RIP Torie Costa #TorieStrong

Hey guys so I want to start by saying that I hope you all had a wonderful holidays with your families I know I sure did. With that said I wanted to make a short post to address the loss of Torie Costa yesterday. I didn't know Torie personally but I followed her story from a far and I was praying that her family could get a miracle and I wasn't surprised to see the news yesterday but I was hoping if she went that she made it through Christmas. I gathered from her families' posts that she hadn't been done but I also gathered she was a fighter and if anyone could beat it that it would be Torie. Unforcently she was unable and my thoughts go out to her family knowing that their lives and Christmas's are forever changed and I hate that for them. It's so unfair that so many people loose their lives to cancer but it in some ways is at least for me harder to take when their so young and have their whole lives ahead of them. There's a saying that God takes the best home to be with him and it is so true. All the posts I've seen since Torie passed she sounds like an incredible women who would have made the world such a better place had she survived. I lost a friend Matt December 22, 2008 to cancer as well that like Torie would have made the world much better all that made Torie's story touch my heart even more than it usually would have. I want to express my condolences for Torie's family, friends and all who knew her including the NASCAR community who has lost a lot of people recently. I'm glad that Torie is not in pain and she fought so hard she was an inspiration to all and she will never be forgotten. God Bless you Torie Rest in Peace you deserve it and you will be missed. Torie showed so much courage and fought so hard to win this battle and I hate that she wasn't able to. However she was an inspiration to all and showed so much courage that I can only imagine changed the lives of those around her she was truly #TorieStrong and she will be deeply missed God Bless and Prayers to her family and that one day we find a cure for all types of cancers and stop this horrible disease. Feel free to join me in the comments sending your condolences to the family. Always remember Torie and her fight and how she was #TorieStrong.

A final Farewell to Jeff Gordon

So I felt that it wouldn't be right to give a future hall of famer who was retiring a small blurb in my season recap. Every sense I started watching NASCAR Jeff Gordon has been in the 24 car and it is so weird to think that he won't be any more. It's crazy to see the drivers that were the stars when I first started watching all starting to retire. I love a lot of the up and coming drivers that will take their places however these are the drivers that I started watching and it's weird to think that drivers like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are retiring. With that said there is no doubt that Jeff Gordon is an incredible driver and a future hall of famer sooner rather than later. Seeing the tributes that all the tracks, fans and drivers did not only today but this whole season. I got to be a part of one of those tributes at Michigan International Speedway this year and I've got to watch Jeff Gordon race live twice. Jeff is a class act for all he does off the track and for the driver he was on the track wanting to do whatever he could to help the sport he loves. Seeing all the pieces on him today made me emotional and I'm not even a Jeff Gordon fan I respect Jeff 100% and he's the type of guy that you want to support. For me though I never attached on as a fan of his I know most of my favorites were Jeff Gordon fans growing up though. Jeff was a great ambassador for this sport and watching him win Martinsville I was happy for him that he could end his career with at least 1 more win and a chance at the title. If Kyle couldn't have won Jeff was my second pick for the title. I had a feeling after he won Martinsville that it would be the final win of his career and it was but it was the perfect win to complete your career with. Seeing Jeff Gordon retire was sad and emotional for me so I can't even imagine what it must have been like for those that are true fans off his. For me personally I grow to love these drivers and to support them and I love seeing them every week. So it becomes personal almost like your giving it up thankfully all my favorites are relatively young so I have a few years before I have to worry about that. Jeff is an incredible driver who I respect so much and I will miss seeing him on the track. I loved watching all the great tributes this year as a sport we gave a grand farewell for one of our legends, NASCAR greats, Champion and Hall of Fame Driver (soon to be). Jeff your final season may not have gone exactly as you wanted but you had the love and support of an entire community and sport. Seeing how your peers reacted shows what an incredible guy you are for all of those of us who haven't had the pleasure of meeting you. I wish you all the best in your future and I can't wait to see what class of the Hall your inducted into but I'm guessing that you get inducted in within the next two years but definitely the next five. As they said at the races all year and especially today Thank you Jeff 24ever you will be missed on the track enjoy your retirement and time with your lovely wife Ingrid as well as Ella and Leo who are both beautiful kids. You had a storied career and you were respected and loved by your peers. You're a champion in every sense of the word and you deserve everything you got this year God Bless you Jeff.

 

 

2015 Champions and Recap

Well fellow race fans the 2015 season is officially over. What a crazy season it has been first off I'm so thankful that all drivers made it through the year. There were a lot of scary crashes and three drivers especially that lived despite horrific crashes that easily could have killed them. Austin Dillon's crash at Daytona for him to survive that was a miracle as I said back then I truly thought watching it that he was dead and I'd just witnessed my first fatality. Kyle Busch also at Daytona without hans devices he definitely a few years ago would have died and you look at his injuries it's a miracle he was okay. Finally Austin Theriault's crash at Las Vegas hearing that his hans device broke he's incredibly lucky to still be alive and it shows that we still will never have a perfectly safe sport. There were many other wrecks and hard hits but those three made me thankful for all the safety NASCAR has implemented throughout the years. There was a lot of crazy moments for me personally with my 4 favorite drivers. Seeing Jeff Gordon run his final season (see my next post all about that) and learning that next year will be Tony Stewart's final season. Learning that Michael Waltrip Racing was to end operations at season's end. It was a crazy season and for me personally it was the season that I saw my second race live once again at the Michigan International Speedway. It was also the first season that I watched without my NASCAR buddy and the women who truly was my second mom. I miss her every day it's so surreal that a year of NASCAR news that we would have talked about is gone. Tonight one of my favorites won the championship and I wish more than anything that I could have had her congratulations and playful teasing however I didn't and I have to get use to the fact I can't text or talk to her about NASCAR however I'm not sure the longing to ever will. So without further ado let's head on to the champions.

First up the Truck Series anyone who has followed my blog knows that I'm a huge Erik Jones fan and he had an incredible season with his 3 truck wins, 2 xfinity wins, and amazing runs in his cup series starts. He capped the season off winning a championship in the truck series. To think he's only 19 and this was his first full time season shows his potential. He ran higher than most of the other young guns (Chase Elliott, Ty Dillon, Chris Buescher, and at points Ryan Blaney) in his sprint cup starts. He is a future talent and reminds me so much of his mentor Kyle Busch. He handled himself so well all year with all situations he was put in. I love his fiery competitive spirit much like his mentor Kyle. Seeing the passion that he brings to the sport and knowing that he got here off his talent and hard work he didn't come from a racing family. The fact that he beat the drivers he did for his wins this year was incredible. To think that in his first cup start he lead a lap and nearly finished in the top 5 that right there is talent.  Being that he drives for one of my other favorites Kyle Busch I was thrilled to see him cap off the season with the Truck championship the first driver championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Erik is an incredible driver and I'm so proud to be a supporter of his I like a lot of the young up and coming drivers with them being close to my age but my favorite is Erik Jones. Congrats on being the 2015 NASCAR Truck Series Champion Erik.

Second Up the Xfinity series I was personally pulling for Ty Dillon or Chase Elliott to win the title. I'm not a Chris Buescher fan however he did an incredible job and he earned that title. I've been a fan of his cousin James and I wish James still had a ride. It amazes me the difference between the Roush Xfinity Program and the Roush Cup Program. I don't think it has to do with driver talent like I know some people do however it is a little surprising to me. Congrats on being the 2015 Xfinity Series Champion Chris.

