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Canadian Heroes Racing honor fallen soldiers with each lap

For many of us, it’s all about the racing. Everybody goes to the race track because they’re race fans and it’s something fun to do, whether behind the wheel or not. Though for Canadian Heroes Racing, it’s more than that.

While competiting for race wins, they’re also remembering the soldiers that have died. The drivers carry the colors, paying tribute to those soldiers and encouraging others to do with each lap that they make on track.

The idea came about by Chris Ecklund to remember the soldiers at the track.

“When a soldier is killed in action, they are repatriated via the Highway of Heroes where civilians can pay their respects,” Ray Keeso, the National Team Manager for Canadian Heroes Racing, says. “The racing element was started to allow those regions that cannot make the journey to the overpasses, the opportunity to pay their respects to the fallen hero and the family at the track.”

By doing this, Kesso says that it shows that the sacrifice the person made in the military is not forgotten.

“It is emotional, proud, stressful and satisfying,” Kesso says. “Racing awards trophies for winning and only those who do well receive that. Well we award a trophy at every race, our hood to the family. That is a sense of pride in country, of respect to the fallen soldier and to their family.”

On top of having cars carry their cars, Canadian Heroes Racing, sponsored by Lincoln Electric, runs races some events in memory of a fallen soldier. This weekend, the Canadian Heroes Lucas Oil Sportsman Series car driven by Kevin Trevellin will be racing at Flamboro Speedway in honor of Sgt. Shawn Allen Eades. Born in 1975 in Hamilton Ontario, Eades served with the Canadian Military Engineers 12th Field Squadron, 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). Sadly, Eades was killed in action on August 20, 2008 in Afghanistan.

“Sgt. Eades was respected for his outstanding professionalism and remembered as a devoted father who liked to share stories with his children with colleagues and friends,” the Canadian Heroes press release stated. “Sgt. Eades, who was on his third tour of Afghanistan, was remembered by family and colleagues as a dedicated soldier and devoted father. Shawn has worn a uniform almost his whole life. He joined Cadets at 12, then he served in the Reserve Force and he joined the Regular Force when he turned 18. As dedicated as Shawn was to his job, he was even more dedicated to his family. He always had strong family values and it was difficult for him to be away, but he always knew that his family would receive great care from his extended family and from the military’s services.”

At events like this, the Canadian Heroes Racing team brings the family of the fallen solider out to the race and at the end of the night, the family gets to take home the hood that has a picture of the solider out.

He adds events like this mean a lot to the family because “they physically see fans wearing red to show support, they meet people who come up and thank them for their son or daughter’s service. One only has to sit in the grandstand during a race and see the family. Their smiles, their laughter but their tears. We have been told, ‘Thank you for a great night. We really enjoyed ourselves it’s too bad that it was for this reason’.”

Also at the event, they ask the family to provide something that belonged to the fallen solider to have it in the car during the race so the fallen hero can ride with them.

“At Peterborough the driver was given the Military Medal of Valour (MMV),” Kesso says. “The family told us that the medal had never been taken out of its case, only this one time. Words cannot accurately explain how we feel or what this means to us. We truly beliive that ‘Freedom is Never Free’.”

On top of the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series car, Canadian Heroes Racing has four other cars in action.

Lucas Lubin (military reserve) completes weekly in the Mini Stock division at Ohsweken Speedway, driving the No. 29 sponsored by Eggz Custom Fab and Lincoln Eletric. The hood is wrapped in memory of Captain Richard Steven Leary and Trooper Larry John Zuidema Rudd.

Chad Strawn drives the No. 77 Canadian Heroes OSCAAR Open Wheel Modified to honor all fallen soldiers. Recently, Strawn picked up a heat win at Kawartha Speedway a couple weeks ago.

The No. 74 Canadian Heroes CASC-OR Trans Am is not racing this year, but was driven last year by Ian Michael Patterson.

Lastly, they have a No. 33 Junior Late Model with Canadian Heroes Development driver Austin Fisher behind the wheel. The 11-year-old has impressed already, picking up some impressive finishes in his career.

Some people race for the pure joy. Others race together because that’s what they do as a family. For Canadian Heroes Racing, it’s something totally different. It’s to remember the fallen soldiers, while reminding people that ‘Freedom is Never Free’.

August 23, 2013
Dale Jarrett and Nicole Briscoe Excited for NASCAR Contenders Live Event

While the contenders for the NASCAR Chase may still be uncertain at present, there are two NASCAR personalities who are most certainly looking forward to the special event, NASCAR Contenders Live Sponsored by Toyota and Sprint, where fans will formally meet the twelve Chase competitors.

Nicole Briscoe, ESPN analyst, and her colleague and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett will both take lead roles in the NASCAR Contenders Live event at Chicago’s Navy Pier in the Grand Ballroom from 1:30 to 3:00 PM CT on September 12^th. The event, back by popular demand for the second year in a row, will be featured prior to the first Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway.

NASCAR Contenders Live will begin with Dale Jarrett sitting down in front of the fans with NASCAR President Mike Helton to discuss how NASCAR will approach officiating of the final races to decide the Sprint Cup championship.

“I think the biggest thing that I’m excited about in the NASCAR Contenders Live event is creating a little excitement with the fans before the get to see the twelve Chase drivers,” Jarrett said. “Mike Helton and myself have been around this a long time, have experienced a lot and seen a lot of things happen and this is an opportunity to set things up for the fans and to give them a perspective from the NASCAR-side of the Chase.”

“We’ll talk about what NASCAR expects from the drivers and even what they may or may not tolerate just because it’s kind of the playoffs,” Jarrett continued. “I wasn’t a big fan of the Chase when Mike Helton first talked to me about it but I’ve become a huge fan of it because it is exactly what our sport needs.”

Jarrett is excited to talk to Helton about the Chase format, as well as other aspects of the Chase scenario itself.

“NASCAR knows that every driver involved will make a great champion for the sport but they want to make it as fair as they can make it,” Jarrett said. “I want to ask Mike if they scrutinize with these twelve teams any more than others.”

“I’ll talk to him about the pressure ramping up in NASCAR control to make calls and are they more lenient or strict with those Chase drivers as they battle for the championship,” Jarrett continued. “I think it’s great for the fans to see the NASCAR side of it.”

“We’re very fortunate in our sport to have someone like Mike Helton who understands about everything involved in our sport,” Jarrett said. “He can answer and talk on all different levels and I think the fans appreciate that.”

Jarrett is not only looking forward to discuss the Chase format with Helton but also sharing his thoughts with the NASCAR President on the Chase itself.

“From my side, even though I’m going to do most of the questioning, there will also be opportunities to throw in my ideas on the Chase,” Jarrett said. “Right now we have no idea who is going to be in the Chase and that’s a great thing.”

“For us in television, it gives us the next three weeks to keep up with and talk about all the scenarios.”

Jarrett has some ideas about who may be a favorite for the Chase, but is also intrigued by the wide-open nature of the Chase to date.

“You have to make Jimmie Johnson a favorite but after what happened this past week, you have to wonder just how much anyone can be considered a favorite,” Jarrett said. “We say this every year, but the competition does get stronger each year.”

“There are more teams capable of putting together a ten race stretch where they do things right,” Jarrett continued. “It literally could come down to four or five drivers at Homestead to win the race and take the championship.”

