Strong Start for Matt

All the jumping up and down I did last year about Matt Kenseth doing well appears to be a few months early. His car at Daytona looked like a grownup while all the other kids just came to watch. Wisconsin is cheering Matt today after one of the weirdest (no, THE weirdest) Daytona 500 races in memory. Rain, postponement, very dicey winds, and Montoya’s car wheeling into a jet dryer during a caution all combined with an accident-filled race that did entertain, if not in true racing style. We knew the accidents were going to happen, pack racing is back, and now it looks like Talladega will benefit from that as well, I predict the first wad-up to be off turn 4. If I remember correctly, Carl Edwards passed below the yellow line to take 5th, but it appears officials have moved him back to 8th, and Paul Menard is one of about 3 drivers to benefit by inheriting 6th. Nice. Wisconsin has two drivers in the top ten in points to start, by far the best state-by-state finishing average, and Kenseth and Menard have fantastic teams.Phoenix next week will be a whole different atmosphere, and true drivers will make a difference.

For all my geek friends out there, Matt is sponsored by Best Buy. Also cool.

Nationwide racing had no Wisconsin racers participating, that is just a shame.

Johnny Sauter was a troubling last place with electrical woes, and will be fun to watch as he will certainly strive earnestly for positions in that short season.

Around here the snow might be coming, it might not, spring might be coming, or not, and no neither Marshfield nor Golden Sands are sold. Rumors abound, but the schedules look about the same. The Dells IS sold, look for more about that soon.

Phoenix I predict will see guys like Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, and maybe even Kenseth and Menard shine. I would like to see either one of those Wisconsin guys get 2-3 wins for a nice Chase run.

Counting less than 10 weeks to racing here. I was a little behind the last post, but I am caught up now!

Add 25 Cars and Stir

Daytona. Restrictor-plate racing. It’s a real nice track and a sweet area. Daytona beach is one of the top vacation spots in the world. But the racing is awful. Long stretches of teeth-clenching pack racing punctuated by a grinding crash that takes out 20% of the cars each time it happens. For a fan, the pack whistling by every minute or so is not much of  a thrill, but those that like the wrecks have some fun. It’s too bad. For all the pomp the Shootout was exactly that. I do have to hand it to that Busch kid. Even though it appears the apron and the wicker on the car straightens you out, he still drove his way through not one, but three near-wrecks and bolted to the front seeming on sheer will. Paul Menard looked just fine until Big One #1 happened. Actually, getting turned from behind was Paul’s part of that deal. The car looked good, as good as anybody else. Matt Kenseth succumbed to crash #2, wadded up like the rest of about 8 others after Jeff Gordon tried to nudge Kyle Busch out of the way and got tossed on his roof the first time in his career.

One of my racing buddies told me that hotels in Daytona can be found, though they are not often less than $100 a night, but the rental car shysters pull in $1000 per car per week. Another ouchie.

The racing packages in places like Vegas, Phoenix, Dover, are pretty affordable, I am going to do much finagling trying to get to go to one this year, early spring or fall.  Looking at the paint schemes I liked the pretty blue and yellow of Menard’s car, and I am thrilled Best Buy signed on with Kenseth. It’s a geek thing. Harvick’s less black and more red Bud car is pretty cool too.

I am crossing my fingers 4 cylinder racing strengthens again  this year around here, it was fun to watch the younger kids get some seat time.

13 weeks til race day here!

If You Can…Do It

While I was watching the pregame to the Super Bowl I saw the piece dedicated to the Saints football player who blocked the punt to score their first touchdown after hurricane Katrina. That moment is regarded as one of the biggest in sports, and everyone who was there recalls it as unforgettable and electric. Steve Gleason had 4 blocked punts in his career, and even as a crowd favorite he is marked with that effort as his best memory, for him and his fans. Steve now has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). ALS is a relentless disintegration of the muscles everywhere in the body, and nothing yet has been found to slow that terrible progression. The story moved me because I lost a friend to ALS as well. The disease is probably the most unfair, difficult and taxing on family and friend, and frightening to the patient. Your mind remains sharp, alert, and aware while everything else stops working. Steve has a foundation, and it is as good as any; The Gleason Initiative has Steve’s motto boldly out front: “It’s not about the blocked punt or the Superbowl ring. It’s about the relationships,
love and what you do when you walk out of this room.” – Steve Gleason. He has recently gone on transcontinental RV trips, conceived a son with his wife and taken other ALS patients on Super Bowl trips, among other activities. There is absolutely no sign of self pity in his eyes. He is all about life, and living it.

