Hey All,
Hope its going well. I have a site that I want to tell you all about. Its influenster.com , a site where you get trial products and get to give your opinions on them. I LOVE influenster, its really cool to be able to give feedback about products that matter to me. The new site they have made is a lot different, but I am still liking it. Now its an invite only site, which means that everyone involved really wants to be there. I think that is a great addition. I also Like that there are more badges to earn, which means more chances for earning a voxbox. I think everyone should check out the new site and let me know if you are interested in getting an invite. Hope you all love the idea as much as I do!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
19-20 races huh?
So Indycar is looking to expand its 2013 schedule to have 19-20 races, I'm not 100% sold that this is the best plan, but lets go with it. Here are some places I want to see added and subtracted from the current roster. Let me know what you all think!
Races to add:
Chicagoland - this track has always produced outstanding races, they just need to work on promoting the race more.
Montreal - I went to this track a few years ago for the NASCAR nationwide race, its amazing! Also the whole city was excited for the race, they literally shut down a street and had a big street fest for the race the night before, let them embrace indycar the same way!
Pocono - This track I'm really 50-50 on. I think it could really be an awesome race if they let it be.
Austin - The circuit of the americas is looking pretty good right now! I can't wait to see what F1 does there, but I think it has good potential to be an amazing facility.
Nashville - Was going to say Kentucky, but Nashville has the potential for more people to show up in my opinion. We need to slowly get a few more ovals on the schedule again. This was always a good place to go, and would make for a fun location for the fans.
Races to subtract:
Milwaukee - yes, I am probably going to get slaughtered for this one. I know it won't go away in 2013 because of their contract, but I have never been a fan. Been there multiple times and usually leave early. Think the track just doesn't produce great races like it used to.
Races to keep:
Indy - Hello, do I even have to say anything.
St. Pete - Always a crowd pleaser, and generally draws a ton of fans.
Belle Isle - Needs some work, but I think with a couple more years could turn into an awesome race for the series.
Long Beach - The history of the place is enough to keep it alone, plus its another fan favorite.
Barber - I was impressed with this years racing. The place knows how to put on a show and draw in the crowd.
Iowa - we need the ovals, despite what some people believe.
Texas - always a great show under the lights, racing at its finest.
Toronto - Racing is good for the most part.
Edmonton - This place gets dramatic, love the push and pull that goes on.
Baltimore - As long as they get all of their funding issues worked out. The track layout was great, produced good passing and kept people watching.
Sonoma - Great racing, great location.
Fontana - Again we need ovals to stick around, they produce the BEST indycar action.
Mid-Ohio - always a great weekend for fans
Sao Paulo - Wanted to put this on the races to subtract list, but I will leave this one for one more year.
That would be a total of 19 races, there are several other tweaks I would make over the next 2-3 years. I would def take a few more away, but hitting 19 is hard if you do that. I know that some of the races i would like to add are not ever going to happen, but its my pipe dream ;) I will be interested to see how things actually fall in the end. I hope that they don't add races just to add races, they need to really work on product placement and promotion in the next couple of years.
Races to add:
Chicagoland - this track has always produced outstanding races, they just need to work on promoting the race more.
Montreal - I went to this track a few years ago for the NASCAR nationwide race, its amazing! Also the whole city was excited for the race, they literally shut down a street and had a big street fest for the race the night before, let them embrace indycar the same way!
Pocono - This track I'm really 50-50 on. I think it could really be an awesome race if they let it be.
Austin - The circuit of the americas is looking pretty good right now! I can't wait to see what F1 does there, but I think it has good potential to be an amazing facility.
Nashville - Was going to say Kentucky, but Nashville has the potential for more people to show up in my opinion. We need to slowly get a few more ovals on the schedule again. This was always a good place to go, and would make for a fun location for the fans.
Races to subtract:
Milwaukee - yes, I am probably going to get slaughtered for this one. I know it won't go away in 2013 because of their contract, but I have never been a fan. Been there multiple times and usually leave early. Think the track just doesn't produce great races like it used to.
Races to keep:
Indy - Hello, do I even have to say anything.
St. Pete - Always a crowd pleaser, and generally draws a ton of fans.
Belle Isle - Needs some work, but I think with a couple more years could turn into an awesome race for the series.
Long Beach - The history of the place is enough to keep it alone, plus its another fan favorite.
Barber - I was impressed with this years racing. The place knows how to put on a show and draw in the crowd.
Iowa - we need the ovals, despite what some people believe.
Texas - always a great show under the lights, racing at its finest.
Toronto - Racing is good for the most part.
Edmonton - This place gets dramatic, love the push and pull that goes on.
Baltimore - As long as they get all of their funding issues worked out. The track layout was great, produced good passing and kept people watching.
Sonoma - Great racing, great location.
Fontana - Again we need ovals to stick around, they produce the BEST indycar action.
Mid-Ohio - always a great weekend for fans
Sao Paulo - Wanted to put this on the races to subtract list, but I will leave this one for one more year.