Finally the Sprint Cup Series I'm so stoked that Kyle Busch won the title after all he's been through this year. First off I want to start by addressing the controversy. I know there are a lot of people out there who say Kyle shouldn't have been in the 16 drivers competing for the title and there for shouldn't have been able to race for the title. I just have a few things to say about that first off I'd like to say anyone who says that go through what Kyle went through and let's see how you do. I highly doubt that many people other current NASCAR drivers included could have went through what Kyle did and gone on to win the title. I doubt that many people who are 100% healthy could have gone and had the season Kyle did let alone had the injuries Kyle did and then have that season. Kyle came back before most expected. He did what NASCAR said they didn't change the rules for him to make the chase he still had to finish in the top 30 in points and win a race (to be in the chase that's what you need to do no matter what) Kyle did that and did what his competitors did with 11 less races. The odds were stacked against Kyle to make it to the chase let alone the final 4. Most of the experts who call the races doubted that he would be able to make it. He had a 179 points deficit to make it to the chase at one point he crashed in a couple of his first races back making his job that much tougher. However he went on his roll to win during a incredible summer that saw him win 3 races in a row. He won four races at that point how can you honestly say a driver that won 4 races shouldn't be able to compete for the title. I know there are a lot of people out there who say Kyle shouldn't have been able to win tonight's title. In the end I'm not here to change their minds as a Kyle fan and even as a Joey, Erik, Denny fan I'm use to seeing people hate on my drivers. It doesn't mean that I like it but I also know the incredible drivers and even more so the incredible people they are off track. They are fierce competitors (even getting in fights with each other) who overcome adversity better than most and who only want to win and that rubs people the wrong way. So if you don't like my drivers or you don't feel that Kyle should have won the title that's your opinion and your welcome to it however I will not accept any nasty comments on my blog they will be deleted and if you dislike those 4 drivers then this probably isn't the blog for you. There my four favorites and I talk about them a lot I do my best to be supportive of other drivers even those I dislike knowing that we will never all agree and that's okay. In the end I will support Erik, Denny, Kyle and Joey through the thick and the thin and as Taylor swift said And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off. Kyle had an amazing season and to overcome his injuries after the crash that easily could have killed him, or ended his career first off I'm thankful that he's alive and healthy. I loved seeing his heart and determination this season. A lot of people including those with a lot of NASCAR experience doubted that Kyle could make the chase let alone win it all. I was never one of those people I knew that Kyle hated finishing second and he certainly wasn't one to lay down and give up the fight. He was going to fight until the last race trying to make it. I knew that especially after the 2008 season he was a driver more than capable of rattling off a stretch of wins that would make it easy to make the chase. In the end he did just that once he made the chase I just had a feeling that he would win it all when I filled out my chase grid I had Kyle being the champion and I do my best not to let my favoritism slip in when making my chase grid. I want to be fair and write it based on stats and results because I want to see just how close I am and if I'm always playing favorites I'll never be close. Throughout this all with Kyle I just had a almost psychic feeling around this situation. When Kyle crashed before I even knew what his injuries were I knew he had broken his leg and he wouldn't be racing the Daytona 500 or anytime soon. I had a feeling that he would go on a summer stretch of wins to get into the chase and I had a feeling he would win it all. It's crazy how it all worked out but I'm so happy for Kyle, Samantha and all of his family, team and friends. I believe a lot in fate and destiny and Kyle had never come close to winning the title before but after tonight I honestly believe he couldn't until he had Brexton. Brexton changed his whole life and completed the family picture with the title. I also bet Kyle will never forget Brexton's birthday 5/18/15 5 his first car number in the sprint cup series full time for Hendrick Motorsports 18 his second car number in the sprint cup series full time for Joe Gibbs Racing and 15 the year he won his first sprint cup series championship. It was a crazy season for Kyle Busch that started in a hospital bed in Florida and ended in Florida with him as the Sprint Cup series champion. Kyle Busch deserved to be the champion and as a Kyle fan I couldn't be happier. 2015 was a season of ups and downs but it ended on a high note. Kyle you showed so much passion, heart and determination in your incredible comeback and I couldn't be prouder to be a Kyle Busch fan. Congrats on being the 2015 Sprint Cup Series Champion Kyle.

Well that's a wrap for the season I'll be posting another post soon (hopefully tonight) to pay tribute to Jeff Gordon who deserved his own post. I wish all those drivers still seeking a ride the best of luck and I'm happy to say that overall it was a crazy year for NASCAR. Mother Nature got involved way too much and there was craziness as their always is. I love NASCAR and I'm so glad to be a fan of such a awesome sport. For me personally it was a rough start before the season started with losing such a important person, second mother, fellow NASCAR fan and my NASCAR buddy I dedicate this post and every post to you. This blog is my only way to express everything I wish I could tell you and I know your smiling down from up above happy for me tonight that my driver won and happy that I continue to write about you and to honor your memory. I will never forget you and although I can't talk to you personally about NASCAR I know one day I'll see you again until then rest in peace and enjoy the races from high up above. Despite it's rough start with the loss and then Kyle's accident to finish the season my season ended up great. Adding all my four drivers together their combined stats across all three series were in 188 starts they had 29 poles, 34 wins (including the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400), 102 top five finishes, 135 top ten finishes, 6,438 laps lead and 2 championships. So as I said earlier people may hate on my drivers but they produce pretty good results and I'll take them any day. Now over the off season two of them head into surgery Denny get's his right ACL repaired and I believe Kyle is having some of the hard wear in his foot removed. So prayers that both of your surgeries go great and you recover quickly. I hope that Joey, Brittany, Erik, Hayley, Sam, Kyle, Brexton, Denny, Jordan and Taylor all have a great off season and amazing holidays. Have a great off season fans and I'll see you all in Daytona.  Enjoy the holidays with you families. I'll try to post a couple posts between now and the Daytona 500. Congrats again to all the champs and thank you to all my readers who read my blog your support is much appreciated as always feel free to try and comment.

Jimmie Johnson's win Today

Hey my fellow race fans well the season is almost over and obviously I wish today had gone better for Joey and Denny. However if one of my favorites or my sister's favorite (Trevor Bayne) couldn't win Jimmie Johnson is the next best choice. As anyone who reads my blog regularly knows I have a couple of really good friends who are more like sisters and their family has become my second family. They tragically lost their mom this past January and it doesn't seem real even nearly a year later. I respect my friends so much for how they have handled this situation I can't even imagine being in their shoes and having their life turned upside down. Their mom became my second Mom hen we first became friends and she was a huge Jimmie Johnson fan. She got a lug nut from a fellow Jimmie fan off his racecar and I was their that day and her excitement was through the roof. I never imagined there would be a day we couldn't talk racing and that's been one of the things I've missed the most now that she's gone. I miss her everyday and I wish more than anything that she was still here. Watching Jimmie win today I was thinking how good he looked in that cowboy hat. For the first time in a few months I've had the urge to pull out the phone and text her about that. To realize that I couldn't do that really hit me hard today. Some days are easier than others and having lost a few close friends before this I know that the day will come when Jimmie winning makes me happy and makes me feel closer to her but at this moment with the grief still so fresh it hurts to see Jimmie win and know that I can't talk to her about it. Watching NASCAR I have never been a person who hated Jimmie but I wasn't a Jimmie fan. When he was winning a lot of races or championships I would get a little tired of seeing him win. I never hated him but I did wish to see someone else win some to. I know that's a common thing you love to see your own driver dominate but when it's not your driver it's not very fun. However when I think of all Jimmie has overcome with winning the day of the Hendrick Plane Crash in 2004 or losing his best friend the weekend of his first cup start I really pull for him and want to see him do well. I know the pain of loosing a friend and I can't imagine doing what he did the weekend of his first cup start. I've always respected his talent and what he has done in the racecar. Since losing my Mom 2 he has carried a more special place in my heart. I write this post in dedication to my Mom 2. I miss you everyday and I will always love you, when you left you took a piece of my heart, the memories I have I hold dear to my heart and I know that one day I will see you again. I like to think after seeing how long Brad dominated today and how Jimmie passed him that you had something to do with it. I'm sure that you Ricky Hendrick, Blaise Alexander and all other connections to Jimmie in Heaven are having a big party and gave him that little extra today. Rest In Peace until we meet again. For my fans thank you for giving me a place to express my feelings and write about the sport I so dearly love. Seeing the number of views increase always touches my heart. I may never know you personally but I really appreciate your support and I hope that my posts can help you in some way I may never know. God Bless all of you enjoy the rest of the season I'll post a champions wrap up if I don't post before then. Congrats on the win Jimmie.

The race at Martinsville

Hey guys well today was a crazy race. It was so cool to see Jeff Gordon's excitement winning the race today. I wasn't cheering Jeff on for the win I was hoping Kyle or Denny could get it done. However I am happy for Jeff Gordon to see his excitement was so cool to see. It was also neat to see the fans support for him to know at one point fans booed him and now he was respected like that.  It is because of the type of driver he is he's a legend of this sport and I didn't grow up liking  Jeff I didn't watch his rainbow car. However I know a great driver when I see one and he is a great driver. I was happy to see him win because for a while their it looked like his final season would be winless and he deserves to have a win in his last season after all he has done for the sport. I was glad that his family was there and able to celebrate with him. I was also proud of the NASCAR post race crew for focusing on his win first today and allowing us to see what it's like to be in Victory Lane. I haven't been this happy for a driver who wasn't one of my favorites to win since probably Martin's win at Pocono. I've never see Jeff so excited and knowing that I might be his last win of his career was appropriate for him to win at his best track. Congrats Jeff if one of my favorites can't win the title at Homestead I'll be cheering for you and I'll write up a blog post about his retirement after Homestead.

Now onto the Drama from today I've always been a fan of drivers and never a specific team. However after my three favorites were all driving for Gibbs I really became a Gibbs fan and I can say that when Joey left I was sad however I didn't mind Matt, or Carl so I am still a Gibbs fan. With that said I was disappointed in how today's race played out. I know that lots of people disagree but to me the racing incident between Joey and Matt at Kansas was just that hard racing. I know people could accuse me of playing favorites to my favorite driver. However if you compare it to the incident today their totally different. Matt said after Kansas that he had always respected Joey but not after today. Well before today I respected Matt because you never saw Matt get to riled up and he always raced clean and like a champion of the sport. After today I won't say I lost all my respect for him but it did change my opinion of him slightly. I never expected Matt to do something like that and then to lie and cover it up disappointed me if you're going to do something then admit to it your already parked by NASCAR. I expected Matt to race Joey hard but I also thought he would race Joey clean and fair. I saw in his post race media session Kyle called NASCAR out for being consistent in making inconstant calls. I have to agree with what the reporters were saying that this gave a black eye on the sport and it isn't what this great sport I love is about. However Kyle has a point that NASCAR isn't consistent they didn't call anything on Kevin Harvick last week in what seemed like a pretty blatant wrecking of Trevor Bayne yet they park Matt today when he wrecked Joey but Danica wasn't touched when she purposely got into someone. It's very inconsistent and like Matt said after Talladega NASCAR has lost all control. I think not NASCAR has to suspend Matt Kenseth they need to show that this is not something they will stand for. If you compare it to Kyle Busch wrecking Ron Hornaday a few years ago when Ron was racing for a title NASCAR parked Kyle. To me this situation is very similar and I agree with something Parker Kligerman said I think the drivers feel safe and almost invincible and they take more chances. However Austin Theriault could have easily died a few weeks ago at Las Vegas, Austin Dillon at Daytona and Kyle Busch at Daytona. The sport is safer but no driver is invincible. I was very disappointed in Matt today and I'll be interested to see how NASCAR reacts to the incident. I hope moving forward to finish this chase we can have competitive clean racing. Everyone have a good week and enjoy the races next weekend.

