Fast Firecracker

Morning, Amigos.  Last we spoke, I had just gone to Bedford with my mom on mother’s day weekend in my Youth Racing Solutions sash.  Since then, some things have changed.  And it’s all positive!! 

 

In June I signed on with Team Dirt Dog!!  If you’ve never heard of DIRT DOG GEAR, then kindly crawl out of your cave and get a social media account or visit DirtDogGear.com.  Actually, I’m going to highly recommend the social media account anyway—and it should be twitter (@queenielainey is how you can follow along with my racing and non-racing shenanigans and @teamdirtdog is how you can follow theirs!).  TDD is a media, merchandising, and marketing company based in Tennessee that ships merchandise, wait for it, GLOBALLY.  It’s also a neat company to get involved with if you’re an actual car or team owner, because they will partner with drivers to raise money for your program.  It’s win-win.  Anyway, back to the meat and potatoes of it, I’m representing their brand for the remainder of the season as Miss Dirt Dog!!  After a couple of lengthy emails and phone conversations, I fell in love with the philosophy and the values of the company and I’m happy to say I think I’ve found a fun place to stay for a while as a victory lane representative.  

 

So I packed up my new sash and headed to Lernerville this past weekend for the World of Outlaw Late Model Firecracker 100 weekend.  To say that the weather “did not look good” would have been akin to saying “no, no, go ahead… light that candle near the freshly poured gallon of gasoline, I think you’ll be able to avoid the fumes”… i’m not going to lie, people: I was NOT optimistic.  But I got on the road Thursday after work all the same, and it rained on the way down.  And it rained til I got there… and then it kinda stopped raining.  And the sun came out.   And I texted my friend in the next town over to find out when he was coming to the track and he said that he wasn’t in a hurry because of the pouring rain- and I told him it wasn’t pouring at the track, it was actually SUNNY.  I was met with disbelief, but anyway.  So then if you can believe it, it didn’t rain through the entire race program.   Eric Westendorf and the entire Lernerville team kept the program moving at break-neck speed and nobody got wet!  The group of people running the show in Sarver, PA, really know what they’re doing.  In the end, Shane Clanton ended up parking it in victory lane with me, but let me tell you: Jared Miley was a contender and really showed his grit (both nights, actually).  

 

I’m going to pause here and just say that I don’t understand why more girls don’t go dirt track racing.  Even under the premise of running a SUPER fast-paced show to beat any rain that might have been on the way, the competition and the drama of it is amazing.  Girls love drama, right?? Anyway.  At some point, someone looked at me and asked if I came by myself.  YES, sometimes you just really want to go racing and nobody else does, so you go alone.  It’s not like I won’t know people when I get there, and it’s not like I can’t make friends (kinda the point)… anyway.  So if any girls out there are reading this and want to go dirt racing with me, even if you’ve never been… I’ll take you.  Stick with me, kid, we’ll go places.

 

For night two, I decided to bring a friend along—my mom!   (There’s a trend here… she’s hopefully going to be racing with me a couple other times this summer!)  She met me at the track after work and once again we had BEAUTIFUL weather.  We bought ourselves a bag of beer and got cozy in turn 4 after a quick lap through the pits to make appearances.  When I say we bought ourselves a bag of beer, I mean MOM WENT TO THE STAND AND ORDERED SO MUCH BEER… I don’t know what she was doing, I expected her to come back with a 6 pack but .. she just had so many cans.  Anyway, night 2 was much much dustier than night 1—but just as fast-paced.  Big E and the WoO team did not waste any time, and before I knew it (without any pageantry or fluff or time for me to get in the infield for the feature) Chase Junghans was taking the checkers.   And good for him!!  So we marched down to victory lane, and I even had a partner in crime!  Gerald Netwon of GottaRace graciously loaned his daughter for the duty of Miss Firecracker and she’s so pretty.  She handed Chase his hat, I handed him the trophy, and then it was all over… for racing anyway.  And it still hadn’t rained!  So I kept my dress on and decided to sign some autographs (some guy’s chest?  Another guy’s suspenders?) and then party it up.  Headed to the Froggy concert pavilion and danced a little!  

 

Then, as all things must do, it came to an end for us and we called it a night.  Sleepover at my house!!

 

Since you’re probably already a racefan and you probably don’t live in the cave I mentioned above, then you probably also already know that Lernerville didn’t run night 3 of the Firecracker with the 100-lap A-Main (among other scheduled sideshows like the Uncle Sam for non-qualifiers).  The weather was a disaster on Saturday and there was just no way—so they rescheduled to September.  If you’re wondering what I did, I capitalized: my friend had a bachelorette night and I attended.  It was a lot less clay dust in my hair and nose, but it was equally as fun on a different level.