That would be a total of 19 races, there are several other tweaks I would make over the next 2-3 years. I would def take a few more away, but hitting 19 is hard if you do that. I know that some of the races i would like to add are not ever going to happen, but its my pipe dream ;) I will be interested to see how things actually fall in the end. I hope that they don't add races just to add races, they need to really work on product placement and promotion in the next couple of years.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color
I was beyond Excited to test this out, as I had been reading all over the place about how awesome it is. I am thrilled with how this product works! It did take me a few trys to get the technique down, but once I did, I love it! It creates a new look every time you use it, so one bottle of polish is really like several different bottles. Its pretty easy to do, just paint one nail and hold the magnet (provided on top of bottle) over that fingernail. The magnet creates a slightly different look each time. Its really cool, and something that I plan to continue to use for a while. Love it, gets a grade of A in my book!
Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen
Hey all! As most of you know my blog has been used almost 100% to discuss racing. But starting today and going into the future I'm going to be using it for more, including talking about products I have tested out! Hope you all enjoy :)
So Every now and then a great company call Influenster (influenter.com) sends me new products to test out and review. This time around, I was lucky enough to receive their summer voxbox. Inside I found Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen, and let me be the first to tell you it ROCKS!
I have never used another sunscreen that went on a smooth or smelled as good as this one does! It helps to keep my skin hydrated while at the same time making sure I don't burn. I received the 30 SPF to try, and I liked it so much that I went and bough the 50 SPF for times when I know I'll need it. I am not usually a big fan of sunscreen because most of them make me break out. I had no issues with this product at all. Its great for people with sensitive skin. And it works like a charm, saved my skin when I was outside all day. I 100% recommend this product to anyone, A++.
So Every now and then a great company call Influenster (influenter.com) sends me new products to test out and review. This time around, I was lucky enough to receive their summer voxbox. Inside I found Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen, and let me be the first to tell you it ROCKS!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Quick Catch Up
So the past 4 months has been quite testing. Thought I would re-start this by giving a quick catch up. Things have not been going super great in my world, but I think that everything is about back to normal now.
I won't make you read all the detail of my life. Things are ok with me for the most part :) I am still watching indycar all of the time, and that will never change. I can't sum up everything that has gone on in racing in 4 months is a short blog, but I have been watching.
Think that right now the biggest issue that seems to be hurting not just indycar but all series, is getting fans in seats. I have been extremely disappointed with the attendance at most of the races that have been going on. Fans complain about teams not having funds to go racing, but they will never get more sponsors if people don't show up to watch. I am, as ever, totally baffled by NASCAR's estimates on how many people are at the races, its sad how much they chose to stretch the truth. Things obviously need to change to get fans more involved again. I have some general ideas on this, but they would make this blog entirely too long!
In general the indycar racing this season has been great! I have been blown away with how well the new car is working to make passing possible in places that it really used to not work. I think that people should be more forgiving about some of the issues that seem to be happening. Engines will fail when they are constantly being tweaked to get them just right, its just part of the process. I don't mind the 10-spot grid penalty for changing engines because it affects all teams and cars, its a fair rule because the new engine that the team gets may have better specs than the one that was previously in the car.
I'm not 100% sure how I feel about changing the last race to 500 miles. I think that really it could go either way, either really exciting or really not depending on how the racing progresses. I just hope that the race doesn't end up in a single file of cars with very little passing. This will def. be interesting.
Overall up to this point in the indycar season, I would give the series a B as a grade. There are obvious things that need to be tweaked and looked at, but overall I think most things are going off well.
Now if everything goes as planned I will be back to blogging like normal :)
I won't make you read all the detail of my life. Things are ok with me for the most part :) I am still watching indycar all of the time, and that will never change. I can't sum up everything that has gone on in racing in 4 months is a short blog, but I have been watching.
Think that right now the biggest issue that seems to be hurting not just indycar but all series, is getting fans in seats. I have been extremely disappointed with the attendance at most of the races that have been going on. Fans complain about teams not having funds to go racing, but they will never get more sponsors if people don't show up to watch. I am, as ever, totally baffled by NASCAR's estimates on how many people are at the races, its sad how much they chose to stretch the truth. Things obviously need to change to get fans more involved again. I have some general ideas on this, but they would make this blog entirely too long!
In general the indycar racing this season has been great! I have been blown away with how well the new car is working to make passing possible in places that it really used to not work. I think that people should be more forgiving about some of the issues that seem to be happening. Engines will fail when they are constantly being tweaked to get them just right, its just part of the process. I don't mind the 10-spot grid penalty for changing engines because it affects all teams and cars, its a fair rule because the new engine that the team gets may have better specs than the one that was previously in the car.
I'm not 100% sure how I feel about changing the last race to 500 miles. I think that really it could go either way, either really exciting or really not depending on how the racing progresses. I just hope that the race doesn't end up in a single file of cars with very little passing. This will def. be interesting.
