After a long couple months of waiting, we finally got to take home that championship trophy.
Nascar and the Mohegan Sun always put on a top notch ceremony and this was another great one.
The highlight of the night for our team was not exactly the championship but winning the 2008 Sportsmanship Award. It was a surprise award, none of us knew we’d be getting it. No team has ever won the East Series Sportsmanship Award, it’s usually reserved for drivers only. It was truly an honor to be recognized by our peers.
A few other quick things from the banquet:
-The championship trophy is friggin heavy, no I mean ridiculously heavy, maybe they could work on that for 2009
-Our tuxedos were a big hit, especially the orange ties, chicks dig orange ties
-It was awesome to have Richard Childress in the house and offering his congrats to us on stage
-Trevor Bayne, is a genuinely good kid….I really hope he is able to put something together for 2009 because he is a future star in this sport
-Austin Dillon is an awesome dancer and has pretty good game
-The State Police had to visit room 2064 to shut down the championship after party, what a drag the police can be
-I didn’t make any money in the casino
………but we are still the champions
Happy Holidays
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Champion's Week Day 3
Today was tuxedo pick up day.
I could probably write an entire blog on the 60 year old woman working the tux place, but I won’t. Instead I’ll just give you an exact quote from her:
“I grew up in the hippy times, went to college and smoked pot…. I never got into the free love thing, and it wasn’t me…..its worse nowadays, even for me….I’ll do anything for twenty bucks”
After that great experience it was off to lunch with the crew at the Brown Derby, a place I have never been so my expectations were low…..and it turned out unbelievable.
Just so happens Wednesday is “Roast Beef Dinner Special Day”
The roast beef dinner includes, roast beef, red potatoes, corn and bread
Pretty decent right?.............How much do you think this meal costs?
Give up?
$1.95
No, I’m not kidding, $1.95 for an entire meal that was big and pretty friggin good
You can’t even get a large fry from Mcd’s for that price.
What a day…..
I could probably write an entire blog on the 60 year old woman working the tux place, but I won’t. Instead I’ll just give you an exact quote from her:
“I grew up in the hippy times, went to college and smoked pot…. I never got into the free love thing, and it wasn’t me…..its worse nowadays, even for me….I’ll do anything for twenty bucks”
After that great experience it was off to lunch with the crew at the Brown Derby, a place I have never been so my expectations were low…..and it turned out unbelievable.
Just so happens Wednesday is “Roast Beef Dinner Special Day”
The roast beef dinner includes, roast beef, red potatoes, corn and bread
Pretty decent right?.............How much do you think this meal costs?
Give up?
$1.95
No, I’m not kidding, $1.95 for an entire meal that was big and pretty friggin good
You can’t even get a large fry from Mcd’s for that price.
What a day…..
Champion's Week Day 2
See Day 1.....and before you ask.......yes, Jack did come back for a second day to talk about his new toilet
Monday, December 8, 2008
Champion's Week.....Day 1
Since the Cup guys get their Champions Week in NYC, I figured we will do ours. Leading up to Friday night and our being crowned 2008 East Series Champions.
Day 1- The 2008 East Series Championship team starts its championship week and day in style, a cold ride into the shop for the 7:30 work day start time.
After catching up on the weekends activities, its 3 solid hours of team members being honored by…..Jack Lathrop, a local businessman who stops by the shop to talk about the new toilet he just installed at his camp in Vermont, as the team members go about preparing for the All-Star Showdown.
At 11, it’s the champion’s luncheon hosted at the Gridiron Grille and proved by…..us. The meal is a lavish one, consisting of luke warm chicken soup, a very small salad and over priced whole belly clams, yes my friends, this is how the other side lives.
After lunch it’s back to the rigors of work and trying to fit and weld the new mandated plates from Nascar inside the left side roll cage….on all cars, with the doors still attached…..ahhhh……just another perk of champions week.
Day 1 wraps up with a very bitterly cold drive home, to where we are treated to more luxury in the way off taking out the trash and changing dirty diapers.
That’s champion’s week, day 1……. and that’s just the start my friends.
