Joliet Writer Not Sure if She's Ricky Bobby or Richard Petty... Time for The Legend to Straighten Her Out!
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Wait.... my grown daughters still love "Shake & Bake" from their youth in the 70s. "And I helped!"
Forum Activity for @dave-fulton
General
Wait.... my grown daughters still love "Shake & Bake" from their youth in the 70s. "And I helped!"
Joliet Writer Not Sure if She's Ricky Bobby or Richard Petty... Time for The Legend to Straighten Her Out!
General
Straight out of the Joliet newspaper...
Channeling my inner Richard Petty
Donna Vickroy: On assignment September 14, 2011 9:10PM
Some moments just scream movie lines.
Like when youre riding shotgun in a pace car in the shadow of Ricky Bobby.
You need to grab a hold of that line between speed and chaos, and you need to wrestle it to the ground like a demon cobra!
For about 30 minutes on a recent Friday morning, I was Tony Stewart no, wait! Jeff Gordon no, wait!! Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Well, OK, I was just a reporter firing it up while I rode sidekick around the
1.5-mile track at Chicagoland Speedway.
Though we topped out at around 70 mph, and though our Toyota hybrid didnt make so much as a whimper, let alone a roar, it was cool to ride on a real track, to bank the turns, to glide down to the apron and to imagine the enormous stadium, the largest sporting venue in Illinois, packed with nearly 100,000 cheering fans.
Thats how many are expected to turn out for this weekends kickoff of the Sprint Cup Series at the Joliet track.
Theyll fill the 15-story grandstand, theyll camp overnight in their RVs and theyll all have their favorites a favorite driver, a favorite car, a favorite sponsor, even.
Its something to see when the grandstand goes from a skeleton city to a jam-packed place, said John Brecklin, director of operations and my personal pace car driver.
A car is only as good as a driver can drive it, Brecklin said.
Sure, they can tweak a vehicle, take a couple of pounds of air out of the left front tire, for example, or try to compensate for the weather, but in the end, its the drivers ability that determines who gets to visit Victory Lane, he said.
Its seat-of-the-pants driving. Veterans tend to adapt quicker to changes, he said. I respect them for their abilities. Theyre athletes just like football or baseball players.
Experienced drivers know how to position themselves for optimal maneuvering in and out of the pack. They use the 18-degree bank to their advantage. They know that a car runs differently when its tank is full.
And just about everybody has a preference when it comes to pit stop positioning, which is no small feat, all you petrified parallel parkers.
Some want the end spot, so no one is behind them. Others prefer the first spot because its easier to get out. Most end up somewhere in the middle. Location is determined by qualifying times and other factors.
Most people dont realize that racing is also a team sport, Brecklin said. A driver relies heavily on his crew chief and his pit stop workers.
The pace cars come directly from the manufacturer, in this case, Toyota. They have an onboard fire suppressant and a six-point seat belt. The race cars are custom-built and run on a special fuel that is
85 percent ethanol.
Brecklin said speeds average around 150 mph, but can go up to 170 mph.
On this day, Brecklin stayed well below his potential. Perhaps he was fearful I might scream like somebody all hopped up on Mountain Dew. Good call.
Fans can take a spin by signing up for one of three driving schools that visit the track throughout the year. The Richard Petty Driving Experience is a popular one.
The personal driving is one way the racing industry is trying to extend interest in the sport beyond the racing season.
Like the rest of the sports world, auto racing has hit some economic speed bumps in recent years. Scott Paddock, track president for Chicagoland Speedway, said, NASCAR has been impacted more than others because a lot of our fan base was hit squarely by the economic downturn.
But, he added, racing still is the second-most-watched sport in America, with 75 million fans.
Paddock hopes to turn what was a seasonal buzz into a yearlong thrill by continuing to pulse compelling story lines every couple of weeks.
Jimmie Johnson, the first driver to visit Victory Lane after the Speedway opened in 2001, was there two weeks ago, chatting up the upcoming races.
Hosting the debut race in what Paddock calls the playoffs of racing, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, has fanned the flames, he said. The 10-race competition will end in November in Miami.
NASCAR didnt help its cause when it introduced the Car of Tomorrow in 2006. Though safer, it had a more homogenized look, which, it turned out, the fans hated.
People want their rooting interest, Paddock said. They want to pull for Ford or Chevy as madly as they pull for their favorite driver.
There may be thousands of fans, but the fandom is spread across 43 drivers and countless sponsors. Which is why it can get crazy loud at these events.
I asked Brecklin what it is about racing that revs people up so much.
Just about everybody can put themselves in the drivers seat, he said. And just about everybody likes the notion of going fast.
Indeed, I left the track, got back into my sensible SUV and prepared to let er rip.
I turned onto Speedway Boulevard, put the pedal to the medal and opened that baby up to a ripping 30 mph.
Shake and bake!
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
At the NASCAR Hall of Fame Next Thursday, 9/22/11; Caution - Are You Age 21?
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Well, Cody... if the HOF is still around in about six years, I'm sure they will welcome your money (and ours). Trying to picture Cup racing in 6 years. Danica champ?
At the NASCAR Hall of Fame Next Thursday, 9/22/11; Caution - Are You Age 21?