Overall up to this point in the indycar season, I would give the series a B as a grade. There are obvious things that need to be tweaked and looked at, but overall I think most things are going off well.
Now if everything goes as planned I will be back to blogging like normal :)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Memories of Dan
Well coming up with this post was somewhat of a challenge in many aspects. But I am so glad that some of you reached out to share some of your stories of Dan Wheldon. One thing is for sure, even if you never met him, he still touched you. The following stories are from twitter, facebook, and email and they are truly touching. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did :)
@TwinCheckers: I waited by the fence at BMP to talk to him and when he came through all i could see was a bright white smile coming straight at me! He talked to me as long as I wanted and signed a book for me. When he won last year I couldn't have been more proud if it was me! Dan made Indycar personal for me. I wasn't just a fan, I was HIS fan, and will be forever.
@indycar_MN: When I went to Iowa last year, Dan was there as a fan and was going to jump in the Versus booth to commentate the race. When he was chilling on his golf cart chatting with Brian Barnhart about the incident in Milwaukee when Dario hit Will Power's tire in the pits but wasn't penalized, Dan brought me into the conversation. He asked "Young man, what's your opinion on the matter?" Obviously, I'm not going to bad mouth Brian when he's standing right there, so I gave my opinion on the situation and he said thanks. Brian left, but Dan continued to talk to me about racing, the 500, and life in general. The things he said to me in our short 10 minute conversation will stay with me for the rest of my life. The main this was to follow my dreams, and I will certainly do that.
@_alanstewart : I disliked Dan when he first came on the scene. He seemed brash, cocky, bold, precocious, flamboyant. When he went into the booth, I saw (or heard) a different side of Dan. His reaction to winning Indy the second time showed how much he'd matured and appreciated what he'd done. The lasting Images in my mind will be pouring the milk on his head at Indy, and kissing the bricks and rolling to his back with his arms raised. He didn't sulk when he wasn't given a full time ride for the rest of the year. He didn't complain. He taught us all what we should do every waking moment; just live life.
@mtressler13: I met Dan back in 2010 and Indy. He just starts talking to me like a friend instead of just a fan. That made the first impact on me as to what kind of a man he was. Something I will never forget. It starts raining as I am talking to him and he still hangs out to talk instead of running inside like a lot of others do. I then was fortunate enough to meet him last year as well. Another big impact on me is that he remembered who I was. Never expected that. Again it starts raining while we are talking. He looks at me with that one of a kind smile and says "Every time you come around it rains. We need to stop meeting like this." It was amazing to me how humble Dan was when it came to us fans. I don't think he ever truly realized how famous he was. I feel so lucky to have met Dan and I will cherish those moments for the rest of my life.
@King0fSwing: I never met Dan personally, but one of my fondest memories was last years Indy 500. It was the final lap, which of course Wheldon was running 2nd to Hildebrand at the time. I decided to switch my scanner channel over to Wheldon's frequency just to hear what was going on with Dan and his team. All of a sudden, I hear Wheldon's spotter yell "Leader's in the wall! GO!GO! GO!" I could not believe what I just heard! Dan almost sounded as shocked as well! We all know Wheldon made the pass and took his 2nd Indy 500 victory! As he took the checkered flag, you could hear him screaming at the top of his lungs with so much joy, emotion, and pure awesomeness! Hearing his excitement and the shakiness of his voice (he was crying tears of joy), it gave me goosebumps! I've been to nearly 20 Indy 500's and I have never heard so much emotion from one driver, or be moved by one driver period! Dan meant so much to Indycar on and off track. He was as cool on track and he was in the broadcast booth last year. I hope other drivers in the series take note on what Dan meant to Indycar as a driver, ambassador, and what a great man should be. Dan's never really gone, as long as we remember him.
@GL2488: Last year at the Firestone twin 275s, Dan Wheldon was in the booth for the TV broadcast, Wade Cunningham was running Dan's Indy 500 car. It was funny to listen to Dan saying "I hope he brings it home in one piece". At one point Dan is explaining give and take between teammates when two cars almost came together, after that he said "Did I say that teammates need to work together? Maybe they missed that memo." Dan was quick with the humor and is missed!
Randy Collignon (Facebook): Got my pic taken with Dan at a Maxim party at the Indiana State Museum, maybe 2005-06. He is wearing a shirt that says "Live fast Die young"
Daniel Hendy (Facebook): Young man... Unselfish... Very Talented Driver... Undeserving of his life being cut short with such tragedy. Life ends... but Legend lives on... RIP Dan Wheldon
Anthony Schmitt (Facebook): Watched an interview about him and other drivers talking about him and all Dan could say was how gracious he was for being able to do what he loved and at the same time be able to mentor other drivers who sought him out. And also how the other drivers that were interviewed had nothing but nice things to say about him and how he didn't mind helping others. In this day of Ultra egos and bad manners he was definitely a man among boys and girls. RIP Dan Wheldon, you will be missed.
