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NASCAR Memories Contest Submissions

Submissions

Below are all the finalist entries for HomeDepotRacing.com's NASCAR Memories Contest.
Tracy K.

Posted: 01-30-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

Voting for this submission has ended.
To my fellow NASCAR fans,

I did not know how to start this, but here it goes. I like many others look forward to my Sunday afternoon when it all breaks loose on the track. I have been a NASCAR fan for quite a number of years but due to my military service I lost "track" of the sport for some time.

Fortunately in the late 1980's I was stationed in Ft. Campbell, Ky. and was introduced to a young lady by the name of Beverly. It... Read More » was a short relationship and one I wish I would have been more thoughtful of and continued but I was young, I had just gotten divorced, and a relationship was one thing I did not have time for.

She said she had a brother who raced at the local Nashville track and asked if I would like to go watch one of the races one weekend. I accepted and was able to watch the race from the infield because of her brother and was introduced to a number of big time drivers, Bill Elliot, Sterling Marlin and Darrell Waltrip. Man was it neat. I got all of their autographs and received a picture of a hand penciled drawing of the #6 car driven by Beverly's brother.

It was a wonderful time but due an accident while training, I was hospitalized and retired from active duty. I did not stay in touch with Beverly but I did become more and more interested in NASCAR.

Oh, who was Beverly's brother? That would be the one and only Bobby Hamilton Sr. I watched Bobby grow in NASCAR and it broke my heart when we lost him. It's a shame to loose such a man, but God must have needed him more. That's my NASCAR story.

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Heidi T. , of Woods Cross, UT

Posted: 01-30-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

Voting for this submission has ended.
My husband and I were able to go on our first vacation alone in 4 years (we have 5 children). We went to Homestead in November 2007 for the final race of the season. I had never been to a race and was quite skeptical, although my husband had been to two other races and was "hooked". I had more fun than you could imagine doing something that was so foreign to me.

We were able to take a pit tour which was amazing. Seeing those cars up... Read More » close and personal for the first time was energizing. We were also able to stand on the finish line, and this was before the race even started.

We spent some time at the "carnival" outside the racing area and had a great time in the Home Depot tent among others, received lots of freebies and things and just gawked at the sheer number of people there were. I had never been anywhere with so many people and I was in awe.

We got to our seats early and all I saw were thousands of charged up folks and I couldn't wait to see what came next. I don't think my husband or I sat for more than 2 minutes once the race began. To feel the roar in your heart and through your bones was fantastic, I have never had an experience like that in my life. We could have gone just about anywhere we wanted to, but I'm really glad that I agreed to go to Miami.

I look forward to a time when my children are older and my husband and I can travel a bit more often, I will definitely see more races in my lifetime...they will be more than a once in a lifetime experience for me and my husband.

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Bill S. , of Morrison, Co.

Posted: 01-30-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

Voting for this submission has ended.
My father & I have enjoyed watching both Busch & Cup races on TV, however in September 2007 he was diagnosed with stage 4 (small cell) lung cancer that had spread to his brain and possibly his hip.

Unfortunately this was the third time in 40 years he has been diagnosed with cancer, the first was removed from his neck not too bad, second was removed from around his spinal cord, they had to remove 2 or 3 vertebrae's and put 2 of his ribs... Read More » in place as well as metal rods, that one was not fun.

After that trauma my father (hero) fell off a ladder while detailing the top of a Kenworth and shattered both heels, the surgeon said they looked like corn flakes, several very painful surgeries, pins, plates, and fusing his heels together, he recovered from that.

This third go around with cancer has been very difficult to deal with. The experts gave him 3 to 6 months. They removed a softball size tumor from his brain which really helped his thought process. He has had radiation on his brain, chemo therapy for his lungs. In addition to that and dealing with loosing my father in the near future, it will be my mom and dads 50th anniversary June 15th.

My dad is with out question my biggest hero, he has walked with me and encouraged me to achieve my Eagle rank in the Boy Scouts helped coach my football team and so many more. Both my parents have done without, so my sister and I could succeed.

I would be forever grateful if my father and I could attend a race together before he moves on.

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Susanne T. , of Racine, WI

Posted: 01-30-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

Voting for this submission has ended.
My family are huge NASCAR fans. My mother a few years ago saw an interview with Tony Stewart and was just so taken back with his personality and attitude that she developed a huge dislike for him.

Whenever Tony would win a race, we would call her and congratulate her on Tony's win. My mother is a very good sport. We picked up at the store a couple of Tony Stewart car hood magnets and when we visited my mother, we would place them discreetly... Read More » in her house. Then before we knew it, the magnets would arrive back at our house as she has a key to our house. This went on for a whole season.

When Tony Stewart won the Cup the other year, we invited my mother over for dinner. She was not aware that it was a celebratory dinner for Tony Stewart winning the Cup. We had Tony Stewart's favorite food, spaghetti. We also had a t-shirt made for Tony's #1 Fan, my mother. My mother was such a good sport and we had a great time that evening.

