WELCOME RACE FANS! and Carol

During a lump-in-throat inducing rendition of the national anthem by Dr. Jesse McGuire on trumpet, not the usual warbling pop star, and due to Air Force cuts we were treated to a fly past of 50 – Fifty! – airplanes in a tight chevron pattern. Everyone pointed and stared, open-mouthed, as the single-engine planes kept in perfect formation. From the moment they appeared on the horizon, soared gracefully overhead and disappeared behind the stadium the crowd was awestruck. As Dr. J completed the Star Spangled Banner the stadium erupted! (Above video is from 2009.)

I’ve got goose bumps just thinking about it. Concerns about rain delays were forgotten as tufty white clouds and a brilliant Arizona sky formed a backdrop.

The parking lot outside the stadium was a sea of RVs with more of them littered all over the center of the track.

A sea of RVs flooded the parking lot outside the stadium

. . . . . . and flowed into the infield.

See those two guys dead center in the photo?

What a great vantage point!

I had chosen to support a few drivers to increase my odds of picking a winner: Jimmie Johnson, because he is quite good-looking; Dale Earnhardt, Jr. because he won at Daytona and he seemed a good prospect; A.J. Allmendinger because he has the same initials as my son and you’ve just got love that last name; and Paul Menard because his car is so pretty.

Jimmie Johnson’s car

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s car

Jimmie and Dale have spotted me in the crowd and are waving at me!

Paul Menard’s car tarted up in aqua, cobalt blue and day-glow yellow

For me, the racing is incidental to the rest of the excitement.

Pit stop mayhem. Note the fishing poles to coax drivers in. Wouldn’t it be fun to mix them up when the race police, dressed in black and white, weren’t looking?

C’mon guys! I haven’t got all day!

Hey kids! You could climb that fence a have a really good view of the race.

I’m the one in white. Can you see me? Just kidding.

For those of you who feel that racing being incidental is a heinous statement, I took some photos of the racing.

My criteria for choosing winners needs some revising as Kevin Harvick took the trophy.

Kevin Harvick in a victory donut. Yes, he’s in there!

Kevin emerging from his donut! Can you read what it says on the side of his car? Freaky fast.

If you just like the noise, turn your volume right up and watch and listen to a restart.

My ears are still ringing.

By the way, did you know that if you put in silicone putty earplugs and then eat crisps/potato chips the noise inside your skull is phenomenal. It sounds like the world is coming to an end.