By now, I'm sure that you've read/heard all about our adventure at the Wildhorse and you know that we headed out to Nashville Superspeedway for some NASCAR Camping World Truck Racing thanks to Stacy Compton and our donation to the Monroe Carroll Jr. hospital. Here are some highlights from the day.
We started the day by stopping at the NASCAR credentials trailer at picked up these...our all access, you can go anywhere you want passes.
When we first arrived, we learned that Stacy (see, now that we are BFF's...I can just call him Stacy) had wrecked his primary truck in practice on Friday. Here are Ryan, Jeff S, and Bob M watching the crew work on the back up truck. Once the truck was ready, we "helped" walk it through race inspection and then walked out on to pit road with the truck for qualifying. Have you ever watched qualifying while sitting on the pit wall? I have now - and it was SA-WEET!!!!
Here are the ladies of Team Black enjoying a little lemonade and hot dog snack while sitting at the back of the hauler. You can't see it in the picture but the doors of the hauler have a "Crew and Invited Guests Only" sign posted. Yep, there we are, the invited guests!!! Side note about Team Black - Mel, Big T, Becky M, Jeff S and Bob M all showed up to the race (without planning it) in black shirts and jeans...Ryan shows up in a red shirt and jeans so for the day we became Red Leader and Team Black as our nicknames.
Here are Billy R and I with the sticker that Big T "helped" to put on the truck. Sure hope those stickers have 200 mile per hour sticky backing.
Terry with a Y (who is Stacy's truck hauler driver, hauler chef, hospitality manager, and gas can man) tells Terri with an I all about filling the gas cans, jumping over the wall with them, how to put gas in the truck during a pit stop, how you weigh the can before and after a pit stop so that you can tell how much gas Stacy is using and his gas mileage...Big T was impressed with his knowledge of all things gas!
And then, of course, the photo op for Big T, Mel and the gas can...
This is Tom Buzze. He is Stacy's crew chief. He is an amazing guy. He is the one who worked everything out for our amazing day!! He was so awesome to me and our NASCAR crazed gang!!
On the left is Sgt. Buzze of the US Army. Sgt. Buzze is Tom's son. The coolest part of our whole day was when the crew lined up on the pit box line for the National Anthem and prayer. Team Black and Red Leader all got to stand in the line with the pit crew. I got to stand right next to Sgt. Buzze and during the National Anthem, he was standing at attention and man, if that doesn't give you goose bumps, and make you proud to be an American, I don't know what will. Sgt. Buzze will be headed back to Afghanistan in March of '10. Please pray for safety for him and all of the soldiers that serve this incredible country!
And after the prayer and National Anthem...here was our view for the dropping of the Green Flag...this pic is actually one lap to go for the green flag...but it was the better of the 2 pics.
When the pit crew guys are not preparing for the next pit stop...you can find them taking a quick break...
Billy, I thought you were a country music singer...but you seem to be discussing the next pit strategy in this pic...
This is the NASCAR computer that keeps the pit crew informed of their "looping" (the technical term for position) around the track. It updates lap number, lap times, speed and position. It looks to me like it is written in Excel...I am an Excel whiz...hhhhmmmmm, maybe my next job can be working with the looping computer with NASCAR....
Our only "rule" during the night was that we had to stand behind the yellow line. This picture was taken to prove that for once in my life, I was following the rules and my SS teacher, Jeff S, was breaking them!!!
And the checkered flag goes to...Ron Hornaday...driver of the #33 truck. This was his 5th win in a row. 
Stacy ran a great race, and finished in 15th. We had an amazing time at the races and we sincerely appreciate Stacy Compton and the entire #60 racing team. Thank you for your hospitality and for putting up with 2 crazy racing chicks, 2 husbands that tolerate/love us, and the 2 new guys who we spoiled by taking them to their very first race with garage and pit passes. We lived Life in the Fast Lane and we loved it!!!!!!!Melissa
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cool
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