And then there was Jack ...

So I said in my last post that I've been busy, yes I have. And during my busy time, I did find time for a mini-trip to Charlotte for the 2010 NASCAR All-Star Race (oh and yeah a four hour rain delayed NASCAR Truck race, too).

One of my most favorite things during that weekend was getting to go into the pits prior to the start of the All-Star Race. Before we left for our trek to tour the NASCAR shops and Hall of Fame, I wondered who, if any, drivers I may see.

Initially, when we stopped at Richard Childress Racing, we saw Danny "Chocolate" Myers (former gas man for Dale Earnhardt, Sr.). That about did me in, I started squealing and bouncing up and down with excitement (I had always adored him since I was a child). We went to other shops (Hendrick, Stewart-Haas, Roush, Earnhardt-Ganassi, DEI, Gibbs & the Hall of Fame) and didn't really see any big celebrities. But once we got to Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) that all changed.

The night of the truck race, we caught a glimpse (from afar) of Carl Edwards and that was cool. Then Kyle Busch won the race and pretty much celebrated right below our seats.


The day of the All-Star Race, we saw all sorts from Rick Helton to Jimmy Spencer to Jaime McMurray, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Bill Elliott, etc. etc.

Well two things highlighted my experience on pit row ... first, after touring Victory Lane, we walked behind this TV crew that was up on a stand interviewing someone and I looked at the back of one of the heads and new instantly who it was. I went around to the side with all the newspaper reporters on the ground and one of the reporters, seeing how I was dressed, said "yep that's him". Sure enough there sat my favorite, Tony Stewart (and yes Ryan Newman, too), up above me within five feet.

I was beside myself. We stayed put until he literally walked past us ... I was too stunned to even utter a word. So yes that was probably the most exciting thing of the day but ................................


then there was Jack .......

While on our tour of pit row, you get to walk past (even touch) the racers pit boxes, walk up and down pit row, tour victory lane, and see the sights in the garages and in the pit stalls. None of us had never had the "pit row" experience, so we were all abuzz. Upon our arrival (very late as it was), we decided to take pictures of our drivers pit boxes. Phyllis was so excited to see Jimmie Johnson's Lowes' pit box, so I encouraged her to have her picture made with it.
Well, she was pretty pleased to be that "close to Jimmie" and because she had her picture made with Jimmie Johnson's box, she said she "guessed" she would have to take my picture with that "horrible Office Depot box" (aka Tony Stewart's box).

Well once, we approached Tony's box, I started getting excited, and I was just as happy to stand there and admire the box muchless have a picture with it. So, we waited for another couple to have their picture made and once they were finished, I snuck my way over to the underhang on the box. Well lo and behold, this lady comes out of nowhere and asks if I wanted my picture made, (at first, I thought I was about to get yelled at for being "underneath" the box) and of course I told her yes. Well next thing I know she's telling someone to come over there, and here comes this very nice looking man (okay, I'll just say it, he was HOT) in a Tony Stewart crewman uniform over towards me, puts his arm around me and we have our picture made. Well come to find out, he was the JACKMAN for Tony's car. I nearly passed out on the spot. So "Jack" was definitely the highlight of the trip for me -- it was already 90 degrees down there on the track but after that it was probably over a hundred (just ask Phyllis, she started fanning herself, too, haha!)



That was definitely an experience that I will NEVER forget (oh and yes, poor Phyllis, Jimmie Johnson spun thru the grass right infront of us and didn't finish very well, yay, yay, yay!!!) But at least we still have "Jack" to smile about :)