“And it might take like a Tony Stewart a few years ago winning the race to win the championship.”

“I’m more excited about this year than I ever have been because you have drivers trying to make history and those that are looking for that first ever opportunity,” Jarrett said. “And then you look at someone like Kurt Busch at what some would consider a small team showing his muscle.”

“And you have his brother Kyle Busch, who wants to do well in the Chase just so we will quit asking him about it,” Jarrett continued. “So, there are a lot of great storylines and I think it’s pretty wide open.”

So what advice would the NASCAR veteran give to the drivers who will be competing for that coveted Sprint Cup?

“Although I’ve never raced for the championship in this format, I know what this time of year is like when you are racing for a championship,” Jarrett said. “The biggest thing is to embrace the moment in these final ten weeks.”

“You like to think that you will be in that position again but the reality is that you may not,” Jarrett continued. “It’s not that you can get rid of the pressure because that pressure is there every week but have to have fun with it.”

“Have a good time because if you can’t do that, it’s not worth doing.”

In addition to sharing his words of wisdom for the twelve special drivers and lobbing questions at the NASCAR President, Dale Jarrett thinks that the NASCAR Contenders Live event is special for one other reason.

“With this event, the thing that intrigues me is the opportunity for the fans to see the drivers as they prepare for the Chase,” Jarrett said. “There will be serious questions but there will also be some fun.”

“I love the fans interactions with the drivers.”

After his portion of the program concludes, Dale Jarrett will hand the baton over to his ESPN colleague Nicole Briscoe for the main event of introducing the Chasers to the fans.

“I am the host of NASCAR Contenders Live, which for me is super-exciting because it’s more of a relaxed event,” Briscoe said. “The drivers are away from the track and not in that competitive place so you get to have more fun with the guys.”

“Plus the fans are involved and that is the most fun.”

While Briscoe approaches every aspect of her job seriously, she has not yet developed the questions that she will ask of the Chase drivers and for one very good reason.

“At this point, we don’t even know the bottom half of the Chase,” Briscoe said. “I can pretty much guarantee Jimmie Johnson and I think this weekend a few more drivers may lock into the Chase.”

“But the rest, I swear will be decided on that last lap at Richmond.”

Like Jarrett, Briscoe acknowledges that the NASCAR Contenders Live event is one where the drivers’ personalities can shine. And she too has the opportunity to relax a bit herself and let the fans see her personality as well.

“The fans want to see the drivers’ personalities and I’ll let them go wherever they want to go,” Briscoe said. “It’s totally an opportunity for me to let my hair down as well.”

“I enjoy the personality side of it because that makes this so interesting and different.”

Does Briscoe expect some interplay between the drivers as they come out to be questioned by her?

“I think there will be some trash talking because the drivers will come on in groups,” Briscoe said. “You will have those different personalities up there and that will make it be the event.”

Just like Jarrett, Briscoe is also most intrigued with the whole notion of the Chase because in her mind, it is ‘one giant question mark’ at present.

“I think when I look at the season right now to me it is one giant question mark on how the Chase will play out and who will make it,” Briscoe said. “You look at Joey Logano who just won and he got closer but that doesn’t guarantee him a wild card.”

“Then you look at a guy like Martin Truex Jr. who was so excited after his win at Sonoma and then look at how the next races have played out,” Briscoe continued. “Then you have to look at the question marks around Kurt Busch in terms of what is he going to do next year and what can the little team that could do.”

“And then if you look at the top of the points, what Jimmie Johnson has done so far is really quite remarkable.”

“He is one of the greatest drivers that the sport has ever seen and I have so much respect for what he has done,” Briscoe said. “So, I look at who can compete against Jimmie Johnson and is there anyone that can run with him?”

“That’s my question mark about how this is going to play out.”

Fans who wish to participate in NASCAR Contenders Live Sponsored by Toyota and Sprint can visit www.NASCAR.COM/ContendersLive to purchase tickets for $10 dollars and to enter the Contenders Live sweepstakes for a chance to win a new 2014 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Limited, as well as other prizes.

August 22, 2013
Davey Terry looks to turn season around heading to Delaware

After a successful rookie season finishing third in points and winning Rookie of the Year, hopes were high for success for Davey Terry coming into this season. However, it hasn’t gone as well as the Erin, Ontario native would have hoped for.

“It’s been a really up and down season,” Terry said on Sunday at Kawartha Speedway. “We’ve fought handling issues and motor issues and a couple wrecks here and there.”

From dirt getting in the carburetor at Sunset to a hard wreck on Sunset’s front stretch to motor issues taking him out of the running at Peterborough Speedway, just to name a few of the nights, Terry has experienced everything this year. This past weekend at Kawartha, Terry had a solid run, finishing sixth in the feature.

One of the lessons that Terry learned in his rookie year was to “make sure you take care of your equipment and everything else falls into place” as per stated earlier this year at the Canadian Motorsports Expo as part of the Younggun Panel. Terry has done that, able to finish most of the races despite the problems, putting himself third in points, behind Gary and Brent McLean.

(C)Ashley McCubbin

Going into the second half of the season, there is one goal that is still on the mind of the driver of the No. 14 Wasteco Modified and that’s to score his career Modified feature victory.

“That’s proving to be a little tougher than what I expected it to be,” he said. “This year there’s been a lot of really fast cars but we have a lot of new tires saved up. We’re going to come out with them at the end of the year and put them to use.”

The competition in the OSCAAR Modified Series has been close this year with multiple drivers getting to victory lane, including some first time winners. However, even with gaining cars, there is always room for improvement.

“The rules, they need a little bit of an adjustment just to allow a little more diverse field and equally easy for others to bring cars out,” Terry said. “We could do with a lighter season with less races and more crate motors, with more emphasis on the crate motors to keep costs down to bring cars out as well.”

Like other young drivers, Terry got his start in the Waterloo Regional Karting Club, starting at the age of 13. He then moved up to the Mini Stock division for four years before joining the Modifieds last year.

August 15, 2013
Travis Pastrana Talks About The Challenges Of Racing in NASCAR & His Goals For The Future

Travis Pastrana holds twelve world records, eleven X Games gold medals, has won championships in Rally and Motocross but he’s now trying to conquer something completely different than what he’s ever experienced before; he’s trying to make a name for himself in NASCAR. There is no doubt that this racing phenom has the talent and the tenacity to make his way in the most popular motorsport in North America but even a racing ace like Travis Pastrana must work for it if he wants to one day hold his own against the best NASCAR has to offer.

Travis joined up with Roush-Fenway Racing for the 2013 season which happens to be one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history. They have earned over 300 national touring wins and have won seven championships. Despite all of his incredible accomplishments in other disciplines, NASCAR has been a challenge for Travis to adapt to but he’s already shown promise in his short career winning a pole at Talladega and posting a handful of top 10’s this year.

At Watkins Glen, I got the chance to interview Travis; the first major motorsport interview of my professional career by the way. Before I was a member of the media, I was a fan of Travis Pastrana and I remember sitting shocked on my couch as a 13 year old when I watched him perform a double back flip at the 2006 X Games. I cheered him on in Rally and followed him from his early days of motocross back when he was just a teenage kid like myself.

Now, I got the chance to finally shake his hand and talk to the man behind all these incredible feats. I was also soaking wet because I forgot to bring an umbrella to the track….great foresight on my part! Here’s what he had to say about the transition to NASCAR, his season thus far and his plans for the future…

Who in the garage has been the biggest help to you as you try to adapt to racing in NASCAR?

