Read all the details from Thom, his brother Pat and team - and get an inside look at their DAYTONA 500® adventure.
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Tuesday, 5/20/08
Tomorrow, Tomorrow...
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya’ tomorrow…only a day away!” Great line form a great musical – and true, true, true! Tomorrow is the official release day for Thom’s newest artwork: NASCAR®THUNDER The 50th Running of the DAYTONA 500®! And we’re kicking it off in true NASCAR® motorsports style – with an event near the Charlotte track! Join us at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Resort in Concord NC – near the Lowe’s Speedway. Be there at 6:30 p.m. when the doors open and be one of the first to see this amazing commemorative piece in person!
Jumping on an airplane…see you there! Join me – I’m excited to meet Kyle Petty and Ryan Newman for the first time! And they tell me there will be other special guests too! Can’t wait…tomorrow! Only a day away!
- Linda
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| Posted by Linda Mariano | 8:00am pt |
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Friday, 5/16/2008
NASCAR® THUNDER has Shipped!
Well, race fans and Kinkade fans, it’s on its way! The first shipments of NASCAR® THUNDER The 50th Running of the DAYTONA 500® have left the Thomas Kinkade Company and are on their way to a Thomas Kinkade gallery near you! The green flag is down – and the anticipation is building until you can see what I have already seen! Absolutely amazing!
In the art world, we talk about “reads” of a painting. How many times does it take the viewer to see everything the artist has included in the image? This one will take many! There are so many details, so much history, all the pageantry – captured in one piece of artwork. And, of course, you will be able to see it on this site, and elsewhere on the internet I am sure, but until you see this image in person, you won’t completely appreciate it. If you are a NASCAR® or DAYTONA 500® or Thomas Kinkade fan – or just love artwork that captures movement, excitement, and commemorates our American culture – then you will want to get into a Thomas Kinkade gallery soon and see this piece for yourself!
This one is a winner and belongs in the Winner’s Circle!
P.S. There are still tickets left for the event next week! See my last Blog entry for all the details!
- Linda
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| Posted by Linda Mariano | 8:00am pt |
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Monday, 5/12/2008
Get Your Tickets!
Did you get the email last week? We’re getting very close to the big day – and wanted to be sure that everyone that has signed up here on this site got the information! We’re having a party and an unveiling – next week – during Charlotte’s big Race Week! Wednesday evening, May 21st, at the Embassy Suites and Resort – right near Lowe’s Speedway – be there by 6:30 p.m. to be sure you can get a ticket. (By the way 100% of the ticket proceeds will go to Victory Junction Gang Camp – the Thomas Kinkade Company’s 2008 Charity Partner!) Couple of the hottest drivers will be there too… Kyle Petty of course – and Ryan Newman, the winner of the 2008 DAYTONA 500®! And we’re saving the other special guests as a surprise!
Thom’s magnificent NASCAR® THUNDER The 50th Running of the DAYTONA 500® will be unveiled – and available for purchase! Every single piece sold at this special event will have a sketch by Thomas Kinkade on the reverse side – and his personal signature! And, of course the drivers will be there to sign it too!
If you are in Charlotte next Wednesday, this is the “DON’T MISS IT!” event! You can get your tickets in advance by calling 864-297-8063. See you there!
- Linda
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| Posted by Linda Mariano | 8:00am pt |
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Wednesday 3/26/2008
History in the Making!
My last entry started with "Well, race fans and Kinkade fans, it's over!" And I could begin the same way today! The ideas and voting are over! Well done - and many thanks to the over 10,000 fans that participated! We loved hearing from each of you!
The fans' suggestions for what Thom should be sure to include in his Commemorative Portrait of the 50th Running of the DAYTONA 500® were terrific - with nearly 1500 great ideas! All that Thom could say was "WOW!" when he saw the list!
And once we posted his 8 sketches, race fans and Kinkade fans couldn't wait to vote for their favorite! At first it wasn't clear which one would take the lead - much like the start of any great race! All the cars are lined up, the flag is waved and it begins. Then the winner makes a break - and the outcome becomes clear. Sometimes it is a surprise ending as it was at this year's DAYTONA 500® - but for the vote for your favorite of Thom's sketches, it was clear a few days into the challenge!
Thom is delighted that his favorite was your favorite! The black and white sketch with the boy on his grandfather's shoulders is the winning sketch! And is already on the easel in Thom's studio with lots of the details you wanted getting painted into the final Masterwork.