 

So what did we learn here?  I love racing (by myself or with others), mom needs some guidance when it comes to how much beer to buy, and team dirt dog is newly well-represented in the northwestern Pennsylvania region.

 

Stay tuned for my next entry—Winner Wednesday.  I interview Chase and Shane for fun, and to keep the new tradition going. 

 

Where am I going next?  Glad you asked.  Cancel your plans, because we’re going to Sharon Speedway for the Lou Blaney memorial on July 11th. 

 

<3/

Miss Dirt Dog

Winner Wednesday (Bedford 5/8/15 edition)

Hi.  You’re here.  You made it.  Welcome :)

I’m trying something new this summer.  You people know I love racing, you know it’s in my blood—you know how pumped I get.  Well, I’ve never driven a racecar (not for any length of time without stalling it in the pits or in someone’s yard or driveway, that is..) but my role models and champions every week are the drivers and their support systems.  This summer, it’s my goal to interview as many feature winners as I can for the races I attend, and post the answers to my questions here on my blog.  

This isn’t formal, we can’t all be famous, but I wanted to get to the heart and soul of who these guys (or girls!) are and what they are all about.  So without further ado, I present to you: Winning Wednesdays (okay I’m going to try to make this on Wednesdays.  If it doesn’t work out, what are you gonna do, take my birthday??)

Last week at Bedford, Joe Padula crammed 6 classes of cars across the finish line… and here is what I got from 3 feature winners.

Class: All-American Outlaws-- #40 Rick Hulson

How old are you?

50

How long have you been racing?

35 years

Who are your sponsors?

Coolweld, AMZ Material Handling, Tex’s Ladder Racks, A&A Bolt and Screw, Orems Garage, Bite Rite Racing Shocks, and Profab.

What is your favorite color?

Black

Who is your favorite fictional character?

Mighty Mouse lol

Who is your hero?

As for my hero, it would have to be anyone that would have my back no matter what

What else do you want the public at large to know?

I would like to add a special thanks to my car owner, Don Shipley, and my sponsors—without them, nothing would be possible.

Class: E-Mods-- #38 Steve Dixon

How old are you?

35

How long have you been racing?

14 years.  

Who are your sponsors?

The car I was driving at Bedford is owned by Chuck LaSalle.  I think LaSalle Engine’s is their main sponsor.  I also typically drive for Tim Engles out of Franklin PA.  Guess you could say the main sponsor for that ride is Close Racing Supply where I work, along with BMS racecars, Bob Harris shocks, and BSB manufacturing.

**at this point in the interview, I accidentally sent him a picture of a cartoon cat eating a piece of cake via facebook messenger.  Technical difficulty ensued because we were both way too flustered to continue and had to take a hiatus.  like i said.. this ain't fancy...After the break..**

What is your favorite color?

Red

Who is your favorite fictional character?

Batman

Who is your hero?

Hero is my mom.  She loved racing more than me.  Passed away about 10 years ago, but never missed a race and is a reason for a lot of my motivation to race still to this day.

Is there anything else you’d like the public at large to know?

It’s definitely a small world, especially when it comes to racing.

Class: Super Late Models – 66c Matt Cosner

How old are you?

24

How long have you been racing?

Since I was 7 (started in quarter midgets)

Who are your sponsors?

Nelson Auto Sales of Ridgeley, WV, Mighty Auto Parts, Royal Purple Oil, TC Race Cars of Frostburg, MD, Broadwater Auto Body of Cumberland, MD

What is your favorite color?

Orange

Who is your favorite fictional character?

I’m not really into anything to have a favorite character, so I can’t give an answer to for that one…

Who is your hero?

Dale Earnhardt would be my hero for sure!

How many feature wins do you have?

Friday was my first feature win in a late model.. it was exciting!  I have over 40 feature wins in a QM and 2 in an E-mod.

Is there anything else you’d like the public at large to know?

As our spoiler reads this year, we are “more than a conqueror”—if God is for us, who can stand against us?  Romans 8:31—Our team is striving to share with others that through the good and the bad, God is always on our side.

 ---

So there you have it, folks.  Winner Wednesday.  What do you think?  If you liked it: awesome.  If you don’t: keep your opinions to yourself, homeslice! (actually  kidding-- feedback is always welcome).  

Major "thank you" to the drivers who put up with my incessant facebook messaging :)

K, that's it.  :)  I love you!!  I’m so glad you’re here on this adventure with me.  And cancel your plans—(if the weather holds out) we’re going racing at Bridgeport this weekend.

