Tony Stewart Retirement

I never thought when I started watching the sport I would feel the way I do. I fully expected to be cheering, celebrating and throwing a party when Tony retired and left this sport. However time has changed me I have learned about the good Tony has done behind the scenes for countless others and for the sport. Seeing what Tony has been through these past few years the compassionate side of me has softened to Tony in that as well. The respect his competitors show for him also has changed my opinion of Tony. I can now say that I am sad to see Tony retiring I think that it is probably what is best for Tony. He has been incredible for NASCAR and while I didn't give Tony the respect he deserved when I started watching the sport I realize now the respect he deserves. I am happy that I didn't let Tony go out without first realizing that. It took me a few years but I started to realize it around 2010 or 2011 to see that Tony wasn't the villain I had made him out to be and that he deserved to have my respect. I am grateful that I got to witness Tony Stewart and his last championship. I am happy for him that he was able to win in his final season and that he got to celebrate that last win this year. Great job Tony and congrats on an incredible career. You are a class act and have done so much good for everyone. I hope you have a great fun racing dirt and where ever else you choose to race. I hope he stays safe and I wish him continued success in every aspect of his life. God Bless you Tony you deserve all the respect you get and I wish you nothing but the best.

Jimmie Johnson History making title

Wow I knew this day was coming that one day he would win the title that tied Dale SR and Richard Petty. I don't always want Jimmie to win because I do get tired of seeing him win sometimes but I can say I appreciate his amazing talent and the history he has made. Seeing the hardships he has been through with loosing his best friend Blaise Alexander on the weekend of his first cup start and loosing all they lost in the Hendrick Plane crash. It makes me happy for him to see him overcome it all. It's cool that he has been with the same team, crew chief, sponsor, manufacturer it has all been the same. To see the bond he and Chad have together and what Chad has been able to accomplish. It's cool that he had that photographer following him he will always have those pictures and memories. He commented that he had a peace about him throughout the day and if sure did feel like he was set to win that title this time. He is so deserving and without a doubt one of the best this sport has ever seen and I am grateful that I have been watching the sport during this time. My thoughts can't help but go to my mom 2. He mentioned he had help from above and he referenced Ricky Hendrick, and I'm sure he had to be thinking of Blaise Alexander. However I had to think about my mom 2 and he wouldn't have known about her but I am positive that she helped him to win. More then anything I wish so bad I could text her congrats to be able to hug her and congratulate her as a fan of his. It's so hard to know that I will never be able to congratulate her and that she never saw his history here on earth. I am sure she is celebrating up above with Ricky and all the rest of his family, friends and fans and the rest of the NASCAR community that is celebrating up above. I miss you every day Mom 2 but these are the moments I miss you the most. Jimmie, Chad and the whole team congrats on everything you deserve all the praise that you are getting and will get. Congrats on number 7.

Limitations of Cup drivers in other series

I will admit I was saddened to hear of NASCAR's decision to limit drivers in the cup series with 5 or more years experience in NASCAR to 10 Xfinity races and 7 truck races. Being a fan of Kyle Busch and Joey Logano it saddens me that they won't be able to compete in as many races. I do agree with not allowing them to race during the chase races as those should be just the drivers competing for their series title so no cup driver can mess up an Xfinity or truck drivers chance at a championship. I have to wonder if NASCAR will ever reconsider the decision if it affects attendance at the races. I also have to wonder how the Xfinity and truck series drivers are feeling since they said they enjoy racing against the best of the best. I know this is a pretty short post but school has been crazy. I was thrilled to see all 3 of mine advance to the round of 8. I also have mixed feelings about Talladega not being the elimination race next year part of me is relieved because it is a crazy stressful race already however it was pretty cool having it be an elimination race and it still could ruin chasers chances. As a Kyle Busch fan I wasn't one of those who was upset by him riding around back all day because I wanted to see him make it through and that is what he did. I hope everyone enjoys the race at Martinsville I won't be able to watch this week because my family will be going to a ice skating show I will miss Martinsville it is always one of my favorite races to watch so i'm sad to miss that. Thanks for reading and as always feel free to add in your comments.

NASCAR Chase

Wow so first off I am so impressed with how many people continue to read my blog despite how many months go between my posts. I am so sorry that it has been just over two months sense I last posted. It seems like I am getting a lot of views and so if you have been checking back to see if i've posted i'm so sorry if I have let you down. Your support means the world to me. I started my senior year of college in August and as a early childhood education major it has been a lot in addition to working so I haven't had the time needed to post on my blog.
The nascar chase is always intense and nerve racking I felt bad for Ty Dillon after he was eliminated to see how heartbroken he was and I agree the risk for a top driver to get knocked out is there. I was so glad Erik Jones made it through. I think on one hand it's good for drivers to get practice in the format they will face in the cup level. However for drivers who are so young and still learning is it right to put the format up for them. It's a tricky situation and I don't have a answer for what is better.

