a brief pause & reflect…

before the next one…

Ok… Had a day to decompress & sleep, now for some thoughts.

Wow. Just wow. I’ve been in the right place at the right time for some pretty important, historic moments in my life, but Sunday, standing in the Dale Coyne racing pits when they captured their first ever win… Wow. Just wow. The tears started welling up with around 4 laps to go. I’m pretty sure this was the most special win I’ve witnessed ever.

I’ve had the privilege of getting to share many conversations with “Uncle Dale” over the years, in fact, I think he was my first real interview, and Sunday I got to give him a big ol bear hug in Victory Lane.

The icing on the cake of course was to be there at Seneca Lodge when he walked in with the wreath around his neck, cheshire cat grin still beaming from his face. What a memory.

This weekend, like every weekend, I had very little time to just kick back and enjoy the moments, but I managed to find a few.

My roomie Carol (one of Justin’s investors) and I had a lovely meal outside down by the lake and watched the fireworks on Friday. We’ve been at a few races together, but as is usually the case, never had much of a chance to just chat. We discovered at the end of the day yesterday that we are both Virgos, which explained our similarly laid out clothing each night for the next day!
Cleanest, most organized hotel room ever!

Friday was an early, get you bearings kind of day. The media centre is very quite on that day, so you get a lot done.

I returned from a trip around the paddock to find Curt Cavin in the same spot he sat last year (fitting as I sat in the same spot too) On this day however he greeted me by name, unlike last year when he looked at me like I was an alien! LOL! (Granted, I am rather alien like, so he had a point!)

Saturday brought the surprise of finding Vivian Tracy in the pits! I know I’ve spoken of my affinity for Viv many times, and while she was rather tame by comparison of some of our previous up-to-no-good antics in the pits over the years, she still gave me a few laugh out loud moments, including telling Jimmy (Vasser) to tell Paul over the radio pre-race (as is her tradition with Paul) “don’t fuck up the donuts”. Sadly there we’re no donuts for PT this weekend unless he talked her into pulling into the Timmies drive thru on the ride home.

The big guns were on site in the media room as well, both reporters and photogs. I do enjoy the pow-wows with the pioneers of motorsport media. I feel like someone gave me a key to the VIP room, and though I really shouldn’t be there, they don’t yell “get out of here kid”, but rather let me hang out and observe.

Oh and I also got to meet International blogging superstar from down undah, Shane! Woot!

Saturday night was dinner at Seneca Lodge w/two of my fave racing chums, Ange from Speedclick and Russell from Deep Throttle. Good-natured ribbing all around and laughing to the point of tears. My LOL moment was Ange realizing what he was eating was cauliflower & his subsequent reaction. Have fun at Lime Rock boys!

Macca, you were missed this year for sure! I did pass along hello’s to James & Will for you. James definitely had a better weekend compared to 08.

Sunday, raceday, my favorite day of any weekend, I woke up at 5am raring to go. I like to get to the track as early as possible and just let the anticipation slowly build. The weather was picture perfect, and though you just don’t get a sense of the crowd at the Glen at all, there seemed to be a good chunk of folks there.

I watched the race in spits and spurts from various team monitors and eventually the big screen directly across from the DCR pit box. (Once Paul had retired)

I wiped the tears starting to spill over, while trying to capture the moments in Victory lane. Thankfully I was able to focus long enough to capture the photo that would give me my first published photo credit! (In the Indianapolis Star no less! You go unknown girl from Toronto!!) (Thanks again to Curt!!!)

Probably the funniest look back for me will be me sitting in the back of my rental car outside the lodge frantically typing up the story and uploading pictures via the Seneca wifi signal before getting back on the road to Toronto.

I do love the Glen, and will definitely be back next year.

I will link to all my weekend pics later today. (They’re really hit or miss)

Then I’m in full on Toronto race mode, woot!!

Raceday at the Glen!

I promise to find 10 mins today to pluck out some updates on here. Needless to say, there won’t be a traditional “live blog” , though I will update throughout when I can.

Couple of high points from yesterday.

Got a big squeezy hug from my little spark plug (EJ) and cookie boy (Oriol), who is wandering pitlane patiently hoping for a ride at the end of the year, but mainly focused on 2010.

Arrived at Paul’s pit box yesterday to discover Viv!! OMG! My fave person to hang out with. She’s looking great and is as much of a hoot as ever! (that’s Paul’s mom fyi)

Had dinner at Seneca lodge. Drove the back way from the track, which is apparently part of the old race course. Weeeeeeeee! What speed limit??

alrighty… must run. Back later!

Good Morning from Watkins Glen!

Again it’s one of those weird, “don’t know what the weather will hold” sort of days. It’s sunnycloudywarmcoldwindy. Ya.
Like, really windy.
GUSTY windy.
“Drivers aren’t gonna like this” windy.

Yesterday was a lot of walking, meet and greets, interviews, picture taking.

Today, more of the same. In fact I have to finish jamming this breakfast sammich (thank you dunkin donuts) down my yap, grab my camera gear and run.

oh, for the record, Richard Antinucci is FINE. FOINE. YUMMY.

Need more coffee… LOL! More later!

