2015: A quick summary

Since I haven't blogged in a while, I decided to do a quick year in review.  Here are the highlights for 2015:

1.  15th Daytona 500 attended in Feb.  Wasn't happy with the results, but had a great weekend with friends.
2.  Watched my daughter grow up throughout the year.  Man, how much she changed this year.  My little girl isn't so little anymore.
3.  Began my career as a youth basketball ref.  Yeah, I have a lot more respect for referees now.  It's a tough job!
4.  Made my first trek to Bristol Motor Speedway.  What a place.  It was simply awesome.  I definitely want to go back sometime!
5.  Attended a total of 6 NASCAR races - ties the most I've attended in a single season.
6.  Played in an ice hockey tournament in Raleigh, NC in July.  Had a great time with teammates and even caught up with some old friends.
7.  Went on vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee in July.  Loved it.  There was so much to do and see.  One week there was just not enough! 
8.  Got to drive a real stock car in August at Dover.  It was definitely the thrill of a lifetime.  I highly recommend it!
9.  Went to Jordan in August.  That was country #17 I've visited.   Spent 10 days there for work.  Had a good time.  Got to see Petra, swim in the Dead Sea, and enjoy the sights around Amman. 
10.  Found out my wife and I are expecting our 2nd child.  Expected arrival:  May 2016.  :)
11.  Went to Germany and Belgium in November for work.  Drove through Luxembourg, which was country #18 visited.  Didn't have a lot of free time to play tourist.
12.  Enjoyed Christmas, then a few days in Virginia Beach with the family.  It was so warm in VA Beach!  Who would've expected 80 degree days at the end of December?!?!

Hope everyone has a great 2016!

Drive of a Lifetime!

Today, I had the privilege of fulfilling a dream.  Ever since I was 7, one of my dreams was to be a race car driver.  I mean, who doesn't like to drive fast?

For father's day in 2014, my daughter got me the gift of a 5 minute drive with NASCAR Racing Experience.  Our plan was to go to Charlotte, do the driving experience, and then go to the Hall of Fame.  Life kept getting in the way of that dream. I looked at the racing experience schedule a few months ago and noticed Dover was on their calendar for August.  Dover has been my "home" track for almost 30 years.  I've attended at least one event there every year since 1987.  I decided Dover was going to be my track of choice to do my racing experience.

This morning, we drove to Dover.  We drove through small patches of drizzle on the way.  The forecast had called for possible rain during the day, but most of the forecasts had it waiting until this afternoon.  We arrived about 45 minutes prior to the start of my experience, which the website recommended.  I climbed the stairs to the turn 2 bridge.  The racing experience already had cars on the track.  I stopped for a second and watched them go under the bridge.  I was already nervous - this wasn't helping.  I finally got off the bridge and hopped on the shuttle which took me to the staging area on pit road.

I checked in, and got my firesuit.  I put the suit on and stopped to get a picture.  I stood and waited for directions.  Cars were sitting on pit road.  I kept wondering which one I would get to strap into an hour or so later.

Finally, we were called to the media center for our driver's meeting.  There were a a decent number of people doing the experience with me.  We all entered the media center.  As I was searching for a seat, I noticed a seat dedicated to Chris Economacki, who was a very popular motorsports writer.  I chatted with a few other drivers - most were local and about as nervous as I was.

Finally, we got down to the driver's meeting.  We watched a safety DVD which took about 20-25 minutes.  It explained everything we needed to do during the course of the event.  It was pretty self-explanatory.  Upon completion of the video, we began to file out to the pits to prepare for our drives.  Every person was given a pager.  I watched as several folks were paged.  Mine stayed silent.  With each passing moment, I got more and more excited, but also nervous.  I couldn't wait for my turn.  In the meantime, I decided to upgrade from the 5 minute session to the 8 minute session, which would give me a little more driving time and was recommended by a few guys that had completed their run.

Finally, after about 30 minutes, my pager went off.  I went to the line to be fitted for a helmet and to get my earbuds so I could hear the spotter who would be guiding me through my run.   I swear that my heart rate climbed when I got my helmet on.

I waited and watched as others went for their drive.  I also watched as several riders got their turn as a passenger with an instructor.  I'd done that previously and really enjoyed the experience.  It seemed like an eternity waiting for my name to be called.