When I first started in NASCAR, Matt Crafton was just awesome, he’s still really taking me under his wing but now with the Roush-Fenway team when we go to test, it’s probably Trevor Bayne just because he’s my Nationwide teammate. When we go to the restrictor plate races, he’s worked with me which is something a lot of people wouldn’t be willing to do…so that’s been really an honor and has been super cool. Carl Edwards has been great at the tests as well. He jumps into me car because we have the same seat. We’re pretty much the same height, same build. At the track, it’s been Stenhouse so really everyone at the Roush-Fenway team.

What, if anything can you take from your experience racing rally cars and apply to driving one of these big, heavy stock cars? Is there anything?

Photo Credit: vtcar.com

I would have liked to have thought that there was a lot more but definitely car control. I’m really comfortable sliding around but the problem is, that’s not necessarily the fastest way. Especially at road racing; I was thinking, this is gonna be great! In rally, you charge in really, really deep and get back on the gas really, really early.

With these cars, they’re heavier, they’re bigger. They really don’t behave as well. They flat spot the tires real easy. As soon as you start turning in, you got to be off the brakes so you got to get all your braking done in a straight line and then roll it around the corner with as much roll speed as you can but then point it before you get on the gas. So it’s the patience thing. I just want to charge in hard, lock up the tires, get on the gas and slide it off the corners and its just not faster.

Kind of like the old adage; go slower to go faster?

Yeah, it’s just that when you’re not the fastest one on the track, you want to go faster.

You obviously have the talent to race in NASCAR…you don’t just luck into 11 X-Games gold medals and you’ve already had three or four front row starts this year (in NASCAR). What would a win in NASCAR mean to you? Would it be the biggest win of your career?

I think it would be the most difficult from where I came from. My whole life has been geared to motorcycles and then to rally; all dirt stuff pretty much. Even with rallycross, I haven’t done as well as the rally when it was just all dirt. If I can figure out a pavement sport, it would be the biggest success and surprise if you will.

Now that you brought up dirt…would you ever consider running that truck race at Eldora in the future?

The truck race looked like a lot of fun but again, it’s not the dirt I’m used to. I’m used to charging in hard…that’s a patience track. I would have been spun everywhere like come on; I want to go faster and then I’m in the wall! (Laughs) So probably not my forte even though it is dirt.

What do you think you need to improve on personally and your team needs to improve on to take you to that next level? You seem like a solid top 15 driver but what do you need to do to get to be a solid top 5 or top 10 driver?

That’s a great question…you know, the team is working really hard. They’ve got great stuff. I have a lot of notes from past champions…I mean we are the winningest Nationwide team of all-time and I need to get that win. At the beginning of the season, we worked on consistency. We got that; we had the three top 10’s in the first six races or seven races.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Then we got to Richmond and I said okay, I’m not fast enough. I’m not qualifying well enough. So we started pushing and I could get that single lap to fire off. I was getting faster in practice, we got to where I could get the car to run one lap quick. We were fastest in practice for a couple races, got a couple 2nd’s in qualifying…a 5th, a pole. Like we were doing good but I couldn’t race the car setup like that. Now I know what the speed’s like; how how can I keep that speed and figure out how to race it.

Most drivers have a time table of where they want to be five or ten years from now in their career. What’s your time table, like where do you want to be in five years, 10 years; you want to be racing in Cup?

My bucket list; why I even started was to try to race Cup in the Daytona 500. That and the Indy 500 are pretty much the two biggest races that as a American, you could just be a part of. Now that I started racing, you don’t just want to be a part of it, you want to do well in it. You have to figure out how to get better, get faster.

If you’re looking five years down the road, I need to look at what I need to do to speed up this learning curve whether its racing more ARCA races and Late Models or spending more time in the shop and learning more about the car. We’re kind of in that spot now where I’ve got Rally, I’ve got Nitro; I’ve got all this other stuff going on and I’ve always been able to balance that.

You hate to say its a job, it’s an awesome job but I got to be in the shop more. We got to figure out what I need to do to structure the rest of my life and now with a kid on the way and to be a good friend to my friends at Nitro but to really, focus on this.If we’re going to do this full-time, if I want to be here in five years, I need to figure out what it’s going to take and I need to do it now.

Now that you brought up the Indy 500….I know you’re focused on the task at hand but would you ever consider running Indycars or doing some more endurance races in sports cars?

All that stuff is awesome but for now, I got to figure out NASCAR.

Fan Question – Laura from Vancouver, Canada Asks: What has been the most challenging track for you this year?

A lot of them, I thought I was going to do well like Iowa; it’s my best K&N track and I don’t know the difference between K&N and Nationwide. Even last year in Nationwide, we didn’t have a great setup but I felt like we were competitive and this year, we were just well off. I think the biggest challenge hasn’t necessarily been a single track but it’s figuring out what I need in practice to race well. I mean, the team can do exactly what I say and I’m wrong 90% of the time. (Laughs)

What is something interesting about you that most fans don’t know?

What most of the fans don’t know is that everything about me and even stuff I don’t know about me is on the internet. (Laughs)

And that’s not necessarily a good thing! (Laughs)

No! (Laughs) If I want to know what I’m doing this weekend, I just look on the websites and see what they say. Oh, he’s probably doing this and I’m like oh, that’s a good idea!

After taking a step back, how would you assess your first full-time season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series so far?

At the beginning, we started off better than I thought…we found more speed in the middle that I thought we were going to find. At this point, slower than I anticipated. I was hoping to be consistently top 10 driver and working on some top 5’s but it hasn’t been the case.

Photo Credit: Amanda Weis

Travis Pastrana may not have a win in NASCAR yet but he’s got three big things going for him right now and that’s a great team behind him, a great attitude and the most important attribute of all; he’s got the raw talent to get the job done. All he’s lacking is experience in NASCAR and that will come with time.

I believe that we will see Travis in victory lane by this time, next year and his dream of racing in the Daytona 500 will one day come to fruition as long as he keeps fighting to make it a reality. We all know Travis isn’t a quitter, it took a broken leg to finally stop him from attempting the Rodeo 720 at the 2011 X Games and I don’t see him giving up on NASCAR until he accomplishes what he came here to do and that’s win.

He’s led laps, won a pole, and finished in the top 10 on multiple occasions in just his first full-time season in the Nationwide Series which is really impressive for someone with little stock car experience. There is another guy that came to NASCAR with little stock car experience and with a background primarily based on dirt and with dirt bikes…he posted six top 10’s, no top fives and failed to win a race in his first full-time Nationwide season which is almost identical to how Pastrana’s season is going. His name is Jimmie Johnson.

August 14, 2013
Eric McClure: “I Want People To Be Able To Think That I Did Things The Right Way”

On a rainy and humid Friday afternoon at Watkins Glen, I made my way from the Media Center and into the Nationwide garage to meet with NASCAR veteran Eric McClure. I’ve been told many positive stories about Eric from people who have met him and he immediately gave credence to the stories I had heard. He greeted me at the No. 14 hauler with big smile, offered me something to eat and invited me to come sit down with him.

