For a change, I'm at home to watch a race. The last time NASCAR ran at Brooklyn, Michigan was in June, and that was the first win for Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a long time.
Can Dale Jr. do it again? The odds are against him, since wrecking his primary car during Happy Hour puts him at the back of the field. Can he do it? Of course he can.
I'm looking forward to watching a race live today, instead of getting my information second hand.
I hope everyone has a great day and I hope we have a safe, competitive, and fun race.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
With apologies to all of you.
The time I've had to spend on this site has been limited over the last several months, and even the last year and a half or so for a variety of reasons. I apologize for not posting more, but I will try to post more during the second half of the NASCAR season.
In some ways, I like the racing more this year than in some of the last few years. To me, the competition is good, and many, if not most of the races are close, right up to the last lap.
I know many fair weather racing fans have lost interest in the sport over the last few years, for a variety of reasons. I have not lost my interest. I watch as many of the races as I can, and read at least a little bit of racing news every day. I have hopes of traveling to either Atlanta or Charlotte later this year and attend a race for the first time in a while. I feel like it's important to recharge the batteries once in a while and actually be at the track. I'm going to make a real effort to do so in the coming months.
How about that Dale Jr.? He finally got the monkey off his back with a win, which I celebrated along with some of my fellow Junior fans. It's great to see the consistency keeping him up front all season. A couple more wins and he might be the man to beat in the Chase.
Overall, I've enjoyed this racing season. Probably, I've enjoyed it more than last year or the year before. Jr.'s win notwithstanding, I feel like the racing is better this year, for some reason. I can't really put my finger on the exact reason why.
Congratulations to Delana and Kevin Harvick and Krissie and Ryan Newman for recent additions to their families. I wish all the mothers and fathers and children my very best wishes.
You can find me on Twitter and Facebook when I'm not here. Give me a shout sometime and let me know what you're doing and what you think about the current state of stock car racing. I'd love to hear from you!
Much, much more to come soon.
In the immortal words of Joe Cartoon, "Stay tuned, I'm going to do it again!"
In some ways, I like the racing more this year than in some of the last few years. To me, the competition is good, and many, if not most of the races are close, right up to the last lap.
I know many fair weather racing fans have lost interest in the sport over the last few years, for a variety of reasons. I have not lost my interest. I watch as many of the races as I can, and read at least a little bit of racing news every day. I have hopes of traveling to either Atlanta or Charlotte later this year and attend a race for the first time in a while. I feel like it's important to recharge the batteries once in a while and actually be at the track. I'm going to make a real effort to do so in the coming months.
How about that Dale Jr.? He finally got the monkey off his back with a win, which I celebrated along with some of my fellow Junior fans. It's great to see the consistency keeping him up front all season. A couple more wins and he might be the man to beat in the Chase.
Overall, I've enjoyed this racing season. Probably, I've enjoyed it more than last year or the year before. Jr.'s win notwithstanding, I feel like the racing is better this year, for some reason. I can't really put my finger on the exact reason why.
Congratulations to Delana and Kevin Harvick and Krissie and Ryan Newman for recent additions to their families. I wish all the mothers and fathers and children my very best wishes.
You can find me on Twitter and Facebook when I'm not here. Give me a shout sometime and let me know what you're doing and what you think about the current state of stock car racing. I'd love to hear from you!
Much, much more to come soon.
In the immortal words of Joe Cartoon, "Stay tuned, I'm going to do it again!"
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Apologies to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I've been somewhat tough on Dale Jr. over the last few years. He's one of my favorite drivers. He has been since he's been racing. Like millions of other Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, I've been bewildered by his lack of points wins over the last few years.
In past lives, I've been a bit of a hellraiser, but tried not to be a lawbreaker. I understand the desire to celebrate life's small victories. Since 2001, Dale Jr. has curtailed that habit quite a bit. So have I. I'm a lot older than Dale Earnhardt Jr. so I should have learned that lesson a little earlier, but being me, it took a while.
For too long, the expectation has been there that Dale the younger would become Dale the older. That's simply an unreasonable expectation, and I've come to realize that. My dad is my hero, much like Dale was Dale Jr.'s hero. My dad fought in a war in Europe in the 1940's. Since I was born in the 1960's, I'll obviously never be able to duplicate that.
The death of a parent is a sobering moment. It was for Dale Earnhardt Jr. It was for me. I lost my mom, who was the one person who I think ever totally understood me. She died on November 15, 2010. I was involved earlier with a marriage that practically no one knows about. My best friend and soul mate, next to my my mom, Laura, had died earlier that year. I'm keeping the exact date private, for reasons that are known only to Laura and me.
Mom and Laura defined my existence for a couple or more years, especially toward the end. I saw Laura dying, and there was nothing I could do about it. I loved her, took care of her, and tried my best to make her comfortable until she finally passed away. I did the same with my mother. Many more people were involved with both, and if you're reading these words, you know who you are. Laura died of lieukemia. My mom died of complications from Altzheimers. I was in a funk for a while. I tried to get out of it, but couldn't seem to.