Remembering those lost in Hendrick Plane Crash in 2004

So it always sneaks up on me and I rarely remember to write about the Hendrick Plane Crash and I probably wouldn't have this year except I saw Emily Maynard (Ricky Hendrick's Fiancé) and her post remembering Ricky on Instagram I love seeing pictures of the young lady his daughter is becoming and I'm sure he would be so proud of her. This year is different for me because as any of you who have read my blog before might know my best friends Family are Hendrick Fans and their mom in particular was and she passed away in January so this is the first year that she is up their with that part of the Hendrick family and I'm sure she's probably getting together with them every weekend to watch the races. I miss her so much so I can't even imagine what it must be like for Emily who has a living reminder of Ricky and for Rick Hendrick who lost so much family that fateful day 11 years ago in 2004. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by the Hendrick Plane crash and I hope for a safe race tomorrow in Talladega after Austin Dillon's crash in Daytona in July and Austin Theriault getting hurt just a few weeks ago at Las Vegas I pray for a safe race first and for most tomorrow. With the fight to get in the chase and second place only being up by 18 points i'm sure it will be a crazy race tomorrow. I hope everyone enjoys the race. I noticed looking at the stats for my blog that I have a lot of readers from outside the United States which is so cool. I'm so honored that your reading my blog or translating it or whatever it's very neat to see. This blog started as a school project and I found that I enjoy blogging and I wasn't able to stop and now that I have lost the women I talked the most with about NASCAR being able to blog to all of you means a lot. So thank you so much for reading. I had issues with the comments a while back and I'm unsure if i'm still having issues with the comments or if people could comment but are just choosing not to. If anyone reading my blog can comment (even just say your favorite driver or which country your reading from) just to show me that it works and it's not a problem on my end that would be amazing. If you haven't already I have it set up to put your email in to notify you when I update my blog (which isn't as often as I would like and I hate leaving you hanging for a month or two when I don't post) so feel free to do that if that's something your interested in. I hope you all enjoy the race tomorrow and thanks again from the bottom of my heart for reading my posts it means a lot. God Bless all affected by the Hendrick Plane Crash the victims are Gone But Never Forgotten Rest in
Peace

 

Joey Logano's Piece on his Second Chances Foundation and how that piece touched my life

Hey my lovely readers last week at Charlotte I was touched by Joey Logano's Second Chance's foundation piece that aired before the race. Joey commented he was lucky to realize that NASCAR wasn't the important part of life at such a young age. He is a remarkable driver and a even better human being. I had the privilege of meeting him a few years ago and instantly I felt so comfortable with him he was laughing and talking with me as though we had been best friends for years. Even though he may not remember me I will always remember meeting him and the kindness he showed me. I was a Joey fan before that night but I became a even bigger fan that night. Out of the three NASCAR drivers I have met Joey was by far the kindest and the friendliest. Seeing his friendship with Gavin Grubb through the years has been so sweet to watch and shows what kind of a person he is. The piece with the charity about veteran suicide touched me because last January my life was changed by the suicide of my best friends mom. She wasn't a veteran but watching that piece Joey did made me think of her once again. I never dreamed that I would know someone who committed suicide but it just goes to show you never know what is going to happen in life. Going forward my immediate goal was to take care of my best friends and help them through it the best I could. However now I want to do my best to help others so that hopefully I can prevent the pain I felt after losing her. I want to be able to spread the awareness of suicide prevention. Joey's foundation is doing an amazing thing with their support and it's so great to see. I may not touch as many lives with this blog post as Joey touched with that piece but I'm here to do my part. Joey seeing the compassion you show to others shows the type of guy you are and I'm so proud to be a fan of yours and to support you. I love the maturity you show and how your using your platform to help those less fortunate then you. Your may have became a Daytona 500 champion this year but I know you would agree with this statement you were already a champion as a person and that's the best kind of championship to have. Each week on NASCAR.com reading the stories of the charities your supporting and your compassion to the people those charities help makes me smile because I'm so proud of you and so proud to be your fan. I wish you all the best in the rest of the chase and to all my readers I urge you to spread Joy and to be kind to those you meet because you never know what battle there fighting even just one kind word can save someone's life. We can make a difference and I urge each of my readers to go make a difference however you can. To all those struggling remember that you are not alone and you may not realize it now but you have a lot of people who care about you and would be heartbroken to lose you. I said after my best friend's mom committed that I don't think she truly knew how many people loved her and were heartbroken to hear of her loss and would have helped her had she just reached out. It may be too late to save her life but going forward it's not too late to change someone's life and I believe that's part of my purpose in this life to help others and become  a part of something bigger than myself. Please remember that your never alone and suicide is not the answer. If you need help contact the suicide prevention hotline 1-800-273- TALK (8255) 24/7 and for more resources see http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ I love you all and I hope you enjoy the race this weekend thanks to all of you who read I'm not sure if the comments situation is fixed yet but feel free to try I'd love to hear from you.

My Transition from Casual Fan to Die Hard NASCAR fan and my Transition with Tony Stewart

Hey my fellow race fans sorry that it's once again been so long since I made a post I found this a very appropriate post to make in light on Tony Stewart making the news official that next season will be his last. It's so weird to think that after next season Tony Stewart will not be racing in the cup series. Seeing all the stars that were in NASCAR when I started watching now retiring  is very weird to see. It's weird to think that Jeff Gordon's career is almost finished and Tony's is a year from being finished. Tony is a driver that I've had a interesting story about. When I first got started watching NASCAR seriously in 2007 my favorite drivers were Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch. It seemed that Tony and Kurt were always getting into fights and disagreements (which is funny since there now teammates). I was so mad at Tony for in my mind wrecking my favorite drivers. It didn't matter wither it was Tony's fault or not I said it was Tony's fault and how much I disliked Tony and he was my least favorite driver. I knew nothing about Tony's personality I was basing it clearly off the fact he tangled with my favorite drivers multiple times. This dislike of Tony continued on until about 2009 when he became a owner and left Joe Gibbs Racing. I started to see Tony more as another driver and not just a guy always wrecking my favorites (it helped that he wasn't wrecking them any more).  However even when he and Joey Logano got into it after the wreck that broke Denny's back I wasn't mad at Tony I had fully graphed how in NASCAR they get mad and they show their passion but that the drivers probably get over it in some cases quicker than their fans. I didn't have to be mad that he was mad at Joey I understood it was part of what happens and I moved on quicker than I would have when I started watching NASCAR. However what truly helped to change my mind set about Tony was learning during those years just what it meant to be in NASCAR and more about NASCAR. When I started watching NASCAR both with my dad and then in 2007 when I started seriously following the sport I didn't truly understand what I was watching (I was mostly watching originally because it was something I did with my dad) I like most people originally loved the wrecks and any race that didn't have wrecks was boring. The restrictor plate and short tracks were my favorite tracks because they had the most wrecks. I didn't understand that NASCAR can be exciting without the wrecks that you can have great racing and lead changes which makes the racing exciting. I didn't realize how dangerous the sport was. I was 8 in 2001 when Dale SR, Adam Petty and all the rest were killed that lead to the NASCAR safety advancements I was having my 8'th birthday party the day Dale SR was killed so despite watching races with my dad in the years after and around that time I was unaware of the true dangers. When I truly tuned in it had been enough years since Dale and the rest had passed on that their stories weren't the current topic. I only became truly aware of the impact they had and of them as racers when their 10 year anniversary of deaths came up in 2011. The sport was high up on safety when I first started watching racing and had made many great improvements that have since saved a lot of drivers lives. I never saw a driver injured early on when I started watching. These days I'm well aware that lead changes and great racing make for exciting races. I've seen a lot of drivers injured or have wrecks that should have injured them and realized watching some wrecks that years ago the drivers would have been killed (many heroes and many of my favorites included). These days I still love short track racing it's still some of my favorite due to the amount of lead changes and close finishes it usually has however restrictor plate racing I liked a lot more until this year. After Kyle's injury and Austin's horrific crash I'm nervous about Talladega coming up I love the fact that anyone can win and it give the underdogs a chance but it makes me a lot more nervous for driver safety then it used to. Before Kyle's wreck I didn't think of drivers being injured in that racing it wasn't until I saw it firsthand that I let myself think about it. However heading to Daytona this July I was a little nervous for injuries but I knew the cars were safe. Watching Austin crash though I truly thought I had just seen my first death in NASCAR. All along I'd known death was a possibility and most weekends it doesn't cross my mind however after Austin's wreck it does when going to restrictor plate tracks. Through those years in NASCAR I also started to understand the family community involved in NASCAR. When I started watching I had no knowledge of that, I translated my other knowledge of sports (which was limited). I saw it as my favorite drivers vs. everyone else I had my favorites and they were good everyone else bad and someone who consistently wrecked my drivers was very bad. However once I started to become aware of the NASCAR community and how these drivers respect each other and help each other off track if someone is going through something personally it changed how I saw the fights. As I realized what a great community NASCAR has between its drivers, crew members and fans I truly became a part of the community. My views of NASCAR started to align more with the typical die hard race fan and I started to be proud to be a part of this community. To realize what this community stands for and the way they support each other has been truly eye opening and it's something I love about NASCAR. It's unseen with any other sports you don't see all the NFL teams doing what NASCAR does. It's one of my favorite parts of NASCAR and learning about the community.  I started to realize that I didn't need to like every driver but I needed to respect what they did because I was a part of this community by being a fan. I understood it's okay to have guys you dislike but to make those based off reasons other than the fact that my favorite drivers were wrecked by them. In learning to respect other drivers I became aware of just how talented off a race car driver Tony Stewart was. I also began to hear stories of the good he had done for others (many times behind the scenes). From 2009 to mid 2013 Tony was just a driver that I didn't really hate anymore but I certainly wasn't a Tony fan. I think my best friends and family can attest to the transformation in my views of Tony and they stopped teasing me about Tony when they saw that I didn't react like I once did. My best friends mom and I talked last year about how Tony was a good guy after his tragedy and that's when I saw she truly had realized my change. I wish more than anything that I could discuss this changing time of NASCAR with her and see if she'd still tease me about Tony with his retirement coming and me actually being sad that he's leaving (which is totally different then the cheering that I would have had when I first started watching NASCAR and disliking Tony) but unforcently I lost that opportunity in January and I miss her everyday but especially when these big NASCAR moments happen because without her I don't have a NASCAR buddy to talk this all through with. I often think that's why I don't make posts until big things happen in NASCAR. I can handle the races without talking to her but I think I started posting what I would talk to her about and I never realized I was doing it until I started typing up this post.  These last two years have taught me so much about Tony Stewart that I never saw all those years I was busy disliking him. Seeing Tony go through all his own struggles was hard to watch on a basic level to know that anyone was going through that much hard stuff at once. However it allowed me to see how much the NASCAR community loved Tony and the way they stood behind him. It also brought out the good side of Tony stories that I had never heard and made me realize what a great person he is. Hearing how he was the first driver to visit Kyle Busch after his accident was just one of those stories. Most recently seeing how he lended his plane to Justin Willson's family to get them to his side and how it wasn't public knowledge until the Indy Car drivers publicly thanked Tony. Those are the type of stories that learning about them really opened my eyes about Tony.  I will miss watching Tony race he's not my favorite driver but he brings a lot of hilarious moments in his interviews. I'm glad to hear that he's not leaving the NASCAR community. I hope after the last 2 years that Tony can win a few races before he hangs his helmet up in the sprint cup series. Tony has made a big impact in this sport and despite disliking him at the beginning I can now say that I fully respect Tony Stewart's driving ability and that he has one of the kindest hearts I've seen in my time in NASCAR. Tony it's great you're not leaving fully but your presence will be one deeply missed on the racetrack after next year. Thank you to everyone who read this post I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you all enjoy the race this weekend and the rest of the chase.

