Ahhhh! She wakes from a long winter's nap.

I am always ready for the off season to arrive. I'm able to get some grocery shopping done without having to feel guilty that I'm missing the race. I am able to get my husband on those honey-do's that have been waiting since August. And more importantly, I get a nap in with my son. But, by the time February rolls around I am ready for the new season to start. No sooner realized in trying to watch the Superbowl with a 5 year old daughter and 2 year old son. It didn't take long for my husband to proclaim: "I'm asking my mom to watch the kids during Daytona." Let me show you our pre-game entertainment, during the game entertainment, and trying to wind down in the 3rd quarter entertainment.

So you see....NASCAR fans, this isn't going to work for the Daytona 500. We love our children, but it has been a long and cold winter and the Daytona 500 is demanding our full attention! Honestly, the Superbowl is only a warm-up to the Daytona 500. The Superbowl is always fun to watch, but if the Cowboys aren't playing, I usually just enjoy the commercials. If I didn't have this warm-up, I wouldn't have realized how loud and talkative our children can be when you're trying to pay attention to something else. Without the warm-up, I wouldn't be prepared to serve more than this wonderful Superbowl buffet.

So with that in mind, I begin to plan our Daytona festivities. Shortly into the game, it was solidified. Chevy launches their commercial with Mary J. Blige, Big N Rich, and of course, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Well that was like a sign!!!! Get ready for Daytona! Kids off to Grandmas! Wings and Bud for the race! Make sure I ask for the next day off!

So to all my NASCAR friends......let's get ready for Daytona!

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.

This past week we celebrated our son's 2nd birthday (that gives my fellow NASCAR bloggers and idea of what I've been doing with my time lately), nonetheless, I have been reading and periodically posting a comment here and there. I always get a laugh at my blogging ideas because sometimes I never know when they are going to hit. This one came at 5:15 this morning when my daughter abruptly woke me to help her walk to the bathroom. I was in deep, deep sleep; dreaming even! I was dreaming that Michael Landon was telling me that Melissa Gilbert was some kind of fashionista in her day when she was this child star. Melissa Gilbert? Fashion? It must have been my subconscious mind crossing the fact that she was on last week's episode of Nip/Tuck and me going shopping yesterday?!?! Well, now that I get back in bed, the thought of children, of course, is running through my mind...do we really want another...waking me up in all hours of the night? It was nice reminiscing about my son's birth just the other day. My husband and I were talking about that day with our son - as if our son could remember. I didn't remember this part, but my husband asked me if I remembered him asking me if I could wait until the Talladega race was over. He said I said yes, which was bringing back some faint memories.

That morning, a sharp pain woke me, and I knew then, that day was going to be the day. I called my parents and had them come pick up my daughter because I didn't know how long it would take me before we could go to the hospital. It took a majority of the day, but I do remember asking my husband to walk with me around the neighborhood to help regulate my contractions. It was a beautiful Indian Summer day with just that hint of coolness in the air. I didn't realize until this morning, that we had to have been walking while the race was going on. But he never, never let on like he was missing something. I guess he just knew that was not the time to go "AWWWW, can't it wait?????" Like some sissy 5 year old little girl. I do remember now that we walked out the door as soon as Dale Jr. crossed that finished line. Even in the moment of life changing events, I still wanted to see Dale Jr. win also. Of course, we continued talking about how excrutiating my labor turned out to be. Even though he was my second child, and everyone says the second one is easier - NOT TRUE! He was heavier, bigger, 10 days early, and my epidural went straight to my left leg and made it dead as a doornail. But hey, we got a baby on Talladega Sunday. My in laws asked what his name was and my husband jokingly replied: "Dale." The Dale Jr. fan in him thought we could try and hold out until Dale's Jr.'s birthday - October 10th. We had our son on the 3rd.

I am not a Kurt Busch fan, even less of a Kyle Busch fan, but there is something about a wedding that makes every girl a little giddy. The entire NASCAR nation knows that he's getting hitched this weekend and you just can't help but snicker. Is it because it is LOVE? Is it because everybody knows what happens on the honeymoon? Is it because he's brave enough to do it in the middle of the season? I have to say this - what Eva wants, Eva gets. That tells me just a little about Kurt Busch. It tells me that he loves her enough to give her everything that she wants for her wedding (aside the beetle-free beach). Let's face it - a wedding is really all about the bride! The groom just shows up because there is going to be one hell of a party aftewards.

