For those of you that read my blog, you already know that I am not your typical NASCAR sportswriter. I incorporate nail salons while watching the race, equate love to a two-way headset, and reminisce about Talladega on my son's birthday.  This blog will be no different. I like to reach out to those that love NASCAR as much as I do and have found a way to fit it in your everyday obligations and entertainment.

As I have said in the past, I am always surprised at how involved NASCAR is in my life. I never noticed, nor cared, if someone was wearing a Dallas Cowboy t-shirt (my NFL team) and instantly felt a connection. I never noticed, nor cared, if someone was wearing a Washhington Redkins, San Fransciso 49'ers, or Pittsburgh Steelers t-shirt (my NFL team's rival) and instantly felt distaste. But, as I walk through the mall, I do notice the guy wearing the Budweiser leather jacket or the kid with the Dickies 500 t-shirt. Thoughts go through my head like: "Hmph, he's a Jimmie Johnson fan, that sucks." How did NASCAR ever get this far in my life?? I will tell you a tale of how far it has come.

This past weekend we visited my in-laws, and my sister-in-law brought the game, "Battle of the Sexes." We decided to have a little family fun and take each other on after dinner. My team consisted of me, my sister-in-law, and my mother-in-law, all educated women and highly overconfident. My husband's team consisted of him, his brother (my brother-in-law) and a friend whom we hardly see, all of them educated as well. Well, it doesn't take long for me and my sister-in-law to realize these questions are a little unbalanced. We were asked "male" questions which primarily consisted of automobile initials, the sweet science, and the longest family owned car coporation. Their "female" questions consisted of television sitcoms, Oscar winners, and album titles. We, as a team, felt that these questions weren't really "female" but more "pop culture." Where were the questions like "How many days are typically in a menstrual cycle?" and "What are fake contractions called?" Anyway, as the game progresses and pretty much neck and neck, the female team is asked a question by my husband, none the less. In hindsight, I think with him asking the question, he thought the game was truly "Battle of Who Knows NASCAR more: Me or my Wife?"

"Who was the first 50 year old winner of the Daytona 500?"

Instantly, both my sister-in-law and mother-in-law swing their faces to me with the look of complete surrender. I knew, and they knew, they absolutely, positively, had no utter clue as who that possibly could have been. I was their only hope. I knew it would be up to me to make the most educated guess I could, for I did not know the answer as well.  I asked my husband to repeat the question. I repeated the question to myself and the thinking began...........I had to make an educated guess and just deduce...........it wasn't asking about the 50th winner because we've only had the 48th running this year..........they were asking about  the first 50 year old winner..........it couldn't have been Richard Petty because that was too obvious and this game isn't about the obvious..............but then..........the same picture in my mind kept running over and over of the Allison brothers fighting Cale Yarborough...........ya.................... they would be about that age..........that was going to be my guess. As I looked up to answer my husband, he was looking down at the card as if looking at me would reveal the answer, but then at the same time he had a look of cockiness that I knew I was going to have to eat CROW afterwards if I got it wrong.  My sister-in-law was just hanging in the balance waiting for me to answer  - because this was more about a game, it was; after all, sisters against brothers, women against men.

"I would have to guess Bobby Allison."

My husband couldn't even respond, the look of disgust on his face was defeat. My brother-in-law was in total shock that his sister-in-law answered something so trivial that he didn't even know the answer to. My sister-in-law gave me a high five, mortified just the same that I got it right. I even had to ask "Was that right?" because my husband didn't even want to acknowledge it. I shout "Yes- I am NASCAR!" We went on to answer the "easy" questions on the rest of the card and that night the WOMEN prevailed in "Battle of the Sexes."

I love NASCAR.