2015 Chase

Hey guys I hope you all have been good since I last posted. It really hit me know that the end of the season is approaching and that we only have 10 races left in the season. Joe Gibbs Racing has proven they have a real shot at the championship and I think Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano will be the other guys that have a great championship shot. It's crazy to think that Jeff Gordon is about to be officially retired however for me I like my chances in the chase with my drivers Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Obviously two of those have had a lot to overcome or currently have a lot to overcome.

I know there are a lot of people who disagree with the fact that Kyle Busch has a chance to race for a championship. I may be a little biased as a Kyle fan but I think if a guy can come back and do what he did he deserves a shot at the championship. When Kyle came back a lot of people doubted that Kyle would be able to make up the points and get in the chase. I always believed that Kyle could do it even though it wouldn't be easy. The first few races out didn't look very good for his chances but he hit his stride at Sonoma and never looked back. For him to win 4 races and do as well as he did not just on the cup side but winning the Xfinity and the Truck races as well. Kyle has a lot of talent and he has showed it again and again. He is an amazing driver and I am so proud to be his fan. All I have to say to the haters is that Kyle didn't choose to break his leg in a compound fracture and break his foot. Yes he chose to race that Xfinity race at Daytona but how many races he's raced and he never been injured in the race car before this February so why would he think this would happen. He rehabbed hard to come back and do what he did. I think if a guy wins four races he's clearly one of the best and he deserves a shot at the championship regardless of anything that happened. I would have been very disappointed if NASCAR didn't put him in the chase after he won four races when it was their lack of soft walls that caused him to get injured. I'm so proud of him and I'd love to see him go out there and win the tile because in the end to quote Taylor Swift "the haters gonna hate hate hate but I'm just gonna shake shake shake shake it off." I'd love to see the haters do what Kyle did considering that he came back a lot sooner than most people expected. In the end I Love Kyle Busch and I'm so proud of what he accomplished this season and I wish him all the best.

The next major challenge for the chase comes from one of my other favorites Denny Hamlin. He's racing with a torn ACL for the second time. I've seen the experts talk and other fans talk doubting Denny can race and contend for a championship. I don't doubt Denny he's raced with a torn ACL and the last time he raced with a torn ACL was 2010 and he won 8 races and nearly won the championship. He's had other injuries that he's over come including a broken back coming back quicker than was expected of him. He raced his rookie season after cutting his hand on the hauler in a footrace. So Denny is used to competing in pain and I believe he can block out what's happening and the pain he's going through. Denny talks about not wanting to be the weak link and that he gives an extra bit he doesn't usually. I know a lot of people doubt Denny and that's everyone's opinion but personally I won't doubt Denny because he's overcome a lot of odds before. As far as the experts questioning his ability I just have to look at the fact that a lot of people doubted Kyle could make the chase and he did it. I know a lot of the fans question why Denny would play basketball knowing what he had coming up and why would he risk it. All I have to say is they deserve to live their lives and do whatever they want on their off time. There's risk in everything they could get in a car wreck driving their personal car so why not let them do something to benefit their health and stay fit which ultimately helps their career. I know Denny can overcome and do a great job this chase. I don't doubt that Denny will have a shot and I know he's going to race his heart out trying to win a championship. He's been so close to a championship so many times that it's only a matter of time before he finally wins a championship. I love Denny and I want to wish him all the best.

I can't wait to watch the chase I love the playoff system it's so exciting with the eliminations as always there's moments you hate it. If it was a season like the previous years without eliminations my favorite Joey Logano would have won the championship last year so that part is hard to know. However ultimately I like the excitement that the eliminations bring and as Denny Hamlin said when they first brought it out that consistency would keep you in and Ryan Newman proved that last year nearly winning the title without winning a race all season. However winning kept Kevin Harvick in the chase and ultimately won him the title. I like that excitement and the challenge of getting my drivers in and knowing that there is a chance that I could have 3 of the 4 final drivers causing a chance for one of my drivers to win their first cup championship. There is a lot of stories in the chase I'm happy that Jamie McMurray finally gets a chance to race for the championship. I'm so happy to see Martin Truex Jr get a chance to race for the championship after the season he had last year. Jimmie Johnson has a chance to secure his legacy by winning a seventh championship and it would be appropriate after losing my best friend's mom who was like a second mom to me this January she was a big Jimmie fan and I know if he does win that she helped him to win that title. I've touched on Kyle and Denny's stories which would make me so proud if either of them could win the title.

I can't wait for the chase after a crazy season for my favorites with a lot of ups and downs Kyle started it off on a negative breaking his right leg in a compound fracture and his left foot in a wreck at the Xfinity series before the Daytona 500 started. Joey then turned it to the first positive of the season by winning the Daytona 500 and locking himself in the chase Joey's Daytona 500 was not only his first Daytona 500 but also the first Daytona 500 for any of my three favorites. Denny gave another positive by winning the Martinsville race and locking himself in the chase. Denny then just gave a mixed moment having to pull out of the Bristol race it was a low for Denny and there was concern about his neck however I was happy that Erik Jones my favorite up and coming driver got a chance to show what he was all about. He got his chance the next week at Kansas making a high for him which was cool for me. Kyle then came back in the all star race which was a positive and then Denny won the all star race which was cool because he responded to my question on twitter asking him where this ranked with his other wins and he replied it was the biggest win of his career because it was a total team effort. Kyle then had a personal high with the birth of his son Brexton on May 18, 2015 which was cool because he has driven the 5 car and the 18 car and his son was born on 5/18. He and Sam struggled with getting pregnant and had to turn to fertility treatments to conceive Brexton so I was so happy for them. The next high on the race track came from Kyle who got his win at Sonoma this meant that he was now eligible to get in the chase if he could crack the top 30. The next high came for Kyle when he got a win at Kentucky he then won New Hampshire. The run he was on was an amazing high for me after seeing how much he had been through. He then went on to win the Indianapolis 500 being the first of my drivers to win that historic race. I was pleased for him but despite all those high's he wasn't in the playoffs yet. I then had a slight down when Kyle ran out of gas while leading Pocono thinking it hurt his chances and Joey took over for him and then ran out of gas which was a bummer for me. My drivers had other success in the two lower levels of NASCAR mixed in between all this. The next high came when Joey swept the weekend at Watkins Glen giving him another win. The next high came last week at Darlington when Kyle clinched his chase birth giving all my drivers their spot in the chase. Obviously Denny tearing his ACL was a negative but as I discussed earlier I believe he still had a chance. Obviously I don't know how this season will end but my drivers have won the two biggest races of the season with the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 Joey won a big race Kyle won a big race it would be kind of ironic if Denny finally got his championship. I want to wish all the best of them. I love them all and I'll be happy for each of them if Denny, Kyle or Joey wins their championship.