Those Lowe’s guys have nothing on us
Day 1- The 2008 East Series Championship team starts its championship week and day in style, a cold ride into the shop for the 7:30 work day start time.
After catching up on the weekends activities, its 3 solid hours of team members being honored by…..Jack Lathrop, a local businessman who stops by the shop to talk about the new toilet he just installed at his camp in Vermont, as the team members go about preparing for the All-Star Showdown.
At 11, it’s the champion’s luncheon hosted at the Gridiron Grille and proved by…..us. The meal is a lavish one, consisting of luke warm chicken soup, a very small salad and over priced whole belly clams, yes my friends, this is how the other side lives.
After lunch it’s back to the rigors of work and trying to fit and weld the new mandated plates from Nascar inside the left side roll cage….on all cars, with the doors still attached…..ahhhh……just another perk of champions week.
Day 1 wraps up with a very bitterly cold drive home, to where we are treated to more luxury in the way off taking out the trash and changing dirty diapers.
That’s champion’s week, day 1……. and that’s just the start my friends.
Those Lowe’s guys have nothing on us
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Do you work in the winter?
There is one question I must get asked every year by somebody………..” Do you guys work in the winter?”
Now the question is probably very valid in their mind but it really pisses me off after a while.
Do you seriously think that we just load these cars up on opening day and go race?
The winter time, for me especially, is the busiest time of the year. To be a championship winning team you must constantly be changing the way you do things to keep ahead of the times. The off-season is also when you can catch up on the damage from the year you just ran. For instance, last year (2007) we had complete body repairs to 3 of our 7 race cars. Now I do all of the finish fabrication and aero work on these cars and I have a system on how I do things to be fast and efficient, I have everything written down to how it should look and how much time it should take to do. Which basically works out to being 2 weeks, per car, for a complete job…..times 3 and now you’ve got a month in half on just getting back to square one, that doesn’t even take into account the upgrades that have to be made to the 4 other cars before the season starts. Last off season I worked every Saturday during that winter, not because I liked it but so that we were 100% prepared before the 2008 season began, with all of our weapons ready to fire.
In time I will get more detailed as to what is going on in the winter months and specifically this winter as we prepare for not only the 2009 season but he All-Star Showdown in Los Angeles, CA this January.
For now, there is the answer to………..” Do you guys work in the winter?”
Yes, we do
Now the question is probably very valid in their mind but it really pisses me off after a while.
Do you seriously think that we just load these cars up on opening day and go race?
The winter time, for me especially, is the busiest time of the year. To be a championship winning team you must constantly be changing the way you do things to keep ahead of the times. The off-season is also when you can catch up on the damage from the year you just ran. For instance, last year (2007) we had complete body repairs to 3 of our 7 race cars. Now I do all of the finish fabrication and aero work on these cars and I have a system on how I do things to be fast and efficient, I have everything written down to how it should look and how much time it should take to do. Which basically works out to being 2 weeks, per car, for a complete job…..times 3 and now you’ve got a month in half on just getting back to square one, that doesn’t even take into account the upgrades that have to be made to the 4 other cars before the season starts. Last off season I worked every Saturday during that winter, not because I liked it but so that we were 100% prepared before the 2008 season began, with all of our weapons ready to fire.
In time I will get more detailed as to what is going on in the winter months and specifically this winter as we prepare for not only the 2009 season but he All-Star Showdown in Los Angeles, CA this January.
For now, there is the answer to………..” Do you guys work in the winter?”
Yes, we do
Mission Statment
In my quest to find any information possible about my industry, motorsports, I realized that there just isn't enough "behind the sceens" info out there.
So, I figured I'll write about my role in motorsports and maybe someone like me will find some interest in it.
Yes, my grammer will be off and I'll probably spell a few ( or many) things wrong, but I'll give it my best to make my english teachers proud.
Until next time...
So, I figured I'll write about my role in motorsports and maybe someone like me will find some interest in it.
Yes, my grammer will be off and I'll probably spell a few ( or many) things wrong, but I'll give it my best to make my english teachers proud.
Until next time...
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