I'm trying to get the inside scoop for you - but all Thom would tell me is "Just wait! You will have to look at this piece over and over again to see all of the details! Richard Petty, Dale Sr. and Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, and so many others will be represented there, plus all of the historical details that make DAYTONA® the 'Great American Race' and experience that it is! 50 years of history is a lot to put into one painting - I'm working hard to make this a wonderful commemorative piece of artwork that the fans will really love! Who knows maybe there will have to be two or three!"
Great news! Stand by - it looks like we are going to make the sketch available in April. That's right - in advance of the Limited Edition release in May! Details are in the works now - so come back in a few days for the announcement and all the details.
-Linda
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| posted by Linda Mariano | 4:10pm et |
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Monday 2/18/2008
Days of Thunder - Final
Monday 2/18/2008
I am back at home in Fort Worth, the race is over, the dust has settled, and I would imagine even the "Chugger Boys of Kentucky" have packed up and moved on from DAYTONA® by now. It was truly an amazing three days. The paintings and sketches Thom did were phenomenal even by his high standards and the fun I had with the folks of NASCAR® and the fans of the sport is packaged into memories that will stay with me my entire life. Thom and I in fact have talked about turning our adventures on this trip (and a few others like it) into a more formal written treatment. So, if you are interested I'd invite you all to stay tuned and watch for a book in the coming year or so. There is so much to tell!
When I left you last I promised to tell you about Thom's meeting with Richard Petty, about my personal experience of the Race, and all the highlights. To begin, I'll start with the conversation with "The King." Richard Petty is obviously a remarkable driver. In his career he won 200 races, 7 DAYTONA 500® races, and in one year, an incredible 10 races in a row! It is difficult to imagine that anyone will even meet, much less beat his standards. Still, as impressive as he is behind the wheel, it seems to me, he is even more compelling as a person. His kindness, genuine good humor, and giving nature came through in even our short time with him. Clearly there was a bonding between Richard's and Thom's mutual concerns and capacities to help their communities - and their time together was a great opportunity. I wasn't so sure that I belonged there, but Richard was warm and welcoming to the whole TK team. And by the way, he also has the strongest handshake grip of anybody I've ever met! I guess gripping the steering wheel of a grounded jet and driving it around for hundreds of miles every week for decades of his life had an effect. My little finger is still not back in joint!
Leaving Richard to his work and Thom to his painting, I took advantage of some of the pre-race time to drive about the track site in the golf cart that NASCAR® had afforded Thom to help him transport his easel. I thought I would "people watch" and, with luck, find interesting stories along the way. As it happened, I almost immediately became a service for folks needing a lift to get to different parts of the track. At first I did it simply to help folks out. I had a cart and they looked tired and in need. But as time wore on, I began pulling up to people who looked interesting and I offered them rides because I wanted to know their story. I must have met about 20 groups of people over the 3 hours I was out and about with my "cab". And, I must say, I heard some pretty wild accounts of fan experiences. How they got there, why they come, everyone has a story - and here's one of the fun and/or funny parts: In the "RV City", they have come so far, paid the price of admission to watch the race in person - and sit tuned in on their TV to watch! Never leaving the RV! Go figure!
The race itself was everything that it was advertised to be and then some. I won't spend anytime on the play-by-play since I am sure most of you watched the competition for yourself. I will mention my personal visceral experience of the sport however. IT IS LOUD beyond belief! And up-close, it can be terrifying for those not familiar with the sheer demonic power of the cars. So...I'm standing in the pits right at the start of the race...yes, I got to stand in the pits at the start of the race...I am standing there and I note that everyone in sight is pushing anything they can find into their ears and then covering their heads again with additional protection to block sound. I shrugged it off thinking that they were just being overly cautious and that I certainly could experience the start of the race "au natural" (as it were). Bad mistake! Being that close to a full field of NASCAR® race cars all firing up at once is very akin to sticking a dynamite stick in each ear and lighting the fuse. The only difference is that the dynamite exploding would have been acoustically less traumatic. As I write this, two days later, my head is still ringing and I'm not sure that my nerves will ever be the same. Of course it didn't help that I also decided to stand right next to the track, something not allowed by the sanctioning body, to experience the car field coming directly at me. Nope...I shouldn't have done it! When the cars appeared, I wanted to cry but the wind sheer wouldn't allow tears to form. So I stood and shook for what must have been all of three seconds while the car pack passed at 180 miles an hour but, in that time, my entire life flashed before me. How the drivers deal with that kind of stress out on the track and strapped into a crumple zone, is beyond me. It's a great sport but, brother, I don't know how they do it!