I want to wish all my readers the best if you have a favorite driver good luck to your nation. The only downfall is my sisters driver Trevor Bayne didn't win a race so he is not in the chase however he has had a lot better races recently and so I'm hoping next year that he can have a chance to win the title. I'm hoping the best for my 3 favorites I'll see you all later and I'll try to keep the blog more up to date though out the chase.

My Second Live Race Experience

Hello to all my readers and fellow race fans first off I want to apologize for another long gap between posts I see that you guys are still reading and it means the world to me. So here is my next post this one is about my experience. So this past Sunday I was able to go to my second live race at Michigan International Speedway. Both races I have gone to have been at Michigan International Speedway and it's a beautiful facility. The grounds are so pretty and you hear about the beauty of the Irish Hills of Michigan it truly is beautiful and tranquil it is amazing and something I'm not sure I could ever put into words. I was blessed to share my first race with my younger sister, my two best friends (who are like my sisters) and their parents (who truly have become my second parents). Sadly those of you who have followed my blog know that we lost the women who truly became my second mother this past January. This race was different without her to think that the last time I was there she also was and now she wasn't there with me. Much like I've felt many times since her death although the moment was wonderful it felt incomplete. Her favorite driver was Jimmie Johnson and I know her husband, her brother who came with us this time and her daughters desperately wanted Jimmie to do well in honor of her memory even though he never knew her. I had mixed feelings about it I felt it would be perfect if he won the race we were going to see since her death. However I have my favorite drivers and I wanted to see them win. I also knew that Mom 2 was my NASCAR buddy the one I talked everything NASCAR with and I know we teased whose driver was going to do better each race so I felt that she wouldn't be mad that I was once again cheering against Jimmie. In my first live race back in 2010 Denny Hamlin won the race and my driver toped hers, once again this past Sunday all of my drivers beat hers which was a very bittersweet feeling for me I was thrilled to see my drivers running so well and yet it almost didn't seem right that both times my drivers beat hers. Since Mom 2's death I lost my NASCAR buddy I am able to share a little with both my Dad and my Dad 2 and now my sister who has really become a diehard Trevor Bayne fan and is wanting to learn something's about the sport so that she understands those when they relate to Trevor. However it will never be the same I can't ever get that back and it's one of the things I miss the most about her. However despite all the sadness about her loss I wasn't thinking about that while I was at the race that sadness came in my reflection of the race and remembering my first. At the race I was just thrilled to be going to my second live NASCAR race. I'm sure that I drove my sisters and my Dad 2 crazy with my excitement while we were 3 hours away from the race on our drive up because I was excited before we even started our 3 hour drive and the closer we got the greater my excitement. We rode the trams into the track and the people on the tram were very nice and welcoming and it showed what a great place MIS is. Our first stop was to head over to the new Merch tent I had seen the pictures and I was excited to see the tent for myself in person. It was amazing to be able to see the merchandise clearly and be able to pick it up was nice. Overall I was pretty pleased the tent was well organized and it was easy to find your drivers gear and checking out was real easy. The only downsides that I found experiencing the tent in comparison to the trailer was that at the trailer you could take pictures next to the picture of your favorite driver which you aren't able to do as easily in the tent because their pictures are up high and you would be blocking people who wanted in or out of that section. The other thing that I didn't like was it seemed like the prices had gone up a lot (now part of that could be it had been 5 yrs since my last live race any of my fellow race fans who went to a race before the new merch tent and want to share if it was just the tent or the 5 yrs since feel free) After going to the merch tent we went to sit under the grandstands and to eat our lunch. After lunch it was time to head into the stands and watch driver introductions. At my first race we didn't leave enough time and we missed all of driver introductions and pre race ceremonies. So for this race I really wanted to experience that and I'm glad to say that I did. Our seats were in the turn 2 end of the grandstands (my first race we sat at the opposite end of the grandstands in turn 4) so we couldn't see the driver introduction stage however thanks to the TV right at the end of pit road we were able to see what was happening up there. Seeing the drivers ride around in the trucks so close to us was amazing to see I know my sister said it made her really want to meet Trevor Bayne and I loved seeing the drivers up close even though we were separated by a fence. I was glad that I got to see all those drivers up close and experience driver introductions and my sister captured some pics so we can always remember that day. On TV you can never tell who gets a lot of cheers or boos and so it was kind of cool to experience that in person and to see what the reaction from the crowd is. The pre race ceremonies was amazing to be a part of to always here on TV ladies and gentleman please stand and remove your hats to hear what I had always heard on TV live was very cool and pretty hard to describe. Having Buddy Baker die a week ago today and to be able to take part in a moment of silence for such a legion of this sport was incredible and really showed the community that NASCAR is. It also worked out that in a way it allowed me, my sister and my best friend's family to honor their mom and it was almost like our moment of silence for her as well. Hearing the national anthem anytime gives me great pleasure to be a part of this amazing country and to share that moment with a bunch of fellow race fans is really neat. The flyover was amazing and that's the one part we saw my last race their only we saw it while checking in at the gate. The race command was awesome to hear those famous words in real life and hear the engines roar to life which amazingly is a lot quieter than I expected on TV they make it sound really loud and once the cars are rolling full throttle it's really loud but the start up was quieter than I expected it to be. My sister talked about how she loved doing the wave at MIS with all the fans and how cool that was and I have to agree it is so cool to be doing a wave with a bunch of other race fans. It's a cool tradition that MIS has and it's a lot of fun to be a part of to watch the wave come out and you and then stand with your section of fans in perfect unison and watch the wave move from your section and then send it back to the other end was amazing and a lot of fun. Standing for the green flag was so fun and it meant that I was about to see my second race live which made me so excited. There is nothing like seeing 43 cars come whizzing past you for the first time that day in a pack. I wore hearing protection most of the race but that first lap I went without and it was cool to hear the car engines up close as they raced around the track. I wouldn't want to listen to more than a lap without the hearing protection though as it becomes really loud and you can still hear the roar of the engines through the hearing protection while saving your ears. It's amazing how different the engines sound when they're coming of pit road after a pit stop and coming back up to speed. Noticing that difference myself it's easy to see how the drivers can tell when their engine is letting go just by the sound. Most people who aren't race fans always talk about I want to see a wreck they keep things exciting as a true race fan I don't like wrecks as much because I know it means a lot of work for that drivers crew and I don't want to see anyone hurt. I've watch two of my favorites Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch be injured in a racecar I've seen some bad wrecks that I know years ago could have been fatal and I've learned the NASCAR history and know how many drivers died and what a dangerous sport it still is even with the safety advancements. After Austin Dillon's wreck at Daytona this year when I truly thought he had died I have never been more thankful for NASCAR's safety implements (both for fans and drivers) then I am now seeing the catch fence live and in person makes his wreck that much more scary and incredible. To see how strong that fence is and to know that Austin's car went right through it makes you stop and think a little more. It makes it really sink in just how horrific that was as a fan I can't imagine sitting in the stands and seeing that come at you. As a race fan instead of wrecks I like to see restarts and passing which I got the chance to see a lot of if you have never seen Kyle Busch live on a restart let me tell you that the TV's don't do him justice. The speed and precision with which he flies around the other drivers is incredible. He has such skill and talent and he looks like he's going so much faster around them then he actually is and he makes it look effortless. Seeing a pit stop live and in person to always shows you just how quick 12 second pit stops are and the work the crew does live is incredible. Those pit crews are real athletes and I'm amazed at what they're able to do. One thing that I do find very hard to adjust to after watching so many races on TV is how fast things happen, and to figure things out on my own if a driver goes down pit road I have to figure out if it was scheduled or not, if there were mistakes, to figure out why the caution lights are on, to figure out who's on the lead lap and whose not and keep track of where everyone is when they've been green for a while and the leader is lapping the field. It gets very confusing and despite the pillar in the middle if you spend time looking at that to find positions you miss the racing so I tend to give up knowing where people are and just enjoy the racing and the passes wither there for position or not. Its also amazing how many little things you miss I had no idea till I came home that Kevin Harvick ran out of gas or that Jimmie Johnson missed his pit stall once yesterday. At one point my sisters and I went down to the fence and watched the cars go past it is amazing just how much vibration they make and the pounding in your chest it gives you. It's a feeling unlike any other we went down under caution (where I got to meet another Kyle Busch fan and we cheered for him) and watched the restart from their before we were asked to return to our seats by the usher. I had no problem with that as I know it was to keep us safe especially after Daytona this year. Seeing the cars up close it's cool to see just how much they look like the dicast cars and how shinny they are. I'm also always amazed at how vivid and bright the colors are in person that's something TV doesn't do justice either. I always love seeing just how bright Danica and the others cars are in person.  Meeting other NASCAR fans and seeing how despite the different drivers we cheer for we all don't want to see another driver hurt and just how friendly the fans are to each other is a neat experience. Were complete strangers and yet we feel that bond of cheering for the same driver and being a part of the NASCAR family despite the fact that we don't know each other. In the end Matt Kenseth lead a dominating race and no one was close to him except Austin Dillon which was cool to see him up front and I wouldn't have minded seeing him win if none of my favorites, Trevor, Kasey Kahne or Jimmie could win. I think it would have been cool to be their live for a first time winner but I was fine with Matt wining as a Gibbs fan I teased my family that apparently I bring Gibbs luck at MIS since the two races I've been there a Gibbs driver won. However I know this time I had little to do and it was more the incredible hot streak that they have been on recently. Having now been to another live race and having met Joey Logano I can now say that I have left on my NASCAR bucket list is to attend another live race at a different track so I can see a different track and the view that it brings, I also want to go see the NASCAR museum and the teams shops, I want to meet more drivers and I think it would be really cool to experience a few of the teams fan days. Wither or not that all happens will be left to seen but my love of NASCAR will continue to live on. I want to thank MIS for a great race weekend your facilities and staff were amazing the staff was all so friendly and I loved my time at MIS and it will always be special for me. I hope that all my readers get a chance to see a race live and experience it in person. I've tried to describe my race experience here but I know there are so many things that I can't describe and that just have to be experienced in person. If you haven't been to a race I encourage you to go and if you have I would love to hear your stories about your experience and the different race tracks you have attended. I would love to hear your differences between watching on TV and in person and what surprised you while being their live as well as what you liked best about seeing it live. Remember we may cheer for different drivers but we all belong to the NASCAR family. Have a great week fellow NASCAR fans and I hope everyone enjoys the race this weekend but especially those of you who are attending Bristol live.

