There is a reason I don’t post my race reviews directly after races.  It’s not that I don’t have the time, I usually do, unless there is some sort of weather delay or something that has made the race eat up a majority or my day. The reason I don’t post directly (same thing with why I don’t live blog races) would be because if I had posted right after the Kansas 2 race it would have read something like this:

Okay people answer me this: What the fuck was with that four tire change at the second to last pit stop? And then? What the fuckin’ fuck was with coming in at all for the last pit stop- when we had FOUR fresh tires and most likely enough fuel because of the previous stop? And what the fuckity fuck fuck fuck was with Tony’s car being SIDEWAYS in his pit stall on that last pit stop?  Explain this to me in a way that makes me feel better about the outcome of the Kansas race and you might win some brownie points or something.

Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, stands in the garage during practice at Kansas Speedway on October 8, 2011 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)

I am not even kidding- the post totally would have sounded like that if I had written it yesterday. I still have a lot of the same feelings that I had up there in that italicized post now- over a day later.  So I am obviously finding it very hard to find the sunny side in the events that unfolded over the last part of that race on Sunday.  I mean I sat there and pretty much watched Tony work his way up the field steadily during the first have of the race.  I was over the moon happy when we were second…then it all went down hill.

I am nothing if not a passionate, loyal to my driver fan.  After watching Tony Stewart and the 14 crew work all day to get that car up into second place- then to have it all fall apart…well that killed me.  I pretty much stomped out of the room- a sore loser you may say.  I am not saying Tony should have won…Jimmie obviously had a far superior car judging by the way he would pull out and just totally take everyone to school with his lead.  I do not begrudge Jimmie Johnson his win any more than I begrudge Chad Knaus’s pink hat (you can buy one here), but Tony had a STRONG car and had a STRONG will to be there in second.  It was one of those races where I wished I had been crocheting during the race (I do that sometimes) because I would have had something nearby that was soft and cushy that I could have thrown in my frustration at the turn out of that race. So instead of throwing yarn balls, I cursed, cuz I needed to get it out. So I did. Kinda. I still don’t feel all that much better.

Tony ended up finishing the Kansas race a measly 15th- which was hard for me to swallow considering he had been doing so well.  He has dropped to 7th in the points standings but is only 19 points out of the LEAD so…all is most definitely not lost! #KeepDiggingTony #GoTeamSHR #BookendChampionships

I don’t really have any notes about Kansas…but remember next week the race in Charlotte is on SATURDAY NIGHT!

Ok so you read the post with the curse words…you deserve to see a cute picture of Roxy in my flickr account. Go ahead…you know you want to. Who can resist cute beagle pictures?

Here we are interviewing Tony Stewart at the Office Depot in North Las Vegas. (Photo Credit: Edelman)

So first we had our Tony Stewart interview (our third, Tony’s fifty billionth I am sure) on Thursday at the Office Depot Appearance in North Las Vegas.  As always, Tony was extremely generous with his time and gave us some great answers to our strange mix of questions. You can read our Quick Chat with Tony Stewart here.

Brad presents fans at a campground with some Miller Lite. Photo Credit: Me

On Friday it was practice, qualifying, and riding around in a golf cart delivering Miller Lite with Brad Keselowski to unsuspecting fans in the campgrounds at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Yeah we still aren’t sure how it happened either, but we got to ride around in a six seater golf cart with a team of PR people and Brad delivering beer with a SpeedTV film crew following us (literally- they had their own golf cart).  Misty did a great write up of her chat with Brad in the golf cart called All In In Vegas, All In In Racing.  (What was I doing while Misty was sitting and chatting with brad in the golf cart? Why I was sitting facing out the back- 80s stationwagon style of the same golf cart thinking HOLY CRAP how did we luck into this event- because it was FUN).

Jeff Gordon watches as the crew makes adjustments after he spun in practice on Friday. Photo Credit: Me

Saturday was more practice for the cup drivers and a nationwide race.

Tony Stewart shares a smile right before climbing into his car for Saturday Practice. Photo Credit: me

Sunday was the big race. The Kobolt Tools 400.  You can read about my excitement and disappointment regarding the race in the Race 3: Las Vegas post.

Tony Stewart hi fives the pit crew of teammate Ryan Newman as he heads out towards the track to race on Sunday. Photo Credit: Me

And now for just some of the nearly 8 gigs of pictures from throughout the weekend:

We happened upon a Matt Kenseth autograph appearance while going to the MGM Grand for dinner on Thursday or Friday night. Photo Credit: Me

Kevin Harvick heads out to practice on Friday. I like the Black on the Bud car. Photo Credit: Me

Jack Roush and Bob Osborne watch Carl Edwards from a top the hauler on Friday. Photo Credit: Me

Chad Knaus and Danica Patrick watch and listen to Jimmie from on top of the Lowes Hauler on Friday. Photo Credit: Me.