Eric has a great personality and his love for God as well as his family quickly became apparent which are a couple attributes a lot of people sadly lack this day in age. He is extremely self-aware about the way he acts and tries to be very professional about the way he goes about things on and off the track which I thought was very commendable and something I’m sure sponsors love. We talked about the struggles of being an independent team in modern day NASCAR, the greatest moments of his career, that scary crash at Talladega, and why he folds his socks! He also reminisced about me some funny stories from the past and even talked about what he wants to be remembered for in the future. Enjoy!

Try to describe what it’s like to drive for one of the underdog teams and the challenges you guys face when competing against Roush, Penske and Gibbs on a weekly basis?

Well, it’s a challenge from a mental standpoint because as a driver, all of us are used to winning or being a top dog at a lower level. When you get to this level, you realize pretty quickly that you’re not going to beat them on an everyday basis no matter how good of a driver you are. I think that’s something as a professional, you have to understand and also, it can be a challenge because the average fan doesn’t understand that and some of the media doesn’t understand that. There are so many factors that go into winning and being a strong team and they’re quick to point the finger at a driver or whatever when in reality, (except for restrictor plate races) we’re competing for 20^th so we measure our goals a little bit differently.

What would you consider to be TriStar’s strongest and weakest points?

Well, our strongest point is experience. I mean, I have teammates, Jeff Green (who) is a former champion and Mike Bliss. So from a driving standpoint, they’ve been able to help me and take me to a different level over the last couple of years to where I feel like I am a driver that can fit into our organization; that can maximize our equipment. I think we’ve proven that by Jeff being in my car a few times as well so I think the experience is something that works for us.

Our weakest point is a lack of resources. If you look at our team, we have four cars and one full time sponsor and they piece together some sponsors on one of the other cars. We show up to the race track and each car has the max it can afford to have but we miss the wind tunnel, we don’t have 7-post, (and) we have less personnel. We are down at a resource standpoint. If you look at our teams, we have two big name sponsors on our cars this week but that doesn’t mean that the resource level is the same. So that’s our weakest point…just a number of people and resources but our strongest point is that we do have good experience on the crew chief side and on the driver side.

You mentioned Mike Bliss there…how big of a benefit is it to have teammates while with most small teams; it’s just a one car operation? It must be a huge advantage to have somebody that you can bounce ideas and setups off of.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

It is, but only recently have we taken full advantage of that. We have our team meetings after practice. We have a four car team but it’s a challenge to get all four of us to work together sometimes. Having Bliss here is really good; he’s helped me a lot but I think Jeff Green, where he does the start and park, he’s also are R&D department. He tries some things.

He and I have a really close relationship off the track and that’s why I’ve leaned on him to drive my car when I’ve been out. Just leaning on those guys from a driving standpoint and from a setup standpoint has been huge. In the past, where maybe we’ve been lost one weekend, we put his setup under the car and started over and he did that a couple times for us at the end of last year where he used my setup. It’s really neat when you can have assets like that.

Do you believe that TriStar has the potential to one day be a top team, sort of like what we saw Michael Waltrip Racing do?

There’s always potential because NASCAR’s the most democratic sport in the world. Anybody that can meet that criteria has the opportunity to grow. You saw with Michael Waltrip, it wasn’t an overnight thing and TriStar has to operate in the mentality we do now for survival. It’s amazing we’re even able to run the three full time cars and the start and park. I certainly think we are overdoing it, we are overachieving right now.

If you were ever able to attract that full time sponsorship or drivers that have backing like I do, you can set your goals a little bit different. It’s not something that will happen overnight but I think TriStar needs to be commended for what they’ve done. You don’t see independent guys like Mark Smith survive in this sport anymore. I feel really blessed to be a part of this organization because of the commitment him and Kathy have and I think because of their dedication, they are a team that certainly can expand.

You had that vicious crash at Talladega last year but you persevered, you came back and that’s not something every driver can say. How did that scary crash affect you personally and professionally once you got back behind the wheel?

Photo Credit: Greg McWilliams/AP

Well personally, it was a challenge. It really had an effect on my wife and my little girls; the ones that were old enough to know what was happening. There was a soul searching period there when I had to decide….talking to her, talking to the team, talking to the sponsors and decide if I wanted to come back and do that. That was some adversity we never faced before. That was a tough time personally to get over what could have happened or to realize that people I cared about and cared about me were hurting. It wasn’t a big deal for me but to see the effect it had on them was a big challenge for me.

Professionally, once I came back to the car, you’re not afraid of anything. Other than having a limited number of cars, you know that’s about as hard as you can hit and you’re fine. It was several months before I woke up and knew I was fully healthy. Even coming back with a clean bill of health, I wasn’t 100% and that’s something I didn’t know until I woke up and was 100% one day. There was certainly some challenges but if you look at from the end of summer all the way through the end of that year, we were really fast. We were as fast as Bliss every week and had the opportunity to be top 10 or top 15 in speed and we had a couple of finishes there. The rest of the time, we were competing for top 20’s against really strong fields. That was an encouragement and that brought the fun back into the series and if you look at this year, we’ve been faster more times than not but we’ve had a lot more things go wrong. But certainly, from a professional standpoint and from a personal standpoint, I’ve been able to appreciate it a lot more and that’s made the experience a lot more enjoyable.

You’re 34 years old and have spent about a decade in NASCAR. Are you content with where you are right now or do you have aspirations to maybe one day, race in Cup full time?

Other than having to pay for five weddings…(laughs) You know, I love the Nationwide series. When I first came up, I got thrown to the wolves and I ran three Cup races, (and) a few Nationwide. When we were able to obtain our sponsorship with Hefty Brands and Reynolds Wrap; their competitors and their retail support was in the Nationwide series and that seemed like the logical step for them and for me. Over that time, you can see how much I struggled in a full time role. Where I’m at now, we’re very respectable on most weeks. I’ve sort of found a home here in the way Nationwide markets the series. It’s not much of a development series anymore as it is an independent series.

I’m able to make a living doing what I love and I’m home an extra day during the week. I’m able to be at church with my family on Sunday so to me, it’s the perfect scenario. As I’ve gotten older and had children and seen my priorities in life change a little bit; it’s not as prevalent in my life to go to the Cup series while some people might consider their career a failure if they don’t. I’ve achieved everything I’ve ever dreamed in life by doing this. I still have fun and I still compete and I’d love to win a race but it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t have a problem being here and I certainly anticipate retiring out of the Nationwide series.

What would you consider the highlight of your professional motorsports career so far…what has been your biggest moment?

Photo Credit: Associated Press

I’ve had two biggest moments. Before, it would always be my first cup race for Morgan McClure being at Talladega and with the success they had. Going down there, making the race and being in the lead pack all day was really special. Now that I’ve been in the series longer and I know how much effort, frustration, blood, sweat and tears have gone into my career and all the nights I sat up wondering if I made the right decisions. When we went to Daytona this year and we led the race, it was inside of 20 laps and we were fighting for a win. It didn’t work out, but for us to be in that position that I had never been in before and have some of the veterans of the sport; some Cup guys come up and shake my hand and tell me I did a really good job and want to work with me in that race…that was probably my proudest moment.

To me, you seem like a pretty calm guy, but when was the angriest you’ve ever gotten inside the race car?