Finally, I heard my name and was escorted to my car.  After the racing experience crew checked the car, I climbed in and got settled in.  I started putting the seat belts on, and one of the crew hooked up my radio.  I could hear chatter between another driver and one of the spotters that would be guiding us around the track.  I then put the steering wheel in and we waited for the signal that I was allowed to start my car.

The crew had me step on the clutch and started the car.  The window net went up, and I was alone in the car.  A million thoughts started going through my head.  A voice in my ear brought me back to reality.  The spotter was starting to tell me what the plan was for me to start my run.

Finally, the spotter told me to put the car in gear and go.  I was worried I would stall the car and look like a jackass.  I revved the engine to around 1500 RPM (we were told 1200 but I was a little over anxious) and let off the clutch.  I started down pit road.  As I got to 2000 RPM, I shifted into 2nd, then 3rd, and then 4th.  As I hit 4th gear, I was on the apron and began to drive around the apron of Dover.  This was it.  I reached the back stretch, and blended in where the spotter advised me.  He kept barking out orders:  "5 feet from the bottom of the track",  "lane up from the bottom on the straightaways!"  I was having so much fun I kept forgetting to acknowledge his commands on the radio.  He had to remind me more than once to at least say something or they'd pull me off the track.

Sometimes 8 minutes seems like an eternity.  It seemed like a matter of minutes when I heard "Checkered flag!"  My drive was over.  Holy cow.  That was quick.  It seemed like I had just gotten started!!  I continued my lap, then slowed into turn 3 and pulled onto the apron as the spotter instructed.  I started down pit road, slowly rolling out of the throttle.  I thanked my spotter for his instruction.  He definitely made the experience fun!   I pulled to the position they wanted me and stopped the car.  One of the crew shut the engine off and took down the window net.  I slowly got unbuckled and climbed out.  Just like that, my drive was over.

I reluctantly removed my driving suit and returned it.  I picked up the photo I purchased and decided to make a quick stop on the roof of the media center to watch a few cars go before I departed.  I began to chat with a father and daughter who had just done ride alongs.  I told them next year they need to drive!

Driving a race car around a track definitely gives you a different perspective on racing.  The sight lines in the car are not good.  Having a spotter definitely helped me get around the track and avoid running into any other cars.  I caught myself focusing on things like the grandstands, billboards around the track, etc instead of where I was going.  It's just amazing how fast things go.  The top speed according to the race crew was around 110 MPH.  It of course felt a lot faster.

I definitely recommend NASCAR Racing Experience if you're interested in driving a race car.  Everyone from the folks checking you in, to the pit crew, were friendly, encouraging, and very helpful.  They made the experience one to remember.  I sit here, tired, but happy.  It was definitely a drive of a lifetime!

What happened to Richmond??

Several years ago, Richmond was among the hottest tickets on the NASCAR circuit.  The track had many consecutive sellouts, racing was great, and the fans loved it.  Drivers would beat and bang, tempers would flare, and once in a while a fight or heated discussion would break out in the pits after the race.

So, what happened?

Yesterday's race can be summed up in about 2 words - yawn, and zzz.

If I counted correctly, there were only 2 passes for the lead under green flag conditions that did not involve pit stops or a restart.  Two passes.  Kurt Busch led more than half the race.  There was some passing in the pack, and some sheet metal exchanges, but all in all, it wasn't a very exciting race. 

During Friday night's Xfinity series race, Denny Hamlin led 248 of the 250 laps run.  One driver, 99% of the laps led.  That race was saved by the unfortunate pit fire that occurred in Brendan Gaughn's pit.  The good news on that is it appears nobody was seriously hurt. 

Going back to last season, the only two exciting things to happen at Richmond were the pit fire Friday night, and the fence climber last September.  Neither incident occurred on the race track. 


NASCAR wonders why attendance is down.  I think they need to look at the racing (or lack thereof) for some answers.

Steve Byrnes

The NASCAR family lost a great man on Tuesday morning.  