Planning a wedding is no fun. Yes, girls dream about it their entire life and probably have some specific details jotted down prior to them ever meeting their prince charming, and we get a little teary eyed looking at wedding gowns, but if you want your dream wedding, you have to go into it knowing that stress comes with it. Afterwards, you hear people saying "If I could do it over, I would do it different." Well, that's not really true. The real reason you can say that is because you've had your dream wedding and experienced all the headaches and heartaches and even blissful moments that come with it - and if you could do it all over not knowing that- you would probably plan the exact dream wedding to begin with. I had a huge wedding and not on Kurt Busch's income, but a huge wedding is what my husband and I both wanted. We come from large Hispanic families that have large Hispanic Catholic weddings followed by a full dinner and dance, paid for entirely by us. The only ones that had a say if we wanted fresh or fake flowers was me and my husband - we chose fresh. My wedding was exhausting, but I wouldn't change one thing (well...maybe some small detail like my headpiece.) So speaking from bride to bride - I hope that Eva gets everything she wants because every bride deserves it.

Speaking from fan to fan - I'm scared. I'm scared I will become a Kurt Busch fan because I'm seeing a little of his gentle, loving, human side of a driver who doesn't even look like a driver to me. I never even paid attention to these big ears he had before he pinned them back. I just couldn't get past his face and just kept pondering that he doesn't even fit the description of what you think a race car driver would look like. His brother even looks less like a race car driver. Never mind the fact that I don't particularly like his style of driving and the excuses that he has for it aftewards. Oh well, it's going to be fun to watch that after-the-honeymoon-grin when they interview him at Indy. I'm sure the garage will be full of...well...whatever men kid each other after they are married.

I consider myself a part-time blogger now, posting only when the moment has taken over my thoughts entirely. The NASCAR thoughts push out my daily thoughts like: “What am I going to make for dinner?” “What’s on TV tonight?” “How many calories is in this thing?” and the most important “I need to give my son a breathing treatment tonight”. Well, my latest thought invasion has brought me to the conclusion that I must be a radical. I must like change. I must like things to be stirred up. I must like controversy. Actually, I hate controversy; especially when it feels like you are arguing with a stick. That’s why I would rather just agree to disagree and with that in mind I am sure I will hear and read your thoughts on my latest topic. When I began this blog I had to accept the fact that I have allowed myself to be attacked and take on that responsibility, and in passing my responses have been conservative. I cannot say the same of my responses today – probably because of my Hispanic nature – it’s just near and dear to my heart…and my skin…and my hair color…

Marty Smith is one of my favorite journalists on NASCAR.com who tells it like it is even if it’s about his favorite drivers/friends. I’m even wearing his t-shirt in my bio photo – it’s orange! Well, his latest article “Formula Juan” (catchy – I thought) is great. Lots of great facts and perspectives from all points. He even quotes some from his emailers. Well SKERR got to me a little. Not just a little – a lot. And I’m writing to you NASCAR nation – in the hopes of humanity – please tell me not all of you think this way.

This is SKERR’s entire quote thanks to NASCAR.com and Marty Smith:

skerr: I knew it was inevitable that foreign drivers would realize how big NASCAR is to the American people. NASCAR draws the crowds, and there's big money involved.

For years, I faithfully went to the Indy 500, but each year more and more foreign drivers took over driving that category of race cars. I couldn't pronounce their names and I lost interest. Since then my focus has been on NASCAR. I really hate to see the invasion of foreign drivers enter into this area of racing.

Soon it will be like all other races, foreigners only. I think the 'good old boys & gals', just want to see their hometown heroes. I guess money talks and when greed takes over who cares what the fans think. There is more than enough talent among American drivers who want to race in NASCAR.

I personally don't have anything against these foreign drivers, but I don't want to watch them on the racetrack. Don't we have enough foreign #### taking over our country, without letting them invade our racetrack?

This is Marty’s response:

I passed over several responses like this one, but there were too many to ignore it. Many folks feel this way.