<3/

Miss YRS

Fast Friday at Bedford! 5-8

Hey race peeps.  Favorite trophy queen, Lainey here.  And guess what?  I’ve kicked off my race season, FINALLY!!  For the beginning of this season at least, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to promote Youth Racing Solutions as a victory lane representative (i.e. TROPHY GIRL!) and this past weekend I visited PA’s oldest dirt racetrack, Bedford Speedway located in Bedford, PA.

 

I’ll start out by saying that I felt SO welcomed by the staff and fans there, it was a dream come true.  Joe Padula and his team put on an outstanding show on a well-prepped track, and they did it with class.  Actually, they did it with SIX classes—and still finished before curfew!

 

In the spirit of mother’s day weekend, and since my mom lives a mere 2 miles from the racetrack (how have I never been there before???), I dragged her along for the ride.  Well let me just tell you: the team welcomed her as warmly as they did me.  On the bright, sunny, warm Friday evening, my duties started with handing out carnations to all of the moms in attendance.  A couple of drivers (Troy Swindell and Brian Lowery to name a couple) and some of the regular track staff gathered in the announcers booth with baskets of flowers and then we set out into the grandstands, handing them out!  Cool moment of the night: handing a flower to my own mom. :)

 

Before the heat races got underway, I spent some time in the announcer’s booth with the track announcer Mike Sotosky.  I got a chance to relay to the fans how I got involved in the sport and as a trophy queen, and to tell them about Youth Racing Solutions and the opportunities for children in racing to receive discounts on racing products from companies across North America.  What’s fun about Bedford Speedway is that their race program is also broadcast on a local radio station, so I was on the airwaves too!

 

We watched the heats from the grandstands, which was great.  THEN we watched the features from the FLAGSTAND.  WHICH WAS AWESOME!  And of course, victory lane duties after each race—this included handing a potted plant to the feature winner (for gifting to a mom in his life—keeping with the mother’s day theme) and smiling pretty for pictures.  Got to meet some other influential Bedfordians (Bedford-ites?) and just generally enjoyed the warm, dusty night.  I couldn’t have asked for a more awesome way to spend my Friday with momma bear.  I really hope I have a chance to go back again soon, because it was one of the best track experiences I’ve ever had.

 

I stole a few thumbnails from Jason Walls, the track photographer, to stick in here.  Jason is with WRT Speedwerx and he was phenomenal in capturing the action from the night.  You can buy his photos on Zenfolio if you’re interested.

 

Super Late Feature Winner 66c Matt Cosner

Limited Late Feature Winner 49 Donnie Farling

E-Mod Feature Winner 38 Steve Dixon

Semi Late Feature Winner 77 Lou Wannyn

All-American Outlaw Feature Winner 40 Rick Hulson

Pure Stock Feature Winner 83e Eddie Vogel

Stay tuned for the next blog post where I post some interview answers from Bedford’s 5/8/15 feature winners.

And cancel your plans-- cuz if it doesn't rain, we are going racing at Bridgeport this weekend :)

<3/

Miss Youth Racing Solutions

 

I Can't Believe We Made It

As we approach the beginning of the pavement racing season, as well as the kickoff of the dirt track season (where it’s warm enough to race, anyway), I find myself with butterflies in my stomach.  And somehow, at the same time, I’m nostalgic and pensive.  Wasn’t it only 2 months ago that we were in the throes of the NASCAR offseason, with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel?  And now look at us.  The 500 is in 2 days, Florida speedweeks has flown by, and local circle tracks are counting down the days until opening night.  Started from the bottom—now we here, peeps!!

 

But I can’t help but dwell, just a little bit, on the past couple of months and how it’s shaped where I am now.  Where we all are, now.  The lot of us: racefans, trophy girls, race car drivers, promoters, wannabes, and everyone else…Hasn’t the thought, thrill, and promise of upcoming racing gotten us through the dark times?  Haven’t we been supportive of each other to the best of our abilities?  Haven’t we trash-talked, went to racing expos, and been glued to twitter and any social media for rumblings of the racing world?  We have.  And it’s how we’ve survived.  Dr. ARF said that this would happen, that we would get through this together.  Because we’ve survived, I feel like the racing community has bonded in a whole, brand-new way—and I love everyone even more than when I first met you all.  I feel so full of hope for our futures.

 

We’re all going to be okay for the next 8 months.  We’re going to watch racing, go to races, be with race people, and race our hearts out and we’ll have everything we need to do that.  And I guess I just wanted to say thank you, and you’re welcome, and jump up and down and scream and shout and cheer because we’re finally here: the precipice of NASCAR season. 

 

I love you all, more than simple words could express.

 

Cancel your plans: we’re watching the Daytona 500.

