NASCAR Pets

 

 

Racegirl here ready to share another story from my NASCAR travels!
So pet owners, start your engines!

Since I was a little girl, there was not a dog, cat, cow or animal I did not like.  Growing up in the country gave me the opportunity to have lots of different pets.  Some were my father’s farm animals, but he could never say no to me giving them each a name.  From Billy the billy goat that chased my grandmother up the sliding board the wrong way, to Charlie the skunk who thought he was a cat.  Pets in different shapes and different sizes surrounded my childhood.

I have three amazing dogs that I adore. 

Onyx is a senior black Labrador.  I say senior because the first thing most people ask when they meet him for the first time is “How old is that dog?” As you can see in the picture below, he has a lot of gray hair.  I myself find the gray to be very distinguishing and you could not ask for a better companion then Onyx.

The next member of our family is Winston.  He is two years old and a Miniature Pinscher metropolitan beach dog.  He loves to get pedicures, back massages and hates to get his feet wet!

Dude is our youngest and most entertaining family member.  He is a year old and a Miniature Pinscher beach dog that loves the sun, sand, and patrols our yard keeping all the squirrels away.  We say he has a Napoleon complex!

Here is my family:

Many traits define the NASCAR drivers we all love: talent, sponsorships, teams, car numbers and so forth; however, few think to identify the sport's top drivers by their four-legged companions. Considered to be a best friend off the track, drivers' dogs are becoming a larger part of their personas and celebrity status.

During my last trip to Charlotte, I stopped by to see a friend at JR Motorsports. When I walked in the lobby entrance, there was a blanket spread over the couch in the waiting area.  There were also large dog toys on the couch.  As I waiting for my friend, I asked the receptionist what the blanket and toys were for on the couch.  She said Killer is in the house. 

The good thing is I knew who Killer was. Killer is Dale Junior’s 70 pound Boxer that loves to ride in the car with him. Killer always demands the front seat and wants to go everywhere Dale Jr. goes. This dog is the son of Foster, Greg Biffle’s dog. Killer likes to chase cats when he’s not sleeping.  Here are some pictures I took of this extremely friendly and happy dog.

Dale Jr. is just one the NASCAR drivers to be seen on and off the track with his best friend. Denny Hamlin can be seen with his dog, Missy, who can bounce a basketball.  A.J. Allmendinger’s best friend Misty played a part in the movie “Marley & Me”.  And Kurt Busch’s two terriers, Lola and Ginger, are seen at the track with their Mom Eva, and have appeared in NASCAR pet calendars and books.

For Ryan Newman  and wife Krissie, their six dogs aren’t just adored animals – they’re family. So much so that this weekend, the Newmans released their second book “Pit Road: NASCAR Stars and Their Pets, the Second Lap” at Bristol Motor Speedway. This new book celebrates the NASCAR community and their beloved furry, and sometimes even feathered, families. I just ordered my copy and cannot wait to read it.  I think I’ll even carry it to the next track I visit.  You never know whose ‘paw-agraph’ you can get!

Until next time, Happy Racing!