He actually had several responses like this one! Can you believe?! Well, lately I can, considering all the turmoil about Toyota entering NASCAR. I am a “good old gal” that loves NASCAR as much as any “good old gal”. And I will defend my driver (BTW Jr. and Stewart if you hadn’t read my previous blogs.) against your driver any day of the week. I am an American through and through and proud of my heritage. And surprise - I’m not into Soccer nor the World Cup! But just because one “foreign” driver enters NASCAR – SKERR throws up his arms and say’s “There goes the neighborhood. Before you know it  – they’ll be letting Women vote – I mean drive.” Get ready folks – it’s coming – maybe sooner than you think – have you heard a little driver named Danica Patrick? I haven’t even starting blogging on that yet.

Would SKERR be just offended if the IRL transfer driver was say…Dan Wheldon (England)? Scott Dixon (New Zealand)? Ryan Briscoe (Australia)? Thomas Scheckter(South Africa)?

This is America! Nobody has more right to this land than anybody else unless you’re Native American. Every one of us comes from a foreign country somewhere; Germany, France, England, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Brazil, Uruguay, China, Japan, India, etc… You know…Lady of Liberty…”give me your tired, your poor.” Or how about this famous quote “love your neighbor as you would love yourself.”

So much for Diversity in NASCAR. Hispanics are the number one growing consumer – I ought to know – as much as I spend on Budweiser.

I've been on vacation; vacation from this blog, vacation from work, vacation from NASCAR. Wait a minute...vacation from NASCAR? Is that even possible? Not really.

Shortly after the 16 finalists were announced, my family and I hit the road. It was perfect timing also. All along I knew I wouldn't make the top 16 but it was fun and a lot of hard work. I wasn't sure if I was going to come back, but deep down I knew I would eventually. I do not write full time and the contest had turned into my life away from my life. Since the contest ended, I've returned to the lifestyle that I  once enjoyed. My daughter's t-ball season is underway, I started reading a book, I've gotten a manicure, a pedicure, and started up my tanning again, I have even got to play Bingo. But two significant things have happened that has prompted my return to the blogosphere, and I've realized that I will probably never be completely gone.

As I mentioned previously, my family and I went on vacation. Nothing big, just a few days away from home. We traveled to Oklahoma City, about a 4 hour drive, with our 5 year old daughter and 1 year old son. This would be our first family vacation with our son and really looked forward to it. We didn't do much, we went to the Zoo, ate at Spaghetti Warehouse, swam a lot in the pool and we visited Bass Pro Shops. I can say those three words and anybody that is a NASCAR fan instantly knows what I mean. Well, we were looking for Spaghetti Warehouse and happened to pull into Bass Pro Shops parking lot to figure out where we were on the map. My husband and I didn't even know they had a store there. Later that evening, my husband, who likes to fish occasionally, but is not a novice, turns to me and says: "I think I want to go into that store..." Without missing a beat, I chime in and say "...to see if they have NASCAR stuff." Enough said. We were on the same page and we didn't even have to convince the other one to go in. It really was a beautiful store with rows and rows of fishing rods that I know my Dad would have to spend all afternoon looking at. The fish tank in itself was a spectacle that any non sporting enthusiast would have enjoyed. And yes, a great selection of NASCAR items that ranged from die casts to t-shirts to scanners to ice chests. Shopping there was a bonus on top o####reat family getaway. Even on vacation, out of my day to day routine, I was still able to squeeze NASCAR in.

The second thing that prompted my return and really just sums up how I feel about NASCAR and that was the premier of CARS. We took our son and our daughter to the drive in instead of the theater to watch the show. For one- my son has an early bed time and we were able to tire him out on the slide and swing set while we waited for it to get dark. He conked out in like the first 5 minutes of th show. There would be no way we could take him in the theater and have enjoyed this movie with our daughter. Not only was it an animation which she enjoyed but it was NASCAR based which we enjoyed. I liked the movie a lot, but for two special reasons. One, it's based on a town located on Route 66. I live on Route 66, but not in Radiator Springs, and the movie refers to a Cadillac Range, where a mountain range looks like the back end of Cadillacs sticking out of the ground. This is actually based on Cadillac Ranch, a short jaunt from where I live.