The sprint cup eliminations went about as I expected I had 3 out of the four leaving I think the only one I didn't was Kyle Larson. Charlotte's race was crazy with how many chasers had trouble and that it was the first time Jimmie Johnson had advanced to the round of 8 and with the pressure of Talladega looming it made things all the more crazy.

The truck series is going about like I expected it to so far it's always hard with the gaps in that series to follow it easily but I do try. I will be interested to see if Kyle's new driver Noah follows the success level of Erik and William or how he does.

Well I have to get up early tomorrow and I have a lot of homework to do but knowing I have to write a memoir book for my class and i'm planning to write it as my story as a nascar fan I wanted to write and I felt I owed it to my lovely readers. I am so sorry again for the long wait and enjoy the race this weekend and thanks for reading and viewing my blog.

RIP Bryan Clauson

This is not the post I ever wanted to have to write. It's always sad when a person dies and when they die young. It's been said that only the best die young and that seems true in this case. When I heard the news of Bryan Clauson's wreck and that he was in critical care I knew it didn't seem good but I was praying for a miracle that he would make it. However I just had a bad feeling about his condition. Unforcently waking up and hearing that he had passed at the young age of 27 was heartbreaking. He was only 3 years older then me and he had his whole life ahead of him. Any time a racer dies you see the motorsports world come together. I am so proud to be a part of that world especially when you see the way the sport comes together. For me any time that driver had connections to NASCAR It makes it harder for me I don't have a lot of memories of Bryan racing but it's sounds like from all who knew him he was a great guy. Watching all the tributes pour in from all the forms of racing shows what a great guy and racer he was. I feel horrible for his fiancé Lauren and all of his family. Any time there is a death in racing it reminds you what these athletes risk each time they strap in a car. NASCAR has made a lot of safety improvements that have kept their drivers safe. However anytime a driver dies NASCAR feels the pain but especially in a situation like this or Jason Leffler when the driver who died had raced in NASCAR. I feel horrible for Bryan's family and his fiancé to have their whole lives changed in an instance I am just glad they got to spend his final moments with him. My heart is broken for his family, friends and all who knew him. I want to send Prayers out to the other drivers involved in the accident with Bryan I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through. RIP Bryan you will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved you it doesn't seem fair that you were taken so soon. You know join the ranks of drivers who have passed on like Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty, Blaise Alexander, Ricky Hendrick, Jason Leffler and countless others. Your time on earth was way to short but it sounds like in your time here you achieved a lot in your short time here. God Bless you and all who knew you.

Erik Jones Cup ride and other cup tidbits

Wow first off I just want to say how impressed I am that people continue to read my last post. It's been incredible to watch it grow each day. With that said I have a couple posts for you today. First off congrats to Erik Jones on gaining his cup ride for next year. He is a talented driver and I think he will do pretty good next year for Furniture Row racing. As a fan of him I am so thankful that he gets this chance at a cup ride. I am excited to have all four of my favorite drivers in the cup series next year.
On another note Dale JR being out of the car this long is crazy. Best wishes to him as he continues to recover. It was so nice of Jeff Gordon to come out of retirement to help the team. Watching him and Tony Stewart get to have moments like they had at Indy was so special. I loved watching them do a lap around just themselves and what Jeff said in the drivers meeting to Tony was really sweet. I liked that Alex Bowman got a shot to show what he can do and he was running great all day before he cut a tire in Dale's car. It's crazy this happened to Dale and I can't imagine what his fans must be thinking. I wish him the best of luck in the recovery. I hope to see him back soon.

This chase grid is starting to look crazy with Chris Buescher sort of in limbo on if he will make the top 30 or not and with some of those who looked like locks a couple weeks ago starting to slip.
Thanks again for all the views on my last post it means so much.