The next year we put on my mother's Christmas tree a Tony Stewart ornament, which we now have for our Christmas tree. I believe Tony is a good guy and I'm constantly every season trying to convince my mother to give him another chance. We have threatened to paint my mother's bedroom Tony's team colors some year when she goes on vacation.

Who knows, it may just happen! Good luck Tony!

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Gary M. , of Charleston, ME

Posted: 01-30-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

Voting for this submission has ended.
I have some great racing memories but one involving Tony Stewart stands out. While in Charlotte for the May races a couple years ago I won an auction to have Tony and Mr.Clean wash my old Jeep!

From the dirt roads of Maine this Jeep was a mess...along with having scooters and race used tires tied on the roof! Tony never skipped a beat and went right to work.

We chatted about dirt racing and dirt roads as he went about the job... Read More » of cleaning us up. All went well until he rounded the rear bumper and spotted my Dale Jr sticker!

Hey, he says...where's the #20 Home Depot sticker? With a sheepish grin I replied that it was in Maine on my brothers Jeep! My wife and brother are Earnhardt and Harvick fans!

All ended well, and Tony graciously leaned in and signed the roof of my Jeep....and the pictures to flaunt at my brother are priceless!

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Linda L. , of Citrus Heights, CA

Posted: 01-30-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

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It all began with that phone call, the call that made me a NASCAR fan forever!

Hello, is this Linda? The next thing I knew, I was at the California Speedway, Richard Petty Driving Experience, suited up listening to the experts talk about safety. I was kind of excited, but not off the chart. We were preparing to ride-along & drive our own race car for 16 miles. Well, ya ok. I used to go to the stocks every Saturday at one time; I enjoyed... Read More » racing, but...

Nothing, I mean nothing, had prepared me for the adrenaline rush when I walked out to the track & heard one car going around. The noise from that car was so thrilling; that was all it took. The last time I felt that excited was when I stood at the base camp of Mt. Everest. The feeling I felt was off the chart, heart pounding, adrenaline racing in my entire body. I had watched NASCAR a few times on TV, but to stand there and experience that one car, what would I feel during race time. AMAZING!

I knew very little about NASCAR, so I talked to the guys getting everyone ready for their rides. They were fantastic, down to earth guys, who answered every question I asked. There was one in particular I kept talking with; really enjoying a normal conversation.

Just before my ride, I saw this gorgeous blonde with a great smile, walking toward me with his hand out. Wow, could this get any better. He put his hand in mine and said hi like he knew me. I asked, "who are you!". Like wow, who are you and where did you come from. We talked for a bit. These guys were real; they enjoyed what they did, and enjoyed talking with everyone.

Later, I found out that the "guy" I spent so much time talking with was Kyle Petty and the blonde was Robby Gordon. I had no idea. When Robby told me his name, I repeated "Who are you?" He laughed.

He was the one I did my ride along with; 165 mph of pure adrenaline rush. To go that fast with the certainty that the car is not going out from under you, there are no words for that. It was one the best moments in my life. The sound, the speed, the banking of the track! Yes!

Back from the ride-along, Kyle asked what I thought. There was only one word I said, which I cannot mention here, but that said it all. Then I got to drive my own car; sixteen miles of screaming WooHoo at 132 mph!

From the Richard Petty guys, to the NASCAR drivers I met, to the pit crew, you could not meet a group of nicer people anywhere! That experience is something I will forever remember and has forever made me a NASCAR fan!

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Marianne A. , of Palm Harbor, FL

Posted: 01-23-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

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My husband and I had the opportunity to go to the Bristol night race in 2000. We had garage passes and spent the entire day there before the race. It was our first experience in the garage so we were in awe.

We are Tony Stewart fans so we were hoping to see him and possibly get an autograph. After happy hour I saw Tony heading back to his hauler and started to follow him to get an autograph. Just as I was about to hand him my photo... Read More » to sign, a man about a foot taller than I am stuck a helmet in between Tony and me. Tony signed his helmet after shaking his finger at him and chastising him for cutting in front of me.

After getting his autograph the man waited for me and apologized to my husband and I. Tony signed my photo and it is displayed prominently in our NASCAR room. I know that Tony is not fond of signing autographs in the garage on race day as he is so focused on his, so I appreciate the time he took and the concern he showed for me.

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Ryan G. , of Brownstown, MI

Posted: 01-23-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

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Last summer I was blessed with the arrival of my second son. However, two weeks after being born my wife and I had to rush him to a local emergency room for treatment. Unfortunately upon arrival we were notified that his condition was too grave for treatment at their facility and we were rushed to a local Children's Hospital.

After arriving at the Children's Hospital we were told that our son's conditions were representative of so many... Read More » situations and treatment may be long and problematic. We spent the next week waiting and wondering if our son would respond to treatment.