I’ve had a couple episodes this year…I was really mad at Darlington when a rookie caused me to wreck because I was being too patient and trying to treat others the way people had treated me when I first started. I’ve probably been a little more vocal this year and bumped more people because I was mad but for me, I can’t help but think about who’s listening. My sponsor’s watching, God’s watching, my wife’s watching and I don’t want to disappoint anyone with my words or my actions. Sometimes, I’ve had to get over the perception that people can take advantage of me on the race track and off the race track because I’ve always tried to do the right thing.

This year, there’s been a little more attitude on my end and I’ve expressed frustration at a few more people this year than I would have in the past. Not necessarily going and looking for a fight but I’m not going to let people run over me. I’m going to stand my ground with other people and with my own race team if it comes time. With Stevie Reeves who is my spotter most of the time, he spots for Paul (Menard) in the Cup series and he beats into my head every week that I got to stand up for myself and take no crap from anybody. After three years, I’m finally learning how to do that.

What has been the strangest fan encounter you’ve ever had?

There’s this awesome bathroom in Texas. I always got to go out to the infield and use the bathroom there. In 2010, I go strolling through there and I got my Hefty polo shirt on and I see some people with some Hefty shirts that look like they were homemade. I know Hefty always sends guests to Texas because there’s a manufacturing plant nearby. I look at those people and I’m like, I like your shirt and they’re like hey, I like your shirt. I asked, you guys with the sponsor, you from the local plant? They said no, we’re just really big Eric McClure fans and I’m like, awesome! I didn’t know I had fans! That guy looks at me and he goes, are you Eric? I’m like, really! You’ve never seen me without my helmet on?!

So those are probably my biggest fans. I play games with people at my appearances. I might stand beside my cardboard cut-out and see if people notice me. I like to have fun with people and I’ve been asked to sign some weird things but that was just a bizarre moment because those people were my biggest fans and they had no idea what I looked like. We have them out to the race every year; we have a ball with them. They’re just good people. I always like to meet people that turn out to be fans because you know, you got to be a die-hard to be my fan because we only have three chances a year to win a race and it’s cool when we get people that are loyal like that.

What is something interesting about you that most fans don’t know?

I fold my socks. I have five children. I talk a lot. I’m like Kenny Wallace without the popularity or the grossness. (laughs) When people get to know me, I don’t shut up and I fold my socks over my feet.

Why do you do that? (laughs)

Well, it’s mental now. I’ve done it since I was nine. When I was little, the only way I could fit into a dress shoe was to make my socks bigger because my foot was narrow. Now I can’t function if it’s not folded properly; especially before a race so I’m a weird guy like that. God made me good looking, I can’t ask for anything else! (laughs) We love Disney. I got five little girls who are Disney fanatics but definitely, I talk a lot.

I can tell.

Thanks.

(laughs)

This is a pretty deep question actually. If you could choose what people would remember you for, whether it be what you did or words you spoke; what would it be?

I would want people to remember me as being someone their kids can look at and not be ashamed of. As a father of five kids, we’re really protective of what we have them around. There’s a lot of things that can affect someone’s life negatively. I just want people to know that they don’t have to think I was a great driver; they can think I was a good guy or whatever but I want them to be able to think that I did things the right way and that I always represented our people professionally. I could retire and hold my head up knowing that people weren’t ashamed to watch me and let their kids be influenced by what I did.

Photo Credit: Emily Brandt

After doing this interview, I gained some new-found respect for Eric McClure and I already respected him a great deal beforehand so that’s saying a lot. He answered all my questions thoughtfully and gave great insight. If you are new to NASCAR and looking for someone to call your favorite driver, it would be wise of you to consider this great guy. Eric’s persevered through some tough times but from every bad day he’s been forced to endure to every good one he’s been able to enjoy, one thing remains constant and that’s his desire to be the best man he can be on and off the race track.

He’s a family man with a passion for driving race cars and his only care is that people aren’t disappointed in the way he carries himself and that he can be somebody that kids can look up to. Eric McClure exemplifies the kind of person we should all aspire to be. I want to thank Emily Brandt for scheduling this interview and also thank Eric for taking time out of your day to talk with me. Keep doing what you’re doing and although I am a member of the media and I’m supposed to be unbiased, I can honestly say that you’ve gained a fan in me.

August 13, 2013
Nicole Briscoe Shares How Racing’s Twist and Turns Shaped Her Career

Every race weekend, fans see a nicely done broadcast by NASCAR’s TV partners. They see the finished product of a weeklong production broadcasting the race is. Countless hours go into preparing the show to make sure it’s as accurate as can be. It’s rare to get inside information on what goes on behind the scenes, but if you were to get it, who better to get it from than the host.

Nicole Briscoe has been around racing for years now. She began covering NASCAR for SPEED, but eventually moved on to her current position today at ESPN. She is one of the most likeable on air personalities for not only what she says on camera, but how she goes about doing it. When you watch the ESPN pre-race show, you see the real Nicole whose personality fits TV perfectly.

Her career has taken its twist and turns, but overall, she’s happy at where it has currently landed her. In an interview I did with Nicole, she shares how she got her start and some behind the scenes facts about how the broadcast goes on. You’ll find her answers funny, interesting, and even inspirational.

Jason: What got you interested in a career in journalism?

Nicole: A story I tell often is the 11 year old me, sitting on my pink beanbag, watching Tom Brokaw. I remember it starting with the first Gulf War, but my mom says I was always a very curious kid. I just wanted to know what was going on. I was also born into a family that pretty much bleeds green and gold….HUGE Green Bay Packers fans. It’s a Sunday tradition to watch the game as a family, and when I say family….I mean FAMILY….all of them. At a very young age, my mom suggested a career in sports broadcasting. To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted to do anything else.

Jason: Did you have a role model in the journalism world?

Nicole: My role models at an early age were the people I watched on a daily basis….the Tom Brokaws and the Peter Jennings. Oprah. As I got older and into my career, those “role models” changed. I have a great deal of respect for Suzy Kolber. She’s an incredible talent and incredibly hard working. Everyone could learn from her. I’ve also been very lucky to work with an incredible team of people the last couple of years, and I’ve learned so much from them: Allen Bestwick, Sage Steele, Ray Evernham and countless people behind the scenes. My role models are the people I respect in this business and in life.

Jason: Did you have motorsports in mind as a field you wanted to work in?

Nicole: No! If you would have said to me 10 years ago that I’d be doing this? I would have laughed in your face! It’s amazing the twists and turns of life, and its amazing how one seemingly simple event can lead you down a completely different and unexpected path. I’d always thought, growing up, that I’d be working in stick and ball. Football and baseball were the sports I watched growing up, and even now, the sports I follow most closely as a fan. I just never expected racing to play such a huge role in both my personal life and professional life, but boy am I happy it does! Those twists and turns of life led me to my husband and a pretty incredible job!

Jason: Was there something intriguing about racing that made you want to cover it?

Nicole: The first race I ever covered was the 2004 Indianapolis 500 and all of the events that led to the race…practice, qualifying, etc. I fell in love with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To say that track is special is a gross understatement! That event also introduced me to the speed. How can you not love this sport? And this sport’s balance between man and machine? It’s incredible!

Jason: What would a typical day for you at the track consist of?

Nicole: A typical day at the track consists of a lot of walking and talking. Walking around the garage. Talking to all the players. Talking to the people with whom I work….analysts and producers. And MEETINGS! Lots of meetings. Much of my day is spent working with the producers to make sure when Saturday and/or Sunday rolls around we’re presenting the best and most relevant pre-race topics. My goal is to make the viewer at home feel as if they have been at the track with us all weekend.