Chelsea Ebaugh (Facebook): Met him for the first time in 2003, and was instantly a fan. I don't remember the year but sometime between 2003-2005 in the Month of May my Dad got Dan to call us (my sister and I) on the phone after the track was closed on day, because we were not able to go, because of school, that was really awesome. I really couldn't believe I was talking to him on the phone! Another memory I have in this time span was when my friend Jessica Bonebrake (Surber at the time) had on a red Jim Beam shirt that she wanted signed by Dan. So when he finally had a chance to come over and sign it he kept freaking out because he wasn't quite sure where to place his hands while trying to sign the shirt. It was a comical moment that we will always cherish.
I got several pictures with him over the years. My sister became very close with Dan especially after Packy Wheeler started "Team Bailey". Dan was constantly asking Bailey when he could drive Team Bailey.
One of the things that I remember the most was on May 10, 2008 Pole Day I believe so the track was pretty crowded and Dan on his way back to the garage made a pit stop to the Alley Cat Compound to see Bailey and also to see everyone else too, but his main concern was Bailey. They had a very special bond and he made a point to say hello to her even if it was only a few seconds because he was late to practice.
I have been very lucky over the years getting to meet the amount of people in racing that I have met, most people never get that opportunity. Hell, Jess it led me to you!
Having said that, Dan didn't care who you were, he was genuine with everyone. That is what I will
@TwinCheckers: I waited by the fence at BMP to talk to him and when he came through all i could see was a bright white smile coming straight at me! He talked to me as long as I wanted and signed a book for me. When he won last year I couldn't have been more proud if it was me! Dan made Indycar personal for me. I wasn't just a fan, I was HIS fan, and will be forever.
@indycar_MN: When I went to Iowa last year, Dan was there as a fan and was going to jump in the Versus booth to commentate the race. When he was chilling on his golf cart chatting with Brian Barnhart about the incident in Milwaukee when Dario hit Will Power's tire in the pits but wasn't penalized, Dan brought me into the conversation. He asked "Young man, what's your opinion on the matter?" Obviously, I'm not going to bad mouth Brian when he's standing right there, so I gave my opinion on the situation and he said thanks. Brian left, but Dan continued to talk to me about racing, the 500, and life in general. The things he said to me in our short 10 minute conversation will stay with me for the rest of my life. The main this was to follow my dreams, and I will certainly do that.
@_alanstewart : I disliked Dan when he first came on the scene. He seemed brash, cocky, bold, precocious, flamboyant. When he went into the booth, I saw (or heard) a different side of Dan. His reaction to winning Indy the second time showed how much he'd matured and appreciated what he'd done. The lasting Images in my mind will be pouring the milk on his head at Indy, and kissing the bricks and rolling to his back with his arms raised. He didn't sulk when he wasn't given a full time ride for the rest of the year. He didn't complain. He taught us all what we should do every waking moment; just live life.
@mtressler13: I met Dan back in 2010 and Indy. He just starts talking to me like a friend instead of just a fan. That made the first impact on me as to what kind of a man he was. Something I will never forget. It starts raining as I am talking to him and he still hangs out to talk instead of running inside like a lot of others do. I then was fortunate enough to meet him last year as well. Another big impact on me is that he remembered who I was. Never expected that. Again it starts raining while we are talking. He looks at me with that one of a kind smile and says "Every time you come around it rains. We need to stop meeting like this." It was amazing to me how humble Dan was when it came to us fans. I don't think he ever truly realized how famous he was. I feel so lucky to have met Dan and I will cherish those moments for the rest of my life.
@King0fSwing: I never met Dan personally, but one of my fondest memories was last years Indy 500. It was the final lap, which of course Wheldon was running 2nd to Hildebrand at the time. I decided to switch my scanner channel over to Wheldon's frequency just to hear what was going on with Dan and his team. All of a sudden, I hear Wheldon's spotter yell "Leader's in the wall! GO!GO! GO!" I could not believe what I just heard! Dan almost sounded as shocked as well! We all know Wheldon made the pass and took his 2nd Indy 500 victory! As he took the checkered flag, you could hear him screaming at the top of his lungs with so much joy, emotion, and pure awesomeness! Hearing his excitement and the shakiness of his voice (he was crying tears of joy), it gave me goosebumps! I've been to nearly 20 Indy 500's and I have never heard so much emotion from one driver, or be moved by one driver period! Dan meant so much to Indycar on and off track. He was as cool on track and he was in the broadcast booth last year. I hope other drivers in the series take note on what Dan meant to Indycar as a driver, ambassador, and what a great man should be. Dan's never really gone, as long as we remember him.
@GL2488: Last year at the Firestone twin 275s, Dan Wheldon was in the booth for the TV broadcast, Wade Cunningham was running Dan's Indy 500 car. It was funny to listen to Dan saying "I hope he brings it home in one piece". At one point Dan is explaining give and take between teammates when two cars almost came together, after that he said "Did I say that teammates need to work together? Maybe they missed that memo." Dan was quick with the humor and is missed!
