In Honor of Zahra Clare Baker




Zahra Baker
 

Hey guys sorry school has been crazy and I wasn't sure what my next post would be about however I found time in my schedule today and I knew exactly what my post would be. My post today is in honor of a sweet little girl who was taken from this world far too soon four years ago today. For those of you who don't know here is a summary of her story. Zahra Baker was born in Australia and had survived bone and lung cancer losing her one leg below the knee and her hearing to the cancer.  Zahra's mother had given custody to her father after she was born due to postpartum depression. Zahra's father met a women from North Carolina and they got married. In 2008 Zahra moved to the United States with her father and new step mother. Unfortunately for Zahra this is where her story take a tragic turn. Zahra started out in public school but was pulled from it soon to be homeschooled after stories of abuse started appearing. The neighbor's claimed Zahra was being abused physically and mentally. Child services visited Zahra's house twice before they moved to Hickory North Carolina. Zahra's stepmom had been investigated for abusive behavior toward her own biological children. Zahra's stepmom killed Zahra and then dismantled her body spreading it around. She waited until October 9 to report her missing. However investigators learned she had killed Zahra and dismantled her on September 24. If you want to read more about her story or the case just Google Zahra Baker. Zahra was just 10 years old. The sweet little girl who had already survived so much in her short life did not deserve the ending she got. I'm sure some of you are probably wondering why I posted this story on here Zahra had a connection to NASCAR. Zahra got her hearing aids from a event called Get In Gear to Help Children Hear at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch Motorsports participated in that event and had the opportunity to meet Zahra. It wasn't too long after this event that Zahra was brutally murdered. Kyle Busch and children's charity released purple balloons in her honor a year later at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kyle had her picture on the passenger side of his truck and drove to victory. Posted below is the link to the clip of that win (unfortunately I couldn't get it to link the way the other video did) I strongly encourage you to watch it even if your not a Kyle Busch fan it's sweet the way he honored Zahra's memory. Kyle's interview starts at 2:25 and you see him tap and kiss Zahra's picture on his truck at 3:20. People may not like Kyle or dislike him running in the truck that's your opinion but you can't take away from the fact that Kyle was a class act in what he did for Zahra. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M2-s3ojoQM
Zahra was taken from this world far too soon. I look at her sweet little face and knowing that she was so young and disabled I wonder how anyone could ever hurt her. I wonder how her father could not have known something was wrong and that she was being abused and if he did know then why didn't he speak up. It makes you question and I'm sure my readers that are parents will have even more emotions about this then I do. I never had a chance to meet Zahra but she has touched my life and I will never forget her. It may be to late to save Zahra but it's not to late for other children I urge all my readers if you suspect that a child is being abused speak up. I'm posting the following link that tells how you can report suspected abuse. Don't assume that someone else is going to do it a issue as serious as this requires us all to do our part. https://www.childwelfare.gov/responding/reporting.cfm We owe it to Zahra to do our part in honor of her to make sure no child has to have the terrible ending she had. RIP Zahra you were taken from this world far to soon and in such a tragic way but your memory will live on forever. You overcame so much and fought so hard but you're in a better place now.



Are NASCAR driver's athletes

In today's blog we look at one of the age old arguments between NASCAR fans and those outside of the sport. That argument is are NASCAR driver's really athletes. Most of the people that think NASCAR drivers aren't athletes argue that they just sit in a car and turn left how hard is that. However what those people don't realize is that it is more complex then that. Imagine sitting in your personal car driving for four hours only going left with the heat on high and the windows up and 42 other drivers around you. ESPN sports science did a really nice piece on this topic showing just how difficult it is for these drivers. It examines, their heart rate, the heat inside the car among other things. I saw this clip a few years ago and every time I watch it I gain a new respect for these drivers. So here are a couple of questions to think about before and as your watching the video. Do you believe that NASCAR drivers are athletes? Did this video change your mindset you had before you watched the video and if so why? Some one mentioned to me they couldn't post a comment I viewed my own blog and if you click where it currently says no comments you then should be able to comment. For all my NASCAR fans enjoy the race today.

What is NASCAR?

So for those of you that may have come across my blog but don't know what NASCAR is this post is for you. NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR was founded back in 1947-1948 by Bill France SR. There are three major series of NASCAR the Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The cup series as it is often shortened to is the top level of NASCAR and where all NASCAR drivers aspire to race one day. A NASCAR cup field is almost always 43 drivers occasionally a few less but never more then 43. A NASCAR rookie is signified by yellow tape on the bottom of their bumper which tells the others drivers there still new to this and are still learning. The season is 36 weeks long with just a couple off weekends. The season starts with their super bowl of racing their biggest race of the year the Daytona 500. They race the first 26 races which are called the regular season. Then 16 drivers who have qualified by winning one of the first 26 races or if there are not 16 winners the highest in points compete to be the champion in the last ten races of the season. All the 43 drivers still race those last ten weeks but only those 16 have a shot to win the championship. In 2010 NASCAR got their very own hall of fame this hall is located in Charlotte, North Carolina which is where most of the race teams are located and where most of the drivers live. The hall of fame inducts a class of 5 people important to the sport every year since it's opening in 2010. The hall of fame has a very nice website that tells more about the hall and gives you a place to look at all the people inducted into the hall and who they beat out of their group of nominees. The NASCAR hall of fame website is http://www.nascarhall.com/ if you are interested in learning more about the hall. So know you all hopefully know a little more about NASCAR then when you clicked on my blog post and if your a NASCAR rookie fan your closer to loosing your yellow tape. Have a great day and for all my race fans enjoy the race this weekend.

This is the logo you generally see for the NASCAR sprint cup series another common logo to be see is just the colorful NASCAR bar.
 

My NASCAR story how i got started in the sport

Hi everyone my name is Jessica McMillen I have been a NASCAR fan for about 8 years now but my dad has been watching it for as long as I can remember. I started watching NASCAR with my dad as just something to spend time with him. However I quickly became hooked and these days I'm a die hard NASCAR fan I watch the race every weekend and I have surpassed my dad in NASCAR fan status. My first memories of NASCAR are laying on the family room floor with my dad eating hot pockets and watching the race. The first driver I ever liked was Kurt Busch because I found his card in a cheerios box so I started watching him and when I found out he had a little brother Kyle I quickly became a Kyle fan. These days my favorite drivers are Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. I still like Kurt Busch and a lot of the younger up and coming drivers are my age so I relate with them and enjoy watching them but Kyle, Denny and Joey are my top 3. My first and so far only race I ever attended live was the Michigan race in June of 2010 with my two best friends, my younger sister and their parents. I got lucky enough that my first race one of my favorite drivers Denny Hamlin won. I have gotten to meet Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano at various places through out the years and I hope to get the chance to meet many other drivers. I plan to use this blog just to discuses my thoughts and views on certain races, or events happening in the sport. I understand we may not like the same drivers in fact it's likely and that is fine we can all have conversations in the comments and have different view points. Even within my own family and close friends we have different favorites. My dad was a big Mark Martin fan but since his retirement has shifted recently to Dale Jr and Jeff Gordon. My younger sister loves Trevor Bayne. My best friends who are like sisters love Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon and their parents who are like 2'nd parents to me love Jimmie Johnson. However comments must be done in good taste as the author of this blog I reserve the right to not post certain comments or to remove any comments. Comments that will be removed or not posted are any that are mean or nasty toward or about a certain driver and their fans, and any comments that have bad language in them. I want this blog to be a place where NASCAR fans or even NASCAR rookie fans can talk about and discuses this sport but I don't want it to be hurtful and ruin it for the good fans. Thank you and I hope you all enjoy my blog.