Happy Birthday Adam Petty

Hello readers today is Adam Petty's 35'th birthday and even though he sadly was taken from this world far to soon at the tender age of 19. He has left a legacy full of help and love though Victory Junction gang camp. Adam changed the lives of many kids through that camp giving them a chance to have fun despite the other challenges there going through. Adam was destined to be a good race car driver but he was a even better person. When you look at all the good that Adam did after his death you almost hate to think all the great things he could have done had he survived. However in addition to the camp Adam's death has saved many drivers lives by forcing HANS devices to be mandated among other safety requirements like the kill switch. So while it is incredibly painful to think about the life lost in Adam Petty through his death he saved the lives of many drivers Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Erik Jones, Martin Truex Jr just to name a few. All have taken very hard licks or had very frightening crashes involving barrel rolls which many years ago may have killed them. I never got to watch Adam race but I have seen stories done on him since his death and he was a good looking guy with an amazing smile and personality and that he was wise beyond his years. While it hurts to have lost Dale Sr, Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper and Adam Petty those 4 drivers changed the sport of NASCAR and together have saved the lives of countless drivers through the years since their deaths. There deaths prevented the deaths of many drivers that otherwise would have been joining them in Heaven and that is truly something that will help their legacy live on forever. Happy Birthday Adam you were an amazing person both during your life and in the years since your passing. While writing this post I looked up the meaning and definition of legacy and I came across an amazing blog post about legacy and it feels as though the person who wrote this was describing Adam Petty they wrote it so eloquently I couldn't write it better if I tried if you want to see what I'm talking about click the link below. http://empowermentmomentsblog.com/2014/11/19/what-legacy-will-you-leave-behind-in-the-world/ They say your legacy is what you will be remembered for long after your gone  Adam definitely left a legacy that guarantees that he will never be forgotten I was 7 years old when Adam Petty was killed that was about 6 or 7 years before I started watching NASCAR however I know who Adam Petty is, the great person he was, the legacy he left, the safety requirements he helped with in NASCAR and Victory Junction Camp which is at the core of Adam's Legacy. To read more about the camp follow the link below http://victoryjunction.org/ While Adam was taken far to soon from this world and once again lived up to only the good die young song by Billy Joel. He changed more lives in his short 19 years and in the 15 years since his death than some people who live for 65 years. He was an amazing person who will never be forgotten in the NASCAR community and so I wanted to wish Adam a very happy 35'th Birthday in Heaven. Thank you to all my readers I hope you enjoy the race tomorrow in Kentucky I pray for a safe race for all the drivers and thanks again for reading.

Happy 35'th Birthday Adam Petty you were taken to far young and while you are gone you are NEVER FORGOTTEN God Bless you

 

Austin Dillon and the NASCAR family

Hey my fellow race fans and readers Watching that race last night I was horrified when I saw Austin go up into the catch fence. It was a terrible impact and I was so terrified if Austin was okay or not. I truly agreed with Jimmie Johnson when I first saw the wreck I thought Austin Dillon was dead. I was thinking it was the second driver to be killed in the three car at Daytona. To see all the different crews running to his aid shows what NASCAR is all about and the way Dale and the other drivers reacted shows you what a family sport it is. They may not all be best friends but there a community and they care about each other. I was so relieved when the crews signaled that Austin was okay and then to see him crawl out from that car. He definitely had the good lord watching over him last night. Seeing his brother's tweets on twitter and how scared he was for his brother was heartbreaking for me as well. Having a little sister I can relate to the Dillon boys my sister and I are best friends. Ty and Austin's bond is the reason I'm a fan of there's. I have to thank NASCAR for all of the safety updates they have made over the years. Watching Austin walk away from that crash practically unscathed was a miracle. Seeing him get hit by Brad Keselowski just added to the scariness of the wreck. I'm so thankful that I didn't have to be mourning the loss of Austin this morning.

Last night watching the crews of all different teams including the race winning team not thinking of anything except making sure Austin was okay. Checking in on him not knowing what they would find. Austin made mention of the garage and NASCAR community as family as did Dale Jr. I'm so proud to be a member of the NASCAR community you don't see this kind of support and care between football teams in the NFL or basketball teams in the NBA or baseball teams in the MLA. NASCAR is truly one of a kind and I'm so proud to support this amazing sport that I love so much. Seeing the way the drivers worried about the fans and Austin. It was an amazing gesture made by all. Seeing the feature about wives worries about restrictor plate racing it shows how there all going through the same things and they support each other. As a fan I don't like certain drivers but I certainty wouldn't wish serious injury or death on them. It was said that the NASCAR community included it's fans and I definitely feel that you can tell the drivers care about their fans based on how they act. Joey Logano going in the stands last night was a perfect example of that. The community is one reason I love NASCAR and I will be a life long fan what the community stands for it has changed me I feel a part of something so much bigger than myself and it feels amazing.

After the wreck I'm so thankful for Austin and the fans safety and I hope he starts feeling better soon. I'm also thankful to be a part of the NASCAR community just like you my loyal readers. Thanks for reading and have a good week.

Just a quick update there is suppose to be a story on NASCAR racehub tonight (July 7, 2015) with Austin Dillon his dad Mike Dillon and Grandfather Richard Childress there suppose to speak as father, son and grandfather in this emotional piece. I can't wait to watch it although I can only imagine the emotion after hearing Mike and Richard call for Austin on the radio hearing the panic in their voices was so scary reminds you what the families of these drivers go through. So I encourage you all to watch that story and thanks for reading.

A post on one of my Favorite drivers Kyle Busch

So my viewers you get a second update today I can't make a blog post today and not talk about Kyle Busch winning today. However I wanted Larry to have his own post so I made two separate ones. As a fan of Kyle's I didn't doubt he could do it. Kyle has always been one of my favorite drivers and the first driver I ever liked and part of that is for the heart and passion he has always showed. Some of the passion moments haven't always turned out real pretty, but I always stood behind him because as a fan I wanted to see a driver with that fire to win who wasn't content to just finish second and say it was a good points day. I wanted a driver that showed spunk, desire and determination. I wanted to know as a fan I was cheering on a driver who wanted it just as bad as I wanted to see him win and I found that with Kyle. I also could tell that those moments were passion and I had no doubt that he was a different kinder person off the track then the persona we saw on the track. Once Samantha entered the picture she showed us that Kyle mellowed slightly and began to show a softer gentler side. He still had his moments of passion and there still there today but he looks at it all in a different way. Kyle gives it his all and can drive a racecar like no other. Those saves he made to go on and win in Daytona a few years ago were a testament to that. So when he was injured this year in Daytona I was heartbroken that one of my favorite drivers was injured and out of a race car for a while. As a fan I wanted to see him back as quick as possible however I also cared enough about Kyle as a person that I wanted him to be healthy and not hurting and risking himself to further more permanent injury when he came back. I knew he would be back as soon as he possibly could because he would put that passion and heart into getting back in a race car. Sure enough Kyle came back way before people imagined he would and I knew once he was back it was only a matter of time before he won a race. He came out in his first Xfinity back and won which only continued to prove to me he was on his way back. For him to win the way he did today and come from 7'th and charge all the way back up and win it proved he didn't just win at a restrictor plate and slip his way into step 1 of his chase dreams being completed. He drove his butt off to get from 7'th to the front and on a road course where he had to test his legs and brake hard. To hear how he was hurting and yet still giving it his all made me cheer even louder. It showed the heart he had to continue fighting and trying to get the win. For him to beat Kurt on top of everything just made it even more special. I had no idea that was their first ever one, two finish I thought for sure they had done that before. I love the pics of them hugging in Victory Lane and everything Kurt said about Kyle was so sweet. To see Kyle overcome so much was amazing and to see him win made it that much sweeter. To see Samantha in tears after the race and know everything that she went through I was nearly crying watching her. I was so happy that not only Kyle won but that after everything with the struggle to get pregnant, and the crash that they got to celebrate his win together. The only thing missing was baby Brexton that would have made it absolutely perfect. As a fan of Kyle's I will continue to cheer him on and hope he can race his way into the chase I will never doubt him he's made it this far and overcome odds people never expected him to and I think he'll continue to do that, and if he can't overcome his odds and make the chase I know as a fan it sure wasn't from a lack of effort, heart and passion on Kyle's part. I have no doubt that he will be stronger for what he went through and as a fan I will be right there cheering along. I've supported Kyle in everything he does and I'll continue to do so. I love the success that Kyle has built at KBM showing he's not just a great driver but also truck owner and he has a heck of a eye for talent. Erik Jones is my favorite up can coming driver and he reminds me a lot of Kyle he has that passion and heart and that strong dislike for finishing second. I'm sure judging by pictures I've seen off social media and stories Samantha has told that Kyle's just as great of a husband and father as he is a race car driver. Congrats Kyle, Sam, Brexton and the rest of the Busch family I can't wait to watch Kyle continue on his journey to make the chase as your fan I back you and fully believe you can do it. Fans can dislike and boo you all they want but while there doing that I will be enjoying knowing that I've got one of the best drivers out there on the track.

