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. 

Rambling About Thanksgiving

First of all: I promise I'll write about the world finals recap and my experience. . Hopefully this weekend. 

Okay. Now back to our regularly scheduled post. We’re closing in on the big day… Thanksgiving Day.

 

Some couples will stay home with their new babies and watch the snow fly, some people will go out to eat at any open restaurant, the local bar employees with nowhere else to go will go visit Jimmy the Greek (my boss at the bar)—he will be having a seafood extravaganza.  Countless other variations of the above celebrations will go on.  I’ll be travelling all over the tri-county area with the intent of seeing as many members of my extended family as possible, and I’m taking pudding shots (and wine, lots of wine). 

 

For once, I’m in a good mental mind-set for the upcoming holidays.  I’ve prepared my bank account, my schedule, and my emotions for the season ahead.  I’m still a little sketchy on how I feel about losing one of my best friends (figuratively of course, she’s still alive I assume) but I’m otherwise in a good place.  Finch and I have a wonderful new (to us) home that can accommodate guests, my sister has made the trip for the occasion, and Michael’s brother and his fiancé are also in town for a couple of days.

 

I used to feel burdened by the amount of family I have because I feel like it is so hard to accommodate everyone on one day… but I’m starting to feel like it’s more of a blessing and not just because I’m SUPPOSED to.. because it actually is.  I got the news today that my step-grandma has the flu and can’t make it to our family gathering in the little village where she grew up… the place we have our camp… the place where her brother made his home until he passed away a year ago… and I know I would be devastated if I couldn’t see everyone who’s converging there.  I’m sure she’s upset, so if you get a chance, say a little prayer (or send a good vibe or dress up a voodoo doll or whatever you do) for the people who aren’t as lucky on a day that should be filled with celebration, family, and fellowship.

 

And then I think back on the whole year and the things I’ve gotten to do with the racing community, and even strangers feel like family in that scenario, and I mean it when I say I love and miss you all.  Even if I never met you.

 

So if you’re feeling down about the stress of the holiday, give yourself a hug and tell yourself it will be okay, and look for even one positive thing to cling to.  If you’re feeling great about the holiday, good for you—you’re helping the rest of us either survive or even thrive.  I could have done without the Christmas music for the past week, you freaks, but whatever.  I still like you.  Count your blessings, say thank you, and let yourself enjoy what you can tomorrow.

 

I am thankful for all of the experiences I’ve had this year, the gifts I’ve been given, the blessings that I have in my life.  Thank you to all of you people who read this crap, and thank you to AARN for giving me what has been an amazing year of being involved in the racing community.

 

Okay, I’m going to go get started on the wine ;)

 

I love you all

You don't have to actually Cancel Your Plans – we’re having thanksgiving together even if we’re not in the same place. :)

 

<3/Miss AARN

Runnin With The Outlaws

It’s been a while.

 

Today is the big day.  Today is the day we head to the Dirt Track at Charlotte… where all dirt roads lead.  If the big names are big, the small-time guys are even bigger.  This is where dreams are made and broken, this is where you make it or break it, this is where we say our final salute to the king, Steve Kinser.

 

I always thought I would be saying that Kaytlyn and I would be getting on the road at 4… but that’s not happening this year. 

 

I guess some things change, some for the worse, some for the better.  This year, my heart breaks not because I’m not hauling a car.  Not because my favorite team blew a motor and doesn’t have a chance.  Not because our driver is ill and can’t compete to make the show.  Not because my douchebag ex-boyfriend is going to be there and ruin it for me.  Not because of anything race related except for the fact that I’m not sharing my favorite experience of the year with my favorite friend. 

 

I don’t know where things go wrong in situations like this or who is to blame, if anyone, but I guess you just have to take it in stride and try and be a grownup about it.  Except, I’m me… and nothing I do is very mature. 

 

Here comes the biggest race weekend of the whole season, states away from our hometowns, and my best friend will be staying at home without me.  I would tell you that I’m over it and I’ve cried enough, but the tears are welling up as I write this even today.  Call me dramatic, roll your eyes, do whatever it is you’re going to do but… this is me throwing a hissy fit because I miss having a best friend, I miss the laughing and the inside jokes, miss being welcome and having somewhere to escape to on a weeknight when we both need a break from life, miss tromping through the woods with my camera and a 6 pack… Forgive me, but at this very moment, I can’t even.

 

It’s not going to stop me from having the time of my life at the World Finals.  I’m not going alone, and I’ll be hopefully in victory lane with one of my favorite princesses of all time, Miss Motorsports 2014 Cassi Pinder.   And her family is going.  And my mom is coming and my aunt and uncle are going.  And my famous friends are going to be there and my friends that are only famous to me will be there.  And we have enough liquor and food and guitars to have more than 3 days of fun.  And although I feel as if I’ve left a bolt untightened, I’m going into this weekend full throttle … and I’m not lifting.  I'll just keep trying to shake the feeling that something's missing.  I guess everything happens for a reason and I hope that someday everything gets back to normal in the friend world-- or normal in the way that I'm used to anyway.

 

I love you all very much, and I hope to see you in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the World of Outlaws World Finals.  If you see me, I hope you give me a big hug or a smile or a high five or ask to take a selfie with me.  This is my last race, probably, as Miss Area Auto Racing News 2014 and I hope to make it a great one. :) 

CANCEL YOUR PLANS-- WE'RE GOING RACING IN CHARLOTTE, PEOPLE!!!

 

<3 Miss AARN

Dover Dreams - A NASCAR NIGHTMARE

Shitty Kitty went to her first NASCAR race!!! Well-- in my dream haha. 

It started out with all of the NASCAR teams going to Dover -- but the nationwide series race was NOT on the super speedway... It was at an underground location below the track and it didn't involve cars. 42 of nascars finest (including Aric Almorola, Austin AND Ty Dillon, KENNY WALLACE, and MORE) slithered on their bellies on a slippery concrete surface around poles and in large circles. Did I mention that grown men were slithering around on their bellies for a NASCAR race? I was losing it-- laughing. One of the crew chiefs came up to me and asked me what was so funny.  I told him, "maybe you should have had Dinger do just three more bicep curls on the right arm only so he would have a little more grip coming out of turn three!"  It was WEIRD. 

Then the nationwide "race" was over. I don't know who won. Then I was dressed in a beautiful, ornately decorated gown and I was riding in a parade to celebrate the wedding of a friend of mine who was royalty. I didn't expect to get to see her after the parade because she was so very famous and there were many guests. But as I arrived at the venue, I was seated right beside her. After the ceremony, Ryan Sparks took my hand and led me onto the dance floor and we twirled and danced and laughed and it was so freaking magical!  Then we all had to go to bed-- sprint cup series race was the next day and we needed our rest. 

The sprint cup race was normal and had cars on DIS. For some reason, I took my cat (her name is Shitty Kitty) and she sat there and watched the race with me!! Except sometimes, I would look down, and she would be like three rows closer to the track than me and I would have to go get her because she was in someone else's seat!! Finally the last time she snuck away, I went and got her and the race was almost over so we went back to the frat house where I was staying for the weekend. I put her in my camper and went to sleep. When I woke up, all these hot women in just tshirts were getting up and brushing their teeth and getting ready to leave. 

Dover weekend had come to an end, and it was a really really weird one.