Fox Coverage vs NBC coverage

Hey my fellow race fans I have another post for you all so I was like a lot of fans instantly jumping on the bandwagon of getting on social media and complaining about the amount of commercials during last nights race. Tonight as I was checking my nascar news I saw this article http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/news/daytona-commercials-coke-zero-400-ads-tv-ratings-nbc-broadcast/r512jeletb1n1w9ufpsx75ote it talked about the fans going crazy on social media and how the amount of the race shown was actually a decent amount and that last night wasn't the race that showed the least of the race this year. After reading that article I don't know if that is true but I know one thing if that is the case and those facts in the article are true it's not the way it felt. Either way it sure didn't feel like we were seeing racing last night and I'm not the only fan who felt that way. It got so bad I kept a close count one time and from when we came back from commercial to when we left again we had 4 laps of racing. That's just not right 4 laps isn't enough time to get back into racing and enjoy yourself. For me when a NASCAR race comes back from a commercial I look at the ticker to see where all my drivers are running and then I settle into to watch the race and glance at the ticker but don't pay as close of attention last night 4 laps I barely found my drivers before they went back to commercial and I had to do it all over again. Even before the sprint cup race I watched the xfinity race and found myself missing and wishing I had fox coverage back.

I have always loved the fox coverage and the way they present the NASCAR races I wrote a post that touched on that a while back and said I couldn't figure out why. After watching last nights race and the Xfinity race I found many reasons that I can point to as for why fox presents my favorite coverage one of the first things I noticed at the end of the Xfinity race was NBC kept saying they would show the ending and then kept talking and not showing us the ending. When they finally did they showed the in car view. I'm not sure if that was the only view they had at the time but it didn't really tell us who was in front at the time of caution. I also noticed they repeated things several times which could be helpful if your a new fan but it got a little frustrating as a experienced fan. One thing that is just a personal opinion of mine is I can't stand watching Kyle Petty. He just really annoys me the way he presents the pre race show and the way he talks about the drivers. I know he has done a lot of good for people creating the victory lane junction gang camp in his sons memory and that has changed so many children's lives. Even with that knowledge I still don't really enjoy watching him but I know there are many people who can't stand watching the Waltrip brother's and I don't mind them and actually find them enjoyable and funny. So that part is just a personal thing for me. One other thing I noticed was that at least for last night all of the interviews besides the winner were on a dish channel. I have dish but my dish wasn't working for the higher channels so I didn't get to watch my favorite drivers who finished up high give interviews until I found them online this morning. The ticker is different when Fox switched to the new ticker I hated it because i felt it wasn't better it was harder to follow. However following the ticker last night i realized just how much time fox saves with the way there ticker is and how long it takes for all the drivers to scroll across. However the one thing I did like about NBC's ticker is it's easier to see the names on Fox's ticker it can be hard to see the names and positions with NBC it's very clear. However the biggest comparison I noticed was the commercials. That article states there weren't any more commercials then normal, but maybe it was the spacing. That must have been it because it sure seemed like there were way more commercials. So it's clear that fox gets the same amount of commercials out but in a way that doesn't seem as disruptive to the fans as last night was. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one complaining which showed me that I wasn't the only one noticing it. I wasn't turned off enough that I would stop watching the races. I couldn't stand knowing a race was happening and I was missing it but I sure hope they figure out a way to fix the commercials in better then they did last night. I know the commercials are important because it's how NASCAR is able to show the races through those sponsors and some commercials are actually pretty funny. My only request as a fan is to do it in a way that I feel like i'm seeing more racing then commercials.

After reading the article I feel a bit bad that I was so quick to jump on the bandwagon and bash NASCAR and NBC but I was frustrated. I wanted to watch the race and I didn't feel I was getting that. So going forward I hope they can make the experience better for the fans because otherwise I think other fans (not me) will get so upset they leave or start watching from their computer. I will still always love the coverage Fox presents best but I don't mind most of the people presenting the races on NBC and I feel they do a pretty good job presenting it. However coming from Fox to NBC felt like a huge change last night. I'm pretty sure as the races go on I get used to NBC's coverage but that first race after the switch it felt obvious with how the commercials were presented. So I would love to hear your thoughts on what you felt about last night's race and I can't wait for the race at Kentucky this weekend.

Truck Series News and Tidbits

Hey guys I'm back you get not one post today but two. So I've been watching the truck series some recently and I am so impressed with William Byron to have the success he's had in such a short amount of time and to hear that he's only been racing for a few years total is incredible. He has a lot of natural talent clearly. At this point Matt Crafton and the field better watch out because he could be a serious contender for the title and follow Erik Jones and give Kyle Busch Motorsports a second championship in a row and the team could go back to back. Kyle Busch Motorsports getting their 50'th win in the truck series after only 7 years as a team is pretty impressive as well. People may not like Kyle Busch but not only can he drive and win races and do incredible things behind the wheel but he clearly has a great business going and an incredible eye for talent. First finding Erik Jones to race for him and Now William Byron he has two incredible talents that have driven for him and Christopher Bell could be right up there with William Byron had he not suffered such bad luck early on in the season.