Larry McReynolds Last race in Fox Sports booth

Hey my fellow NASCAR fans It's sad for me as a fan to think that today was the last race for Larry McReynolds in the fox sports booth with Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip. Every since I have started watching NASCAR my favorite lineup has always been the fox line up between the three in the booth and Chris Myers, Michael and Darrell Waltrip running pre race show. There broadcast was always the ones I loved the most and the ones I hated to say goodbye to when there season ended. I can't point my finger on exactly what made fox better. There was just something special but I want to say it was the chemistry between the announcers it almost made you feel a real part of the NASCAR family (not just a fan watching from home) something that I haven't ever felt with any other NASCAR broadcasting lineup. Seeing the impact Steve Byrnes made as a announcer I feel that Larry McReynolds, Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip also make that impact. Larry's knowledge was much appreciated and I will truly miss watching him in the broad cast booth. As he said times must change and change is hard but I will always miss this lineup. I have a feeling that fox will still deliver the best coverage for me personally of any station but it definitely won't feel the same. I struggle to explain exactly why fox was the best for me but it just felt the most matter of a fact getting the info to the fans but not being dry and boring. There was never any mean comments made or moments that made me as a viewer cringe they deliver the NASCAR news that I tune into see and help explain what is happening in the race and to the car in a way that the viewers who don't have years of car experience can understand. Overall for me that is why I love Fox and Larry you will be missed greatly next season. I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors and Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip I can't wait to watch you once again bring the coverage I love with Chris Myers, Michael Waltrip and Jeff Gordon.

The Chicagoland Xfinity Race and Happy Father's Day

Hey guys so it's once again been a while since I posted I try to do my best. So I'll get to the title of the post in a minute but I was watching the Xfinity race today and NASCAR told the spotters that pit road was open during a soon to be round of caution lap pit stops. However when the drivers got to pit road the light that signals pit road to be open was red signaling pit road was close. 22 drivers listened to NASCAR and came down and a few stayed out obeying the caution light. NASCAR admitted that the word pit road was open hadn't got to the man who controls that light. So they then penalized the drivers that came down before the light switched to green (which from my understanding of the broadcast) happened in the middle of pit stops. Now I don't blame NASCAR they had a tricky situation on their hands it wasn't fair to not penalize the cars that came down because that would have in a way been penalizing the cars that obeyed the light and stayed out. However it wasn't really fair to penalize the cars that did come down because they listened to NASCAR's word so they didn't check or ignored the light. Now I don't know what I would have done in NASCAR's situation and in the end no one got terrible days due to the mistake. In the future though if I was NASCAR to avoid a situation like they had today I would make sure that light is correct before notifying the spotters that pit road is open. What are your thoughts readers Do you agree with the way NASCAR handled the situation or would you have handled it differently? I also have to while I'm talking about the race give major props to Ryan Blaney for coming through the field so quick he had a heck of a car today and put on a great show all in a backup car. If his primary was anything like this backup I hate to think what he would have done starting up front and having a car with practice laps on it. I was also impressed by Ross Kenseth today stepping in and running close to the top ten or in the top ten for most of the race. With a dad like his I'm not surprised but it was impressive although it continues the trend of top young drivers coming in. Ryan Blaney and Erik Jones also finished top 10 in their debuts if I recall correctly. I love Erik Jones and so I have to congratulate him on not only today's win but finally getting a long time coming Truck win. He has shown speed in whatever car/truck he's gotten into this year and you look at the number of different crew chiefs he has worked with this year (Dave Rogers, Adam Stevens, Rudy Fugle, Chris Gayle, Michael Wheeler) It is truly impressive that a 19 year old has handled working with that many crew chiefs and run great with all of them. He's won under 3 different crew chiefs this year and to me that is just impressive. As a fan it was so nice to hear Larry say he thought "Erik is the best talent to come around recently not to discount the others" I think Erik looks good but I'm not deep enough in the sport to know if he's truly the best I know he's good but is he the best I don't know. What do you guys think is he the best if not let me know in the comments who you think is the best and why? With so many talented young guns the future looks bright and we could get quite a conversation going. I'd love to get a response in the comments and see which current young guns (Ross Kenseth, Ryan Blaney, Ryan Reed, Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, John Hunter Nemecheck, Cole Custer, Joey Logano, Trevor Bayne, Ben Rhodes, Ryan Truex, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman, Cale Conley, James Buescher just to name a few)  you think is the best and why (if you have someone who hasn't yet made a NASCAR start yet feel free to throw them in the mix and if I don't know them I will look them up) . It would be interesting to read and I would consider making a post about the results if I get some in the comment section.

Now moving on from today's Race congratulations to Dale Jr and Amy on your engagement I wish the two of you the best together and a happy future. Congrats to Ty Dillon's wife on becoming a Honey Bee. Obviously Happy Fathers day to all the NASCAR dads those like Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski celebrating their first father's day as fathers and those like Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth who have celebrated many other father's days as fathers and all the rest in between. A special Happy Fathers day to my dad you've always been there from the time I was little, when I was sick taking care of me, to taking me to my first concert, to driving all the way to South Carolina to pick me and my sister up from vacation. Every day you have been the greatest father I could ask for you introduced me to NASCAR which has become a lifelong passion I had no idea when I was a young girl laying on the family room floor watching NASCAR and eating hot pockets how that would change my life. I've loved going the NASCAR fan base and I owe it all to you. You are the best dad I every could have asked for and I love you very much Happy Father's day daddy I love you. Happy Fathers day to each and every dad out there wither it's your first father's day or your 91'st father's day I wish each and every one of you a happy father's day and I hope you had a great day. Thanks once again for reading my blog everyone and remember I would love to hear which young up and comer you think is the best and why in the comment section (just click on the no comment or add comment to comment on my blog) Thanks and have a great week everyone.

NASCAR Baby boom

First off I want to start this blog post by thanking everyone who reads my blog it makes me feel so good every time that I click and see that I've had another view on my blog. It means more to me than I could ever say so thanks to all my readers from the bottom of my heart. Now onto my topic for this post. Well in light of Landon Cassill, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski all becoming fathers I first off want to congratulate all of them and their wives or girlfriends on the babies births. I find it interesting how each have gone about how much or how little they have shown about their children. You have Kyle and Samantha who have posted a ton of pictures and got Brexton his own twitter account and have been very public with his birth. Which I fully expected after Sam sharing their story through her blog. You then have Landon and Katie who have revealed that they had a son Beckham and his name and some details about his birth but no pictures that I've seen yet. On the very end of the spectrum is Brad and Paige who have only reveled that they had a daughter which was public knowledge before the child was born and nothing really else about her. I can understand trying to protect your babies privacy because when there 16 they may not want all these pictures of their life visible for the world to see. I also understand that with Brad being one of the more disliked drivers currently in the sport and not being married to the mother of his child wanting to protect his daughter from the hate. However Kyle is also been heavily disliked and he is willingly sharing news about his son. Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin weren't married to the mothers of their children and yet they have shown their children to the public eye. I feel like yes the child didn't choose to grow up in the public eye that was given to them by default of who their parents are. At the same time as a fan of Kyle's if he wasn't sharing any news of his baby I would be disappointed because I like Kyle and support his family. So I feel that Brad's fans have to be a little disappointed that they know nothing about his child. I also feel like there not going to be able to keep their daughter hidden from the spotlight forever unless they never leave the house with her. If she's at the racetrack sooner or later I would imagine someone a fan, a media person is going to get a picture of her. I just don't see how they can fully keep her private with the lifestyle they live. I look at some of the drivers who already have families and they vary in how much details and pictures they release about their children. Kevin and Delena Harvick seem to have no issues showing plenty of pictures and videos of Keelan he's always out there. Jamie and Christy McMurray keep their children a lot more sheltered and they don't release pictures of their children. However they have released their names which gives Jamie's fan something and occasionally there's a pic of his children from the media more so his son than his daughter. I've even seen it with Jimmie and Chandra Johnson there are a lot more pictures out their of Evie than their are of Lydia. I just feel like with Brad and Paige it almost doesn't feel real they had a baby. Paige was pregnant their pictures to prove it, but without a name or picture it almost doesn't feel as though they actually have a child. I'm not bashing Brad and Paige for their decision I respect their decision to protect their daughter. It just seems a little unrealistic that a person in Brad's position will be able to keep his daughter totally out of the spotlight. I've loved getting to hear about another child born into the NASCAR community and I think it will be interesting to see how many wind up being future racers. Good luck to all the first time parents mentioned in this post and good luck Kyle as you attempt to make the chase. What is your opinion on Brad and Paige's decision and the difference in the drivers and how much of how little they show their children? I'd love to hear your take on this I hate to keep bringing it up but I see that you guys are reading my blog yet I never get any comments which makes me wonder if it's because you don't know how to comment or why no one ever comments. Either way thank you for reading my blog I'm grateful to at least have readers.

