Daytona 500 dream trip

[Kitcat]

I always knew my next door neighbor was kind of a big shot in a very large US corp. So, when she said last year she cld score some good seats, did I want to join her and husband, I said sure.

 

So here's the deal:

 

Today we flew to Daytona in the company jet. No messy metal detectors, security checks etc. The plane is fabulous. Tuckered out? Seats make a bed, so you can lie flat and sleep. Ever wonder what pilots do? Fine sit w/them, they are thrilled to give you details of how the whole thing works, safety, radar, weather, other planes, speed, cross winds, you name it.

 

Accommodations: our suite probly has more sq feet than my house. Goodie bags are filled w/wine, Grey Goose, etc.

 

Oh, and there is racing. Wld you like a private meeting w/the drivers of the corp's sponsored cars? Sure so off we go and chat w/them. They stay in their motor homes 60' from their cars, along w/famiiles. Nite before the race, is a quiet cook out by their RV. How about the team owner? He'd honored to me you.

 

Ever wonder what its like on the banking at high speed? No problemo, our drivers will take you for a spin (tomorrow).

 

What goes on in the pits? Well this handy dandy pass and this fellow over here will give you pit access during the race.

 

Yeah, but isnt traffic to the track bad? Not when you have a 9 cop car escort.

 

What does the head honcho says to the drivers at the drivers meeting? Why not see for yourself as you will be one of the few persons other than drivers, crew chiefs and owners there. (Hey Carl, I'd dial a little out of that track bar-not!).

 

I must be dreamin!

Edited February 25, 2012 by Kitcat

[yellowss7]

:hurray:Sounds like a great trip. We want Pictures!

 

Just don't tell them that you're an O supporter. :puke:

 

Tom:jester:

[lucky dawg]

So when do you tell them "for a real thrill, drive a 7"?

[wemtd]

You are in quite the enviable position.

However, unless you come home and make a deposit on the car it’s still tied for a se7ens tour of Cincy.

[Croc]

Enjoy the celebrity treatment while you can. Like Cindarella you will be back to drudgery by Monday or Tuesday.

[DeanG]

Pictures. Take lots of pictures. Post a few.

[Kitcat]

The Nationwide race was wild. Wrecks seem to be programmed into the way they run. And, why does anyone want to be a race car driver; they do everything but race. Our drivers have constant meetings w/sponsors, potential sponsors, friends of sponsors,etc., sign endless autographs, make commercials, make public service commercials, and all of this just today, it never ends.

 

Yes, I will try to post some shots when I get back to Cincy. We had total unrestricted access to everything so maybe some will be decent. Our "luxury box"was on the start/finish, wh/was cool. We also got a tour of the France family's private museum. So private no one knows it exists (no photos allowed there).

Edited February 25, 2012 by Kitcat

[Kitcat]

There's more:

 

Had my picture taken w/Richard Childress at breakfast. Insider's tip, ya mite watch the 33 car w/Elliot Sadler. Ah, what does Childress know?

 

We also got a pep talk from Joe Gibbs, who was a riot.

 

Tried to take Lisa France Kennedy's photo, who was at our breakfast. She ran like a scared rabbit.

 

Shook Romney's hand. He made a brief speech to those gathered at the driver's meeting. Called NASCAR the "quintessential" American sport. (That's right Bubba, quintessential, you can look it up). He's truly got the common touch:).

 

The driver's meeting is huge. Turns out its kind of a relic from the past, mostly used to give VIP's (and their hangers-ons:)) a more intense NASCAR experience, not to have any meaningful discussion. But, to remind the drivers who is in charge, anyone even a minute late goes to the end of the grid. I am going to estimate that the room wh/cld hold 200 had 600 people in it. But it was way cool to see the drivers and some of the more famous owners (Roger Penske was early and prominent).

 

The track and its environs is mammoth.

 

There are two drivers with magic: Junior and Danica (who is the size of a 5th grader). Others are interesting and very popular, etc. But it stops and ends w/them as far as being mesmerizing-based on the crowd's reaction.

 

Hey, and Florida's drought finally ended. Great timing too:).

Edited February 26, 2012 by Kitcat

[Mondo]

So are you going to stay an extra day to actually see the race end? Kind of looking forward to seeing you around the winners circle, you lucky dog;)

[Kitcat]

Race, there is a race too:)?

 

We saw Saturday's slug fest. Left today once it was clear it wldnt happen. The thing abt these corporate big shots is they tend to have inflexible schedules.

 

Our ride around the track for a few laps in a fairly stock Camry was eye opening. The track is really narrow. Then bump the speed up another 50-70 (we were doing 135), added 3 cars wide and a car in front and a car behind, all inches away. That's mind boggling to me.

[WestTexasS2K]

I had the chance to work the truck series garage fire fighter for two years. We went out to pit wall and did fire suppression during the race which was really cool. I never had the access you did sounds like a great time you lucky dog.

[Kitcat]

Access is right. We had access to everything. I think if I had asked, they wld have let me wrench down a bolt in the car's garage The parts trailer/car hauler-see attached photo- is spotless. We hung out in the drivers' paddock-they had a hospitality motorhome for us big shots, right next to our driver's personal motorhome. We were told it turns into a small town once they clear us out, drivers and their families grilling out, their kids riding bikes, playing ball etc. If there is a NASCAR wife who is not pretty, I didnt see her.

 

Anyhow:

1st pix is me on right w/beard and anther fan in between me & Richard Childress.

Then Junior's jet, parked just behind ours. Note his initials in the ID #

Then the car hauler/parts trailer.

Then the pit garages wh/are very small-the parts trailer is opposite them, out of this shot.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Kitcat

[Kitcat]

Coupla more shots:

Springs

Driver putting up w/fans

Shocks

Lowes team

Engine

All but Lowes were shot in the #47's car hauler. The trailer contained a shock dyno, high end computers, living 1/4's for the crew, tools., etc.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Kitcat

[DeanG]

Thanks for the posts.

[bball7754]

So, other than moving to fuel injection this year, I know nothing about the engines in NASCAR. Assume they are based on a stock block and heads? Displacement? Other primary limitations/regulations?

 

Steve

[11Budlite]

Sorry you missed the race but it sounds like you had a lot of fun anyway. The #42 car of JPM is looking a lot different today than it did in your photo!

[Kitcat]

Steve:

 

Don't know abt the engines, except the budget is $4M per season for the team. "Our" driver (B Labonte) runs a Toyota engine. No team mechanic can touch the engine w/o the full time Toyota engineer being present. If they do, any engine failure is on their nickle, not Toyota's.

 

BTW, Mr Toyoda (sp?) (3rd generation) was at the driver's meeting (ditto a Ford family member).Toyota is huge at NASCAR and they are quick to point out that the Camry has the highest made-in-America content of any car sold in USA.

 

Going by memory, I think hp was mid 800's, torque low 700's.

 

Bruce. So true. Amazing what a jet fuel fire will do to a car. It was interesting to watch them tighten, check and recheck everything on the car. And there was a head mechanic constantly watching the other mechanics do their work the whole time. And computers were always plugged into the car.

 

Pix below:

One-the Kroger car's hood;

Two-Wasn't I surprised to open my shower curtain the first bleary, semi-hung over morning to see Carl waiting for me!

Three-Ironic location for the "Lite" label?

Four-is it me, or does the Clydesdale groom at the back of the horse love his job a little too much:)?

Five-The France family's 'secret" museum.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Kitcat