Cadillac Ranch is 10 Cadillacs halfway buried in the ground owned by a local entrepeneur named Stanley Marsh. Stanley is known in the area for doing crazy things and this is just one of them. But the second reason I liked this movie is because it truly emobodies that NASCAR is not just a sport - it really is a way of life. If we didn't have kids and didn't know anything about NASCAR we would have never watched this movie. AND for Disney to give the King a tribute that should have gone down in the real record books speaks for EVERY NASCAR FAN. That feeling alone is what ties us together. Fan to fan, husband to wife, girl-friend to girl-friend. And although fans of NASCAR get slammed all the time about it not being a sport - well, it's just so much more than that, and I just feel lucky enough to be a part of it.

 

Today is NASCAR Day - a day where proud fans can display their love for the sport and have a chance to help out a good cause. I never thought I would be a NASCAR fan. I especially never thought I would be bloggin about it. No other sport, for me, comes as close.

NFL. I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan and have been my entire life. But, if there was a race or a game - I would choose the race and rarely would flip the remote. Since I've become a NASCAR fan, it hurts me to even watch football. I can't watch a game without flinching during a tackle. I don't understand how one human being could want to be so physically destructive against another human being - so much so as to end their career. I have seen linebackers tackle their opponent and literally bend them backwards for the sole purpose of injury. They can't just hit to stop the play - they have to hit and then see what other damage they can do. That excessive abuse can ultimately end that person's career but they just don't seem to be bothered by it.

NBA. I have paid more attention to basketball these last few weeks than in the last few years. My husband has even asked me who's leading the series. But to me, it seems that basketball has evolved to where it comes down to who has the last shot in the last second of the game.

MLB. I was lucky enough to be on maternity leave when the Boston Red Sox were in the playoffs and won the Championship in 2004. That's one good thing about the playoffs - you get so much history and trivia prior to the games that you feel like you've been a fan forever. I always thought baseball was boring. It seemed to me, that the team that won the game was the team with the least amount of errors. And that is vey well true - it's just so heartbreaking for a team to lose due to one mistake and then have very little opportunity to make it up. I guess that's why I like the Red Sox. Decades of heartbreak all over that organization and for them to come back and win in the playoffs against the Yankees! That was awesome! I still don't watch baseball, but if I'm flipping through the channels and a game is on - I stay long enough to see if it is BOS.

NASCAR - not just two teams but 43 teams. A sport where there can be physical abuse done by fists, but then that just ####es it up a little - and only a black eye as far as damage goes. NASCAR - sometimes it does come down to the last seconds of the race - but not every race and there's no overtime. NASCAR - a sport with a history of it's own and fans as loyal as the Boston Red Sox fans. It's NASCAR Day - take the day off.

 

Kyle Busch has just turned 21 - is he even done with puberty? I saw a recent interview with him and he still had pimples on his face. Has he even stopped growing? You hear about these boys that have late growth spurts at age 18 and end up being 7 feet tall. Is this an Andre the Giant in the making? Before you know it he won't even be able to fit in his own specialized seat...and about those specialized seat - how do they do that? I mean do they have them sit in the mold with their suit on or are they in their skivvies...and then there's MoJo, Tony Stewart's ####. I think MoJo is about to rip someone's face off. He's all cute for a while but he's going to get tired of it and the claws are going to come out like an angry cat on an annoying kid. There's a reason why they are called wild animals - they're WILD. Haven't you seen Madagascar? Where Alex the lion is thrown in the wild and his mane starts to kink up because of the humidity and his nails spring out. That's MoJo. Tony, let him go... to the zoo! It's for your own safety! Don't get me wrong - I'm not a Peta activist - I love beef and pig and if you want to shoot Bambi's mama - well that's fine as long as you eat it. And another thing - Bambi - that's a boy name. Bambi is a boy in the movie.

It's one in the morning and I can't sleep. All of a sudden I've been hit with blogging topics but only little tidbits. I begin to jot them down and suddenly remember that Seinfeld episode where Jerry wakes up in the middle of the night laughing and writes his joke down, but then can't make any sense of it in the morning. This blogging thing has completely taken over my thoughts!