This was all going on as the NASCAR teams prepared to arrive in Chicago. That weekend also happened to go along with my wife's birthday and our anniversary and we were stuck spending it in the hospital. What made it the hardest was that on my wife's birthday, we were told our son might not make it.

It was a rough time for the next few days. So, as a way to take our mind off of the news we received days earlier we gathered around the TV in the waiting room to watch the USG Sheetrock 400. It was a chance to just pretend for a moment that we were sitting in the living room of our own home watching the race as we do every Sunday.

However this one was different. Instead of going to the refrigerator during commercials for my favorite adult beverage, I would go to the bedside of my son and provide him updates on the race. You see, since the day my son was born his favorite pacifier is an orange and black #20. We have tried to switch it with other kinds when it comes up missing, but nothing soothes him like his Tony Stewart pacifier. Well, for you true Tony Stewart fans you already know that Tony won the race. Facing all of the things that happened that week and to be rewarded with my favorite driver winning the race, WOW it was amazing.

What was even more amazing is that shortly that evening and into the next day our son started to make progress. However, that was short lived as we were sent home with no diagnosis three days later only to see a relapse and be sent to another hospital two days later. However this time it was my family celebrating in a victory as it was finally determined what condition was ailing my son (intestinal malrotation). After a few days in the hospital we had him home in time to see his first race, the Brickyard where Tony won for the second time in as many races.

Thinking back it's amazing what those two races mean to me this day. I look forward to the day when I can tell this story to my son when I take him to his first live NASCAR race. Oh, and to this day my son still loves his Tony Stewart pacifier.

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Connie B. , of Clare, MI

Posted: 01-23-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

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In June 2006, I took a 9 hour road trip to Madison, WI with my then 6 year old daughter Jordyn to see Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth race. We got there the day before and went to Matt's store. My daughter and I both had Tony shirts on, even though she was "totally embarrassed" to have a Tony shirt on in Matt's store. I forced her, because after all, Tony is MY favorite.

We were ready to leave when Tony's dad, Nelson, his aunt Cindy and... Read More » Matt's sister Kelley come up and Nelson introduces himself. He then points at the shirts and says that he loves it. Jordyn without hesitating says, "Tony's not my favorite driver, Matt is." Kelley now loves this exchange and Nelson leans down and says "Squirt, we all can't like the same driver." She then tells him that she likes Tony, but Matt is her favorite.

That exchange has stayed with her ever since. If anyone starts in on her driver, she always spouts back, "Tony's dad says we all can't like the same driver". Then we have to explain the story. We see Nelson a couple of times a year, usually at Eldora and Madison and he is always asking Jordyn what it will take for her to wear Tony stuff instead of Matt, but she won't back down.

Truth is she wears her Tony things if there is no chance of running into Matt or Kelley. One of her prize possessions is a picture of her in a Matt shirt sitting on Nelson's knee at Madison. These kinds of things are priceless, even if your own kid can't be brainwashed or bribed. These families make this racing thing even more fun than it already was.

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Jackie J. , of Lynchburg, VA

Posted: 01-23-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

Voting for this submission has ended.
I have been a race fan for many years, but in October 2006 I REALLY became a race fan. We used to make fun of my sister (who's been a Dale Jr. fan for about 5 years).

She'd never miss a race. Every Sunday (or Saturday night), no matter what was planned she had to be in front of the TV along with her computer (she purchased TrackPass so she could hear "her man".) In October 2006, we decided we were going to Martinsville.

On Thursday... Read More » morning we packed everything (but the kitchen sink) and headed South arriving at the campground around 9am. We set up "camp" which included a tent that neither of us knew how to set up. After several hours of "bickering" we finally had it all together. Now the fun began.

I was so amazed at how everyone was like one big family. We were fed and "entertained" by so many nice people. I had more fun those 4 days than I had in YEARS!! Not only did I become a HUGE race fan, but I became an even bigger Tony Stewart fan.

We went to Martinsville again in the Spring and this time I was prepared. I had EVERYTHING Tony Stewart.. If it didn't have Tony Stewart or the No.20 on it, it was orange. I had everything from the TENT, SLEEPING BAG, etc, to FLAGS, DECALS all over my vehicle, to CLOTHES. You name it, I have it. I could in no way convince my sister to "convert", so we had a "battle" to see who had more of our favorite driver's stuff.

When we went back to Martinsville in October (Fall 07), we had so much stuff we had to have two vehicles. Needless to say, I'm now the one sitting in front of the TV WITH my computer listening to "my man" every single week!!!

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Laura J.

Posted: 01-23-08 12:00 PM EST
Expired

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My husband and I have worked together for almost 5 years now. When we began working together we were strangers. He would wear his Tony Stewart hat to work and I would see him drive down the aisle on his forklift and try to talk him out of his hat.

He would leave work and see the back of my Chevy truck, which I bought because Tony went from Pontiac to Chevy, with the huge 20 decal in the middle of the back window, the likeness of Tony Stewart... Read More » in one corner of the back window, and above the huge 20 it said, "I was not speeding I was qualifying."