Well, gentle reader, I am sad to say that life presses in and, for now, I must leave you. I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings and wonderings as much I have enjoyed sharing them with you. As always, I continue to enjoy my involvement in the world of Thomas Kinkade and will probably be visiting a gallery near you sometime soon. So drop on by! I'd love to tell you more about this experience or anything else about which you might be interested. Until then and from Thom and me both, "Thanks for Sharing the Light!"
- Pat
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| posted by Pat Kinkade | 11:00am et |
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Sunday 2/17/2008
Days of Thunder - Day 4, It's Done!
Well, race fans and Kinkade fans, it's over! We're at the airport, climbing on the plane and wondering what we just saw!
Thom was shaking his head and said. "Wait a minute! What just happened?!? How did it happen?"
Guess what we just witnessed is exactly why race fans are so enthralled with the sport. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, how things are going to finish, and who will be in Victory Lane - everything changes.
This sport is also a great example of team spirit. It's easy to imagine that it's every driver out for himself, but that is not the case. They work in teams, helping each other - and even helping other team's drivers if it is advantageous. When you think about it, that's the same spirit and feeling of community and comradery we have experienced all weekend.
Backing up just a bit because Thom wanted to recount for you just who he was with on that stage at the Driver's Meeting - and because it is another great demonstration of the unity in the sport. As you probably heard from all the coverage, the 24 living DAYTONA 500® Champions were on-hand to serve as Grand Marshals for the historic 50th Running of the DAYTONA 500® - and they were at the meeting sitting right beside Thom and his painting on that stage! "A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Mario Andretti, Pete Hamilton, Geoff Bodine, Richard Petty, Junior Johnson and all of them! Before the meeting got started, we had so many great conversations just sitting there beside them!" Thom recounted in amazement.
Thom came out of the meeting and filled in a few details for some of us. "Junior Johnson, who won so many NASCAR® victories including the 1960 edition of the 500 will be driving the 2008 Corvette Z06 to pace the field before the start of race. There will be 3 pace laps. Then all 24 Grand Marshalls will lead the crowd in giving the command 'Gentlemen, Start Your Engines,' and get the race underway."
And just after Trisha Yearwood sang the National Anthem as US Air Force Thunderbirds rumbled over the Speedway with fireworks gleaming, that's exactly what happened! With Richard Petty as the Honorary Starter, the green flag flew, the engines roared and The Great American Race was underway for the 50th time!
This race was what some of the fans standing around Thom (as he continued to paint) called a relatively calm race. Green and yellow flags all the way. After the race's final caution, there were only three laps left. And it was a spectacular finish - all determined in the very last lap! Ryan Newman and the No. 12 team was pushed to the lead by teammate Kurt Busch who finished second with Tony Stewart taking third! Not the finish that anyone anticipated! Newman and Busch drive cars owned by Roger Penske - and this was the Penske team's first-ever win of the DAYTONA 500®. Not bad coming completely from behind to win with a spectacular finish in the biggest race of the season - and the 50th besides!
I heard a quote from Kurt Busch: "It felt incredible to have a Penske 1-2 finish today. To have Newman jump up in front of me, I thought that was the most beautiful thing in the world because I knew one of us Penske cars was going to win at that point." And then Thom added: "Now that's great team spirit!"
After all their celebrating is done on Sunday, on Monday morning, the Penske team will join Ryan Newman and his car as they are part of an induction ceremony at the DAYTONA 500® Experience, the official attraction of NASCAR® and museum to the sport, where his car will be on display for fans to see until next year's DAYTONA 500®.
Well, race fans and Thom fans, that's the report from the 50th Running of the DAYTONA 500®! Our plane's engine is starting and we're on our way back to California where Thom will finish his Masterwork of this incredible event.
Remember to give us your ideas - and be sure to vote on which of his paintings and sketches you think is the best start on the final piece. Voting will be from March 1-15 right here on this website!
Come back often to get all the updates and see how Thom is progressing on this much anticipated Commemorative Portrait!
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| posted by Linda Mariano | 11:00 pm et |
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Sunday 2/17/2008
Days of Thunder - Day 4, continued
Promised an update at race time and here it is!