<3/Lainey

Miss NOD Awareness 2015

Bedtime Stories

Hi peeps. I love you, never forget that :)

As you may know, Finch refuses to tell me bedtime stories but once every couple months or so I convince him to get involved.  This weeks installment:

 

Me: I think I need a bedtime story

Finch: *pretends to be sleeping*

Me: what do you think it should be about?

Finch: I don’t want to tell a bed time story

Me: it could be about…. Foxes.

Finch: … no…

Me: it could be about… coyotes

Finch: *nothing*

Me: it could be about… something really fluffy that hasn’t even been invented or discovered yet like maybe a hybrid mole that is really poofy until it has to go in the ground

Finch: *nothing*

Me: *brilliant idea* it could be about RACECARS!!!!

Finch: *rolling his eyes*

Me: Good!  Okay fine I’ll just tell it.  Once upon a time, there was a super late model with a sexy 430 and aluminum heads.  He was green and his name was Jeffrey.   Jeffrey LOVED going fast and turning left.  There was also a GIRL late model, a limited late with a steel block and steel heads and she was the color purple and her name was Johanna.  Johanna was Jeffrey’s girlfriend!  Jeffrey and Johanna would always see each other at the race track

Finch: *butting in* and one night, in the feature race..

Me: *interrupting* Babe! super lates and limited lates don’t usually race together..

Finch: *butting back in* during the feature race of an OPEN LATE MODEL CLASS, Jeffrey got a little loose in turn two and instead of going left, he went RIGHT!  He went right into the butt end of Johanna and flipped her up over the catch fence and down over the embankment and she bent her frame and she was junk!

Me: *GASPING* WHAT?

Finch: Jeffrey did not feel good about what happened.  So the next week in the feature, he downshifted going a hundred miles per hour and trashed the sexy aluminum 430.

Me: NO!

Finch: Yep.  And then they never raced again, either of them.

Me: … what exactly is the moral of that story??

Finch: Never race your girlfriend.

 

And that's how things are going in my life. <3

Cancel your plans-- NASCAR photo shoot for NOD awareness next week!

NOD and You- The Facts

I'd like to take the opportunity to write about a condition that has been discovered predominantly among RaceFans. NASCAR Offseason Disorder, or NOD, is estimated to affect tens of thousands of Americans alone and is not a curable disease. The good news is NOD is treatable and there is hope. 

For a detailed listing of information and answers to frequently asked questions related to NOD, please visit http://annoyingracefan.blogspot.com/2014/11/nascar-offseason-disorder-faqs.html?m=1

January is officially-unofficially NOD awareness month. You are not alone, and there will soon be resources available to those suffering from NOD. To get involved, or to get more information, please tweet @annoyingracefan (not affiliated with annoyin grace fan). 

#NASCAR

The C Word

This isn't about racing, or anything to do with racing, but I didn't know where else to put this. 

I don't know what you're supposed to do, so I'm going to look it up after this. But I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to get angry, not at God anyway.  I think it's okay to cry, I think it's okay to ask a few questions. It doesn't feel wrong to feel hopeful, then I remember I was hopeful before I heard the news and it let me down big time. 

I found out today that my stepmom has lung cancer. And she's not your average stepmom, she's like big-time-might-as-well-be-real-family, stepmom. Like so-glad-my-dad-married-her, stepmom. Like couldn't-imagine-life-without-her stepmom. And the pneumonia that we thought was pneumonia is lung cancer. And she's a non smoker and otherwise healthy.  And so when the time came for the biopsy results I thought for sure I was gonna hear "atypical pneumonia". 

Instead I heard my dad so choked up he couldn't explain it to me over the phone. I heard fear and sadness and defeat and a glimmer of hope and it was all tangled up in the c word. 

And now it's a part of our lives, and we are all fighters and advocates. It feels like an unwelcome stranger that I've never had time for before. It was always someone else's family, someone else's sister, someone else's problem-- but this time it's MY second mom. And now it's in MY life and it really feels just shitty. And I'm mad and sad and scared and tired and the worst part is I'm helpless. And I suddenly feel bad that I could never be as empathetic to the "other people" as I feel now-- it's kind of like I get it for once, but it's the worst getting it ever. 

So now what? We pray obviously. But we get more scans and we determine a course of treatment because praise The Lord it is treatable. But then what-- do we wait?  Dad says we are going to the Grand Canyon if she wants to go. I don't care what we do, I guess I just hope we all survive. 

So maybe we just figure it out along the way. It's become so common, really, for people to be diagnosed with cancer and it makes you wonder a little bit who will be next... Because I never thought it would be this close to home and now it's here. 

I guess maybe we just become part of the cause, the movement, the fighters -- because that's what we can do and that's about it. It just feels so-- foreign. Princess on? Feels so hard.