Everybody, no matter how much you love your job, sometimes feel you need a change. Something to ####e things up - something to make you fall in love with your job all over again. You would never dream of doing anything else, but you just feel like you're just going around in circles. I think Dale Jarrett is in this exact spot and his move to Toyota will bring great things. He is a prime race car driver that has earned the name CHAMPION. His partnership with Toyota brings competition. Competition is good. Competition makes you strive to be even better.

A lot of controversy has surrounded this manufacturer entering the Nextel Cup and for several different reasons. All I can give you is my reason for supporting Toyota (and Dale) and that's because the American consumer is supporting Toyota. GMC, Chrysler-Daimler and Ford are slowly loosing their consumer - if they haven't lost it already. In an attempt to hold their consumer last summer - they all three offered employee discounts. GMC offered "Employee Discount for Everyone." Ford offered the "Ford Family Plan" and Chrysler presented "Employee Pricing Plus." The discount was significant but it wasn't enough to maintain their sales. Automotive News in August reported that GM posted the highest sales in June of any month in the 109 year history, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in August, the index for the new vehicles declined sharply for the second consecutive month (July and August). Although the Big Three increased their market share, sales still rose for Toyota. Automotive News in August reported that sales rose 12.1% in June from the year-ago month. The same magazine reported that Toyota's share topped 15% up from 12% in July. Toyota did not follow their competitor - they did not offer a discount and still maintained their sales. Even with a discount in front of them - a majority of Americans still chose Toyota over GMC, Chrysler and Ford. Unfortuantely for General Motors, it may have been a quick fix to an unstoppable crisis. GM is continually closing factories and soon they will lose their title as being the number one car manufacturer in the world. Datamonitor in September of 2005 reports that General Motors for the fiscal year 2003 achieved revenues totaling $185.5 billion. The same report states the Toyota Corporation achieved revenues that totaled $159.4 billion, an increase of 11.6% against the previous year's revenues. It is expected that Toyota will become the world's leading car manufacturer.

Just for the record - I don't own a Toyota, but I am curious to see what results Toyota will produce. I think everyone can agree there is nothing stock about stock car racing but will they become a contender to be dealt with on the track just like they are on the city streets. Folks, these are the facts: Toyota is made in the United States and Americans are buying Toyotas.  I don't see Dale as a traitor, he's just an American. Americans are thinking about what is best for their families and figuring out how to make their dollar last as long as they can. Isn't that what America is: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

This is what I know about the NBA:

Larry Bird - that white boy could play some ball

Spud Webb could dunk

The Bulls kicked A in the '90's

Pacers/Pistons vs The Fans in 2004: I still don't know who won.

Dirk Nowitzki: Punk'd

Mark Cuban - Billionaire - not millionaire because that would mean an insult.

Mark Cuban is part of the very little information that I know about the NBA, but he's a big part of what every sport organization knows - Team Spirit. I honestly believe Team Spirit can make or break a team - and is it even called Team Spirit - anymore?

I went to a small private Catholic high school which in translation means poor and broke. I played basketball in uniforms that were at least 25 years old, and I'm talking polyester, the fiber that doesn't breathe. We didn't have a bus - we had Vans. The one time we did have a bus, my senior year, the heater didn't work. We didn't even have football. Our homecoming was during basketball season. You had to really love basketball to stick it out and I did.

Now my husband went to a small town public school. Football, Basketball, Track, Golf, Cross-Country, a lot more variety of sports. It sometimes shocked me to hear the things he said in dusgust  "Man, the football team got new uniforms.." (his were about 2 years old) "...but that's alright because we were the first team to get Air Jordans." And not just any air Jordans - the very first ones ever! They were like the envy of every high school in the district. So to hear him talk about how they got sick and tired of eating chicken fried steaks after games just made me hungry for a chicken fried steak. Here is a school with funds, but generally lacking in one area - team spirit. It seemed to me that the only time the football team received overwhelming support int he stands, was if they were in the playoffs. It wasn't like that at every game and unfortunately, they didn't make it to the playoffs often. And if they were suffering a losing season it was only  worse. It pained my husband to know that there wasn't more support for his hometown team no matter what the record was. They had a small amount of loyal fans but nothing like the Iraan Braves.