Steve Byrnes, who had worked as a reporter within the NASCAR family for 30 years, died Tuesday after a year long battle with cancer.  Steve was seen as an inspiration to many within the community for his fight against cancer, but also the positive attitude he showed up until the day he passed.  Steve didn't give up easily - he fought with every ounce of strength he had.

I never had the privilege of meeting Steve.  I probably passed by him on several tours and adventures through the garage or pre-race areas that I've been fortunate to have been around.  My only interaction was on Twitter, where I would leave messages of encouragement to Steve during his battle.  He usually wouldn't have time to respond, but favorited several tweets.  While Steve had no idea who I was, or probably nost of the fans that sent him messages or tweets, I'm certain he appreciated the words of encouragement and love the fans showed for him.

One of the best moments was the Bristol race this past weekend I attended.  The race was renamed to honor Steve and to support Stand Up 2 Cancer.  Many drivers had Steve's name, or a "SPB" decal, which were Steve's initials, on their race cars.  Watching every pit crew member standing on the wall before the race began, most holding signs simply stating "I stand up for Steve" was touching.  Steve mentioned that he was watching the broadcast from the hospital and I'm sure was smiling.

Many of his colleagues have mentioned that Steve was a professional, but also a warm, gentle person.  He sounded like the kind of guy that would sit in a room and talk to everyone.  They also said that he would get his hands dirty when he needed to.  

Steve leaves behind a wife, and a 12 year old son.  My thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn his loss.  

Steve's last tweet Sunday night was in reference to the Cup race at Bristol.  It simply said "I went the distance".  Tuesday, Steve definitely went the distance.

Farewell, Steve Byrnes, and thank you for many years of entertaining and informing us.

#ByrnesStrong 

Jeff Gordon

This past week, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon announced that 2015 would be his final full season.  I, like most of the racing world, were stunned at the news. 

Gordon came into NASCAR in the early 1990s, first driving in the Busch (now Xfinity) Series, then moving full-time to Winston (Sprint) Cup in 1993.  As of this post, he has 95 wins, 3rd all time behind Richard Petty and David Pearson.  Gordon's 95 wins all came in the modern era, whereas Petty and Pearson won during an era where races less than 200 miles still were considered part of the series.  Gordon was with Hendrick Motorsports for his entire Sprint Cup career.

I was never really a Jeff Gordon fan, but you do have to respect what he accomplished.  4 Sprint Cup championships.  Three Daytona 500 victories.  Five Brickyard 400 victories.  One of only two drivers to win the Winston Million in its original format.  Wins at all but two tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit, Kentucky and Homestead.

One has to wonder why Jeff is getting out of the car now.  My only theory was that Dale Jr, who also drives for Hendrick Motorsports, has Chase Elliott in the Xfinity series this season.  NASCAR's current rules only allow a team to have four full-time teams.  Hendrick's current driver lineup is Gordon, Dale Jr, Jimmie Johnson, and Kasey Kahne.  If Elliott is ready to move to Sprint Cup, one of the four drivers would have to leave their ride.  Johnson and Dale Jr are too important to let go, and Kahne just signed a new contract, so he's not going anywhere.  That leaves Jeff, who had a "lifetime" contract with Hendrick and has been toying with the notion of getting out of the driver's seat.

Gordon has said he is not "retiring", which leaves the door open for him to race for another team, or on a limited basis.  Regardless, it is going to be very strange when the 2016 season begins and not see Jeff in a race car. 

My grandma

For those that don't know, my grandma passed away Dec 28.  She was 3 weeks shy of her 97th birthday.

I was very fortunate I got to spend almost 35 years getting to know her, spend time with her, and learn from her.  I can remember as a child she would spend plenty of time with me playing board games.  I used to enjoy doing dishes with her.  She was never too busy for her grandchildren, and later great-grandchildren. 

My grandma was an Army nurse during World War II, spending most of her time in southern France.  While there, she got to meet General Eisenhower, and she always spoke highly of him. 

She took up painting later in life.  I have two of her paintings hanging up in my house that she did especially for me. 

It's been weird not being able to hear her voice, knowing that on my birthday I won't be receiving a card from her, and I will (surprisingly) miss her stories while driving her to and from my family's summer home in New York.  But I know she is back with my grandpa, and her siblings.  Undoubtedly they are having one heck of a party, waiting for us to join them.