General
Well, I do love that Conway song and regret I never sawConway "live" in a show. Heck, in college, I used to put on a 45 of Loretta and Ernest Tubb singing "Sweet Thang" just to irritate folks when they wouldn't leave my dorm room. I think my wife's fav Loretta piece was always "Don't Come Home A Drinking."
One show I couldn't attend with my wife was the tour Boots Randolph, Floyd Cramer and Chet Atkins did together. How I wish now I had seen that.
Remind me, sometime, to tell you the story of having Ed Bruce (wrote Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys), his wife Patsy and their band as guests at one of the Richmond Wrangler races in 1983. His band didn't like being "trapped" in the infield and tried to run across the backstretch during Winston Cup practice. Bill Gazaway and Dick Beaty were not happy campers. Much more to the story... can't post here.
At the NASCAR Hall of Fame Next Thursday, 9/22/11; Caution - Are You Age 21?
General
The ole "We can always be friends line, huh?!"
At the NASCAR Hall of Fame Next Thursday, 9/22/11; Caution - Are You Age 21?
General
Once, back in the80s,I had some real Junior stuff - with little cherries added to "soften" it. I wished I had been sitting on the Woodlawn overpass (which was only about 1/4-mile from my office) when I finished!
At the NASCAR Hall of Fame Next Thursday, 9/22/11; Caution - Are You Age 21?
General
This is a little different. Not sure whether it's open to those outside of Mecklenburg County, NC or not. Wonder what the NASCAR Hall of Fame cut is? The fees are not cheap to participate (or park). I think it is hilarious that admission to an event billed as "Are You Smarter than a Middle Schooler?" is restricted to those age 21 and above due to the alcoholic beverages being served. Those NASCAR Hall of Fame folks are crafty, aint they?!
Are You Smarter Than a Middle Schooler?
Do you remember what you learned in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade? Maybe you were too busy passing notes and worrying about acne or making the baseball team. Or maybe you'll be surprised by that one lesson on plate tectonics that actually stuck.
Come test your middle school knowledge in POST's 3rd annual Are You Smarter Than a Middle Schooler? event, as teams of 8 match wits in three rounds of questions culled straight from middle school textbooks currently used in our Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Gather your friends and colleagues to create your own team or join a team already formed! Doors open at 6:30pm. The competition begins at 7pm.
$50 per ticket or $400 per team. Each ticket includes: admission to Are You Smarter Than A Middle Schooler? at a table for eight, two drink tickets (beer/wine/soft drinks,) heavy hors d'oeuvres, and a guaranteed FUN evening! (A cash bar will also be available during the evening.)
When in the midst of competition, we'll "throw you a lifeline" with the opportunity to Buy An Answer. Limited to one per table, per round. "Answers" don't come cheap--each round "answers" will increase in price. Plan your strategy; play smart; beat your competition!
While at the event, don't miss the Silent Auction. You'll be able to bid on a bevy of fabulous offerings. Just a sampling of what's in store: a diamond necklace, and a racing experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Increase your chance of winning Raffle Items by purchasing additional tickets, above. You'll be able to spread out your chances over a number of items, or, stuff the bucket to win it all! (Any raffle tickets purchased online will be distributed at the Registration Table upon check-in.) Here's a hint of what will be available: private clogging lesson, and a salon package with service & product.
Space at Charlotte's own Nascar Hall of Fame is limited to 48 tables of 8. Don't delay! The past two years were at capacity.
JUST ADDED! A LIVE AUCTION: OK, your raffle tickets are stuffed in the buckets, you've hovered over the silent auction bidding sheets like a Blackhawk helicopter, now it's time to rev things up! It's lively, it's quick, and the prize package is fantastic! What is it? You'll just have to come September 22nd!
**Due to the availability of alcoholic beverages, admission is limited to those 21 years of age and older.
(PLEASE NOTE: Parking available at NASCAR Hall of Fame parking deck. Parking fee: $6 upon exit.
Need directions? Click Here.)
Special thanks to our Corporate SPONSORS:
Wachovia: A Wells Fargo Company
Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Unites
Plus: Bank of America
The Charlotte Observer
Time Warner Cable
And: Coca-Cola Consolidated
Would you like to be a sponsor? Sponsorships available at various levels. Contact rheffner@postcarolinas.org to get on board!
http://postareyousmarter.eventbrite.com/
updated by @dave-fulton: 04/04/17 03:12:58AM
September 14 - 1975 Delaware 500
Stock Car Racing History
Junie Donlavey fielded two Truxmore sponsored '73 Fords. Dick Brooks finished first in the #90 and Dick May was credited with a last place "start & park" in the #93, quitting after 8 laps.
Richmond based Donlaveyy often fielded "rent-a-racers" for Dover for Mel Joseph to get a local racer in the field. In 1973 and 1974, Eddie Pettyjohn started all 4 Dover events in the Donlavey #90 and in 1975 Kenny Brightbill drove the #93 Donlavey car in the first Dover race, with Brooks in the #90.
September 14 - 1975 Delaware 500
Stock Car Racing History
No mention at all of how many "wave arounds" and "Lucky Dogs" The King needed to get himself unlapped. Wonder why not?