I was so saddened to see the news a week ago or so about the fire at Thorsport racing and to see the pictures of the damage. I was glad to hear they could save some trucks and to see the NASCAR community rally around them but you never want to hear of something like that happening to anyone but especially not a team that has been built from a small team to one of the best teams in the camping world Truck series. I've been impressive with how they have continued to run since the fire and I hope they can continue on like they have been despite all they lost in that fire.

I was sad to see Ryan Truex pulled out of his truck for a few weeks and ending the chance for him to run for a championship. I understand the team he drives for is a small team and doesn't have a lot of money and Jesse Little brought sponsorship. However I still feel that having a chance at the title could have really helped that team. It would have brought awareness to their organization and possibly been able to help them get more sponsors. In the end it wasn't my decision and i'm sure that team did what they felt they had to do. I just feel for Ryan Truex much like his brother his career has been a series or bad breaks, bad luck, in his case injuries and what could have been. Ryan is a talented driver and I feel like if he had a chance to run for a title he could have proved his talent. It tough in the sport right now though because the fact is there is a ton of talent in the young guns and yet there seems to be more young guns and talented youngsters then there are rides. Alex Bowman is another classic example of that you look at what he's done in Dale JR's car in the Xfinity series and he clearly can contend if given a ride with a top team.

That fight between John Wes Townley and Spencer Gallenger at Gateway was crazy. Watching it was just a crazy thing to watch. I have never seen a driver throw another to the ground like that and they did it twice. Rolling around on the track could have been very dangerous had NASCAR not had them under a red flag because the rest of the field would have been coming. Spencer Gallenger looked like he was just trying to hold John Wes Townley's arm after John Wes connected a couple of punches. It was crazy to watch and I will be interested to see NASCAR's take and how they handle that situation.

Finally I want to wish Mike Wallace and his family the best of luck as they continue to heal from their brutal attack. Like Mike I don't understand why someone would do that but it just shows how careful you have to be these days about who you talk to. It stinks that you have to walk around with your guard up and be so careful about who you talk to but the fact is these days you can't be to careful and you never know what will happen. I hope Mike can recover from his injuries and that the whole family can get past what happened. They didn't deserve what happened to them and I hope the men who hurt them get punished for their actions.

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog it always means a lot to me. As always feel free to comment and I'll talk to you all soon. Good luck to all the drivers this week at Daytona and I pray it's a safe race for all involved from the drivers, to the crew to the fans. If your going to the race at Daytona have fun.

Tony Stewart's win

Hey guys I'm back with another post so I hope you all enjoy. All along I've hoped that Tony got at least one more race win and the chance to go out on top. However there were moments it just didn't seem like it would happen. Yesterday everything came together and it happened Tony got his win. Watching the race at the end I had very mixed emotions Denny had never won a road course race and so naturally I really wanted him to win. The fan in me wanted to see my driver win. However the compassionate side of me wanted to see Tony win after all he's dealt with the past few years. I truly didn't know how to feel when Denny was in front I really wanted to see him win. However once Tony got past him it allowed me to reflect back on all Tony has been through and that made me want him to succeed. I called my dad to come watch the last 7 laps with me and after Tony won and I was clapping my dad said so Tony is growing on you is he. The truth is Tony grew on me a while back even before all his personal tragedy. I wrote a blog post about my transition with hating Tony Stewart to not minding him. http://nascarjgrfan.blogspot.com/2015/09/my-transition-from-casual-fan-to-die.html here is that blog post in case you want to read it. However the short version of that post is I didn't understand NASCAR when I started watching it and the fact Tony and my drivers were getting into fights I sided with my drivers and hated Tony for wrecking them (blaming him even if it wasn't his fault). I used to throw fits or run away screaming when my friends parents would try to tease me on Tony Stewart. As I continued to watch and learn the sport I realized what NASCAR was all about and once I realized that I realized I don't have to like every driver but I should respect their talent. By this point Tony and my favorite drivers had stopped tangling in wrecks and it allowed me to sort of mellow out about Tony. I was older and starting to mature as a person as well. All these things helped me to get to where I am today as a NASCAR fan. For a few years there I kept pretending I hated Tony just so my friends wouldn't tease me about my change and if I'm honest I liked the teasing. If yesterdays race ending would have happened when I first started watching NASCAR I would have been so mad at Tony for wrecking Denny. Even if Denny himself wasn't mad however I know more about the sport and I'm not mad at Tony he did what he had to do to get a race win and possibly make the chase. As Denny said All's fair in love and war. After all Tony has been through with the injuries and the sprint car accident these past few years I'm happy for him. He deserved to go out winning races and at least contending. Since I've got to read stories about Tony and the kind things he has done and I've got to see his funny personality I can say I will miss Tony racing next year. It's a change from where I started to wear I am know but I appreciate and love NASCAR so much more then when I started. So congrats Tony on your win you deserve it. I just want to say it's so cool that Fox gives out the Byrnsie award to honor Steve Byrnes and Fox I will miss your coverage your without a doubt my favorite coverage of NASCAR. Its been an incredible season so far with lots of great finishes and close finishes and I can't wait to see what else is going to happen. It is pretty funny that both Kyle and Tony missed races and needed a win to get in the chase and both got that win at the exact same track Sonoma. Congrats again Tony on not just this win but all your success in NASCAR. Thanks to anyone who reads my blog and those who try to comment I went on blogger help and you should be able to comment if your having issues it's likely third party cookies filtering issues. Here is the response I got back The Blogger / Google login status, and the ability to post comments, is sensitive to both cookie and script filters.  Your readers may need to enable (stop filtering) "third party cookies" - and possibly scripts - in their browser and on their computer. They also said if your a reader outside of the US there may be other things like this you have to enable. So I hope this helps any of you who had wanted to comment but maybe weren't sure why your comment wasn't showing up. Thanks again for reading.

