Cancel Your Plans: I Have The Coolest Job (pics!)

I Have The Coolest Job

And no, I don’t mean my job as a senior account manager at a leading industrial manufacturing facility. I mean, that job is cool too, but that’s not the job I’m talking about. I’m also not talking about my bartending job one night a week. THAT job is cool… but not as cool as being a dirt track trophy queen.

Last Sunday I made an appearance as Miss AARN at Sportsman’s Speedway in Knox. This facility, run by the Colwell’s for as many years as I can remember, is kind-of like taking a trip back in time. A time when people were kind and thoughtful, a time when kids were carefree… it was a total flashback to my childhood. It’s safe to say it’s going to be one of my favorite trips of the summer, I can tell already.

I took the lovely miss Kaytlyn and we also took our new wolf-pack member, Becky. Becky is a grown-up like us, and she’s smart like us, and she enjoys having fun like us…. But one thing sets Becky apart: Becky had (before Sunday) never been to a race. Of any kind. EVER. So we popped her dirt track cherry and had ourselves a good, old-fashioned blasty-blast! So maybe Kayt got trapped in the bathroom in the pits... but even considering that: BLASTY BLAST.

Having been a part of racing my entire life and spending Sunday afternoons watching NASCAR, I took for granted all of the fundamental racing knowledge that just comes as second nature to me. I realized once that Becky was cheering like crazy after the second place guy passed the first place guy… AFTER the checkered flag. So we explained the flagging system. We explained restarts. We explained heats and a-main features. And by the end of the night, she could tell (just by the sound of the car) if someone was having carburetor issues. Proud mama, right here.

At intermission, Louise Colwell came up to me and introduced herself and thanked me for coming. At the conclusion of the race, Joe the announcer (the same guy who has been announcing since my childhood!) came over and introduced himself to me and thanked me for coming. When people started leaving, I started handing out autographed pictures to the kids who wanted them. And after it was all said and done, Les Myers (a gentleman who raced against my Uncle Gerry) took his vintage classic modified out on the track for a few laps. My wolf pack were the only people still sitting there—and we cheered like there was no tomorrow.

Les Myers

I think my favorite part of the whole night was watching the kids. Sportsman’s has a really cool victory lane area that is super accessible to the fans. After Billy (the flagman) interviews the drivers, they open the gates and all the fans can come in and get their picture taken with the feature winner. And every single feature, that gate area is packed with kids between the ages of 2 and 16. I signed shirts, I took pictures, I had…. I had a downright fun time. One little girl came up to me and pointed at my crown and said “I know where you got that…. a PAGEANT!” …. Her eyes were LIT UP. The next feature, a little boy walked up to me and said “why are you wearing a king hat???”…. HAHA.. it’s all about perspective.

Victory Lane Stampede of Kids

All I know is that it reminded me of my sister and I, waiting to get in to get our picture taken, getting our checkered flags signed by drivers.... fingers curled around a chain link fence—eyes glued to the track. I’ll never forget how I felt as a child at a dirt race track—and I hope dirt track racing is around for a long, long time so that the kids I met on Sunday can continue on in this sport as well.

After the race, us three wolves went to applebees for a cocktail and appetizers… and that concluded my AWESOME Sunday Funday with two very good friends at one of my favorite race tracks of all time.

Up next: CANCEL YOUR PLANS FOR TUESDAY--- because we’re going to Sharon Speedway for the UNOH All Star Sprint Show for OHIO SPRINT SPEEDWEEKS!!!

I love you all, keep calm and race on.
<3 Miss AARN