Not only is this the Super Bowl of racing as I mentioned yesterday, they do what in football would be the half-time celebration BEFORE the race begins! And since this was the 50th, all the racing legends were here to participate.
Marching bands, flags, and music from notables; including Chubby Checker doing "Let's Twist Again!" Of course that was the song that was #1 when the first DAYTONA 500® ran. Lots of fun with Michael McDonald, LL Cool J, and Brooks & Dunne.
Then the festivities turned to today's race and the announcement of each driver in order of their position.
(All the while, by the way, Thom continued to paint from his ESPN Media corner!)
When the opening prayer was done, a stillness fell over the crowd - followed by the National Anthem. Then just like yesterday, there was a fly-over. But this time it was the Thunderbirds! Three times, incredible formations over the entire track! With fireworks going off simultaneously! I caught Thom with wide eyes exclaiming "Absolutely awesome!"
Then the "Cars of the Future" took the track and cheers went up as the race everyone has been anticipating all week begins in earnest!
More later....wanted to leave you with Thom's word on departing the Drivers' Meeting: "It was so unbelievable to even be in the same room with all of them! Especially the legendary drivers! To be on the same stage with them was an honor I will never forget!"
Reporting live from the DAYTONA 500®!
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| posted by Linda Mariano | 1:00 pm et |
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Sunday 2/17/2008
Days of Thunder - Day 4, Race Day!
The big day has arrived! The DAYTONA 500® - The Great American Race - runs today for the 50th time in this amazing place! Spirits are high, the fans are excited, the drivers and teams serious about the business at hand, and it's a beautiful day!
We came early to see where Thom could set up his easel to paint the large canvas he brought with him. And he totally lucked out by charming the ESPN crew on the FANDECK! He's overlooking Garage #1 in the FANZONE with a complete view of the Grandstand, flagstand, and Pit Road!
You may have caught his early work this morning - he was on ESPN2's NASCAR® Live! Show! They have shown the clip a couple of times and promised to come back closer to race time to check on progress. Thousands of fans - both Thomas Kinkade and NASCAR® - have stopped by to say hello and enjoy watching Thom work. He's very excited and said to me, "This is so awesome! I love getting this close to everything that is happening - can't wait for the race to actually begin! I'm just going to keep right on painting - no telling what I'll be able to get on this canvas today!"
He's taken a bit of a break - just finished lunch at the Wood Brothers hospitality area. We loved being with them, their drivers and some of their sponsors. Another wonderful group of people who have made this trip so memorable for all of us!
And right now, Thom is at the Drivers' Meeting. He has the painting with him - and we're all waiting to hear all about it! This meeting is the quintessential meeting for drivers and owners. They get instructions and reminders from NASCAR® on the rules of the track and race. It's so exciting that they invited Thom to be a part of this amazing gathering.
Here they come... got to run, but will check in with more just before race time! One hour and 20 minutes to go!
Stay tuned race fans!
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| posted by Linda Mariano | 11:00am et |
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Saturday 2/16/2008
Days of Thunder - Day 3
Thom and team just came from a meeting with Richard Petty, "The King", this morning. Of course, the Petty family name goes all the way back to the start of NASCAR®. In fact, Richard's father, Lee Petty, won the first DAYTONA 500® in 1959 with his son watching!
Richard shared with Thom: "We run our team 40+ weeks a year. It's hard work and takes a lot dedication. When people mention how hard the work is, he says he smiles and tells them to think about a regular job - working 52 weeks a year!"
Thom was very impressed and grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with one of the legends of the sport. "What a gentleman and nice guy!"
Now, we've just entered DAYTONA®'s FANZONE in the infield. Thom is eager to continue sketching - and looking for a location to paint.
Unique to DAYTONA® Speedway is their FANZONE - a gathering place for fans, drivers, teams, and media. Fans can literally watch the teams in their garages getting ready for a race. Speak with them, get autographs, and fuel their passion for the sport!
Thom has scored a great painting location, just inside the FANZONE entrance gates. From this vantage point, you can see nearly everything that is happening - and it's a sensory overload from the first step inside!
As Thom sets up his easel, I ask for his impressions of DAYTONA® FANZONE:
"Oh my goodness! It's chaos - in a positive way - like at a parade or Mardi Gras! Absolutely amazing and wonderful!"
Pat Kinkade echoed his brother's thoughts: "Absolute controlled pandemonium. The driver and team accessibility Is incredible."