Crew Chief Darian Grubb makes notes after coming down off the hauler on Friday. I love this picture mostly because of all the equipment behind Darian. Photo Credit: Me

Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson during driver introductions on Sunday. Photo Credit: Me

Thunderbirds flyover. Some dork forgot to take her camera off of landscape pictures when she took this so its a bit blurry. Photo Credit: Me

And now…as a bonus for sticking with me this far? I am going to embed a video that I found while searching youtube. How I came across this I don’t remember but I think I was searching for Tony’s postrace press for Las Vegas. Any way…the first five seconds are pretty darn adorable…and if you haven’t seen the video before it’s funny:

So who were you rooting for of the three contenders at Homestead? Were you rooting for Denny? Kevin? Jimmie?  I will tell you who I was rooting for if you tell me who you were rooting for!

Notes about Homestead:

• I hate to say this…but that incident between Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle on lap 24- the one that caused Denny to spin – and some damage to the car? That really looked like Denny drifted up into Greg to me anyway.
• And what about Kyle Busch? That was a fiery crash! I was all STOP THAT SUCKER AND JUMP OUT KYLE!!!  Of course I don’t want to see Kyle burn! I actually enjoy him as a driver (not as much as Tony of course).
• I always feel bad when the championship is clinched by a driver who is NOT the winner in the race. It made me feel that Carl Edward’s celebration was truncated.  He did win the race.  I was a little worried for his safety when he got out of his car to do his trademark backflip and Jimmie had started burning out right next to him. Yikes!
• Jimmie’s in-car reaction to having won the championship though? He was so excited! I have to say that Chad Knaus’s Post-It note (Our TEAM won!) to the camera- was appropriate. I liked how he emphasized TEAM especially since the pit crew swap.  (Consequently enough I noticed that nearly right away – with in the week of the swap- the Lowes racing website listed the “new” crew- while the Jeff Gordon website also listed his original crew. Interesting.) Ha! Take that Mike Ford!
• Speaking of the pit crew swap- I had to say I was concerned that since the swap the wrong crew would get credited with the Tissot Fastest Pit Crew – but luckily they explained that on the national broadcast….that while Jeff Gordon’s crew won the award- it was the original crew….the one that ultimate went to help Jimmie after Texas.
• Apparently we missed some sort of on track altercation between Logano and Montoya after the wreck? They mentioned it on the national broadcast quite briefly but inquiring minds want to know! What happened?

Next Race:  Daytona 2011.

Seriously though- like last year, I am planning on attending Champion’s week celebrations after Thanksgiving so posting might be light that week. I will tweet and facebook so follow me or friend me or whatever…but of course I will post afterwards!

(SMOKE fans…be sure to check back here Wednesday…Just saying).

First up is an article about Tony Stewart (because it really is all about our driver Tony right??):

So AOL fanhouse motorsports writer Holly Cain was given an interesting opportunity…to follow Tony Stewart around for 48 hours midweek for kind of a “day-in-the-life” type piece (yes I know that days are typically 24 hours).  Let me tell you that first off I WOULD LOVE this opportunity — I forget who I said this to recently regarding Tony, but I often wonder when the man sleeps with all he has on his plate so to speak.   Anyway, the article she wrote was one of the best articles about Tony Stewart I have read in a really really long time (not withstanding the BadGroove Tony Stewart interviews of course) and I highly recommend her two part article:

Tony Stewart Gives Fanhouse an All-Access Pass- Part One

and Tony Stewart Gives Fanhouse an All-Access Pass- Part Two

Next article I would like to point you to is an article about the 24/48 pit swap by Jeff Gluck over at SBNation.  It is an interesting and quite informative piece- with some great quotes from both crew chiefs regarding the mid-race switch as well as the decision to keep the pit crews switched for the remainder of the season:

Chad Knaus, Steve LeTarte Open Up About Hendrick Pit Crew Swap.

Another interesting article on the same topic comes from TC over at one of my all time favorite NASCAR blogs (The Nascar Insiders): Digesting The 24/48 Pit Crew Swap (this article has some interesting comments).

And finally I want to point you over to frontstretch.com to an article by Phil Allaway about ESPN’s race coverage: Talking NASCAR TV: Focus Hurts ESPN Once Again At Texas

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Also, some shameless self promotion: my next piece for the Racing In America Blog is up- check out my article Waiting Until Next Year (and while you are there peruse other blog entries by other writers- there is some GREAT stuff over there).

Then HBO did the coolest thing ever- and that was make the first episode available online to viewers…and damned if I am not hooked.  The show provides a fascinating look into the team that everyone loves to hate…the history making 4-consecutive championship 48 team.  However- it isn’t just the Jimmie show and the first episode at least strives to great lengths to illustrate that point.  I don’t know what fascinated me more- the small glimpse we get into the “jackass from El Cajon” (hey Jimmie said it – NOT ME) or the look we get into Chad Knaus that makes him seem more human and less like the super-crew chief who wears kryptonite underwear even if he is a bit of an “asshole” to work for (again- Chad said it not me)!