Scott would ask the other guys on the shipping dock who the guy was that drove that truck and they kept telling him that a woman drove that truck. A guy that I worked with, Kevin, kept telling me that a guy on the shipping dock wore a Tony Stewart hat and that I needed to meet him. I kept telling Kevin that I did not need to meet a man. Scott kept arguing with the guys that a woman would not drive a truck like that.

Scott ended up seeing me get out of my truck in the parking lot to go in to work one morning, and I ended up asking him if he wanted me to order him a 1/32 24 kt Tony Stewart car for his collection. When I called him to tell him that I had ordered the car for him he asked me what my husband and I were doing for dinner. I told him I was not married, that it was just me and my dogs. We went to dinner and a movie that night.

April 26 will be 4 years since that date, and we were married June 25, 2005. We have since discovered that there were many Tony events that we were both at, at the same time and day. We are so crazy about Tony Stewart, we had a die-cast made with the number 20 on it, our wedding date on the deck lid, and "the James Gang" put on the hood, and took it to the Tony Stewart Fan Club picnic to be autographed.

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Susan B. , of Robertsdale, AL

Posted: 01-23-08 12:00 PM EST
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Talladega Spring 2007 race. Infield spot with our camper, which we have renovated over the past 2 years. This was the camper's maiden voyage. Our friends, my boyfriend Chuck and I are set for a long weekend of racing.

The weekend was great (except Gordon won, not Stewart). We went to the RaceDay built by the Home Depot and where, in the VIP section, we got our hard hat signed by all the RaceDay guys; John Roberts, Jimmy Spencer and... Read More » Riki Rachtman. We had a great time. We loved the VIP section by Home Depot. We went through and met the great Bobby Allison and got his book, autographed.

The camper was in a great spot. We could walk anywhere we needed to. We had plenty of food and of course, drink. We grilled out and enjoyed being with our friends and meeting a few new ones.

The race was great. We had set up near the start/finish line on the infield and watched the guys drive. It is just an awesome feeling to hear the cars, smell the fuel and feel the power of the cars as they drive by.

The unforgettable memory comes on the way home from the race. We were stopped in traffic south of Birmingham, Alabama, for about 2 hours due to a wreck. Once we got going again, a trucker pulls beside us and motions to us that we had smoke coming out of our camper. Thinking a brake was rubbing, we stopped to check. Nope, it wasn't the brake; it was our camper on fire. One of the brake lights had gotten hot and melted the plastic frame. We tried to put it out, but the fire was already in the walls. We unhitched our van and watched our camper burn to the ground, with all our stuff.

Thankfully no one was hurt. As for our souvenirs: Patrick from the Home Depot VIP Zone replaced our signed hard hat and Mr. Bobby Allison replaced our autographed book. Luckily I had the camera in my bag with me, so we still had our pictures. I even have pictures of our burnt camper on the side of the highway. It is our most unforgettable NASCAR experience.

Was this trip worth it? OH YES!! Even with our misfortune, we have great memories that we will never forget. Will we let it stop us? NO! We will be there again for the Spring 2008 race at our same camp spot, either with a new camper or one we rent.

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Sidney G. , of Loranger, LA

Posted: 01-16-08 12:00 PM EST
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I come from a large family, and after years of sitting on sofas with my brothers watching the races, I thought it would be fun for all 6 of us to finally see our first race in person together.

I purchased the tickets for all the events from Thursday night through Sunday's Cup race at the Atlanta Motorspeedway last October. We are all sort of outdoorsy guys, so we wanted to rough it in a tent for the whole trip, even though we knew it could... Read More » get pretty cold at night for that time of year.

So I booked us a tent site at the track, in what seemed to be a really good location near the restroom and shower facilities. Never once did I doubt the teller on the phone that I booked the camp site with, but upon us entering the Speedway campgrounds, we noticed that we had mistakenly been assigned a site in the RV/Motorhome campground instead.

Our camp site placed us with 2 tents among $100k motor homes and very large travel trailers. Needless to say, we were out of place. On several different occasions during the weekend, we were in jeopardy of being kicked out of our campsite by officials, but because of no vacancies in any of the other campgrounds, we were allowed to stay and everyone around us welcomed us around their campfires at night.

We were not going to let the tracks' mistake put a damper on our plans to have a great time, and a great time we had.

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Trevor M. , of Breezy Point, MN

Posted: 01-16-08 12:00 PM EST
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My most memorable NASCAR experience would have to be when I was at the hospital to see my dad right after he had surgery to remove cancer from his tongue. He was in pretty rough shape at the time as they had to remove half of his tongue and rebuild it with a piece from his arm.

Well dad being the NASCAR fan that he is was still up for watching NASCAR so he made sure to write on a white board to have me turn on the race so we could watch... Read More » it together I spent all afternoon at the hospital watching the race with him and with all the pain he still enjoyed the race and my company.

That has to be my most memorable NASCAR experience.