Thom followed with: "The design and thought that went into the plan - brilliant! The community of NASCAR® is so real here - the drivers and teams are completely accessible. No other sport gets fans involved - and up close and personal - like this! And no other Speedway accomplishes it better than what they have done at DAYTONA®!"
The NASCAR® Nationwide Race at DAYTONA® is about to begin. The biggest race of the Nationwide Series is also the kick-off for the season, just as the DAYTONA 500® is grand-daddy of all racing - and the beginning of the Sprint Cup Series. The Superbowl of racing is at the beginning of each series, not the end! In today's race, from my quick glance, there are approximately 18 of the same drivers that will be in tomorrow's race. "Guess this is just a 'warm-up' for them!" was Thom's thought.
Sudden quiet - everywhere all around the Speedway, fans stand still, hats in hand, as the National Anthem is sung. Then just as the cheers are in crescendo, four Air Force jets fly over in formation. Now I can hear the engines roaring....and the race has begun!!
I'm headed back to see Thom's progress. And, we'll report in more at day's end!
All the best from DAYTONA®!
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| posted by Linda Mariano | 11:03amet |
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Friday 2/15/2008
Days of Thunder - Day 2
I'm sitting in a golf cart on the infield of the DAYTONA® Speedway and I'm trying to think of how best to capture the day - it truly has been a crazy experience! I guess the best way to start the description might be to mention the classic Molly Hatchet rift "Flirting with Disaster". It's not that we've been running into trouble, but rather last night we actually ran into some aging Southern rockers! Honestly, I am not exaggerating - and Thom was right by my side agreeing - the lead singer had an unmistakable resemblance to my father! My brother and I stood mesmerized for over an hour. The spell was only broken when Thom said, "Hey bro, this guy is amazing but I've got to do live TV tomorrow - we've got to get home."
The next morning, we got to the track late because Thom had been invited to visit the NASCAR® National Archives, including a tour of the "deep vault" by NASCAR®'s official historian of the sport, Buz McKim. It was an absolutely amazing experience! He brought the history of NASCAR® to life in ways that only a truly impassioned expert could. I asked him what he felt was the strongest story ever to exemplify the more extraordinary side of the DAYTONA® experience. Without missing a beat, Buz told the story of Tim Flock, the only man to race with a live monkey as his racing partner! Apparently, the race's early sponsors thought it would be a great publicity gimmick to dress up a chimp in a driver's suit, complete with helmet, and sit him beside driver Flock. As you can imagine the race was not very far in progress when the monkey - completely unnerved by the car's noise - attacked Flock! Flock pulled into the pits and called a "Monkey Stop"! Later when Flock was asked about the partnership, he responded with a smile, "The monkey was reasonable...all I had to pay him was 5% of the purse and a darn banana!" When Thom heard the story of "Jacko Flock, the NASCAR® Monkey", he said "I guess they did all kinds of things in those days to promote NASCAR®! Today it is a legendary in its accomplishment - as a brand and as a sport!"
Finally we got to the track - and it is an amazing place, especially for this 50th Running Anniversary celebration. Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered - some already have been here for more than a week! Every moment is a celebration, but with a nice and easy style. Everyone enjoying the moment and great weather! You might have caught Thom on Sirius Radio today - he did a live interview with the "Trading Paint" show. Talked to them a bit and said "I am so honored to have been selected to be the artist to do the Commemorative Portrait of the 50th Running of the DAYTONA 500®! I can't wait to get out my sketch pad later and start the work that will lead to the completed Masterwork!" Of course, Thom also mentioned that NASCAR® and DAYTONA® fans can come on to his website and let him know their ideas for what needs to be included in his painting. There have already been hundreds of entries with great guidance, comments, and ideas - I don't know how he will work it all out! But he is the master, I know we will all be amazed at the final!
Thom finally got to work and did several sketches - you might have seen them today when he was interviewed in NASCAR® Live! for the SPEED Channel. It was short and sweet, but Thom had a great time and showed the viewers his first three renderings for the Masterwork! Tune in again on Saturday and Sunday because they invited him back to share what he accomplishes progressively over the next two days.
Well, gentle readers, I promise tomorrow I will actually tell you tales of "The Great American Race"! In the meantime, check out the photos we are posting along with this blog. They will help you get the spirit of the place and the race!
Until later,
-Pat
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| posted by Pat Kinkade | 8:10pm et |
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Saturday 2/15/2008
Days of Thunder - Day 3, continued
On-line Friends,
The last time I left you all I promised to tell tales of "The Great American Race" in our next ethereal meeting together in the world of the Internet. And so, as a man of my word, I'll direct my story accordingly.