Prayers for Erik Jones and his Family

Well sorry it has been a month again since I posted I have a feeling NASCAR is looking at some new first time winners based on how Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have been running. I think if Tony Stewart is going to get a win it will be coming soon maybe even tomorrow. Now onto the reason for my post once again it's about my favorite which I apologize for but I seem to get the most motivation to write posts about them.

This post is hard for me to write and one I never wanted to have to write. I love and support Erik Jones he is one of my favorite drivers and I have always felt connected to him. He was born in a small town of Byron Michigan I was born in a small town although bigger than his small town. Being so close I have always felt a connection to him. Both our fathers are named Dave and I can't imagine loosing my father. Having lost a friend to cancer and the women who was like my second mother I may not know exactly what Erik is going through but I have a slight idea of what it is like to deal with something similar.

When Erik won the race at Bristol and reveled that his dad had cancer I was praying Erik would not have to lose his father so young and way before he should have. Sadly though Erik reveled that he did lose his father this past week. As soon as I heard that on the broadcast my heart sunk and I had tears in my eyes. As a fan I get so close to my drivers and to read Erik's note to his father on twitter just further broke my heart and brought me to tears. Unfocently I have lost a friend to cancer he was just 17 years old. I also have experience with my friends losing their mom my second mother at the ages of 17 and 20. So I've seen how they coped and made it through but I understand the knowledge of all the things in the future that Erik won't have his dad there for. More than anything I wish I could wrap my arms around Erik and give him a big hug. Cancer sucks and it sucks that he had to lose his dad. Life doesn't seem fair but I have to give Erik major props for continuing to race on this weekend despite his heavy heart. However my friends have shown me through their loss and that through losses like these comes incredible strength you didn't even know you had. I am so proud to be an Erik Jones fan and proud of the man he is which is partly in thanks to his father.

Erik I want you to know that I may not know you personally and you certainly don't know me but my heart is with you during this time of loss. It doesn't seem fair but I know that with the support of those around you that you will make it through. You are an incredible person and you have always shown so much poise and maturity well beyond your years and I know you need that now to help you more than ever. As many have said nothing I say can make any difference but I do hope you know how loved you are not just by those in the garage that you know personally but also by the nascar nation of fans who may have never met you but support you, love you and cheer for you every race. Your dad may not be here physically but you have to know he is with you wherever you go and he is so proud of you and the man you have become. I wish I could give you a hug knowing we are only a state away me in Ohio you in Michigan. However since I know I can't just know that I have you and your family in my thoughts and prayers you are in my heart.

It is moments like these that make me so proud to be a fan of the sport. The drivers and teams compete against each other and want to beat each other every race. In times of tragedy like these though you see how much they all love and care for each other. When someone is going through a hard time they are the first to step up and wrap their arms around that driver or member of the garage and their family. Alex Bowman said on twitter that "The garage is a big family and we are all here for him" That comment and the many others given in support for Erik show me that he will be okay. Although there is a huge gap now in his heart with the loss of his father Erik has the support of his garage family to help get him through this loss. I love to see how they all support each other. I know that Erik has so many people who know and love him to help him through.