Iraan, Texas. My mother-in-law's hometown of about 1200 people, but team spirit the size of a 5A school. I have been in that town when the football team departs to go to a game. I think the entire town shuts down, not only to get ready to go to the game, but to line the road, all decked out in black and red for the buses of players, coaches, band members and cheerleaders to see. I am lucky enough to experience this level of team spirit during their football seasons and actually attended the State game against Groveton in 1996. I felt if I didn't scream at the top of my lungs (like everybody else) then they weren't going to win. The band would start playing this warchant and everybody would break out in Tomahawk hand gestures. You can't help but look at all the craziness in the crowd. You could just see it in their eyes, you could hear it in their screams, you could feel it in your chest. It was faith in their team. This is how it is at every game! And at every sport - even the band has gone to State! It was only natural that I broke out in tears when we won against Groveton (14-7). Undefeated - the perfect season. What every high school football player dreams of - any athlete for that matter. The Iraan Braves, a team and a town, taken serious every year.

Now, I'm not saying that faith alone or team spirit will get you to State or to the Playoffs, but it can turn around an organization and they begin to believe in themselves. I think that is what Mark Cuban is to the Mavericks. Mark Cuban is that crazy guy you see at high school or college games that paints his face or body and starts yelling "Defense (stomp, stomp) Defense!" No matter how ridiculous he looks, he slowly transforms the crowd into a madhouse that rocks the stadium. And even though a player can physically accomplish every task in front of him, sometimes you just need to look at the stands and feel the love and the faith the fans have in you to get the job done. The Dallas Mavericks are getting the job done.

I like boxing and I love De La Hoya, so when I heard he was going to fight again - well that was definitely going to be a show to watch. Especially, since Mayorga was talking smack about his wife and kids. Didn't watch it! Completely forgot about! Had to be told about it the next day! The sad reality - I wasn't even upset. All I had to know were the highlights: Knocked Mayorga down in the First, Won in the Sixth. The only thing in my mind the night before was the Richmond race - a night race. A night race changes everything. It decides whether you go out or not: usually not, and what time to put the kids to bed: early. The last time there was a night race - Phoenix - we had to tape it and that was almost a catastrophe!

We have not stepped into modern television technology with TiVo and rely on the old VCR. My husband hates the VCR. The frustration he gets when he finds out that a show didn't record is just unbearable. You never know whether you have to set it to Channel 3 or you need it on the actual Channel to record, or you set the timer for AM instead of PM, or what we've been experiencing lately - the tape running out before the end of the show finishes recording. Agony!

The night of the Phoenix race was also the night of a dear friend's wedding. Although my husband expressed his disappointment in missing the race live he knew he wasn't getting out of this one so my husband begins to studiously read the VCR instructions. He's going for it! He's going to tape it. He even did a practice test and it worked. We continue with our evening and enjoy a beautiful ceremony and reception with our friends. The adult beverages are free flowing and my husband is generously grateful. I stick with the fruit punch considering the weekend before I had partaken of too many spirits and the memory alone was still lingering. We arrive home safe and sound and begin to settle ourselves in for a night of racing. He pushes play and the tape is showing previews for Invasion on ABC. Oh that just did it - he storms off, mumbling something about how he knew it wasn't going to work. Then he comes back and plays it again - this time fast forwarding. Not on there. Finally he says to me, "I have no idea what these numbers are." I looked up and realized "those numbers" was the tape timer. "Honey, did you rewind it? I think that means 5 hours and 43 minutes." He solemnly looks at me and hits the rewind button. He had been so fixated on the idea that the entire tape would be used up and that the VCR would rewind it automatically that he never thought about rewinding it himself. Nevermind the fact that he consumed enough alcohol that would alter anybody's mind of thinking clearly.  Once fully rewound, we joyously rejoiced that the VCR had worked correctly. My husband wholeheartedly thanked me and we began to watch the race. After about 60 laps I announced going to bed, after all it was 1:30 in the morning and I had to get up early to finish watching the race before I read it in the paper.

We didn't have to tape the Richmond race but we completely forgot about De La Hoya, but when you love NASCAR so much, other sports tend to be put on the back burner. As for those Non-Jr. fan's out there: I told you!

Just one last question and thought: What was with those Crown Royal bags behind Junior's head? That was a pitiful display of camera hogging from the sponsor. I don't care about the Crown Royal girls in Victory Lane - I often wondered why Nextel got rid of Ms. Winston. They could have had a Ms. Nextel but choose not too. I just thought it was in bad taste of Crown Royal. Your thoughts?