Randy Collignon (Facebook): Got my pic taken with Dan at a Maxim party at the Indiana State Museum, maybe 2005-06. He is wearing a shirt that says "Live fast Die young"
Daniel Hendy (Facebook): Young man... Unselfish... Very Talented Driver... Undeserving of his life being cut short with such tragedy. Life ends... but Legend lives on... RIP Dan Wheldon
Anthony Schmitt (Facebook): Watched an interview about him and other drivers talking about him and all Dan could say was how gracious he was for being able to do what he loved and at the same time be able to mentor other drivers who sought him out. And also how the other drivers that were interviewed had nothing but nice things to say about him and how he didn't mind helping others. In this day of Ultra egos and bad manners he was definitely a man among boys and girls. RIP Dan Wheldon, you will be missed.
Chelsea Ebaugh (Facebook): Met him for the first time in 2003, and was instantly a fan. I don't remember the year but sometime between 2003-2005 in the Month of May my Dad got Dan to call us (my sister and I) on the phone after the track was closed on day, because we were not able to go, because of school, that was really awesome. I really couldn't believe I was talking to him on the phone! Another memory I have in this time span was when my friend Jessica Bonebrake (Surber at the time) had on a red Jim Beam shirt that she wanted signed by Dan. So when he finally had a chance to come over and sign it he kept freaking out because he wasn't quite sure where to place his hands while trying to sign the shirt. It was a comical moment that we will always cherish.
I got several pictures with him over the years. My sister became very close with Dan especially after Packy Wheeler started "Team Bailey". Dan was constantly asking Bailey when he could drive Team Bailey.
One of the things that I remember the most was on May 10, 2008 Pole Day I believe so the track was pretty crowded and Dan on his way back to the garage made a pit stop to the Alley Cat Compound to see Bailey and also to see everyone else too, but his main concern was Bailey. They had a very special bond and he made a point to say hello to her even if it was only a few seconds because he was late to practice.
I have been very lucky over the years getting to meet the amount of people in racing that I have met, most people never get that opportunity. Hell, Jess it led me to you!
Having said that, Dan didn't care who you were, he was genuine with everyone. That is what I will
remember most about Dan, he had a heart of gold and will forever be missed.
And Lastly a memory from me: I met Dan for the first time in 2004, and I was crazy about him! I did everything in my power to get him to give me some of his time, and he was a good sport about it all. I found creative ways to get him to notice me, and slowly but surly I started to wear him down. I was lucky enough to get to spend a fair bit of time with him, but my favorite memory is when I knew I had finally gotten him to notice. It was at towards the end of the 2004 season, and we were all in Kentucky for the race. I decided that I wanted to go to the Driver autograph session with my good friend Amanda. We got our pics taken with a few of the guys and were just hanging out, because by then 99% of the people there knew us from being around so much. I said I was going to go over and talk to Dan, so I waited in his line, when I got to the front he kind of just laughed at us. We got our pics taken and I was about ready to leave when He said " Why don't you ever call me?" So of course being sarcastic as I am, I replied "Its hard to make a phone call with no number." He promptly grabbed a Hero card and scribbled on it, thinking it was just another hero card, I was about to walk off. The person in line behind me was quite amused and was watching and made it a point to say "I want that card" So when I finally looked down and saw a phone number and little note I practically had a panic attack. That was the real beginning of our wonderful love/ hate show, that those around me still love to make fun of. I am so happy to say that I got to have him in my life. I wouldn't change it for the world! I am also glad to say that I got to watch him grow into an amazing person. I will miss him always, but I know that he is looking down on all of us with that smile that I gave him so much grief about. RIP
I want to thank you all again for sharing with me. I think all of these stories really show what kind of person Dan really was. What a legacy he left behind for us to talk about for years to come. Feel free to keep sharing stories with me in the future, I would love to make this an ongoing memory section!
I Will leave you with the pic of us taken the day of my story:
Friday, April 13, 2012
Indycar Say What?!?!
Well as its been a few days I have a few things to comment on.
Testing at Indy first and foremost...
I thought the test was a true reminder that fans will show up if you give them something that they want to see. New cars, new engines, oval track! Was amazed to see somewhere in the high 200s of fan for both the morning and the afternoon sessions. I was less than thrilled with the lack of actual track time. I know that testing on an oval for the first time is all about the data collection, but when you have people there watching, give them something to talk about! The cars are very interesting looking, still not sure what to think about that rear wing, but if they can get more speed I think I'll be OK with it. I was a little disappointed to in the fact that they didn't not hit the 220mph goal that indycar had set. With the shortened may sched. it may end up being a rather "slow" 500 this year. That's OK only if they continue to really push to make these cars amazing.
Second...