His dad was taken from this world far too soon and my prayers go to Erik his sister Lindsey and his mom Carol. I hope you feel the love and support of the NASCAR community from those you know personally in the garage to the millions of fans around the world that you have never even met. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I know from personal experience that losing someone you love at such a young age is hard but you find a strength inside you that you never knew you had and you begin to move toward your new normal while honoring and grieving the one you lost and that the support of those around you is what helps to get you through it. So I'm grateful that Erik and his family have the support of a NASCAR nation which includes me Dave you were taken far too soon and you will be missed greatly by all who knew and loved you but especially by your family. Rest in Peace Dave and Erik continue on bud I am so proud to be your fan and so sorry for your loss my thoughts and prayers go out to Erik and his family.

 

Remembering Adam Petty

Hello my fellow readers I know it's been almost a month but today I pay my respects to a driver I never got to know or watch. 16 years ago today Adam Petty's life was cut short tragically. He was only 19 years old and I never knew Adam all my knowledge of Adam is through the stories I have seen done on him and victory Junction gang camp. It always stinks that those who bring the brightest promise and could do the most good are taken far to soon. However I can say that Adam wouldn't want people to be sad that he's gone he would want us to celebrate his legacy and focus on the good done through the camp and all the lives he's changed despite never getting to meet them personally. I saw a tweet that said the young people will never know Adam Petty. I have to disagree while we may never personally know Adam if you follow NASCAR you've heard of the camp and his family is one of the most important families to the sport. If you know the sport then you know of Adam Petty and the amazing person he is and the legacy he has left behind. I wish I knew Adam because he from what I've heard was an incredible person wise beyond his years. He changed so many lives that he never knew and probably didn't even realize he could change. I may have been young when Adam passed away but I know that he has changed so many lives through the camp and saved so many other drivers lives on track due to the Hans devices being required. If your going to go that's the type of legacy you want to leave behind. Adam may have been killed 16 years ago on track but because of his death many other drivers are safe today and many have walked away from wrecks and gone home to their families. Adam didn't get to do that on May 12, 2000 but in that day the sport lost 1 driver who had the potential to do so much good but he has saved many other drivers so they can continue to do good and show the same promise on the track he did. Adam Petty you are missed by the NASCAR community and especially by all who knew you. You are honored by the children who attend your camp and all the drivers who owe their lives to you and the others who passed around you. Your legacy is far greater than I could ever describe but I wanted to do my small part to pay honor to your legacy and to help spread your message and good to my generation of NASCAR fans. GOD BLESS you Adam Petty rest in peace you are deeply missed but your legacy will live on forever. Feel free to leave your comments, memories or well wishes to Adam's fans and family in the comments and thanks as always for reading.

Recent NASCAR

Well I first want to apologize for having not put a post on here since February school and work have not left me with much time to write a post. With that said i'm finally back and I get out of school in a few weeks so hopefully I can keep it up better over the summer. What a crazy start to the season we've had with the multiple close finishes on the cup series and now with Kyle Busch's hot streak. I know there are many fans who are upset that he is winning all these races. All I have to say is that it doesn't matter what Kyle does or doesn't do fans will still find things to be mad at Kyle for but he's an incredible talent of the sport and he does a lot for his fans as well. The story he did for the fan in post race traffic was amazing. She is one lucky lady and I wish I was in her shoes. Today I was so pleased to see Erik Jones finally get a win everyone has been able to see it's coming. However I was so thrilled to see him win and then I saw his emotional phone call. I thought it was sweet at first thinking he was so emotional over his win as it when on it became clear that wasn't the reason and it made me a little concerned however finding out that he was talking to his parents and learning his dad was diagnosed with cancer it made me even happier he won. I feel so bad for Erik he's the same age as my younger sister and although he always seems more mature then 19 it's easy to see how young he looked during that phone call. My prayers go out to Erik his sister and his parents. It once again shows how the NASCAR community supports each other the support I've seen for Erik since he announced that news is amazing. This marks the second time I've seen one of my drivers truly break down the other being denny in 2009 after his grandmother passed away. I love that my drivers are so close to their families it's one of the things I love about them the most. Watching Erik cry today was pretty heartbreaking especially after I learned why he was crying.  I want to wish the best for all my drivers personally and professionally and I hope Erik's dad can beat this cancer. Sorry my post is so short I thought it would be longer but it just stopped so I let it. For those of you who haven't seen the phone call or denny's moments i'm posting links here for you to check out. Thanks for reading and i'll hopefully have another post sooner rather than later.