It all began long before Friday night's Silverado 250 Truck Race actually was flagged to a start - it occurs in the circus stage that follows big time motorsports. To be sure, no words can fully capture the spectacle of these settings, and especially of the RV/tent cities that seem to organically emerge from the chaos of the primordial DAYTONA® infield. But it is here where my discussion leads and so I'll try and talk of it all.
To be fair, I think it probably best to start by recognizing the strong sense of community and the genuine hospitality that can be found between those that gather in these areas. In fact, while thinking about it, I am reminded of Woodstock in the 1960's and how the concert held on that small farm was often described as "a celebration of peace and love." Still, in making this personal connection, I doubt that the so-called "hippies" of that generation could have possibly experienced more communal togetherness than the thousands who are all parked as one on this day's infield at DAYTONA®. Indeed, I could give many examples of the shared goodwill I saw during my time today but for now, and in this forum, I'll leave it to one to suffice the point.
The "Chugger Boys of Kentucky" are clearly something of an institution at the 500. Their improvised tavern in the middle of the RV commune has existed for eleven years and is apparently fully equipped to handle any need that a passer-by might require. From food to libation, from television to bathroom, no Chili's Restaurant is better suited to serve a wayfarer's needs. In truth, the one main difference is that the Chuggers charge nothing! "This is my house," claimed one of the chief Chuggers, "And you are welcome to it help yourself, it's all on me!" I've never been made to feel more welcome. And, I mean it when I say that these "good ol' boys" may not have been part of the summer of love but it is equally true that you couldn't help but love their affable natures after only a few minutes of their company. As Thom suggested, "The world would be a better place if we all had the hearts of a Chugger!"
While hanging with the Chuggers, Thom and I were ushered to the top of one of their RVs to stand with a group of guys that had gathered there. Most race fans on the infields do this to get a better view of the race and a perspective on the entire track.
While watching the race from our perch, the most amazing crash happened right before our eyes! One of the trucks on the track burst into a ball of flame, wrecked into the oval's safety wall and crashed into several other trucks. It was a spectacular NASCAR® smash-up. Seeing it all from the roof of one of the Chuggers RVs made it all the more spectacular!
Now today we are once again at the track. And the crowd is building! In anticipation of today's Nationwide Series Race - as well as tomorrow's DAYTONA® - the fans are gathering in all their DAYTONA® and NASCAR® finery, sporting their favorite driver's colors and number! I'm headed out to talk to them and can't wait to report back in! Their excitement and passion are truly contagious!
Just so you know, I had planned on leaving you at this point but fate, I believe, would have me make one final observation. As I sit writing these words Thom is standing in front of me working diligently on a plein air painting of the FANZONE inside the cement circle of DAYTONA®. As he is apt to do in such a creative frenzy, he was getting covered in oil color. His solution was to change in to a work outfit. And then Thom himself joined the DAYTONA® and NASCAR® fans by sporting an outfit from the NASCAR® gift shop. Picture then, if you will, the "Painter of Light" in NASCAR® stretch shorts and a lavishly multi-color "Team NASCAR®" shirt brushing happily away with colored dots all over him. As Thom said, "I'm into it! Stand aside - or you'll get paint on you too! Guess that's a different kind of 'trading paint' than they go for on the track!" And guess what? The fans absolutely loved watching him paint - but you knew they would!
Tomorrow's installment: The 500, Richard Petty, and more...
Be good - Pat
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| posted by Pat Kinkade | 3:38pm et |
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Thursday 2/14/2008
Days of Thunder - Day 1
Thom, his crew and I arrived in DAYTONA® this afternoon and were immediately overwhelmed by the culture of NASCAR® - chaos, crowds, and crashes!
Of course, we weren't at the track for the commotion. Thom had picked a restaurant where the crowd spilled out into the street for a bikers' "burn-out" contest. The billowing clouds of smoke rose one hundred feet in the air and totally obsured the riders from the cheering crowd. Only the resturant workers plea to join the "Start Your Engine" chorus inside ended the inpromptu mayhem.
If tonight was any indication of the next three days - I'm in for a heck of a ride! Tomorrow we descend on the track for real...keep us and NASCAR® in your prayers.
-Pat
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| posted by Pat Kinkade | 11:18pm et |
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