Thank you NASCAR

     During Jim’s retirement we have been blessed to attend over 50 Cup races in eight years. We shared many unforgettable experiences and met so many kind and wonderful people. Our active period in NASCAR is winding down; I want to share with you some of our activities and acknowledge those memorable people.

     In 2006 when we first started our NASCAR years we did the Richard Petty Ride Along at Daytona. A bit scary but very exhilarating. Would love to do a ride-along again because I would appreciate the experience so much more this time. Martinsville would be perfect. While we were at Daytona USA we got to see Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona winning car.

     We have attended many tweetups since our first one at Homestead in 2009. The first is always the best and this one was certainly that. We met Tom Jensen, Jeff Gluck and Nate Ryan along with Michael McDowell. Brian France stopped in briefly. I am grateful to Jeff and Bob Pockrass for doing the tweetups and bringing fans, media members and NASCAR members together. Jeff would never follow me on Twitter but arranged a different way of communicating. I appreciate that. Bob always had a smile and even a hug for me every time we met. We have met many of the NASCAR Hall of Fame members at different tweetups. Such an honor and privilege to be in the presence of Richard Petty, Dale Inman, Glen and Leonard Wood, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Ned Jarrett. Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace were also at tweetups we attended. We have met many drivers and crew members also. The most special team member of course is Jimmie Johnson’s spotter, Earl Barban, whom we have seen at many tweetups. Always enjoyed talking with a fellow Missourian and appreciate the many Jimmie Johnson items he gave us.

 

 

 

     We have also met many fans at the tweetups. The best bunch of folks in NASCAR fandom are those at the Kansas tweetups. I always looked forward to seeing them before a race. My very favorite Kansas twitter friend and sister in Christ is Nan Dahmer. I love and adore her beyond words. I will still interact with all my Kansas tweeter buddies but will so miss all the hugs and laughter. We enjoyed tweetups elsewhere but frankly they have become so large at some of the tracks and the intimacy is lost. Cannot forget to mention the very loud Talladega tweetup at the Dodge stage. I asked a young man if we could move the tweetup to a different, quieter area. Turns out he was Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of Dodge Design. Oops. Heard virtually nothing but did meet Alan Cavanna for the first time. Such a sweet young man who really tried to get me a Dodge shirt. I have loved him ever since. 

 

 

     Doug Rice kindly extended an invitation to show us the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway and give us a tour of the PRN studio there. Now when I hear a broadcast I can envision him sitting in his chair and speaking to his audience.

 

 

     We met Nick Terry when he was a jackman for Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. A kind, gentle giant who now is on God’s team with MRO. In addition to his friendship Nick gave us two marvelous gifts: a race-worn helmet from his time with Harvick and a team shirt signed by all the crew members of the Bowyer team.

  

     Several years ago we met Ryan McGee in the rain at Martinsville. A special memory. He and Nate Ryan have never failed to listen to my viewpoint and I have greatly enjoyed conversations with them on and off Twitter. They even visited with us in the grandstands. Both are outstanding journalists and truly special people.

 

 

     We were lucky to be chosen to attend three Jimmie Jams. These were a combination of story-telling and Q&A with Jimmie along with music from guest performers. The best was in Chicago with the Bodeans. Delightful evening. It was at the Kansas Jimmie Jam, however, that Nate Ryan introduced us to Jimmie’s PR lady, Kristine Curley. For some reason she took a liking to us and blessed us time and again. Our favorite memory is when she got us into Victory Lane for Jimmie’s 5^th championship. Close enough to be sprayed with the champagne. Mind blowing to be that close when Jimmie Johnson won his 5^th straight championship! Still cannot belief we were there while history was made.

 

 

 

     We are fortunate in that we have met Jimmie several times including a private meeting arranged at Texas. Unbelievable, pinch-me moment. A favorite memory of Jimmie comes from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation luncheon in Charlotte. Each attendee could have two items signed by him and a picture taken. The signed items were left on the podium while the picture was taken. I asked Jimmie if the photographer was Harold Hinson whose work I so admire. When he said yes I went over to speak with Mr. Hinson for a moment. Jimmie was afraid I had forgotten my diecast and picture he signed, so he picked them up and came after me to make sure I got them. What a kind and gentlemanly thing to do. Yet another reason why I respect him.

 

 

     Nate Ryan also introduced us to Tracey Hartman (Rice) at a Richmond tweetup. It was later that we realized this was the woman who stopped me in the parking lot at Road America to take a picture of me in my “I wear the firesuit in this family” shirt. I really enjoy interacting with her on Twitter and appreciate the tickets she procured for us at a Charlotte Nationwide race.

 

 

     Sometimes I received benefits from unexpected sources. So grateful to Donald Hawk for his bountiful gifts of Jimmie Johnson and Bristol Motor Speedway items. He also arranged for us to get an NRA event hat from Texas. I truly wish that we could have met at Bristol.

     Just as unexpectedly we were given hot passes at Kansas from the track president Patrick Warren. We also benefitted from hot passes to several other tracks from Jennifer Weaver, the former PR for Johanna Long. Haley at Kansas Speedway and NASCAR VP Steve O’Donnell also gifted us with passes. To me that is the ultimate overall fan experience at a track. We were so close to Jimmie Johnson’s car we could have helped Ron Malec and the 48 team fine tune the car. The hustle and bustle of practice sessions and being behind the pit box during the race is an experience for which we are very grateful and realize we were so fortunate to be able to do that once much less several times.  As exhausting as that was for me I would somehow find the stamina to do it one more time if given the opportunity. Jimmie’s 6^th championship celebration in November would be perfect.

     The person I want to thank most for the last eight years is my husband Jim. When I first became a NASCAR fan, he would tell people he thought the aliens had taken his wife and replaced her with the passionate fan who learned about all the drivers, crew chiefs, sponsors, tires, pit strategy and various other aspects of racing. He hoped the aliens would not come back to reverse the swap. We shared great times and innumerable laughs on our road trips to the tracks. He also kept me calm when Jimmie Johnson was in precarious situations. As he is every day he was my helpmate at the track helping me up and down the many stairs to our seats. Always solicitous of my health needs. I am so very blessed by him every day.

      Championship weekend at Homestead in November is the only race we have planned for the foreseeable future. There may be more, but they will be far less in number than in the past. When we are sitting in our rockers at the nursing home we can recall all our favorite NASCAR moments and be grateful to those who were so kind to us and helped create those moments for us.