How the mighty have fallen…

Whether by choice or force, it appears that Tony George is no longer calling the shots. (One of course questions whether he’s really been calling any shots of late anyway… personally I don’t think he has)

Sure the easy thing to do right now would be to cheer or taunt or sling mud and insults, but to what end? What would be the point? Does it change the past? No…

I got tired of the whole “our side-their side” thing long ago, and was relieved in a way upon unification that I no longer had to choose and explain and validate. It was exhausting.

One has to think that Tony George, the man, unburdened by the titles President & CEO, is also feeling a sense of relief tonight.

Much the same way those of us that work in racing sometimes long for the days when we we’re ‘just fans’, when we went to the track ignorant of the insider gossip & news, and just enjoyed the racing, unaware of the ugly underbelly of the industry, it will be interesting to see Tony ease into the fulltime roll of just team owner.

There is a picture one of our photographers took of Tony in Texas (which I used in our story tonight) I remember when I saw it being mezmerized by it. It was Tony George, almost unrecognizable. Relaxed, sitting on the ground, headphones on. Gone was the buttoned down shirt and dress pants, in it’s place a t-shirt, jeans and a casualness. He looked unfettered and relaxed. Like a great weight had been lifted from him.

I get that there are many, in particular those who refused to accept, let alone embrace last years unification, who are still wearing giant chips on their shoulders. They are celebrating tonight. Dancing, shouting, jubilant at what they foresee as the final nail in the coffin, the death of the IRL.
Good for them. I hope they find some satisfaction in their revelry.

I, for one, don’t find any joy in this.
Instead I worry for the sport I love.

Was I happy with unification? no. It broke my heart to lose Champ Car. But the thought of losing American open wheel all together breaks my heart even more. So I was, and still am, willing to put the past behind and look to the future, to finding some common ground between IndyCar and Champ Car, taking the best of what they both had to offer and moving forward.

If IndyCar fades away, there is no magic bullet. No phoenix will rise from the ashes this time. For a while, if we’re lucky, the junior formulas (if they survive) will feed the European series. Hell, even that’s a clusterfuck.

This is not the time for divisive behavior. This is the time we need to rally. To fix this. To move forward. Lest we risk losing it all forever.

“uh uh uh uh oh oh… the right stuff”

That’s right kids, enough of all this “inside… inside…. inside…. clear” bullshit.
(or as the case has been… “behind… behind… behind… nevermind”)
It’s time for some right turns!!

So, I’m packed and pretty much ready to go. (Still no credential confirmation for OWW, but they did this to us last year too. We weren’t confirmed until 3 days before… *sigh*… ) Anyway I’m keeping the faith, but barring that will start to call in favours for my photographer who is flying in and just cancel my trip. EDIT: all systems go! Spam filter ate our confirmation!

Anyway… I can’t tell you how happy I am that this roundy-round marathon of putritude is over! Time to get back to some racing! Where drivers can and will actually make some moves without fear of the dreaded marble/wall combo! Where MY boys will start to shine.

I’m especially looking forward to BobbyD breaking out now. He’s had a few months in the car, so he’s familiar with it’s nuances and it’s shortfalls. For those who haven’t had the pleasure yet, he is just thrilling to watch on road courses, so the Glen should be awesome. Of course it’s on ABC, so all of that brilliant camera work and commentary we’ve become accustomed to on VERSUS will be but a distant memory… :bangs head on desk:

Speaking of awesome and “thrilling”… Oh ya baby.  (you knew it was coming! come on!) PT is in da house! Woot!
I would absolutely love to see him have a good result going into the Canadian leg. Not only for his own vindication, but also since IndyCar & these races are currently the best kept secret up here, no matter what the spinmeisters say.
At least if PT win’s, places or shows we may get some media play before our race.

Richard Antinucci is back! Woot!
{dirty old woman mode on} Eye Candy quota raised! {/dirty old woman mode off}
This kid should have been in a car from the start in my ever so humble opinion. (And he shoulda won the damn Championship last year too) He won here (the Glen) last year in lights, so other than the difference in the car, his learning curve shouldn’t be that much of an arc. It will be interesting to see if that car is as much of a pig with him behind the wheel, as it has been with the rest of it’s rotating roster this season.

My little sparkplug finally has the monkey off his back, so I’ll be looking for the EJ that pissed the world off last season to return to the Glen this weekend. This isn’t a fucking pageant! Enough with the Mr. Congeniality routine. I want FIRE! I want AGGRESSION! I want a half dozen post race soundbytes by the other drivers whinging about your driving!
Of course, if you take out PT, I’ll hunt you down and put you over my knee young man! …
({dirty old woman mode on} drifts off into deep thought… {/dirty old woman mode off})

What was I talking about? Oh ya, The GLEN!! and getting back to real racing!

I still don’t understand why Will isn’t in a car this weekend. Oh right, no crew. Stupid. Just… Stupid.

Mario ran well here last year with Uncle Dale, so Justin should fair well, as will Graham and Newman Haas.

Even though his is one of the dreaded “red cars’ I would also happily cheer for Briscoe to get back the win he was robbed of last year. (not to mention the two recent ones)

Ok… that’s it from me for now… (ya ya, I know, the Tony George thing… I’m percolating that one on the commute home)
I’m still at the fucking office, and starving, but had to finish up some work here due to the holiday tomorrow, then write the OWW articles before I left as it was “breaking news” (not really though as we saw it coming thanks to the awesome and oft maligned Robin Miller)

so, more later… want to get home before the skies open!
ciao