Jason: Sometimes you end up as a moderator on the pre-race shows when the conversation gets heated between the panel, are there any debates that you clearly remember?

Nicole: I can’t say there is a specific conversation that stands out, but I LOVE it when the talk is a bit heated or passionate. We’re really lucky in the Pit Studio. Yes, we work together, but we all really enjoy each other’s company as well. For the most part, our talks in the Pit Studio are exactly as they are when we’re out at dinner…we’re just wearing suits and ties in the Pit Studio. It would be really odd if we all sat there and just agreed with each other! Who does that in real life?! We want the show to be like 4 buddies sitting at a bar, intelligently talking about their favorite sport. Maybe with just a few more bells and whistles.

Jason: When the TV cameras go off following the pre-race show, how do you usually follow the race from the booth?

Nicole: The cameras may go off, but we’re still working. The Quicken Loans Pit Studio is kinda tricked out. We have 4 TVs in there. One has the race broadcast, two and three have the running order of the race with lap times, all the major stats, and points. The fourth TV is a stat lover’s dream! What the 3rd monitor doesn’t have, the 4th monitor does. Plus, Ray Evernham is an awesome addition to the group. His mind is just incredible, and he’s funny as all hell! We spend a lot of time talking about how the race is progressing and what calls we agree with and mostly the many, many, many with which we disagree. That’s the stuff you hear from us when we get in on the race broadcast.

Jason: Do you ever see yourself leaving your role as a racing journalist?

Nicole: I learned a long time ago to never say never! There is nothing wrong with keeping an open mind and growing through change.

Jason: What advice would you give someone who is interested in one day working in the racing media world?

Nicole: The advice I give anyone who wants to get into the media world is the same…whether it’s in racing or not. Work hard, start early, no job is ever too small, and work hard. Yes, I said that twice. A job is never gifted to anyone. You have to earn it, and even when you’ve earned it….you still have to work hard and keep growing. There is something else to keep in mind. It may seem “glamorous”, but it’s still a job. It’s not always fun, it’s not always easy, and you have to sacrifice. A job, no matter how cool it is perceived, is still a job….and I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone that loves their job ALL the time. It’s important to have realistic expectations.

You can follow Nicole on twitter @RB_Mrs.

August 6, 2013
Brendan Gaughan Is Living Long and Prospering

While Brendan Gaughan, driver of the No. 62 South Point Chevrolet, is pretty much an open book thanks to his regular appearances on the Sirius NASCAR radio channel, one thing that fans may not know about the charismatic driver is that he is an admitted Star Trek nerd.

Given that, the lanyard around his neck with the ‘Live Long and Prosper’ motto suits him perfectly and is exactly what the driver is experiencing this season with team Richard Childress Racing.

“All I’ve cared about in my career, whether Truck, Nationwide or Cup, is having good equipment,” Gaughan said. “If you have great equipment in this sport, life is easy.”

“I spent my career in decent equipment but at RCR, this is the first time that I’ve had great equipment and great people,” Gaughan continued. “So, for me, I don’t care what series, all that I have wanted is sitting here.”

“It just took me eight years of my career to find it.”

“So, I’m happy whether it is Truck or Nationwide and I am running Nationwide next week,” Gaughan said. “Every time you touch a car at RCR, you are going to be fast.”

“So when you come to the track, you smile,” Gaughan continued. “And when you come to the track, you have a sigh of relief because even when you come to the track experimenting and it doesn’t work, you just chuckle and say ‘Put the other stuff in and we will be fine.’

“I’m just so happy with the equipment.”

Gaughan is also living large and prospering thanks to his success at Eldora, with a top-five finish, and his hopeful success at Pocono Raceway this weekend.

“We all went to Eldora with cautious optimism,” Gaughan said. “We went into it not knowing formats and worrying that guys were going to spin every two laps and that it might end up being a bad show, but Eldora ended up being the coup of the 21^st century so far for NASCAR.”

“It was a phenomenal event,” Gaughan continued. “The fans showed up.”

“The fifty-fifty drawing was $17,000 to a fan so that was amazing,” Gaughan said. “I told Tony Stewart right before the race that I wanted a couple of raffle tickets because it was more than I would win for winning the race.”

“On TV, it showed great,” Gaughan continued. “The format worked out really well for NASCAR.”

“You had passing and slide jobs and from inside the race car, it was a ton of fun.”

Gaughan is also hoping to live large and prosper at Pocono Raceway, which will be relatively new to him since he has never raced on the re-pave.

“I ran Cup here and then it was off the schedule,” Gaughan said of the ‘Tricky Triangle.’ “When they added it, I raced with Germain Racing in 2011 but this is my first time on the new asphalt.”

“The track is unique,” Gaughan continued. “Some people say this race sometimes gets boring but as a driver, it’s fun because you have three completely different corners.”

“That makes for a difficult day as a driver.”

“You’re working hard, your spotter can’t see a damn thing because he is a mile and half away with binoculars,” Gaughan said. “My favorite is when my spotter says ‘clear’ on a close call in turn one and you’re like, you are so full of crap.”

“You know he has got no clue and is just guessing.”

“It’s a fun race when you understand all of it,” Gaughan continued. “It’s a really neat race from a strategy perspective because you can almost run it backwards like a road course.”

Gaughan is also fond of the area around the race track and is especially effusive when it comes to the Pocono Raceway family ownership.

“I like the area,” Gaughan said. “I’m an outdoorsy type guy and this is just a really pretty area when it comes to that.”

“There’s four ski mountains here and Pocono is a pretty famous place.”

“And when you talk the track you can’t say anything but talking about the Mattioli family, who are one of the greatest all time owners in the sport,” Gaughan continued. “You have to like a place that has such great family history.”

Gaughan is also living large and prospering in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he currently sits seventh in the point standings, with his sights still set on a championship run.

So, what does Gaughan value the most about competing in the Truck Series?

“First, we had Eldora,” Gaughan said. “This is a series that NASCAR can get away experimenting with.”

“The trucks put on some of the best racing,” Gaughan continued. “The races are shorter and that fits into the shorter attention spans of the fans.”

“And because it is shorter, there is no room to ride.” Gaughan said. “You have to go and you have to make your moves early.”

“And then you beat and bang more than the Cup guys,” Gaughan continued. “You have a little less to lose so to speak and you can kind of get a little more aggressive.”

Gaughan also appreciates the battles between the veterans, of which he considers himself one, and the young up and comers in the Truck Series, which he feels makes the Series most unique.

“It’s fun watching the teenagers versus the Hornadays and the Todd Bodines,” Gaughan said. “In this series you have such a big age gap.”

“In Cup, you get the phenom and he gets the big ride and there is a ton of pressure and he doesn’t get to be himself,” Gaughan continued. “You come down here and oh my goodness, you get to see who the person really is.”

“You start in the Truck Series and you see great kids like a Ross Chastain, who is really trying to make it in the sport and you’ve got kids like James Buescher, who is finding his own way,” Gaughan said. “And you’ve got my teammates Ty and Austin (Dillon), who both have learned what they want to be without the pressure of being a Sprint Cup star.”

“It’s a fun series and NASCAR has done a great job of making it that home for those who want to have careers and start careers.”

