Gateway, here come the Diehard Edheads!!

Thursday July 17, 2008

Hold on to your hats, kids, this one is a LITTLE more personal!! At least, to start…

After a wonderful (but short) visit home to Canada to see my family, I arrived in St. Louis Thursday morning, July 17th, and Jeff met me at the airport. He has called this day “The first day of the rest of our lives” but I was a little more cautious, as I have been most of my life when it comes to affairs of the heart. My attitude was more “Wait and see” laced with excitement.

You see, this race weekend was a little more special for me. It was also my first actual meeting with a man I have been “e-dating” for 6 months (since the NASCAR season started, funnily enough), who I had chatted NASCAR with on-line for years prior to that, and with whom we were both surprised to find, on getting to know each other better, I had a lot in common with, and visa versa.

Thus, there was both excitement and nervousness in the air. We knew what each other looked like after exchanged photos, and how each other thought after numerous nights spent chatting about anything and everything in the past 6 months, but I still knew there would be some awkwardness when we met, at least on my part. Even though I already considered myself part of a couple, the actual reality of it was looming. This was the test…were we REALLY as compatible as it seemed in all our talks??

Coming through airport security, I immediately spotted Jeff, leaning against a pillar, watching the security exit, wearing an “Old skool” t-shirt (a play on a nickname he’s had for years). My “Canadian Women have more fun, eh?” t-shirt would have identified him to me, even if he had not seen numerous photos already. The hug came easily, and we found ourselves finally seeing each other. It was a monumental moment.

After a quick smoke (smoking is bad, kids, BAD!!! And it’s easier never to start than to try to quit, as millions of smokers will attest) while waiting for my checked luggage, we proceeded out on the roads of St. Louis with me in navigator/spotter position, something I am quite used to after my numerous race weekends with LeadfootRN, who prefers to drive also.

Finding our hotel and checking in, we then found this little hole-in-the-wall BBQ place and had lunch, and proceeded to try to figure out what to do for the next few hours, before Jamie Jo’s plane arrived and we had to return to the airport to pick her up. By this time, we had begun to find the rhythm of our long talks on-line, and were more comfortable together. And it turned out the question of what to do was a no-brainer….Some of the Wallaces and a few other drivers were doing some media appearances and a signing at Tri-City Raceway in Pontoon Beach, Il, where we were headed the next night to cheer on my buddy’s grandson, Roger Kaido, in his (much rain-delayed) debut in a UMP Crate Late Model race.

For 2 race fans, it really WAS a no-brainer.

So off to Tri-City Raceway, where we found not only the drivers signing, but some fellow Diehard Edheads: Buz, Roger and Chase Kaido, and Jennifer and her sons Andy and David. (I’m proud of myself!! I remembered all their names!! I always remember a face, but names…somehow they tend to elude me.) It was funny how Jennifer recognized me without having ever met me (I guess my photo HAS been on the message boards more than a few times. LOL)

So we enjoyed the autograph session and media sessions, and watched as Kenny, Stephen, Mike Wallace and David Stremme took turns running a couple of 2-seater cars around the dirt track giving the media rides.

By the time we left to pick Jamie Jo up, we were sweaty, slightly sunburnt, and dirt-covered, but it was a blast!! We were the last fans to leave.

And I have to say something. Those Cell Phone parking lots at airports now? FABULOUS idea!! We just sat there until Jamie Jo texted she had her luggage, then drove in and picked her up…actually, we saw her Northwest Airlines flight land just before she texted, so we waved as it went by. LOL

Back at the hotel, we caught up (I hadn’t seen Jamie Jo in more than a year, at the Edfest on the All-Star weekend in Charlotte), hung out and relaxed (and showered off the track dirt and cooled off, in Jeff’s and my case!), then met up with Buz and Robin, who also arrived around 6pm, to go for dinner.

A nice dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s, and long talk, and we all separated for the night to sleep and get ready for the next day. Buz would be busy helping his grandson get ready for the race the next night, but the rest of us were driving to Columbia, MO, home of Carl Edwards, to shop at IB Nuts and Racing, a shop that specializes in snacks and all things Edwards, then to lunch at PCYC Home Port with local Edheads.