Listening to a scanner is the best way to watch a race. Not only do you get to hear your drivers talking strategy with their crew, but you can hear the commentary when the drivers hit full throttle on that green flag. I have yet to watch a race without one and my husband and I have talked about purchasing a set for us. It's become somewhat of a plan to travel to several different tracks and we might as well invest the money for our own set.

It's odd how my husband and I have become each other's track buddy. You talk to other fans and they talk about how the "big group of guys" went to Daytona or Bristol and I would just freak out if he left without me to go to a race. He actually tried once. He mentioned that he thought him and his brother could go to the Phoenix race in 2004. I looked at him crushed, "without me?" I just had our second baby and no doubt going through postpartum. He didn't pursue it any further. Phoenix of all places. It was my first - race that is. I love Phoenix. The drive out to the track with the Estrella Mountains in the background is beautiful. The anticipation building walking up the central walkway while viewing a 3 story picture of last year's driver. Even the way the merchandise trailers are laid out -so meticulously thought out for the fans to enjoy. Then, to have your driver win at your first race is like icing on the cake. It also happened to be the first for Junior to win at PIR (2003) - one for the record books - considering he was getting so much slack at the time for not being able to win at a track other than a superspeedway. Now, even when we see Phoenix from home, just seeing the trademark baby blue barrier walls - the memories start flooding back. It was truly a great race experience that will stay with me forever.

So, we start talking about what kind of headsets are out there and comparing prices and how user friendly they are. We had borrowed my brother's police scanner once for the Texas race - never again. That thing had like 10 channels with like 20 channels within one channel and when I hit scan - it scanned through all 200 channels. Thank goodness I had the instructions with me but they were so obscure it was just ticking me off more and more. Nevermind the fact that I was setting my channels during the pre-race activities and feeling the anxiety build up within me - it felt like any moment they were going to start the National Anthem and here I was still messing with this chunky scanner. Ugh - I finally just had to close all but one channel and enter the bare essential drivers and go on. It's funny how you quickly become the "go-to" person for those people around you that don't have scanners. They look at you when the hum of the engines quiet down and without hesitation you automatically answer back "Debris." I love the scanners and will never watch a race without one. Since we get two headsets, my husband lets me select whatever drivers I want to listen to - which usually end up being his drivers also. I input all the channels and then scan who to listen to when a caution comes out. All he does is sit back, drink his brew, and enjoy the race. Anytime we needed to talk we would have to lift up our headsets so we could hear what the other one was saying, so when he suggested that we get two way headsets so we could talk to each other during the race - I knew I had become his track buddy. He didn't even say the words - that was love.

I work at a small branch of a University and any student or co-worker that comes into my office can tell I'm a NASCAR fan. It's not overwhelming with NASCAR memorabilia or anything - I still have to present a professional atmosphere, but I do have two possessions that I cherish. One, is my 1950's black and white Daytona Beach framed poster. It is a symbol of what I love more than the sport itself and that is its history. I've actually counted the cars on that poster and look at it quite often for inspiration and pleasure. Next, is my growing collection of 1:64 die-cast cars. My husband is a collector of the 1:24 die-casts and as a loving gift to his wife, bought me my first to start my collection. It is always a wonderful surprise when he comes home with a new one to add to my collection. Sometimes, I am able to line them up one, two, and three according to how they finished in the race. All except for one and at this moment I am waiting to see if I do add him to my collection - Jimmy Johnson. He's a great driver, but in the past, I just felt he didn't owe up to a lot of mistakes he made, and I really didn't particularly like him knocking off the Powerade merchandise in Winner's circle.  History has shown that drivers don't always end up with the same sponsor they started with and I just felt he started burning bridges before he crossed them.  Now my drivers aren't angels either. Hey, but Junior completely admitted he caused his accident with Kyle Petty last week, and who doesn't like a little car bashing between Edwards and Junior, especially if they don't cause each other to spin out. And yes, Tony was a little hypocritical when he said that somebody is going to get killed trying to bump draft at Daytona. Then, he went out and got Matt Kenseth sideways (and into the wall, and into the grass) the next week. But I can admit that. (And if you're wondering how I became a Stewart fan - read my other blog on Zippy) I'm holding out for Jimmy Johnson just a little more, basically for the fact that he races for such a respectable organization and it seems like every time he wins - it's somebody's birthday or anniversary from the ill-fated Hendrick organization plane crash. I believe in signs and its a little eerie, thats why I'm waiting for him to show me something a little more than just winning races - I want to see character.