The whole will we hit 33 cars for may... My guess is YES! The rumor leading up to may for the past at least 4 years is that it can't happen. Someone always makes it happen. I know that TG will probably be more than willing to throw some money at the thing to make it happen. Lack of drivers won't really be a problem, because as most of you know there are always people looking for a ride. Now as far as there being enough engines and cars... that's another story all together. But I can't really foresee that Honda and Chevy would possible let the race happen without a full field. Lotus is trying but they are behind, and the month of may will undoubtedly be rough with little to no oval testing. I think in the end we should see at least 33, my hope is that at least one will get bumped too, but that may be a pipe dream this year.
Third...
Its Long Beach time! Always a classic, I can't wait to see how it shakes down. This biggest story right now is Chevy changing engines in all of its cars. Good news is it may fix some bugs, bad news is all of those drivers will be forced to move back 10 spots on the grid. I know the rule is harsh, but I think that it makes sense at the same time. Will definitely make for an interesting race though. Look for lots of impatience this week as drivers who are used to being in the front will start at best in the middle. Lots of risky passing will take place I am sure! Should be a really good race for the fans! I will say though that in all 3 of my fantasy teams I choose not to pick a Chevy, only because they will have no really testing with the new engines to speak of. Could be interesting, and I for one can't wait to watch!
Testing at Indy first and foremost...
I thought the test was a true reminder that fans will show up if you give them something that they want to see. New cars, new engines, oval track! Was amazed to see somewhere in the high 200s of fan for both the morning and the afternoon sessions. I was less than thrilled with the lack of actual track time. I know that testing on an oval for the first time is all about the data collection, but when you have people there watching, give them something to talk about! The cars are very interesting looking, still not sure what to think about that rear wing, but if they can get more speed I think I'll be OK with it. I was a little disappointed to in the fact that they didn't not hit the 220mph goal that indycar had set. With the shortened may sched. it may end up being a rather "slow" 500 this year. That's OK only if they continue to really push to make these cars amazing.
Second...
The whole will we hit 33 cars for may... My guess is YES! The rumor leading up to may for the past at least 4 years is that it can't happen. Someone always makes it happen. I know that TG will probably be more than willing to throw some money at the thing to make it happen. Lack of drivers won't really be a problem, because as most of you know there are always people looking for a ride. Now as far as there being enough engines and cars... that's another story all together. But I can't really foresee that Honda and Chevy would possible let the race happen without a full field. Lotus is trying but they are behind, and the month of may will undoubtedly be rough with little to no oval testing. I think in the end we should see at least 33, my hope is that at least one will get bumped too, but that may be a pipe dream this year.
Third...
Its Long Beach time! Always a classic, I can't wait to see how it shakes down. This biggest story right now is Chevy changing engines in all of its cars. Good news is it may fix some bugs, bad news is all of those drivers will be forced to move back 10 spots on the grid. I know the rule is harsh, but I think that it makes sense at the same time. Will definitely make for an interesting race though. Look for lots of impatience this week as drivers who are used to being in the front will start at best in the middle. Lots of risky passing will take place I am sure! Should be a really good race for the fans! I will say though that in all 3 of my fantasy teams I choose not to pick a Chevy, only because they will have no really testing with the new engines to speak of. Could be interesting, and I for one can't wait to watch!
Fitness - week 2
Well I am a little behind on my posting so here goes...
Last week was rough on the fitness routine! I bumped up to level 2 on Julian Michaels on monday, that left me so sore I couldn't get my run in on tues. Wed I was at the track all day. Thursday I ran again and was ok. Friday I started getting sick so it was a no go :( Sat I woke up with a migraine so bad I couldn't stand up so that pretty much blew the week!
My hope is that I don't have a huge set back week again, weeks like that will make it almost impossible to get in shape in time for my race in sept. I am just going to keep digging though, I hate to not make a goal once I set one!
Enough of my fitness....
Last week was rough on the fitness routine! I bumped up to level 2 on Julian Michaels on monday, that left me so sore I couldn't get my run in on tues. Wed I was at the track all day. Thursday I ran again and was ok. Friday I started getting sick so it was a no go :( Sat I woke up with a migraine so bad I couldn't stand up so that pretty much blew the week!
My hope is that I don't have a huge set back week again, weeks like that will make it almost impossible to get in shape in time for my race in sept. I am just going to keep digging though, I hate to not make a goal once I set one!
Enough of my fitness....
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Fitness comeback - week 1
Well I have a long way to go! I may be small but I am out of shape! Last week I started the long road to get into shape, and it was an insanely tough week! I will be doing Juilian Michaels 30 day shred and also a couch to 5k program. I did the dvd on mon. wed. and fri. And ran on tue. thur. and sun. (was supposed to be sat. but I was too busy).
I think if I stick to it I will def see major improvement. My long term goal is to do a 10-mile race the last weekend of sept. I have a long way to go, but I think that I will be able to do it. If any of you are interested the run is in Disney World, should be fun! Well Wish me luck, Im going to need it!
I think if I stick to it I will def see major improvement. My long term goal is to do a 10-mile race the last weekend of sept. I have a long way to go, but I think that I will be able to do it. If any of you are interested the run is in Disney World, should be fun! Well Wish me luck, Im going to need it!