Exhausted from our travels and dirt track adventure, we dropped off to sleep almost as soon as our heads hit our respective pillows.

Home Port, Edheads, and Talent on Dirt.

Friday July 18, 2008

Friday morning dawned sunny and hot (funny how this weekend always seems to fall during a heat wave in MO!) and we headed out for Columbia. It’s a nice drive, and arriving at IB Nuts and Racing, we found Aimee, Jean Marie, Jan and Commodore awaiting us. Browsing through, I was disappointed to find that there was very little Kenny Edwards stuff on display…talking to the lady behind the counter, we found that Kenny had a load of t-shirts in his car, and that he would be in around 2pm, so we planned to come back after lunch. I wanted that Kenny Edwards t-shirt I should have bought 2 years ago!!

But for anyone who is in the Columbia area and desires autographed Carl Edwards things, he occasionally stops in there and signs things to leave to be sold to fans, and there are mementos of Carl’s racing on the walls…so look up IB Nuts and Racing in Columbia, MO, officially known as “IB Fruits and Nuts, Too” http://www.ibnuts.com/servlet/the-template/locator/Page And who knows when you might run into an Edwards boy there.

So loaded up on snacks and Carl Edwards items, after having enjoyed the items on display there (a side of Carl’s truck from when he ran the Truck series, trophies, photos, etc) we headed down the road to Home Port.
Perche Creek Yacht Club. A club like no other. Many of us were already members, the remainder wanted to BECOME members. http://www.percheyc.com/

Meeting up with Commodore, who had gone on ahead, and MK, his lovely wife, we proceeded to enjoy Home Port’s wonderful home cooking and the company of our fellow Edheads. The new members submitted their applications, and I sponsored Jeff on his application, earning myself a gold PCYC pin. Yay!!

Lunch passed too quickly, and Commodore then dipped into his “Everything Edwards” goodie bag, handing out miscellaneous prizes for drawings. Commodore Comedy Network calendars, photos, pins etc. were drawn for and everyone got a prize, and lots of pins.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to St. Louis, but first, a trip back by IB Nuts and Racing to see if Kenny brought his new t-shirts in.

No go. Sadly, they were in his other vehicle, (don’t we all know what THAT is like!!), but we got to meet up with Kenny Edwards, Carl’s little brother, and chat with him a bit, then we headed back to St. Louis. Part of the group was headed to Gateway Raceway for practice for the next day’s Nationwide race, but my group was headed to Tri-City Raceway for our role as Roger Kaido fans. This was going to be fun!!

Arriving at the track, we nabbed seats at the turn 4 end of the grandstands to have a view of the garage outside the track as well as the track. One quick phone call, and Buz joined us from the backstretch, were Roger’s pit was.

The report was that they were having problems with an oil leak…on Roger’s feet. But the young man was soldiering on. Can you imagine how slippery that must have been….sure sometimes you have to deal with a slick track, but slick floorboards???? I’m sure the leak wasn’t THAT bad, but that’s what I imagined.

A $5 pair of plastic goggles and $2 rental of seats with backs were the best investment of the day….we thoroughly enjoyed all the races, but the highlight for us was of course watching this (almost) 14 year old, racing older kids and men, man-handle a car around the track, avoiding the wrecks and picking off positions, starting 18th (of 23 cars) and finishing a respectable 11th place (would have been 10th had the car that spun before the start finish line not backed over it before Roger got there) and keeping the car under control on a track that seemed, to me, to get slicker as the night wore on.

Roger did an AWESOME job, but was disappointed in himself, because he held back a bit, this being his only race car and not wanting to get involved in someone else’s wreck his first time out….he just wished he could have gone all-out, but wisely and maturely realized that could keep him out of other races, if he damaged the car. Roger could teach the likes of Stephen Wallace and Kyle Busch a thing or two, maturity-wise.

Later, watching David Stremme, David Ragan, Stephen and Mike Wallace, Kenny Schrader, and Andy Petree race in the final race (Kenny Wallace chose to be flagman) topped off the night, and we headed home after congratulating Roger on his run, coated in dirt (I’m still picking it out of my ears!!) and happy. There’s no better way to spend a Friday night before a NASCAR race than at the racetrack!!