So when my co-worker announced to me from her office that Jimmy Johnson, whom she's a fan of, had won, all I could do was let out a sigh in disgust. I already had seen that Junior's engine had blown and Tony's been the bridesmaid too many times - maybe today was his day. Nope- bridesmaid again. She's a Jimmy Johnson fan, and I really don't enjoy slamming another person's driver. All I could say was "Oh great - I'm going to hear it now." I have two more students that will trot their way into my office sometime this week to boast on their guy - Jimmy Johnson. All I got to say is "Bring it on." I love talking NASCAR with all my NASCAR junkies - we joke, we kid, we laugh, and it's all out of pure fun. It gives us something to talk about week to week and it makes us feel better. It's no fun when you have someone that bashes your driver out of pure hate. That's just someone that takes it too seriously. I like to hear the reasons of why someone is "their driver." It brings insight from another's perspective of NASCAR and you can learn from it. Just remember this Jimmy Johnson fans - Junior's day is coming and HELL is coming with him!

Nobody likes a rain delay; the drivers, the teams and the fans. In the stands or at home. I started my day wondering what will be my next blog. You could talk about the big one or bump drafting  but then how would I get to that point when my 5 year old daughter and 1 year old son are play wrestling and screaming during the pre-race show. Getting through the race with the kids awake is a big enough challenge.  Then a rain delay - Yipeeee! I can get my kids tuckered out and take a nap, hopefully in time for me to watch at least a couple of hours without any interruptions. So, with some time to spare - we played a little and then turned our attention to some chores around the house - and when I mean chores - I mean chores that you don't necessarily do day to day. This rain delay was a small window of opportunity. You have maybe an hour to complete something before the race starts and so you methodically weigh the choices in front of you. Clean out the junk drawer, throw out the refrigerator leftovers, iron my work clothes for the entire week. Well, since I can watch the commentary while I was still in the kitchen, I chose leftovers. My husband even got into this cherished time and started pulling dandelions in our backyard. He even spot cleaned my daughter's carpet in her room. We were really getting a lot accomplished - then they announced that the race was postponed. What?!?!? My initial reaction of joy quickly switched to annoyance. Now it was like I did all that work for nothing. No reward for cleaning out moldy macaroni and cheese. I was going to have to continue washing these dishes just for the mere satisfaction that I would have a clean refrigerator. Even though I would be able to justify sitting on my couch for a couple of hours watching telelvision this evening; its just not as enjoyable if I'm not watching a race. I would have to catch the race during my lunch hour and lap by lap updates on the internet. I went on with my boring Sunday and finished my initial chores of cleaning out the junk drawer and ironing my work clothes for the rest of the week. If I can't watch the race, I guess a clean house comes in a close second.

I called my husband and said "You know how sometimes I do crazy things...well...I've created this blog..." And not just any blog on any blog site. Its Foxsports.com where people know sports beyond sports. I'm actually going to have to back up what I say now - what have I done? I just visit foxsports.com for the Sexiest Driver Poll, and before I could think twice I created my blog site and just started typing away. I realized that night if I was going to get serious about this blog it would mean drastic measures, and that meant I had to trim my fingernails. I could not continue typing accurately with the length they were at. Seriously though, this blog is created through the eyes of a female NASCAR fan and to bring entertainment to other NASCAR fans.

And speaking of polls - who is really voting? Is it all women because if it is they have not seen the cover of the ESPN magazine a few weeks ago. You know the one - with Carl Edwards half naked in his driver's suit. Even after that publicity, he still lost to Kurt Busch. Come on - we're talking SEXIEST driver here. As of my vote today, there were 312, 083 votes between Jimmy Johnson and Tony Stewart - its a good thing that Foxsports does not ask whether you are male of female because I don't think it is all women voting on this poll.

Next blog - love means a two way headset.