Gaughan also is living large and prospering because he knows just how to balance having fun with the sport and putting on his game face when it is time to race. And even he admits that he still gets just a little bit nervous when it comes time to cinch his belts tight.

“I don’t like to use Bobby Knight much for quotes because I’m a John Thompson guy, but I like his famous quote of what is a game face and he may a bunch of goofy faces illustrating that,” Gaughan said. “Everybody has a different way that they take their competitiveness.”

“We all have our different rituals as to how we prepare and how we balance having our own personalities and putting the game face on when we are behind the wheel of our race trucks,” Gaughan continued. “But if you don’t have butterflies before every race, like I do, then it is time to hang it up because you are not getting excited anymore about your sport.”

“I still get butterflies every time and when I quit getting them, then I will know it’s time for me to think about moving on.”

But most of all, Gaughan is living large and prospering thanks to his family including his wife Tatum and two young sons.

“That is one of the most difficult things to do is to find that balance between racing and family life,” Gaughan said. “I try to bring the family along as much as I can but so much of it falls to my wife to make those arrangements and pack everybody up.”

“I’ve been lucky this year that I have a motor coach available to me and I try to bring my family to the track as much as possible,” Gaughan continued. “And that’s how I try to maintain my balance.”

So, does Brendan Gaughan think that he will continue to live long and prosper for the remainder of the 2013 season?

“I’ve been pleased with the season so far,” Gaughan said. “We have the most top-five finishes so far and we are definitely fast and we are not out of the championship hunt yet.”

“But overall, I just love my scuba diving and my family and I am just that every day nerd that hopes to ‘Live Long and Prosper.’

August 3, 2013
Todd Peck Has One Word for Pocono: Incredible

Todd Peck, behind the wheel of his No. 40 Arthritis Foundation Chevy, will be making his first ever run at Pocono Raceway, as well as his first start at a track larger than a mile and a half. And he has just one word to describe how he feels about it all: “incredible”.

“Without using expletives, it is incredible all the way around,” Peck said of his Pocono debut. “It’s incredible that we’ve made it this far.”

“It’s incredible that we’ve had the opportunity to do this,” Peck continued. “Anybody would trade us places in a heartbeat and we’re just so incredibly lucky to be able to do this.”

“To be here, to get this opportunity, I feel like I’ve reached the pinnacle,” Peck said. “To be able to race with these guys and be part of this organization is incredible.”

Peck is finding Pocono Raceway pretty incredible in and of itself, in spite of its reputation and three challenging turns.

“I’ve had a whole lot of fun with this place so far,” Peck said. “I am very tempered in my expectations for coming here because I know it has a reputation as the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

“This is my first time on a two and a half mile track,” Peck continued. “I’m not a speedway racer…yet.”

“It’s proven to be a whole lot of fun,” Peck said. “The long straightaway gives you a whole lot of time to think about what am I going to do better this time or what am I going to hit if it doesn’t work out.”

“Our whole goal coming into this weekend is to whip the ‘Tricky Triangle’ into one straight line.”

While Peck has incredible expectations for himself, he also is realistic in understanding that the three-turned track can give the best of racers pause and concern.

“Of course we come to win, but that being said, we do know better than that,” Peck said. “Our goal every week is to be better than where we were last week.”

“If we can finish top-20, that would be great,” Peck continued. “If we finish top-15, we’ll be giving high fives and anything on top of that, I’ll do a back flip off the top of the hauler.”

Peck also admitted that being at a larger venue affords him and his team the incredible opportunity to continue to improve so they can not only move on to the next race but also to the next level of the sport.

“Where we are as a team, we’re growing,” Peck said. “We ran at Kentucky and thought we needed to pounce on this opportunity to get on something bigger here at Pocono.”

“If we come to the race track and we’ve made gains from where we were last week, that’s a victory,” Peck continued. “We need to run all the laps, be as competitive as we can, and improve upon our previous performances.”

“Our expectations all year are to either be fast or be spectacular.”

Peck also feels incredibly fortunate to race on a track that he considers ‘home.’ The driver, who hails from a racing family, is originally from a small south-central Pennsylvania town just outside Hanover, a municipality known for producing Utz Potato Chips.

“Racing goes back in my family and we ran dirt tracks in the area,” Peck said. “I can remember being a little kid sitting on the golf cart and driving along the front stretch was the coolest thing.”

“Coming to these places is what made me want to race and to do this.”

“That’s what I grew up with and I thought it was the greatest thing in the world,” Peck said. “That’s what I fell in love with and it was places like this that made me feel that way.”

“You remember those things from your past and that has formed me into what I am,” Peck continued. “I love where we are in Pennsylvania.”

Photo Credit: Gary Buchanan

Another incredible aspect to Peck’s Pocono debut is the cause that he carries on his race truck. For his inaugural race, he is sporting an Arthritis Foundation paint scheme, featuring helmets designed by children impacted by the disease.

“That’s one of my favorite parts of all of this deal,” Peck said. “The relationship with the Arthritis Foundation was borne out of a necessity for me.”

“When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with arthritis,” Peck continued. “I thought that can’t be right.”

“My grandparents have arthritis not me so I knew it had to be wrong,” Peck said. “But we learned that it wasn’t wrong and that kids get arthritis too.”

“And that’s one of the messages we send out, that arthritis affects so many people,” Peck continued. “The Arthritis Foundation helped me to learn about it and cope.”

“We now have a bigger stage with NASCAR racing to get the message out,” Peck said. “People want to talk about it and it’s an opportunity to give back, whether through awareness or donations or if they just need somebody to talk to.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Peck continued. “It’s gratifying for me because it not only helps the Foundation but it helps me help people.”

Peck is also giving some children with juvenile arthritis an incredible experience. They will be able to see the race from an insider’s point of view, be honorary crew members, tour the garage, watch the crew prepare for the race, and see the main event from the team’s pit stall.

“Everywhere we go, we extend the invite to the Arthritis Foundation staff and most importantly to kids who are suffering from arthritis and their families in the area,” Peck said. “We give them the gear and all the swag and the experience.”

“It gives the kids a break from having to go to hospitals and just be a kid,” Peck continued. “If we can give them inspiration, that is important.”

“I don’t let my arthritis slow me down and if we can inspire them to go out and maybe make the baseball team or whatever, that’s awesome.”

“That’s my favorite part of this,” Peck said. “The racing is great but working with the kids is the best.”

Peck will also be sporting an incredible newly designed helmet, thanks to the winner of the Arthritis Foundation’s design contest.

“The cool thing about my helmet is that it was designed by one of the kids with arthritis as part of a contest,” Peck said. “They sent in their designs, everyone at the shop voted on their favorites, we put them on line and Brianna Hutton was chosen as the winner.”

“Her design is on my helmet,” Peck continued. “The response was so awesome and not everyone could win so we took the available space down the bed rails of the space and put the rest on the truck.”

As incredible as helping children cope with the same disease that he has had to live and race with is, Peck cannot wait to take the green flag on his first-ever Pocono run.

“It’s exciting,” Peck said. ““I need to maximize and learn everything I can and I’ll give it one hundred percent.”

“And wherever that shakes out at the end of it, we’ll all go back to the shop Monday morning and say let’s go do it again.”