Even if you aren’t into NASCAR- if you have HBO I think you should try to check out HBO’s 24-7- The Road to Daytona if you are just the littlest bit curious. You can check out the first episode on the HBO site. I really hope that they put this out on DVD- because I would buy it.

• After all drivers had passed us on the red carpet into the roast, Jimmie being the last driver to meander by us and by the time he was pretty much out of earshot of us, my friend turned to me and said “Whatchya doing Jimmie?” (in the vain of the Lowe’s commercial)….to which I replied “Winning a championship Chad.” Now this in itself is NOT funny- its just something we occasionally do (snipe back and forth in commercial or movie dialogue snippets) but what WAS funny was that there was some guy on the red carpet right in front of us at the time, who thought we were pretty damn funny. I don’t know who he was but he was on the carpet wearing a credential of some sort…he looked like he wanted to interject something into our conversation…he even stopped right in front of us and chortled but didn’t actually say anything.
• My BIGGEST faux pas of the entire weekend…and if you know me you know I am faux pas prone…also happened along the red carpet of the roast…but earlier.  I actually debated NOT telling you but then…what is the fun of that if I can’t make fun of myself right? So Denny Hamlin has just passed us on the red carpet…and by just past us I mean apparently he is like still two or three inches from me but I had shifted my attention to Mark Martin. So I catch sight of Mark Martin who is probably about fifteen feet or so down the red carpet to my right…which is the way I am facing and I say to my friend “He is so cute!” Meaning that Mark Martin is so cute because he is so little and friendly. And I mean both of those…he is like the tiniest man…but so so nice. Well my friend looks at me with like a horrified look on her face but says NOTHING to me.  So a little while later after the above bullet, I learn that Denny Hamlin was still right next to me and looked over at me thinking I was talking about him…and smiled. Thank goodness I didn’t realize this at the time or I probably would have either: A. Told Denny I was actually talking about Mark Martin…but really you’re not bad yourself, or B. Run off and hid behind something. Jury is still out on which I would have actually done.
• The next incident happened at The Stewies. It had been awhile because we had already moved in towards the center of the balcony at least once or twice as we now had people on both sides of us. Ryan Newman was announced as the guest…and made his way down the golden staircase onto the stage, escorted by at least one, probably two lovely showgirls.  He takes his seat at the table with Stewart and Yokum, at which point the guy standing next us up in the balcony proclaims “That Ryan Newman, he’s a big boy! Jesus!” (but the Jesus is drawn out like…GEEEEEEEEEEEEZUZ)- we weren’t even sure if he was talking to us or just made the statement outloud to himself or what.  My friend just looks at me and I just shrug.  The day before I stood pretty much right in front of Ryan Newman…and what you need to know about me is I am on the short side- 5′ 4″ in shoes…and I didn’t think Ryan was overly tall or overly wide (unlike Mark Martin who was incredibly tiny)- especially where I felt the need to proclaim it in such a dramatic fashion! I guess you really kind of had to be there for this one to be funny….
• And this last one…is more of just me wondering outloud (or in writing) kind of thing. Ok so at The Stewies when Ryan and Greg Biffle left the stage Tony was bidding them adieu and said something to Biffle like Don’t Get Into Too Much Trouble….or something like that. And then patted Ryan on the back and said “I know I don’t need to worry about you- you don’t gamble and you don’t drink…” I didn’t think anything too odd about it…I just carried on. Well then while watching the actual awards (from the comfort of my friend’s living room) Tony said something during his speech about Ryan getting him into trouble when they are together….ok if Ryan doesn’t drink or gamble…he must be kind of straight-laced kind of guy…so what kind of trouble can Ryan get Tony into?

Well that’s it in regards to Champion’s week. I had a  GREAT time.  I hope it stays in Vegas for awhile because I will go out of my way to be in town each year!