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James M. , of West Memphis, AR

Posted: 01-16-08 12:00 PM EST
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My best NASCAR racing memory was of my very first race. It was the spring race, at Talladega, in 1997. I was an avid Mark Martin fan for years. Drove to the race track, and spent 5 miserable days camping in the rain only to see pace laps be run. Race was delayed for 2 weeks.

Well, I already had the tickets, so I wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away. My boss wasn't going to let me go back, so I quit my job! And drove... Read More » all the way back there for the rain delayed race.

To sum it up if I hadn't quit my job. I would have not only missed my favorite driver win the race (With me in attendance!), and set records, as well! BIG TIME bragging rights!

Besides, at 23 who really needs a job? :)

p.s. - The TONYota's, will rule DayTONYa, in '08!!!!

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Lauri N.

Posted: 01-16-08 12:00 PM EST
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It's hard to pick just one favorite memory so I chose to take the year of 1998. Starting at Daytona & ending at Phoenix with a few stops in between, I was lucky enough to attend 8 races.

We all remember '98. 50th anniversary of NASCAR, 40th Daytona 500 & 20th try for Earnhardt. Rained the whole weekend....if you were there you know what I'm talking about. Drowned out part of the IROC race but we got the Busch & Cup races in & had fun in... Read More » the parking lot (part time cow pasture) throwing mud on the rental car behind us. Luckily it was driven by some one in our group & let's just say that they didn't take it well as we raced down one of the back roads away from the track.

Spending most of a day in the pits was awesome. When you're standing 20' away from the Intimidator, the hair on the back of your neck stands at attention. It hasn't been the same since he left.

Next came the Busch race where we had seats on the backstretch & were treated to Jr's first big crash. Listening to his all of a sudden high pitched tone on the radio "what happened ?!?!?!?" was something you always remember & I'm sure something he would rather forget.

We all know what came the next day & to be there to see it live & direct is a feeling you can't describe. For me it had double meaning as one of our group was the ultimate Intimidator fan. It took me six months to talk him into going & being there to see his hero take the checkers ranks right up there in my all time favorite moments. Listening to Dale & Richard on the last lap & watching what took place on pit road as he went to victory lane left everyone with damp eyes & lumps in the throat. I've never been to a race where no one left the place for that long after it was over. The depth of that day will last forever for those of us who call ourselves true fans of the sport.

On to Charlotte, Indy, Fontana, Talladega, Vegas, Bristol & Phoenix & the Busch race at Pikes Peak, it was like a fantasy & I never wanted the dream to end. Many more memories come to mind from '98 & beyond, but they say we can only do 500 words.

I think we could all go on forever & we probably do when tailgating. I hope you enjoyed!

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Gayle H. , of Largo, FL

Posted: 01-16-08 12:00 PM EST
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The one and only NASCAR race that we attended was a gift of four tickets from a business that my father-in-law used. They were for the Pepsi 400, in 2005. My youngest son and I have been Tony Stewart fans for years, so we were excited to learn that he was on the pole and thought that was going to be the highlight of our day.

Even though it rained a lot that day, and the race was delayed until almost 11pm, we stayed and watched the entire... Read More » race. Then when Tony led almost every lap, and went on to win the race, it was just unbelievable. He then climbed the fence, and started a new tradition. Even though we had a long drive home across the state, we stayed until the very end.

Considering that this is the only race we have attended, it was almost as if Tony knew we were there, and put on this show just for my son and me. I know he had no idea we were even there, but it sure produced a memory that I will never forget.

My husband still laughs at me when I talk about that race, because it was one of those perfect evenings that don't come along very often. And even though I know that Tony tries to win every race he enters, and is always a competitive and awesome driver, I still like to think... it was like he knew we were there to see him race. And while it certainly was not THE race of his lifetime, it is surely the one of mine.

Thanks, Tony!!!!

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Carmen P. , of Norfolk, VA

Posted: 01-16-08 12:00 PM EST
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When I look back over the years I've been a NASCAR fan, one of my strongest memories besides the great tailgating and action on the track is whenever there is a NASCAR tragedy, the entire NASCAR FAMILY comes together.

The drivers, crew, announcers, and most of all the Fans across the country. No matter who you root for you feel the loss. When Benny Parson, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Hamilton, Alan Kulwickii, Bobby Allison, Neal Bonnet and... Read More » many more lost their lives, everyone came together to morn our loss to the sport.

Many things have changed in NASCAR over the years. The way people come together to share the feeling of loss has not. It just shows how close we all really are when it comes to our favorite sport. NASCAR truly is a Family Sport. I am proud to say I am part of that family.

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Norma T. , of Ketchikan, AK

Posted: 01-09-08 12:00 PM EST
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My favorite NASCAR memory is of a freak storm at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and a belated birthday celebration for the world's biggest NASCAR fan.

My husband turned 55 last year and in order to celebrate the fact that he was now the same age as the speed limit, I splurged and purchased him a raceway ride along experience.  Since we live some distance from Las Vegas, it took some months of saving and planning before my husband was able... Read More » to redeem his present.