A former boss and a friend from a company that I used to work for called me and offered me a job, which was good, since I'd been mostly out of work for the past year. Working made me feel good, and I'm still working there now. Today, I'm a reasonably happy guy, looking forward to new opportunities as they come along. I'm not totally healed from the year 2010, and I probably never will be, but I'm working on it. I have sad days, just remembering people who are gone now, but I'm alive, strangely enough, and I'm looking forward to being part of something again. When I went back to work, I had exactly $7.00. That was it. Thanks to Tim, Brian, Judy and all the others that made this happen. You were all a Godsend to me, though I probably didn't realize it at the time.
Dale Jr. had a landlord, a boss, a person mapping out his career, and a father when Dale Earnhardt died on February 18, 2001. Dale Jr. lost the most important person in his life. Dale was Dale Jr.'s hero. Dale Jr. was expected to fill his father's shoes
Think about it. Who could fill Dale Earnhardt's shoes? Kevin Harvick, who took over as driver for the team at Rockingham, never minced words about it. He's in the car, but he is not the answer to replace Dale Earnhart, who once drove the very same car Kevin was driving. Richard Childress, the owner of the team, wisely painted the car white and chose a different number. The 29 seems to have worked out pretty well so far.
Dale Jr. is his own man. He's got sucessful business ventures going on. Dale Jr. is a sucessful business man. He's a good driver. He takes care of his family. In other words, he's a good guy. To me, Dale Jr. is a good guy, leading by example. He took care of all the family he could. I'm trying to do the same.
I don't care if Dale Jr. ever wins another race. I've now walked a mile or two in his shoes, though without the media scrutiny that's had to endure. I couldn't imagine putting up with all that Dale Jr. has had to over the last 11 years. I would have faded out and become a recluse. Dale Jr. has soldiered on.
Give him the respect that he deserves. He's earned it.
In past lives, I've been a bit of a hellraiser, but tried not to be a lawbreaker. I understand the desire to celebrate life's small victories. Since 2001, Dale Jr. has curtailed that habit quite a bit. So have I. I'm a lot older than Dale Earnhardt Jr. so I should have learned that lesson a little earlier, but being me, it took a while.
For too long, the expectation has been there that Dale the younger would become Dale the older. That's simply an unreasonable expectation, and I've come to realize that. My dad is my hero, much like Dale was Dale Jr.'s hero. My dad fought in a war in Europe in the 1940's. Since I was born in the 1960's, I'll obviously never be able to duplicate that.
The death of a parent is a sobering moment. It was for Dale Earnhardt Jr. It was for me. I lost my mom, who was the one person who I think ever totally understood me. She died on November 15, 2010. I was involved earlier with a marriage that practically no one knows about. My best friend and soul mate, next to my my mom, Laura, had died earlier that year. I'm keeping the exact date private, for reasons that are known only to Laura and me.
Mom and Laura defined my existence for a couple or more years, especially toward the end. I saw Laura dying, and there was nothing I could do about it. I loved her, took care of her, and tried my best to make her comfortable until she finally passed away. I did the same with my mother. Many more people were involved with both, and if you're reading these words, you know who you are. Laura died of lieukemia. My mom died of complications from Altzheimers. I was in a funk for a while. I tried to get out of it, but couldn't seem to.
A former boss and a friend from a company that I used to work for called me and offered me a job, which was good, since I'd been mostly out of work for the past year. Working made me feel good, and I'm still working there now. Today, I'm a reasonably happy guy, looking forward to new opportunities as they come along. I'm not totally healed from the year 2010, and I probably never will be, but I'm working on it. I have sad days, just remembering people who are gone now, but I'm alive, strangely enough, and I'm looking forward to being part of something again. When I went back to work, I had exactly $7.00. That was it. Thanks to Tim, Brian, Judy and all the others that made this happen. You were all a Godsend to me, though I probably didn't realize it at the time.
Dale Jr. had a landlord, a boss, a person mapping out his career, and a father when Dale Earnhardt died on February 18, 2001. Dale Jr. lost the most important person in his life. Dale was Dale Jr.'s hero. Dale Jr. was expected to fill his father's shoes
Think about it. Who could fill Dale Earnhardt's shoes? Kevin Harvick, who took over as driver for the team at Rockingham, never minced words about it. He's in the car, but he is not the answer to replace Dale Earnhart, who once drove the very same car Kevin was driving. Richard Childress, the owner of the team, wisely painted the car white and chose a different number. The 29 seems to have worked out pretty well so far.
Dale Jr. is his own man. He's got sucessful business ventures going on. Dale Jr. is a sucessful business man. He's a good driver. He takes care of his family. In other words, he's a good guy. To me, Dale Jr. is a good guy, leading by example. He took care of all the family he could. I'm trying to do the same.
I don't care if Dale Jr. ever wins another race. I've now walked a mile or two in his shoes, though without the media scrutiny that's had to endure. I couldn't imagine putting up with all that Dale Jr. has had to over the last 11 years. I would have faded out and become a recluse. Dale Jr. has soldiered on.
Give him the respect that he deserves. He's earned it.
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