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!

Short-track Racing Kicks Off at the "World's Fastest Half Mile"

After a weekend off, it’s time to leave the superspeedways behind and focus on short-track racing!  This weekend is the first short-track race of the season at the Bristol Motor Speedway – the "World's Fastest Half Mile”.  After that, it’s off Martinsville Speedway before the next break in the season.
Bristol is always an exciting race, but this weekend’s race could be more exciting than ever for several reasons:

1. Fans are waiting to see how the tensions between drivers will play out – particularly after the Edwards-Keselowski crash in Atlanta.  Chances are, NASCAR may not be as lenient on any offenders this weekend, so we’ll have to see how things play out.

2. Bristol marks the last race that the top 35 in the owners’ standings from 2009 will have a guaranteed spot.  Starting in Martinsville, the 2010 owners’ points standings will decide who gets a starting spot in the race. This could make this very interesting for drivers who have been hovering around that mark in the last few races.

3. Bristol also marks the last race where drivers will run the car as we have come to know it.  Starting in Martinsville, teams are expected to switch back to using a rear spoiler instead of a wing on the back of the car.

4. The track itself has also changed this year – the Steel and Foam Energy-Reduction (SAFER) barrier has been extended in turns 2 and 4, narrowing those areas by approximately 3 feet each.  The change was made to foster tighter racing – something fans have always loved about Bristol.

I’m excited about this weekend’s race – the short-track races are probably my favorite. Even though the speeds aren’t as fast as on the superspeedways, the close quarters on the short tracks allow fans to see the entire race and allow for non-stop action throughout the entire race.  I think that’s what gives these tracks their attitude and personality.  Here’s to another great weekend of racing!

NASCAR's Baby Boom

Maybe I just notice these things more now that I’m a parent, but it seems like there’s a baby boom happening in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season. There’s as much talk about babies these days during the races as there is talk about the race.  Let’s take a closer look at who’s adding to their families this season:

Elliott Sadler – Elliott and his wife Amanda welcomed baby Wyatt on February 15th. The timing of his birth played out perfectly – he was born 1 day after the Daytona 500 and 6 days before the next race in California.

Carl Edwards – Carl and his wife Kate became first time parents on February 24th with the birth of their daughter Anne.  There was a great deal of talk during the last two races as Carl was on baby-watch.  He had a private jet fueled and ready to fly him back to his home in Columbia, Missouri, and driver Erik Darnell was on standby to take Carl’s place in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races just in case. 

Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie and his wife Chandra are expecting their first child in July.

Jeff Gordon – Jeff and his wife Ingrid will welcome their second child this August.  The new baby will join sister Ella who will turn 3 in June.

Juan Pablo Montoya – Juan Pablo and his wife Connie are expecting their third child in July. The newest member of the Montoya family will have a brother – Sebastian, 5 and a sister – Paulina, 3.

It looks like these drivers will have more to talk about this season than the typical race talk!

Dale Jr. Gives Back

I came across a heart-warming story about Dale Earnhardt Jr. this morning as I was catching up on the latest news in the NASCAR world.  Dale Jr. is teaming up with the Victory Junction children’s camp in their “Keeping the Dream Alive” campaign. He has pledged $1 million to build and maintain The Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheatre at the camp for children with serious illnesses. Dale Jr.’s generosity was very inspiring to me.  It’s always nice to hear stories of people giving back and helping to improve the lives of others.

Victory Junction is a year-round camp for children between the ages of 6 and 16 who have chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.  Located in Randleman, NC, the camp was founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam Petty who died tragically during a Nationwide Series practice session in 2000.  Adam had a passion for helping children and had always dreamed of a way to change their lives. Since opening its doors in 2004, the camp has welcomed over 11,000 children from 47 states and three countries.  Although it costs $2,500 to send a child to the camp, none of the families have to bear the burden of this cost because it is covered by donations from generous donors.

Dale Jr. is just one of these generous donors.  His $1 million donation will be used to build and maintain an interactive outdoor amphitheatre. This will give children at the camp the opportunity to sing songs, act in a play, tell jokes, play an instrument, watch a movie and much, much more.  Ground-breaking will take place on March 27, 2010 during the Dale Jr. Foundation Physical Disabilities Weekend at Victory Junction.

For more information on Victory Junction, please visit: www.victoryjunction.org.
For more information on the Dale Jr. Foundation, please visit: www.thedalejrfoundation.org.

Keep checking back – we’ll post updates and pictures of the amphitheatre’s progress as we get them!