Anyhoo…one of our main reasons for going to Phoenix chase race was…I was going to a (hide your eyes fellow Smoke fans) Jeff Gordon Network event where the Jeff Gordon himself would be there.  It’s only fair really- i have drug BFFM to her share of home depot appearances (I haven’t caught Tony at an Office Depot yet  but I did at the Palazzo at the beginning of the season for the race at LVMS).  Anyway- this event was at a hotel in Scottsdale and started at 7:00 am (registration/sign in started at 6:30!!) and was only for fan club members and their one allotted guest (Yes I was the plus 1).  Let me tell you – while I have been to several driver’s cattlecall sponsor meet n greets and usually have a pretty darn good time at them- going to a fan club event is a completely different thing…it really rocked.  There was breakfast…and the raffling of door prizes (I won a snowman 24 ornament that I of course gave to BFFM)…there was a best dressed fan contest which was fun. Then Jeff Gordon came in and talked to us…gave us some opening remarks, answered some questions from the emcee and two lucky fans.  Then we were all called up table by table to get our item autographed and have our picture taken by a professional photographer (that part was odd and kinds surreal- I haven’t seen my picture yet but I am sure that I look like a complete doof because just as we were turning towards the photographer, Jeff asked me where I was from so I think I turned towards him to answer him…anyway…it was a really nice event and Jeff took his time with each person and would take a couple minutes to talk with you/answer questions with you…it was on a completely different level then those cattle call type sponsor events I am use to I will say that.  I wish Tony’s fan club did events at other tracks and not just around the brickyard…because the JGN one was fun.

BFFM at the Jeff Gordon Network event- checking out the merchandise table and getting ready to meet Jeff.

We really didn’t have much more to do on Friday because we didn’t have Friday tickets to the track.  So we did what most red-blooded American girls do…we shopped (in Scottsdale)! I picked up the rest of my nephew’s Christmas presents (and a cute little onsie for their new baby due in Feb). I picked up some birthday presents for my Mom because I would be spending her birthday driving between Phoenix and Vegas on the way home (oh don’t go feeling sorry for her- she was ok with it).

Side note about Phoenix: This was the third time I have been to Phoenix (second for a race) and this was the first time I was there during the time change (Arizona doesn’t participate in Daylight Savings Time).  The time change TOTALLY messed me up– but in the WRONG way. I live on Pacific time, and they were on Mountain- so their 9:00 pm was really my 8:00 pm yet to me felt like it was 11:00 pm.

On Saturday- we were at the track all day.  I don’t even remember what time we got to the track in the morning but basically we got there, put our backpacks on, I had my Canon 20D strapped around my neck, we hiked into the track- stopped in the merchandise area- made a couple purchases- and then we were into the track where I believe the cup cars were just starting to roll out onto the track for first practice when- yep it started to rain. I scrambled and put the camera in my pack and we walked around in the rain looking at the different booths. I spent a lot of time in the Chevy booth trying to figure out a way to drive off in the camaro they had on display (that is one sweet car).  They actually were letting fans test drive them but I was afraid if I test drove one I would be towing one back home behind the HHR. We spent some time walking around the pits, then found a spot to stand and watch the cars come zooming into the pits from the track under one of the pedestrian bridges- we stayed there as long as we could but figured out that most people didn’t stand their cuz its fairly noxious!!! It was actually a fairly good vantage point to see Jimmie, Jeff and Tony’s garage stall so we prob stood there most of practice…until we had headaches anyway.  We saw Chad Knaus walking back and forth a couple times and Steve Letarte once.  Unfortunately Tony’s garage stall was farther down so I didn’t see much of his guys- just him zooming in from the track.

Tony follows Kyle in during practice for some adjustments.

We then made our way to our seats in the AJ FOYT grandstands to watch the Nationwide race and hopefully see Kyle tie up the championship. Unfortunately that didn’t happen- instead Carl won and Kyle had a pretty bad day.

Best thing heard at the track on Saturday was two twentyish year old guys in the pit area talking back and forth while waiting for practice to start. The Jet dryers were on the track.

GUY ONE to GUY TWO: Dude- those things (motions towards the jet dryers)- they sound like planes!

GUY TWO nods in steadfast agreement with GUY ONE.

(I so much wanted to walk up to them and say: HERE’S YOUR SIGNS but I didn’t).

On Sunday we get to the track early- do a quick merchandise hauler sweep where I buy myself a pink hat with a sparkly 14 on it because some doofus left her other hat at the hotel.  It was sunny and not a cloud in the sky.  We walked down to the pit area and wandered up and down pit road and out onto the track where I took this picture of BFFM:

BFFM Flashes the 24 on track Sunday morning at Phoenix.

Sunoco on pit road.

Per my usual thing- I took lots of pictures of tires on pit road. These happen to be Matt Kenseth's tires.

After we decided we had had enough of pit road we went up to our seats (same as Saturday) to watch the race.  We all know the outcome there.

When we were parking in the morning BFFM pointed out to me a brand new camaro in the dirt lot we were parked in. We saw it on our way out and someone had put an empty beer bottle on the hood. JERK.

Most interesting fashion statement of Sunday:

Race fans are an interesting breed..this guy's outfit proves it.

So far with our experiences PIR has the best traffic leaving and Infineon has the worst.

We stopped for a leisurely dinner and went back to our hotel. On our floor in the hallway I guess some people were trying to make our hotel in Tempe a home away from home by laying out their own welcome mat- that was the most bizarre thing I think I saw all weekend:

Home Away From Home in Tempe- our hotel room neighbors laid out a welcome mat in front of their door. ODD!