Erik Jones, Martin Truex Jr and NASCAR on social media

So I have mentioned before but I am so impressed with Erik Jones. He did an amazing job last night in his first (official) race and I loved that interview with his mom and how he said she couldn't embarrass him because she's his mom. He is so sweet and calm and collected. I hated that his night had to end how it did because he was looking like he had the potential to get a top five in his first run out. It was awesome to see and for him to qualify 12'th it was amazing what he was doing. The way he was dominating the truck race it reminded me a lot of Kyle Busch. Kyle clearly knew what he was talking about when he picked Erik to drive for him. I wish Kyle and Sam all the best in the birth of their upcoming son. Kyle we can't wait to see you back at the racetrack soon.

I've been so pleased to see Martin Truex Jr running good after the year he had last year. He and his brother have overcome so many odds in their racing careers and I hate that his brother doesn't have a ride right now because I think he would be doing awesome if he could just get a competitive ride and seat time. I wish Martin, Sherry and all involved in their amazing cause the Catwalk for a Cause this wensday it's awesome what they do and I wish them all the best.

One thing I love about NASCAR is how much social interaction their is between the drivers and their fans. Last night during the rain delay I was talking with Sherry Pollex and Ryan Truex. I've also spoke to Colin Braun, Jordan Fish, Kris Buescher, James Buescher, Haley Dillon, Ryan Reed and possibly a few others on twitter and met Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano in person. It's so cool that they take the time to talk with their fans. Let me know what are some interactions you've had with some of your favorite drivers or their significant others via social media.

Happy Mothers day to my mom who is the best mom out there. I love you so much thanks for all you do. Happy Mothers day to all the NASCAR moms and every other mom out their. I also think of those Moms who are overseas fighting for our freedoms and can't spend the days with their families I salute you thank you for all you do. My thoughts are also with those like my friends whose's moms are no longer hear for mothers day. Thank you for reading my blog have a blessed day.

Rest in Peace Steve Byrnes

As a NASCAR fan I always love how the community rallies to help those in need. Today the NASCAR community stands together to support each other as they grieve the loss of Steve Byrnes. As soon as I saw the headline announcing his passing my heart sunk and I felt grief for a man I'd never met in person. I can't even imagine what it must be like for those in the NASCAR community who had interaction with him on a regular basis and were friends of his. My heart goes out to all of those people as well as his son Bryson and Wife Karen. Seeing Bryson's message this past weekend for the race I can't help but tear up thinking of him. I know he will have the best support system around the garage to grow up with. He has so many people with wonderful memories and stories about his dad to be shared with him. I'm glad Steve got to see the Bristol race and what a fitting tribute it was to Steve and let him know just how loved he was. Steve did an awesome job in covering the races and in every interview he did. He passion shown through in everything he did and he was an amazing reporter. He left a presence in the garage that can never be replaced. He was an amazing member of the NASCAR community and now he has joined the NASCAR community in heaven joining the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty, Ricky Hendrick, Jason Leffler and all the other drivers, team members, media members and race fans already in heaven. Heaven gained an amazing reporter and he will truly be missed here on earth. I have no doubt the tributes by NASCAR are going to be amazing tributes for an amazing man. His time here on earth was far to short but in that time he lived life and affected so many people. My thoughts and prayers to his wife Karen, Son Bryson and all the friends and people he knew in the NASCAR community. As a community I know that NASCAR will lean on each other and support his family. Rest in Peace Steve Byrnes and enjoy the race from the best view there is. You will be truly missed.

Erik Jones and the future stars of NASCAR

Well once again tonight Erik showed why the future of NASCAR is bright. He looked a lot like his mentor and team owner Kyle Busch tonight. I was so pumped to see him win and even more pumped to see him beat cup guys in the fashion he did it in. I was not surprised to see him win it was only a matter of time before Erik won a Xfinity race it didn't take him long in trucks didn't figure it would take him long here. While there is a lot of talent coming in the future of NASCAR I feel like Chase Elliott and Erik Jones are going to be two of the top stars. Joey Logano who it's easy to forget is a young gun obviously has a bright future and will be hard to beat. I feel like Austin and Ty Dillon will be top stars. Kyle Larson is not my favorite but there's no doubt he'll be battling for wins and championships. I feel like if Roush could get their program up to speed that Trevor Bayne, Ryan Reed and Bubba Wallace could show they deserve to be talked about. Chris Buescher again not my favorite but he definitely has a future as a top cup star. I feel like if Alex Bowman, Ryan Truex, Cale Conley and James Buescher could get a top cup ride they would challenge for wins. Ryan Blaney has consistently ran with or beat the cup guys and I think he has a great future ahead of him in the sport. There are probably others I can't think of right now and some that have not yet broke into NASCAR but I think provided they all can get sponsors, top rides and catch the right break the young guns I mentioned will be the future stars of NASCAR. I think that one day in cup Erik Jones and Chase Elliott will be battling each other for a cup title. Obviously some of them have cup rides lined up and I hope to see the others secure their spots in the future. I think of Colin Braun and how he had potential but just didn't get the right breaks I think he would have been battling for wins if he had just got a chance. I can't wait to watch NASCAR there's a lot of changes coming and it's weird to think of drivers that I've always watched like Jeff Gordon leaving. He's been there since I started watching NASCAR. However there is no doubt the future is in great hands and I can't wait to see these future stars battle it out. Which future star are you most excited to see and who are some of the top names you feel I forgot because I'm sure I forgot some big names for the future.

NASCAR Update

Wow sorry I didn't realize it had been since February that I had posted. I guess I just didn't know what I wanted to post about. However I'd realized that I got a few views recently and I decided that you guys needed something. Thank you to everyone who has continued to read even though I don't post near as often as I should have. Your views mean a lot to me I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section just click on the no comment area if you're the first to add a comment. However I'm grateful for my readers thank you so much I'll try to get better about updating regularly. So it's been a crazy time these past few years with drivers injured or sick. I wish all the best to Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers as they continue on in their recoveries. I'm not a Brian fan but that guy has had the most bad luck over a spread of years that I've seen. Losing his best friend in Ricky Hendrick and now the blood clots. I have to wonder if eventually the blood clots will force him into a early retirement of if he'll be able to still have a long career. With the way his luck has gone it seems like maybe the first might be more likely but I hope for his sponsors, team and his sake it's not the case. I'm glad to hear it was nothing serious that caused Kyle Larson to miss the past race. I read a article on I believe fox sports about how with the way the points are drivers aren't pushing the envelope and forcing themselves to race when there not at a hundred percent. I think that is good but what are you guys thoughts on that subject.

I'm so happy to see Martin Truex Jr having a good year so far after the year that he and Sherry Pollex had last year and I wish them the best in their future. I have to wonder if once Sherry is healthy if they will consider adoption as a way to have children like James and Kris Buescher did or if they will choose not to be parents. I'm sure there Cat Walk for a Cause this year will be extra emotional for both of them.

I've been surprised on the flip side how bad of years Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are having. Jeff's has been mostly bad luck so I think once the luck changes he should be good. It was cool to hear that his children get to be the grand Marshall at Bristol. However I wonder what is going to happen with Tony. Will he ever be able to return to the driver he was before the past 2 years or is this the way he'll always be. I have to believe at some point he'll be competitive again. What do you guys think will Tony regain his form or is where he's stuck at.

That tire issue floating around is a serious issue and I'm not really sure what to make off it. I had to figure with the way the talk was floating around in the series on the situation that NASCAR suspected someone was doing it for it to become such a big story. I've not really heard enough and I'm not in the garage so I don't have a real opinion on it.

Being that my sister is a Trevor Bayne fan I've had plenty of conversations with her about Roush's issues. She was asking me if I thought he kept qualifying 36'th because of him or Roush. It surprises me just how bad Roush is once again and they had better figure something out because they've lost two top drivers to Gibbs. I really hope that they don't ruin Trevor Bayne's career he's got promise and I believe if Roush got their program up to speed he could do pretty well. I also hope they don't because I will never hear the end of it from my sister. My sister also does not approve of Ricky Stenhouse JR's mullet she wants him to get rid of it in the worst way. Feel free to comment your thoughts on Roush's issues and Ricky's mullet.

I was happy to see Danica get a good finish this past weekend at Martinsville and off course I was very pleased to see one of my favorites Denny Hamlin get his first win of the season and set himself in a good position to make the chase again. Thank you in advance to all who read my blog and feel free to comment. I'll try not to make it be this long without a update again. I hope that you all have a great Easter tomorrow and then we get to head to Texas for racing. God Bless you all and Happy Easter