If you can walk, run once in a while. If you can stand, jump around  a little. If you can drive, give someone a ride, and if you like to drive fast, go racing!

The opener of Nascar is mere weeks away, as we enjoy temps in Wisconsin above freezing in the mildest February we have had in a while. The occasional ice racing and snowmobile derby have broken the boredom, and spring appears to be nearer than we dare hope.

I guess we can say “mere weeks” for our race season, although about 15 of then still are between us and the roar of engines.

This recent warm spate really allows the garage rat in all of us the chance to do some outdoor organizing, I hope you are taking advantage!

Losing

Some people do not know how to lose. They stomp and whine and point fingers. I think their parents probably didn’t know how to teach them about losing. I call it the Balloon Theory. When a 4 year old lets go of a balloon, would you a: get him another balloon, b:comfort him and tell him “better luck next time”? The answer is B. Kids need to know that letting go, not paying attention, etc. causes stuff to happen they may not like. That way they learn to deal with it. The kid that always gets a replacement learns nothing. Only that life is easy.

I thought of all this because my wife lost her mother last week. She passed away after a long illness. I don’t know what was harder, watching her get sick and weaker for such a long time, or now actually not having her around. I hate both. I hate seeing my daughter broken up because she lost a very important person to her. But, I know where she is, I know she was ready, and I cherish the great lady she was, and she will not be forgotten, I promise.

Kudos to Brandon Johnson at the Wausau 525 event this last weekend, as he bested some fast snow-racers in the TLR 400 class. An old hand at racing, Rich Bickle was on hand, and only one driver, Nic Dolezal bested Rich in the 600 class. I hope the non-winners handled it ok…

Also, kudos to the quick info up on that Wausau 525 site, concise and complete. Nice.

Nascar is making all their “secret” fines public. Paul Menard was one of the guys quoted in support of the new rule. I don’t really have an opinion on that, just that considering the astronomical pay scale at that level, something more painful like getting suspended would be even better.

About 18 weeks till we race around here, the lakes are frozen, and I do NOT ice fish. I stay in the comfy environs of my living room and catch up on TV series that I missed in the summer. Right now it is Warehouse 13. They always win. I hope you do, to!

Real Men

When we are reminded to think of hero archetypes the first we often think of is a movie character, or a sports hero. The former does stuff that magically appears heroic, and the latter does heroic-appearing stuff because they are uniquely athletic enough to be put in a position that expects it of them. Neither really are heroes. Websters first defines hero as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability”. In a human capacity a hero is “an illustrious warrior” or “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities”. We have to go to that third definition to apply it to someone in every day life, the second only applies to men and women in battle, God bless all of them who fight to preserve our own liberty. I admire athletes, both for the team aspect, and that they perform at a level that is, indeed, admirable when they do well. I don’t think I look at them as heroes. Athletes are larger than life, but not heroic. I rather would point out the guy who has the nerve to stop a car in traffic and help a passer by who has fallen. I would rather label a hero as a dad who risks his job to stay home and cook a kid breakfast.

I have met men of the “greatest generation” who don’t cook because it is “women’s work”. A vacuum is an alien appliance, but a remote control is a natural appendage. Very non-heroic. Real men drive race cars then attend to their injured wife, like Matt Kenseth. Real men  play football and teach kids to read at inner city schools. Dale Earnhardt knew that a fellow driver’s wife was expecting a baby, and offered everything from airplanes to ambulances to help aid someone he usually is trying to beat in a race.

Real men take off their shoes and help cook supper, real men play “tea party” with their daughters. Real men listen. Real men raise kids without turning them into serial criminals or idiots. Real men make the bed, take out the garbage, frost cookies with the kids, and change the oil in the tractor, all without sighing or whining the whole time.

Oh, and race drivers are athletes. Do not let anybody tell you different.

IQ Test

I have several axioms that my friends hear me repeat. They are strong feelings I have about behavior modifications for the general public that I believe would make the world a better place. Number one is “If everyone did their job like they are SUPPOSED to, everything would work just fine”. I could list 20 examples of shiftless workers I have personally observed, but I know you are smart enough to understand what I mean. Since I drive a lot, I also believe their should be mandatory road testing for a driver’s license every two or three years. A driver’s license should cost $150. And if you get caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you lose your license and your car. Pretty hard-core I know, but I know way too many people I would like to still have around that have been killed by such behavior, both of their own fault, and others. The driving habits I encounter daily are simply atrocious. Lane deviations, errant speed control, traffic light shenanigans, oh, I could go on and on. Driving is NOT a right, it is an earned and valuable privilege.