Gateway: Tailgating, Trackwalking, and Nationwide was on our side!!

Saturday July 19, 2008

Race day dawned sunny and, you guessed it…HOT!!! It was going to be a steamy scorcher, but I’ve come to expect nothing else when it comes to this race weekend.

Loading up into the car, Jeff, Jamie Jo, Robin and I buzzed through McDonald’s for a more substantial breakfast than the hotel offered (there’s only so many muffins I can eat and I want something more, especially when looking at a long day at the track!) and it seemed our luck was turning. You see, Thursday night at Ruby Tuesday’s, when I went to pay for dinner, a sum of money fell out of my purse and under the booth table, and I didn’t realize it until the next day when I went looking for it…someone on the cleaning staff of Ruby Tuesday’s in Collinsville, Ill, ended that night VERY happy!!!

THEN Friday night, I went to upload my pictures to my computer, many of which had been taken over 2 days getting coated in dirt at Tri City Raceway…and the memory card failed and got erased. Having had a memory card accidentally erased before, I didn’t panic. I knew that as long as I didn’t take more photos on it, at least some of the photos could be retrieved, so I went to my back-up memory card for the rest of the weekend.

So having had 2 episodes of bad luck already this weekend, I was leery, waiting for the third to occur. Bad luck just ALWAYS seems to happen in 3s, I’ve seen it over and over through the years. So we were pleasantly surprised when we made it to Micky D’s JUST in time for breakfast…right after we ordered, they turned the menu over to lunch. YAY!!

Off to the track we went, and pulled into the south entrance of the parking lot in which we were to try to get together with all the other Diehard Edheads attending today, for tailgating. We parked to wait for admittance, and I headed up the line after calling Aimee and finding out that Michelle and some others were already in line. In short order I found them (they were easily identifiable by their Edhead shirts, and again, they all recognized me immediately). We chatted a bit, and then I returned to my group to wait for them to open the gates.

An hour later, we were in and setting up camp, holding a couple of spots for others still to arrive….

By 1:30pm we were in line waiting for the gates to open. Carl was to have a signing at his souvenir hauler, and we wanted to get in right away to get tickets for it. Jamie Jo was ESPECIALLY vocal about this, fearing that we wouldn’t get there in time and not having been to a Carl signing in a LOONNNGGGG time. A couple in our group had season passes, and as such were allowed through 30 minutes before the rest of us, Jennifer being one of them, so she headed in to get in line for tickets.

And BEFORE they started letting the general masses in (supposedly at 2pm, but it was 2:09pm before they let us pass) Jennifer called me and told me the tickets were all gone. Turns out they had been handing them out all day Friday, too, and there were only a few left.

Thanks Gateway. That sucks that something like that can happen. Would it have HURT them to let us ALL in at 1:30pm??? That was just unfair.

However, a bright spot…over the PA system came the announcement that the track walk, set to start at 2:15pm (again, they COULD have timed that better and gotten more participants, if they had held it 30 minutes later…we had to almost run to get there in time) would include Mike Wallace, Landen Cassill and CARL EDWARDS!!! YAY!!

Rushing down there, the half a dozen or so of us who chose to do it arrived just in time to make the walk with Carl, and let me tell you, that was SOOOO much better than waiting in a hot line-up for a few seconds with him at his signing later that afternoon. Plus, we could still get pics of him and listen to his Q&A at the signing, from the crowd out front.

It was relaxed and casual, and Mike Wallace, being a Wallace and possessing a wicked sense of humor, just HAD to comment on my t-shirt, made especially for this event:
Credit: Jeff Meyer

“Hey, if he [Carl] wins, will you take off the shirt???” causing Carl and everyone else to laugh, and Carl to say “THAT would be a good promotion!!” Hey, taking it off WOULD be easier than actually doing a back flip myself!!