Here is Denny's video

Here is the link to Erik's video from Nascar.com

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjUyvyGzZTMAhWISSYKHfLADFsQFggjMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nascar.com%2Fen_us%2Fnews-media%2Ffranchises%2Fpress-pass.xfinity-series-bristol-erik-jones-emotional-victory-lane-phone-call.4848785519001.html&usg=AFQjCNFhTzJSNJ5FohR5ANwob8lkPWWmvQ&sig2=oxkCR5Yp-j3_9EIWH5afYQ

So feel free to check those out and thanks for reading my posts even if they aren't very frequent it means a lot to me so thanks.

Denny Hamlin Daytona 500 champion

Hey guys so I'm sorry for not posting recently I had wanted to make a post about Tony missing today but with school and work I just didn't have the time to do it. However after today I knew I had to make time to congratulate one of my favorite drivers on his Daytona 500 win. I am so proud of Denny Hamlin for winning the Daytona 500 and for the second year in a row I get to celebrate my favorite driver winning the sports biggest race. It's crazy to think how much a year has changed things a year ago none of my drivers had ever won a Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 or Nascar Sprint cup series championship. Now 2 of my drivers have won the Daytona 500 and Kyle won the Brickyard 400 and the championship. I could never choose between my drivers when they win big races or moments like this it may seem I favor one driver but I honestly would have been happy had Kyle won or Joey became only the fourth driver to win the back to back Daytona 500's. However this win is special and it allows me to reflect back on reasons that I am a Denny Hamlin fan. I will always remember reading the stories about all that Denny's parents sacrificed for him to become a race car driver and all the lucky breaks it took for him to even be able to race and to make it to this series and get a chance at the Daytona 500 let alone to win it. Denny is a guy who made his way to the top from nothing and you can see how he clearly appreciates the opportunities he's got. I am always in awe of the way he comes back from injuries and he said it on ESPN after the race that he always seems to perform after an injury and he does. He clearly is able to tough it out amidst the best as far as pain tolerance and driving when he is not 100 percent. He always makes me so proud to be his fan when I see him overcome yet another obstacle because he's been doing that his whole life. They said in the race commentary today that he wasn't going to sit back and not try to win and that he was one of the hardest charging drivers or something along that lines of never give up, hard charging, always competing. It's one of the reasons I'm a Denny fan he never gives up and he's not one to just run around he's up their competing and trying to win. He is a fierce competitor and I like that about him. I remember a interview he did a couple years ago defending his character and in that moment I remember feeling so connected to Denny there are things that I have in common with each of my favorite drivers and that's why there my favorite drivers. Erik and I are similar just in that we both look younger than we are and just his pretty easy going temperament is similar to mine. Joey and I are similar in that were both very happy go lucky people and most of the time were smiling and we can also be really goofy and awkward. Kyle and I are both pretty determined and fiery especially if you bother us. However I would say I'm probably the most like Denny he said in that interview that he doesn't drink much has never done drugs and is as clean as the come, but he enjoys going out with friends and he got upset and defended himself. All those things are characteristics and describe me he's also been described as a family man and that's definitely me and he got really emotional many times but especially after the loss of his grandmother and that's me I get really emotional as well. When he lost his grandma is when I really became a Denny fan. With all that said I'm so proud that Denny won today and achieved a life long dream of his. I still can't believe it I was cheering so loud but this day was set up to be his It was his 11'th try at this race, he started 11'th he finished 0.011 seconds in front of Martin Truex Jr., he has 11 letters in his name (the one he goes by) and he drives the 11 car. It was set up to be a great day for him and I'm so happy that he gets to experience it. I'm proud that my driver won the closest Daytona 500 race. Congrats Denny and enjoy this win and celebrating it. I want to thank everyone for reading my blog it means a lot that you stick with me despite how much time is between posts.