In July of last year, we packed up the car and the kid and took a road trip to Vegas. The weather was beautiful until the day my husband was scheduled to attend the driving school.  The sunny desert became cloudy and the wind began to howl.  We did, however, show up at our scheduled time and Tom went through his orientation.

While he was in class, my seven year old daughter and I were given a ride around the track in a bus (who knew the banks were so steep?) and I was able to get a picture of her next to her grandma's favorite car- #20.  The driving instructors began to bring out their students for their rides.  The wind had continued to grow so strong, that one of the huge cooling fans blew over.  The intrepid instructors began and three grin struck adults were able to complete their rides before the clouds opened and began dumping rain.  The instructors postponed the rest of the class for safety reasons.

I was so disappointed I wanted to cry.  Since I live on an island in Southeast Alaska, I'm used to weather causing a change in plans.  However, we were planning on leaving Las Vegas the following day and it didn't look as if my husband was going to get his birthday present before his next birthday.  After much debate, and some juggling of finances, we decided to spend another two days in Las Vegas and try the racetrack one more time.

Once again, the sky clouded over as we headed for the Speedway and it did end up bucketing rain that night.  It was touch and go for a while, but my husband was able to complete his ride before the storm hit.  I have two pictures from that week I will always cherish.  My daughter standing by the orange race car and Tom grinning like a Cheshire cat sitting in the car before his ride. « Collapse
Caroline B. , of Lakeland, FL

Posted: 01-09-08 12:00 PM EST
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This past November, 2007 I had the opportunity to spend the entire race weekend in Homestead, Florida. It was a wonderful trip all by myself. During the weekend I was able to participant in the Home Depot VIP group during the SPEED show and that was a real thrill for me. Patrick, the marketing fellow was so nice to everyone in the VIP group. He really showed great representation for the Big Orange. During the weekend I also had a chance to have... Read More » my picture taken with the #20 car at the Home Depot display....what a treat.

I do think that the most memorable time during the entire weekend was having the opportunity to use one of the scanners and actually get to listen to Tony during the practices and the race. Listening with the scanner certainly put a whole new spin on watching the race....HOW EXCITING! While I know that I may never have an opportunity to meet Tony in person I can say that just wearing his colors is truly an honor just the same. I am certainly looking forward to the Daytona race..........GO TONY!

To all Tony fans??"True Speed" is a must read for every true Tony fan. Tony and I seem to have the same temperament; it gets me into trouble sometimes too. « Collapse
Suzanne H. , of Garland, TX

Posted: 01-09-08 12:00 PM EST
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I was down on the track, in front of the entire crowd waiting for the race to begin, and I had a 1-in-5 chance to win.  It had earlier started out with 50 of us competing for the five spots by reaching into a black bag to pull out a Matchbox Corvette with a W on it, and I had, amazingly, gotten the last of the five winning Matchbox cars!

They took us down onto the actual track for the event, which was right before the start of the race. ... Read More » Since my husband and I are both big NASCAR fans, it was a thrill just being there!  They had the five of us draw to see who would go first, and it was me.  I chose my key and pressed the button to see if it would unlock the car.  I waited and waited, thinking the suspense was just going to kill me!  After what seemed like an eternity, I turned around and, disappointed, shook my head, thinking that I had not won.

At that moment, the horn started blaring and lights started going off on the Corvette...I couldn't believe it...I had just won!!  I was shocked to realize that I had actually just won a brand new car, and it was a beautiful black Corvette to boot!!

They sat me down in it, took pictures, and then before I knew it, I was being given a victory lap around the speedway!  The driver later told me he got up to 165 miles per hour down the stretch!  It was such an awesome day!!

Can you believe I've actually had several people offer to buy it??  There is no way in heck that I will ever get rid of that car!!  The memories I have of that day with that car are way too valuable for me to ever sell it, so I'll have that car with me for a long, long time!  :)  It was an awesome day, an awesome experience, and an awesome race, and I will never forget the absolutely incredible feeling of having the winning car and getting my own special victory lap on the racetrack of Texas Motor Speedway! « Collapse
Andy J. , of Cincinnati, OH

Posted: 01-09-08 12:00 PM EST
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My favorite memory is starting off 2007 with the "Prelude To the Dream" at Eldora Speedway and watching Tony, Jeff, Kasey, Bill, and other NASCAR Sprint Cup racers battle it out on the high banks of Eldora.

This pumped me up for the Brickyard 400 in the month to follow.  I purchased 8 tickets for the Brickyard to see Tony race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  We arrived early on Friday to watch qualifying and set up our campsite. ... Read More » We attended the races at O'Reilly Speedway and watched the Sprint Cup on Sunday.  It was nice to cap off the weekend seeing Tony bring home the Brick Trophy for his home state of Indiana.