A couple of easy questions for the IQ test I began with. Do you know you can do a U Turn at a signalized intersection? That used to be a big no-no. Now from the left lane you can do a u turn at an intersection, and right-turn on red drivers must yield to that person doing the u-turn. BUT, you must not back up at all during that u turn, otherwise you are engaged in a moving violation. Pedestrians have the right of way nearly all the time, except where is no intersection or crosswalk or where the pedestrian does not have a green or “walk” signal and where vehicles have a green signal. Can you drive barefoot? Yes. Can you pass on the right of a non-paved right if the car in front is turning left? Yes. That’s a brand new law, by the way. How many pages are the WI “rules of the road”? 38!  Which side is your gas cap on? Some surveys show only 50% of drivers know this…come on people! Can you inline skate on the road? Unbelievably, the answer is YES, subject to local ordinances of course. And here is my favorite:

“No person shall
throw any missile, circular or pamphlet at the occupants of any
vehicle or throw or place any missile, circular or pamphlet in or
on any vehicle, whether or not the vehicle is occupied.”

I think they mean “missive”, not “missile”.

For goodness sake, take the time to learn how to drive and be safe. And don’t believe everything you read.

I really have nothing about racers right now, some activity is happening for local guys going to the southern tracks, nothing specific.

18 weeks to our season starting!

Reflection

All that talk about resolutions and the year in reflection is hard to avoid. I did some new stuff last year. Got to see more races without having to work them than I have in a long time, and I am going to do some new stuff this year (I hope). The first official event for me will be the bar stool races at the Wild Horse Saloon in Kellner, to raise money for the Tri-City Children’s Dream Foundation. The group does nice things for sick kids, the facility is nice, and the last two years the days have been brilliant and not too cold. Beyond that, winter time for me  is a good way to catch up on business repairs and bookwork, home improvement, reading, all kinds of thing I have no time for in my busy summers. The creep of age has claimed too many family members, and keeping the ones still with us out of the hospital is nearly a daily struggle. Take your vitamins and your walk daily, we all have reasons to stick around as long as possible.

We all hoped at the beginning of the year for good weather for racing, and  we got it (mostly). We always hope for safe racing, and this last season was perhaps the safest. I was amazed at the level of competition this last season that took place without silly skirmishes or retributive crashing. Also, the level of talent in very young racers was clearly evident, and that is truly the hope for the upcoming next few years. Most tracks have had to modify schedules to accommodate the stretched wallets of fans, and we have yet to see if it really works well that way. Season passes are affordable and are nice gift for the inveterate fan.

It is 2012, let’s predict some things. Carl Edwards will win the Cup Championship and at least 8 races. Paul Menard will win at least a race. Kyle Busch will fail to win. The truck series will again be a 3 way possibility at the end, proving that “let em race” works best for competition, but not safety, lots of trucks will be wadded up this year. I think Chris Wimmer will get a look, possibly by a cup team but Nationwide for sure. Matt Kenseth will again vie for the title, and if he is in the chase again, will have my pick as a favorite.

It is white outside, it is cold, and racing is 19 weeks away around here. Warehouse 13 and catching up with NCIS is distracting me from that, and the Rose Bowl is this afternoon. I predict Badgers 24, the Ducks 20. Go Bucky!

Family Traditions

This week we do lots of things that we do every year. The tree, the lights, the big  dinner at someone’s house (times two or three sometimes). All of the annual repetition reminds me of the many activities we do regularly, not only yearly, but repeatedly through generations. My first grandchild is being raised by my firstborn, and the things I see them doing remind me so much of the great joy that little life brings. He is one year old, and his dad treats him like a teeny little grown-up. My daughter, his mom, is super-attentive and the results are showing. The kid has lots of curiosity and little fear. Racer material! I remember all the time we spent making sure Grandmas and Grandpas got to see my little people when they were growing up, and now Great-Grandmas etc. get that benefit.

After the dinners and the decorations are finished, we turn to the stuff we think we either should do, or the stuff we would like to do that we never have time for the rest of the year. A lot of time for me has been spent making sure my mom has what she needs, she does not drive anymore, and we shop and deliver for her. I will make special time for my wife and daughter, they see me less in the summer than any of us would like, and maybe a trip to Minneapolis or some late night movies are in store.