I enjoy track walks anyway, but it was especially fun with Carl and Mike Wallace (who, at one point, rallied a few of the fans walking behind Carl and his group to up and run past him, “tour-de-France” style, commenting “These young guys are just so out of shape!!” or something to that effect, then hopping on a golf cart and riding a short bit. LMAO!!), and too quickly it was over, and the drivers all peeled off for their various haulers, Carl saying he need to grab some lunch. I got to talk to Carl’s PR guy, Randy Fuller, and it turns out Kate was there, but kept a low profile, so I didn’t see her myself, but a few of the others chatted with her, too.

Back at the tailgating site, we all cooled off (multiple bottles of Vitamin water all around!) and I was thankful for the neck cooler wraps I had picked up at a local drug store, as were several others, because the heat was really getting to us, despite the shade of our awnings. Relaxing and enjoying the company, other Edheads popping by to visit as the afternoon progressed, enjoying Buz’s wife’s home cooking and BBQ’d goodies. How could it be any better?

We went back in to enjoy Carl’s signing at his souvenir hauler after he qualifyied in 3rd position for the race. Michelle took Jennifer’s ticket to get Carl’s signature because Jennifer’s boys had spent the afternoon on the Fan Walk getting drivers autographs, and had gotten Carl’s on the track walk, as we all had, and didn’t want to stand in the hot line. The rest of us stood out front and chatted back and forth with Carl.

Then, he DID IT AGAIN!! Like 2 years ago, when he won at this track, his home track, he invited all Edheads to join him in Victory Lane. He seems to only do that when he has a good car and a good feeling about the race (and knows there is a group of Edheads gathering). Jamie Jo called out “Don’t make promises you can’t keep!!” and he seriously looked at her and said something along the lines of he did it 2 years ago, and they were there, and he wanted us there again, if he won.

So we started formulating a plan. Buz and I, being the 2 adults in the group who had been here 2 years ago and were part of the group privileged to get into Victory Lane with Carl when he won, had already gotten re-aquainted with the security guard who had helped get us in then, and Buz went to talk to him again this time when we came in for the race, telling him what Carl had said. I know this gave that guard heartburn, because he had had to work hard to get us in 2 years ago, but being a diehard Carl fan himself, he was game to help us again.

Piling into the stands, the anticipation in the Edhead camp was buzzing. It just felt like it was going to be a good night, we just KNEW it!!

The race started out with a wimper, in that the track had a power surge, and lost power, and was running on generator power immediately after Driver Intros were completed…the only reason we knew the National Anthem was on (plus many of the drivers and teams, as evidenced by the milling around during the Anthem on TV) was that someone noticed the Jumbotron showing her singing it. The PA system was out, the scoring pylon was dark, and there were several dark patches of lights around the track.

The flyover?
Actually, the flyover was the 2 inch long dragon fly who flew over our heads at that same instant….So fast, I couldn’t get the camera focused on it…those darn flyovers are so impressive, but over so fast. LOL

But the race must go on, and it started without the PA system, or functioning yellow and red lights (so the drivers had to rely on their spotters and seeing the flag to know if a caution came out) and with a couple of dark spots visible around the track:
but by the time the first caution came out, they seemed to have the power issues at least patched up, and we could hear the broadcast over the PA system.

The race itself was AWESOME for a Carl Edwards fan, as he never ran lower than 7th, and his closest competition (the 99, 88, 17) all suffered problems that dropped them out of the race…It looked a little bit there at the end that Joey Lagano might have something for him, but Carl just drove away from him.

12 laps to go, using hand signals, I indicated to the nearest Edhead to pass on to their next Edhead that with 10 to go, we were going down front, ready to witness the flip. The message passed through the group like a wave through a crowd.

Jamie Jo insists she was a nervous wreck those final 10 laps, and Robin almost refused to go down front, afraid that would jinx Carl, but me, I was calm. Somehow that Labor nurse intuition, the one that sometimes tells me exactly when a baby is going to come, just told me he was going to do it. I just knew it. I couldn’t explain it. I just knew.

10 laps to go, down front we went, some to stand in the crowd at the railing (the security wasn’t allowing people down by the fence), some to sit in the first couple of rows.