August 2, 2013
Samantha Busch: A Swiffing Machine, Kyle’s Biggest Supporter and a Fans Social Connection

Sometimes it may be hard to like Kyle Busch. All you see on the track is his competitive drive that can lead to heat of the moment actions. That’s in the public eye. What you don’t get to see is what he is like behind the scenes, how much of a nice and caring guy he actually is.

A gateway to behind the scenes Kyle is through his lovely wife Samantha. She has grown to love racing and basically become an expert in the motorsports field. What she gets to see that fans don’t is the nice and caring Kyle. Samantha is an avid social media user and what she tries to do is show that side of Kyle along with keep fans updated on what the superstar is doing on the track.

I was able to do an interview with Samantha and what she shares with me is exactly what I described above. Kyle’s other side. Besides that, she discusses what makes Samantha , Samantha. In the insightful interview, read all of that along with some of her favorite activities that make up one of the most fascinating people in NASCAR.

Jason: You’re very active with the fans through all the social media platforms, what are some of your favorite ways you get to interact with fans socially?

Samantha: I love interacting with the fans, and in the last few years there have been so many more ways! At one time, Facebook was the only way, but Twitter is so fantastic for the races because you can use short little messages that people can scan and keep up with if they want more in-depth coverage, or if they can’t actually watch the race that day. Also, I have really gotten into Instagram this year. It’s been fun to show off pictures of Kyle’s awesome pit stops and of course adorable little Miss Lucy (our puppy).

I think the best way to use social media is to make it a two-way street. I love to keep people updated on Kyle and myself, but I also love to hear what’s going on with everyone else! I love when people ask me to help them pick out outfits, to tell or ask me about fitness tips, to share recipes, and of course to tweet me their new shoes!

I also think giveaways are a great use of social media because they give people the chance to get exclusive stuff such as victory lane hats!

Jason: After a tough 2012, what has it meant to you and Kyle to be so successful this season?

Samantha: Last year was really an eye opener and really makes you appreciate every good finish and win even more. But even a tough 2012 on the track, I think there are a lot of positives that came out it for this year and for the future. The No. 18 team went through tough times together and therefore became stronger together in my opinion. The success of this season is so rewarding because it shows the hard work and determination of the team to persevere, and they’ve all become stronger because of what they went through last season.

Jason: Is there one major difference you could pinpoint between this season and last?

Samantha: That’s a great question, but I can’t really pinpoint one thing. The team and Kyle worked just as hard and had the extreme drive and passion they do this year, but sometimes luck just doesn’t go your way. Going back to the other question, I still believe the obstacles you face will ultimately make you stronger. It’s hard to see that when you are going through it, but looking back on those times I feel strongly it was good for everyone in the long term.

Jason: What would be one major thing that fans don’t get to see of Kyle that may change their opinion of him?

Samantha: I think through social media they are seeing more and more of what a funny, light-hearted and caring man he is. Whether he is playing with the dogs, giving me kisses or just having fun, fans get to see the side of him that I get to see away from the track. He’s such a competitive person at the track, but there’s another side to him at home that we have an opportunity to show people through social media.

Jason: Which win this season has meant the most to you?

Samantha: No doubt that Fontana was a big win. After going through what he did last year when he was close to winning a Cup race or dominating all day and then having something silly happen at the end to take that away, it was just so great to finally get that checkered flag!

Jason: Is there one track on the Cup circuit that has eluded Kyle for awhile that you would like to see him win at?

Samantha: There are obviously the big races like the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 that (he) hasn’t been able to win yet that he would love to win, but I am going to surprise you and say Kansas. My reasoning is that he has always run well at places like Daytona and Indy, but Kansas has not been his friend over the past few years. The Kansas race is really important since it’s in the Chase, so I would love for him to have a strong run there.

Jason: What are some of your favorite activities to do outside of the track?

Samantha: Kyle and I have really gotten into playing golf! It’s a fun activity that we can do together. At the same time, we are both learning it together so it’s great that when one of us picks up on a technique we can share it with the other and improve on our game.

I also really enjoy working out. I do a variety of different types and it really just makes my whole day better! I enjoy reading as well and thrillers are my favorite. Aside from that Kyle and I really just enjoy spending time at home together with our puppies just swimming and watching our favorite shows!

Jason: Is there one thing that you love to do, but Kyle isn’t a fan of?

Samantha: Cooking and cleaning. I really love to cook, I love to experiment with different recipes and make big meals! It does sound weird but I’m a nut with cleaning certain things. Kyle, along with my friends and family, laugh at me but I’m obsessed with cleaning the counter tops in our kitchen. Seriously give me a swiffer and I’ll see you in a few hours because I am a swiffing machine! That’s probably not a word, but you know what I mean.

Jason: If you had to describe yourself in a few sentences, what would you say?

Samantha: I am an outgoing, talkative, compassionate Italian girl. Being raised in a big Italian family I love being around people! I love to help people through all walks of life. I am also a fitness and health nut :)

You can keep up to date with Samantha on twitter when you follow her handle of @SamanthaBusch

July 30, 2013
Rob MacCachren looks to race to new heights in Stadium Super Truck Series

When Robby Gordon started putting together the Stadium Super Truck Series, there were drivers that wanted to be involved. One of those being 2011 Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee Rob MacCachren.

“I used to race in the old Mickey Thompson Series in the 80s,” MacCachren said. “When this started coming together with Robby Gordon and this series, I wanted to be a part of it. I loved racing in the stadiums. We traveled all over, even a trip to Montreal.

“Thankfully one of my sponsors Traxxas wanted to be in the series and here I am.”

Gordon also raced in the Mickey Thompson Series and has been working at bringing something out like it again. The series, known as Mickey Thompson Off-Road in the 1980s, was one of the biggest series for off-road racing. Though when Thompson and his wife were murdered in 1988, the series fell apart shortly after. Since then, there’s been a crave from dirt racers to bring something like that back and that’s how the new Stadium Super Truck Series came together.

MacCachren, an off-road racing veteran, has had a successful season thus far with the Stadium Super Trucks as he won their debut event in March and currently leads the points, 21 points ahead of Gordon.

MacCachren got started at the age of eight on dirt bikes and since then, has been winning races and championships. He has a five-time SCORE Baja 1000 winner and a five-time SCORE Baja 500 winner, among the list of accomplishments.

When I asked him about how enjoyable the trucks are to drive, MacCachren said, “They’re incredible. They’re about a 2000 pound truck, they’re tube chassis – all the trucks are the same, kind of a spec series. They’re a lot of fun. About 20 wheel travel front and rear, tires are about 35 inches tall.

“They have great suspension. They build these ramps and we fly as high as these fences and these fences are about 10 feet air. About 100 feet in length and we land and they’re good. I love coming to Toronto and racing around here and having a good time.”

When a fan has gotten out to a show, they see what MacCachren is talking about and feed off the excitement it brings, enjoying the show. Though it being 20 years since the Mickey Thompson Series, they have to first work at showing fans their product.

“A lot of people don’t know what the Mickey Thompson Series was,” MacCachren said. “Kind of why we’re doing stuff like this is to get this exposed to everyone. I think what I’d like to see is a 50/50 series where we race 50% with IndyCar and 50% racing in stadiums.”

If word spreads and fans keep getting interested, along with exciting performances like what MacCachren and the group did at the H0nda Indy Toronto, expect news to spread real quickly.

July 23, 2013