an amazing track! We were enthralled with the absence of fencing along the back straight, and we cracked up every time a car would disappear over the ridge out of turn two and then come roaring back onto the track and into to turn three. The racing was awesome, and we had a wonderful time.

It got a bit chilly that first night, so on Saturday, we bundled up, wearing just about everything we’d brought along, and spent the evening huddling up near those engine heaters that some of the teams use. It was cold, and we toughed it out for as long as we could, then headed back to our hotel for a few hours’ sleep. Despite the cold, we had a lot of fun that weekend, and I know that given the choice, we would do it all over again.

Cold and rain are certainly not the only enemies of the race fan, that’s for sure. The very worst, and certainly the most dangerous situation, has to be tornadoes. It only stands to reason that with so many tracks in the middle of Tornado Alley, they are bound to be a factor. For a few years there, I was beginning to think they were attracted to me personally.

It’s one thing when those bad boys strike early in the program, before nightfall when you can see them coming, but it’s another matter entirely when they wait until it’s pitch black outside. Twice now we have run from tornadoes, and both were frightening experiences. I would have to say that the time we sought shelter in one of the show barns at Knoxville was probably the scariest. When you look around and realize that the only thing standing between you and a possible twister are two-by-fours and sheet metal, let’s just say it’s a bit difficult to rustle up even the slightest bit of courage.

We have been fortunate throughout all of the years we have been attending races. That night at Knoxville was closer to danger than I ever wanted to be, yet when the worst was over, and we were just hanging out in the barn waiting for the rain to let up so we could walk back to the campground, we met new people and found things to laugh about. The “full moon” that flashed us through the window of the barn next door caused quite a stir, especially when we returned to camp and found out we knew the guy.

All in all, even those close calls help make up the pages of our scrapbook of racing memories. There is triumph in survival, and satisfaction in living to tell about it.