I was able to get some close up footage of him climbing the fence on my video camera and had close seats to the finish line in Section A.  What a great weekend. Nothing gets your blood flowing better than listening to the drivers with your radio headset and smelling the octane as the cars whiz past you at 190 mph.

We will keep going back to Eldora and Indy with hopes of many more great memories for my family and friends.  Here's to you Mr. "Smoke" man. « Collapse
Amanda M. , of College Station, TX

Posted: 01-09-08 12:00 PM EST
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I think that my first and favorite Tony Stewart memory is actually the first time I ever heard of him.  It was 1999 and my dad was watching the Coca-Cola 600 on TV.  I was grumbling about having to watch a boring "sport" where cars just go around and around in a circle for hours.

He finally convinced me to sit down and watch it with him and that was when I was first introduced to Tony Stewart.  The announcers on the TV were explaining how... Read More » Tony was competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. The announcers said that Tony was attempting to become the first driver to complete in both races in the same day.

I was completely astounded and mesmerized by watching him race.  He finished ninth at Indy and fourth in NC (a total of 1,090 miles), and it was then that I was hooked, not only on NASCAR, but on the athlete and amazingly talented Tony Stewart.

Since that day I have been a loyal, dedicated NASCAR fan.  I have learned the history of the sport and appreciate its intricacies and drivers' passions.  I am most proud to say that my love of the sport and it's most talented driver, Tony Stewart, have brought my father and I closer and I am most grateful for that. « Collapse
Sherry H. , of Winterville, NC

Posted: 01-09-08 12:00 PM EST
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MY MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT WAS FEB.14TH 2007. TONY STEWART CAME TO THE NEW SMYRNA BEACH HOME DEPOT FOR AN AUTOGRAPH SESSION. I TOOK MY HARLEY THERE FOR HIM TO AUTOGRAPH THE GAS TANK.

WHILE I WAS THERE, I HAD MY PUPPY THERE WITH ME THAT I CALLED BUBBA. WHILE WE WHERE OUT WAITING FOR TONY TO SIGN MY BIKE HE SAW THE PUPPY. I COULD TELL THAT HE FELL IN LOVE WITH BUBBA AT FIRST SIGHT.

I OFFERED TO LET HIM TAKE THE PUPPY HOME BUT... Read More » HE SAID THE BUS DRIVER WOULD NOT LIKE THAT TO MUCH. SO THE NEXT WEEK I CONTACTED TONY'S SPORTS MARKETING MANAGER AND LET HER KNOW THAT THE OFFER FOR TONY TO GET THE PUPPY STILL STOOD IF HE REALLY WANTED IT.

I WOULD HAVE DRIVEN ANYWHERE TO DELIVER IT IF I HAD TO. A COUPLE OF DAYS WENT BY AND I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM TONY AND WE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET HIM AT THE NEW SMYRNA BEACH AIRPORT TO PICK UP BUBBA. THAT IS WHEN BUBBA BECAME DUCE. TONY ALSO GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO SEE DUCE A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER WHEN HE CAME TO NEW SMYRNA TO DO SOME TESTING AT THE NSB SPEEDWAY.

I WAS NOT LOOKING TO GET RID OF THIS PUPPY BUT WHEN I SAW TONY AND DUCE TOGETHER I KNEW THEY BELONGED TOGETHER. THANKS TO HOME DEPOT AND TONY STEWART MY WILDEST DREAM CAME TRUE. NOT ONLY DO I HAVE THE MEMORY OF GIVING TONY STEWART A PUPPY BUT I HAVE HIS AUTOGRAPH ON MY HARLEY.

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Denise S.

Posted: 01-02-08 12:00 PM EST
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I have been a Tony Stewart fan since 1999. My ex - husband was not a Tony Stewart fan.  My first race was in Charlotte and the race didn't even have a caution flag.

I cannot describe the feeling in you're body the first time that all the cars drive by.

I have now re-married and my new husband is not a Tony Stewart fan either. (I still love Tony Stewart)

I just recently traded in my personal car for a Lexus IS. It is... Read More » white and I would love to have it decaled like Tony's car.

I live and breathe NASCAR. « Collapse
Patty H. , of Harthorne, NJ

Posted: 01-02-08 12:00 PM EST
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I've been to so many NASCAR races with my husband and have followed so many drivers as they traveled from small tracks to make it into the NASCAR circuit.  One of my favorite memories took place at Pocono Speedway.

I'm a somewhat timid person when I don't know someone or am not familiar with my surroundings and my husband is just the complete opposite. On this particular day we decided to make a trek over to Pocono to catch the qualifying... Read More » and take a look around at all the concessions. My husband purchased cold pit passes for us so that we can get a closer look at the cars, drivers and garages. As we were making our way around, we somehow wound up on pit row.

As we were walking a huge rattling animal came popping out in front of me and I jumped what seemed like 50 feet in the air and screamed. Suddenly I heard a large burst of laughter and when I looked up I saw an actual NASCAR cup driver and his crew with a remote control in their hands laughing hysterically.