Bama thrills
Of all the races, I never expected Barber to thrill! Weekend 2 of the Indycar season was amazing! Quals had me worried for sure, but it all worked out in the end.
Batteries didn't seem to be a problem this round, and most everyone got the hand clutching down. I was really happy to see that everyone continued to respect each other again. And of course for most people the big shocker was that a lotus was in the top 10. I never had doubts that with some time they would get their program up to par. The one major downfall they will have will be not testing at indy tomorrow. I am very excited to go watch the cars on an oval, it will be a beautiful thing!
The only thing I noticed that was rough was the few people who are choosing not to try to convert to the new car and rules. It will hurt them all season if they choose to not adapt, and will be hard to watch.
Will Power drove a great race and had great stops. I think he deserved to win, and I am glad that he did. I just hope that the season continues with all of this excitement, and I love seeing underdogs having great runs. I think the best story may end up being AJ Foyt racing and Mike Conway. They are proving to be the little team that could so far. I am happy to see them be competitive again. I can't wait to watch the progress that some teams make throughout the season.
Ovals may be the outlier this season, but they will play a roll in the championship. People who struggle on them will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage. Tomorrow will be an interesting test to see how the car will handle the speeds of ovals. I can not wait until may so that we get to see how everything will shake out. This will be a season of change all year, hopefully its just for the better! So far, so good!
Batteries didn't seem to be a problem this round, and most everyone got the hand clutching down. I was really happy to see that everyone continued to respect each other again. And of course for most people the big shocker was that a lotus was in the top 10. I never had doubts that with some time they would get their program up to par. The one major downfall they will have will be not testing at indy tomorrow. I am very excited to go watch the cars on an oval, it will be a beautiful thing!
The only thing I noticed that was rough was the few people who are choosing not to try to convert to the new car and rules. It will hurt them all season if they choose to not adapt, and will be hard to watch.
Will Power drove a great race and had great stops. I think he deserved to win, and I am glad that he did. I just hope that the season continues with all of this excitement, and I love seeing underdogs having great runs. I think the best story may end up being AJ Foyt racing and Mike Conway. They are proving to be the little team that could so far. I am happy to see them be competitive again. I can't wait to watch the progress that some teams make throughout the season.
Ovals may be the outlier this season, but they will play a roll in the championship. People who struggle on them will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage. Tomorrow will be an interesting test to see how the car will handle the speeds of ovals. I can not wait until may so that we get to see how everything will shake out. This will be a season of change all year, hopefully its just for the better! So far, so good!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
New season under way
Its official, spring is here! And so is Indycar! A time for change has officially started.
The Indycar opener in St. Pete came off without a hitch. As predicted attrition played a role that most definitely was a little unexpected, at least on my end. Who would have thought that batteries would have been the main issue, I had in mind that the attrition would be more along the wear and tear line. But I was quite pleased with the way the engines are working. Lotus did about what I expected. I do think that over the next two months they will work out all the bugs and be able to make the full 500 miles in may. I loved seeing all of the new paint too. The cars are amazing! Sebastian Bourdais has the best paint by far, I thought that car looked way better than any of the rest! I can't wait to see all of the cars in person though. The racing was nice and clean, and it seemed like the drivers had respect for each other for the first time in a while.
One thing that everyone is still complaining about is the broadcast job that ABC did. I personally thought they did a pretty good job. They spread out the attention over most of the drivers, and didn't focus solely on the person leading. Granted they did miss some of the action that was happening on track, but they did replays. Most people who are tuning in for just bits and pieces want to see who is in the front, so that is where the focus should be. I think they did a good job showing some of the better battles back in the field and doing replays of the passes that they didn't catch live. They can only do so much with the cameras they have, and the fact that they are doing a live broadcast. Things will get missed. And that is my take on it, I will let it be done now.
Last thing to touch on... Dan Wheldon tribute. Amazing is about the only word that can be used! I def cried like a baby, again, but it was so well done that I didn't mind at all. I also loved that Helio climbed the fence and shared a very emotional moment with Dan. I think that Dan would be proud of how things worked out. I still miss him everyday, but I know that he is happy with how Indycar is moving forward. And we all get to remember him every time we get to see one of those beautiful DW12's on track. What a legacy that is!
Until next time.....
The Indycar opener in St. Pete came off without a hitch. As predicted attrition played a role that most definitely was a little unexpected, at least on my end. Who would have thought that batteries would have been the main issue, I had in mind that the attrition would be more along the wear and tear line. But I was quite pleased with the way the engines are working. Lotus did about what I expected. I do think that over the next two months they will work out all the bugs and be able to make the full 500 miles in may. I loved seeing all of the new paint too. The cars are amazing! Sebastian Bourdais has the best paint by far, I thought that car looked way better than any of the rest! I can't wait to see all of the cars in person though. The racing was nice and clean, and it seemed like the drivers had respect for each other for the first time in a while.