One Year

Hey guys so I've mentioned this a few times before but I need to do this today. 1 year ago I was faced with a situation I never could have imagined I've never told this story from my point of view but a year later I feel it's time. I woke up on Wednesday January 28'th in a very typical day. I went to the preschool I was doing my observing at and after that finished I headed to my classes. The night before I had learned by text from my friends I don't remember what we were texting about but we asked them if everything was okay and they said that everything wasn't alright but they were okay for the night. As I was driving to class I drove under an American flag held by two fire trucks. I called my mom and asked if she knew why and she told me she thought it was for a ex fire cheif who had passed away. I asked my mom if she had heard from my friends and she said yes but she wasn't going to tell me right now if she said anything else it's a detail lost. I got to the church where I parked and broke down hypervenalating and praying I knew in my heart something was horribly wrong and the fact my mom wouldn't tell me confirmed it. I prayed to god that my friend's mom was alive and getting the help she needed and she hadn't succeeded but I also knew in my heart she was gone and I would never see her again. I called my mom back and I have no recollection of that conversation. I went to class and tried my best to concentrate but I was overcome with worry and the guess in my head of what had happened. My mom, dad and sister picked me up after class and my mom broke the news to me in the car that yesterday after her bus route my best friends mom and the women who was like a second mother to me went home and committed suicide. I admitted I had guessed that much and so had my sister we knew before our parents even told us. I got to see my best friends that night and it was incredibly hard by far the worst meeting we'd ever had and to see them and know what they were going through but there was no place I can imagine myself having been we needed each other it was the only way the four of us could make it through it. I had lost people I loved including two friends who died way to young but that funeral was by far the hardest one I have ever been forced to attend. A year later it still doesn't always seem real however I know in my heart she's gone and she's never going to come back. I will never know why she choose to end her life or how she could make that choice. I just know I miss her terribly and I always will. I loved her like a mother and she treated me like a daughter. My friends and I were 21, 20, 18 and 17 and we shouldn't have had to deal with that at such a young age. I never imagined I would have a life that was touched by suicide but I have and truthfully a year later I still can't grasp it all. So many times in the past year I have wished more than anything I could text her about NASCAR or get another hug and to know I never will be able to upsets me greatly each time. As hard as it is for me I can't even imagine what it must be like for my best friends and her husband who is like a second father to me. I'm so proud of them though my best friends have had the roughest year and they have come to this time one year so much stronger. I'm so proud to call them my sisters I know they would say what I'm going to say next is all because of me and my sister and I won't doubt that but it doesn't change what I'm going to say. I'm so proud of you guys for the strength and poise you have shown through this past year. You have taken this horrible situation and become amazing young women out of it. I will never be able to express the admiration I have for the way you two have handled this situation and I love you both so much and I'm always hear for you. A year later and the grief still rips at my heart and breaks my heart every time I think about this loss. I had all these ideas of what my future looked like with my family and suddenly my world was shaken and turned upside down. Through this past year I've never really been angry at her I've just questioned why which doesn't change the situation but I didn't know what else to do. I never pictured I would lose my NASCAR buddy and that's one of the parts I miss most currently where I am. The big moments like wedding days, children and even college graduation cross my mind as times I wish she were here for. However the everyday little things like her hugs and the love she showed for me and the way she treated me like another daughter and talking NASCAR those are some of the things I miss the most. Mom 2 I will never understand why you did what you did but I will forever miss you and I will always treasure the six years I got with you. I promise that us girls will stick together. To my best friends and my Dad 2 I love you guys and I'm always hear for you I hate this happened to you and I want you to know this blog is dedicated to her to the amazing women I was so privileged to call my second mother and my NASCAR buddy. Mom 2 I will always want to pick up the phone to text you about NASCAR but since I can't sharing my thoughts on this blog will just have to do.  To all who are reading this thank you for letting me share my thoughts and feelings not just in this post but in every post with you. I know I favor my drivers but I can't do anything else I do my very best to keep this blog open and fair. I want all my readers to understand my point of opening my heart and sharing my story with all of you who are strangers I've never even met is to hopefully prevent you from ever feeling the pain that me, my family and my friends family have felt. If you ever consider suicide just know there are people who care about you and would miss you even if you don't feel like it. I said that at my mom 2's funeral if only she could have seen how many people cared about her maybe she wouldn't have done it. Don't ever feel you need to end your life nothing is ever so bad that you have to end your life and there will always be people who are willing to talk to you. The pain I've felt in my heart is something I would hope you never have to experience in your life. Since this happened I've been questioning how do I move on where do I go from here. For me personally I think part of my role is to share my story to hopefully help someone else. I may not have been able to save my mom 2 but my hope is that somehow in the rest of my life I can make a difference and stop people from having to feel the pain me and my friends have felt. If I can save even 1 person it's been worth it. Dad 2 and my sisters I love you guys and I always will your my family and I'm here for you. Mom 2 I will always miss you and this blog is my way of sending my messages up to you even though you can't reply back I've accepted that as much as it hurts this is what I have to do know. I will always love you and I carry you in my heart for the rest of my life I will never forget you and although I wish more than anything that you were here now I'm glad your resting in peace I love you.