Those last 10 laps went by FAST!! And before we knew it we were at the railing, to view the flip over the heads of the crowd down at the fence…even the security guards were snapping pics, as you can see from the video…the big guy in the neon yellow shirt keeping people off the ladder up to the flag stand?? See, he pulls out his cell phone to snap a pic of the flip himself….Edheads are EVERYWHERE!! Too bad he would prove to be one of the hurdles we had to overcome to get to our invited spot in Victory Lane.

As the crowd started to thin, and after all the spotters had come through, we assembled at the gate at the start/finish line with several Dream Factory people (the parents of the boy who was to receive the trophy Carl always gives away to a child somewhere) and a bunch of Save A Lot people, who worked for Carl’s sponsor but didn’t have credentials to get in, either, and seemed to think that the “no credentials, no passage” rule shouldn’t apply to them, as employees of the winning sponsor.

You see, after our invited excursion to Victory Lane 2 years ago, Gateway Raceway decided NO ONE was going to do that again, driver invite or no. No credentials, no admittance.

We were polite and patient, the epitome of a good Edhead, and Buz made a deal and went down with our security guard friend to Victory Lane to try to find someone to get us in (Had to drop his long shorts down, making it look like he was losing them, to meet his socks, still under his long t-shirt, because the security guard made noises about how he wasn't wearing long pants...made us laugh, and the security guard just rolled his eyes and waved him in LOL!!), while Jennifer called Aimee, already in with credentials, to see what she could do from the inside. Aimee told Randy Fuller, Carl’s PR guy and witness to Carl’s invite at the earlier signing, and he called out to someone to go get us in.

No go.

Finally Buz cam back with permission for us to go in, and we started filing through, after letting the Dream Factory people go.

Unfortunately, half-way through our group, the security guards got cranky and cut us off, so those of us who got through tried to find help.

Carl Edwards Sr went back to try to help, as did Tom Giacchi (of “Shave Tom” fame)….but what FINALLY got everyone in was Tom went over the security guards’ heads, to someone high up in the Nationwide series. This man proceeded to use the security guards radio to inform those higher ups in the Gateway Raceway security heirarchy that when NASCAR is at the track, NASCAR is in charge of who gets in or not.

NATIONWIDE WAS ON OUR SIDE! YAY!!

Thank you, Mr. Nationwide, for helping us, a lowly group of fans. We know you likely had more important things to do.

Finally the Diehards and Edheads were assembled in Victory Lane, where we watched the Hat Dance, and talked to Carl Sr, Nancy Sterling, Tom, Randy, Kate, and gave the 60 crew a round of applause as they rolled the car by to the hauler…and just generally enjoyed being there. We continued to be well-behaved (note to fellow fans should you ever be lucky enough to get admission to the pits or Victory lane or any inner sanctum of NASCAR…polite people get invited back. Obnoxious and/or drunken fans do not, and tend to get ejected ASAP), staying out of the way as Carl did the required photos, and waiting patiently while he went to the media center to fulfill his media obligations.

That’s when Kate saw me and my distinctive shirt, and asked me with a laugh if I was going to take it off!! LOL I said “Oh, Carl told you about that” and she said “No I was there!!” which surprised me, as I had not seen her in the crowd. I assured her that, although a flip would be too difficult for me, no, I was NOT going to take my shirt off. LOL

As we waited, Roger Kaido dreamed a bit:

We watched as Carl wrote something on the trophy he gave to a Dream Factory child:
And posed for NUMEROUS photos with various sponsor hats on (the infamous “Hat Dance”):

And then it was our turn. Credit: Michelle Alexander
Of course, I had to turn around and show off the back of my shirt, which made even Carl laugh:

All in all, a WONDERFUL day. Although, if Carl is going to continue to invite the Edheads to Victory Lane whenever he wins Gateway, we’re going to have to get something set up to get us in, because Cowboy, our security guard friend, came perilously close to losing his job just to get us in.

It was an AWESOME race weekend, topped off for me by the new experience of attending the race as part of a couple, an experience I found I totally enjoyed…but then again, that may just have been because of the other half of the couple. And yes, we really ARE as compatible as we thought.