One thing that everyone is still complaining about is the broadcast job that ABC did. I personally thought they did a pretty good job. They spread out the attention over most of the drivers, and didn't focus solely on the person leading. Granted they did miss some of the action that was happening on track, but they did replays. Most people who are tuning in for just bits and pieces want to see who is in the front, so that is where the focus should be. I think they did a good job showing some of the better battles back in the field and doing replays of the passes that they didn't catch live. They can only do so much with the cameras they have, and the fact that they are doing a live broadcast. Things will get missed. And that is my take on it, I will let it be done now.
Last thing to touch on... Dan Wheldon tribute. Amazing is about the only word that can be used! I def cried like a baby, again, but it was so well done that I didn't mind at all. I also loved that Helio climbed the fence and shared a very emotional moment with Dan. I think that Dan would be proud of how things worked out. I still miss him everyday, but I know that he is happy with how Indycar is moving forward. And we all get to remember him every time we get to see one of those beautiful DW12's on track. What a legacy that is!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The new Indycar
My opinions on all things indycar are mixed this year! I think there are some major pluses and some major downfalls.
I think the new car is smoking hot, but how will it hold up in accidents? I know they say it's going to be better but there is really only one way to find out. I LOVE the fact that there is engine competition again, and I can't wait to see how attrition plays a role. I think that it will make teams more even in the end, and frankly that will draw fans. I am glad that Danica is gone! She overshadowed the whole series and for no real reason. I think that marketing has some work to do, but hopefully they will get on that as the season goes on. I am glad there is a new BB in town, and I can't wait to see how he'll operate things, especially after the last few seasons. Beaux def has his work cut out for him.
My hope for this season is that things shake out and the racing gets good again. Competition is key to rebuilding, and I think the series has laid some good groundwork! Now let the games begin!
Oh and if you haven't checked out the new merchandise, do yourself a favor and get the credit card ready! I love it!
I think the new car is smoking hot, but how will it hold up in accidents? I know they say it's going to be better but there is really only one way to find out. I LOVE the fact that there is engine competition again, and I can't wait to see how attrition plays a role. I think that it will make teams more even in the end, and frankly that will draw fans. I am glad that Danica is gone! She overshadowed the whole series and for no real reason. I think that marketing has some work to do, but hopefully they will get on that as the season goes on. I am glad there is a new BB in town, and I can't wait to see how he'll operate things, especially after the last few seasons. Beaux def has his work cut out for him.
My hope for this season is that things shake out and the racing gets good again. Competition is key to rebuilding, and I think the series has laid some good groundwork! Now let the games begin!
Oh and if you haven't checked out the new merchandise, do yourself a favor and get the credit card ready! I love it!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
A short lesson on me :)
I'll try to make this post short and sweet! For those of you who don't know me, or those who don't know me well, here is a crash course in me.
I am extremely passionate about the things I love. Those things include: Indycar racing, animals, music, food, fashion, my family and friends, and warm/hot weather! I have been involved in Indycar for what seems like a million years, but really started around 2004. I am not as involved as I used to be, but this blog will have a TON of Indycar in it! Animals are my way to relax in a way. I have a pug and a cat, and I treat them as my kids. I am sure that their antics will also show up from time to time :) Music moves my soul! I can't imagine trying to function without it. I have extremely varied tastes on what I will listen to. Food is a given! Its a rare time that you will run into me and I'm not eating or have food with me. I come from a southern family, it's what we do! Fashion, I have my own style! I love mixing and matching my own unique blend to match me. I am super causal, but I tend to take fancy items and mix them in. Friends and family make me tick! I wouldn't be where I am without them. I try to spend time with them when I can. Warm/ hot weather... its spring and I couldn't be happier about that! I can't wait to spend as much time as possible outside!
Well that is the short version of me. Stay tuned as I plan to give my opinions on all of the new Indycar stuff before the season starts!
Until we meet again......
I am extremely passionate about the things I love. Those things include: Indycar racing, animals, music, food, fashion, my family and friends, and warm/hot weather! I have been involved in Indycar for what seems like a million years, but really started around 2004. I am not as involved as I used to be, but this blog will have a TON of Indycar in it! Animals are my way to relax in a way. I have a pug and a cat, and I treat them as my kids. I am sure that their antics will also show up from time to time :) Music moves my soul! I can't imagine trying to function without it. I have extremely varied tastes on what I will listen to. Food is a given! Its a rare time that you will run into me and I'm not eating or have food with me. I come from a southern family, it's what we do! Fashion, I have my own style! I love mixing and matching my own unique blend to match me. I am super causal, but I tend to take fancy items and mix them in. Friends and family make me tick! I wouldn't be where I am without them. I try to spend time with them when I can. Warm/ hot weather... its spring and I couldn't be happier about that! I can't wait to spend as much time as possible outside!
Well that is the short version of me. Stay tuned as I plan to give my opinions on all of the new Indycar stuff before the season starts!
Until we meet again......
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