I see Matt Kenseth has developed a great sense of humor. His wife and he now have two young girls, an a sense of humor is definitely a bonus in that situation. Matt’s wife Katy broke a shoulder blade in a benefit race in Charlotte, and Matt remarked that he never thought he would have to learn how to put a bra ON!

The family racer has been all over his updated car, and he got some supplies for the effort. I look forward to seeing shiny new things circling the track in the spring. He has been diligent in working regularly on the thing, and everyone is impressed so far. A little garage clean-up would be nice, but he is building a car, don’t let the details get in the way…

I am a couple pounds heavier, and a little lighter in the wallet, but some very sweet people I love are healthy, and we got to spend some nice hours together again, so life is cool right now. Even the little dog has a new bed, and work is a bit of a distraction, because home has been so warm. I look forward to the new year. I hope you do, too.

Closed for Flu

That’s what I was Sunday night and most of the day Monday. It doesn’t happen very often, but I got sick. Oh, boy did I get sick. That’s all you want to know about how sick I got. No, I did not get a flu shot. Yes, I wash my hands a lot (and use that disinfectant goop). Anyway, that is why this is a day late. A cool guy who used to live across the street from our business used to say “you gotta get sick once in a while so you know how good it feels to be well.” Big John Bottcher is well remembered by many racers around here as the gruff realist who helped them put cars together. He knew all the basics, from welding to painting, how to save time, weight, and money. Big John also taught many of us to work the problem until it was fixed. When I was 16 I dinged the back corner of my beloved 1973 Chevy Vega. A couple of my friends and I took it to John’s and set to work bending stuff back into place, paint-prepping etc. Instead of having to lay out cash I didn’t have for a new fender, John showed us how you can make a body line out of still pliable bondo. Absolutely no one could tell the difference when it was done. Big John was one of those guys I won’t forget.

Very little is happening race-wise this week. Christmas is days away and for the first time in my life, no snow is on the ground. I remember one year about 8-10 years ago when it waited to snow until the 23rd, and it was a gorgeous Christmas. This week, the browns of fall and skinny pine trees remain, and it looks like that is the way it will be. I noticed Chris Wimmer has a company handling his web site, and I look forward to seeing him break out again, his win at the Rheem World Crown 300 Super Late Model race at Gresham Motorsports Park (GA), was a great accomplishment, and the guy has real skill, he deserves a good team and sponsors. His older brother Scott’s year was stark, but he notably contributed to the teams of Ty and Austin Dillon as a tester, and still has a good association with Childress Racing.

Schedules are trickling onto web sites. Golden Sands will run a bi-weekly schedule with every class running the nights. May 4 opens racing there, and the 20th State Park will open up. Marshfield has no dates set yet. only 5 months 3 weeks till racing!

Have a very merry and very healthy Christmas!

Readyness

How well you do in life is almost always dependent on how well you prepare. Having worked with several different teams and organizations I have been both well-prepared and ill-prepared with various groups.  The difference between the two are more than pronounced. It can make or break a whole event, whether you are running it, or participating. This is especially true in emergencies. I have been working for the Tri-County Children’s Dream Foundation for a few years at different events, and they are an example of preparedness and care that others should copy. We had a little snag last year during the bar stool races when organizers let on-lookers “suggest” different ways to bracket the races, and it turned out to be a nightmare. This year (next year, technically) they will stick to a plan, making things as fair as possible, and much more efficient. Lately, a lot of folks have been following the ideas of the “zombie apocalypse” crowd, watching TV shows like the Walking Dead and movies like Zombieland etc. I watched Zombieland last night and it portrayed real people dealing with the effects of said apocalypse.  What I have noticed is that all the preparation you take to avert disaster during this kind of disaster will work for any disaster (earthquake, flood, attack, etc). Keeping a “go bag” on hand for family members seems like a good idea. I have begun to pack a couple, and intend to reduce the clutter at home and make it easier to find things that are really useful in times of need. I will know every time the power goes out, or when zombies attack, that I will be ready. This all first occurred to me when a storm hit the area, and only half my flashlights had good batteries in them, and I couldn’t find my scanner.

Racers can prepare like this, too. Sorted tools, generators gassed up, tires labeled, and all that stuff done during the week that will save a minute or two is key. You can visibly see the difference between those prepared and those not. The prepared ones grab the broken part, fix it, see it all under decent lighting and go racing quickly. The ones not ready run around the pits until a race starts and the watch from the fence because they werent preapred. Don’t be that guy. Make your lists, sort your parts, make a plan, and be ready.

Even if you don’t need it during a race, who knows, maybe the zombies will attack that night.