Apparently they were getting a kick out of scaring the heck out of the fans to pass the time before qualifying. I have to admit it was pretty funny. I walked by, laughed and said "ok you got me". Of course my husband and I had to stick around and wait for the next victim. It was pretty funny.

We will never forget that day. We still reminisce about it today. « Collapse
Melinda C. , of Montgomery, AL

Posted: 01-02-08 12:00 PM EST
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My favorite NASCAR memory was attending the 2005 Brickyard 400 with my twin sister. We left Alabama on Thursday morning and arrived in Indianapolis that afternoon. The first thing that we did when we arrived in Indianapolis, was go to Tony Stewart Racing. At Tony's store, we were able to stock up on a few Tony Stewart and Home Depot Racing souvenirs and to view some of Tony's NASCAR, USAC, and IRL racing memorabilia.

On Friday, we arrived... Read More » early at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, the only on track action that we witnessed was the rain. The rain washed out all of the racing action that day. Luckily, we still were able to tour the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. It was fascinating to see all of the old cars and racing memorabilia. The history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is unprecedented.

On Saturday we had a full day of racing action. Because of the rain on Friday, practice was moved to the morning and qualifying was moved to the afternoon. After qualifying, we had to make a mad dash to Indianapolis Raceway Park to see Tony drive the James Dean Monte Carlo in the Busch Series race.

On Sunday morning, we got up early and made it to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I started out the day by "kissing the bricks" at the finish line with a group from the Official NASCAR Members Club. When I "kissed the bricks", I made a wish that The Home Depot Monte Carlo would be in victory lane later that afternoon. After I "kissed the bricks", my sister and I went to Gasoline Alley to watch the teams push the cars out to the grid. We could feel the excitement in the air as the crew members pushed the cars, tires, tools, and equipment down Gasoline Alley. We also witnessed one of the tire carriers accidentally rolling a set of tires over the foot of the Grand Marshal, Dennis Haysbert!

Before we knew it, it was race time. We both had a good feeling about the race. Tony had not qualified well; however, Tony was pleased with how the car had handled during practice. Therefore, we knew that the car would be very good in race trim. We also knew that if anyone could bring the Home Depot Monte Carlo to the front, it was Tony. When Tony took the lead for the last time with ten laps to go, it seemed like an eternity before Tony crossed the finish line.

It was such an awesome experience to see Tony win the race. It is always thrilling to see your favorite driver win a race. However, it was even more thrilling to see Tony fulfill his lifelong dream of winning at the Brickyard. It was awesome to see the entire Home Depot Racing Team "kiss the bricks" to celebrate the victory.

It was hard to believe that I had kissed those same bricks earlier in the day! « Collapse
Kim D. , of Savage, MN

Posted: 01-02-08 12:00 PM EST
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My favorite NASCAR memory comes from the first time I took my daughter to the track. She loved the regular racing, but since it was a holiday weekend they had a special ... trailer races.

Every year she begs to go, and it has become a 4th of July tradition for our family.

... Read More » « Collapse
Robin L. , of Barrington, NH

Posted: 01-02-08 12:00 PM EST
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My favorite memory was at the All Star Challenge this past May.  Our daughter was the lucky recipient of a Make A Wish trip.  We live in NH and this is something that we could only dream about.

JGR opened their hearts and shop for dinner and a tour.  How exciting was that!!  We toured the pits at the track and all my daughter could say was "Do you think we might see Jack Roush." Well sure enough, Mr. Roush happened to be coming out from... Read More » Matt Kenseth's hauler.  My daughter was speechless. Mr.Roush took the time to sign autographs for all the Wish kids.  As we were walking through the pit area, the #17 crew gave my daughter a spark plug from the car (it was still warm) and posed for pictures.

We met at least a dozen drivers, who all took the time to pose for pictures and sign the autograph board. She was able to meet Denny Hamlin in the motorcoach lot and even got to fix his collar for him for a photo session.

Wait it gets better....

Regan Smith contacted us and our family got to spend over an hour with him in his motorcoach.  My daughter was so excited, we hadn't seen her that happy in a long time. That night when Matt won the pole, my daughter screamed herself hoarse. The day of the All Star Race, she met Matt for a private meet and greet where she pulled out a list of questions. Matt answered all of them one by one. What an impression that was on our daughter.

We as a family appreciate the warm response from all the drivers.  We realize that this is their "work place," and how many of us hate to be bothered at work.  These drivers realize that if it were not for the fans they would be unemployed and went out of their way to make us feel special and welcomed. A special thanks to Regan Smith for the added bonus of visiting us at the NHIS suite in Sept.

This was memory that will last our family a lifetime. « Collapse
Debbie N. , of Lakeland, FL

Posted: 01-02-08 12:00 PM EST
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On July 5, 2007, the day before my 50th birthday, I was able to go to my very first race. At the race I was able to meet my favorite Driver, Tony Stewart! (HE ROCKS!)

Tony was so personable, and gave great hugs! He was very down to earth and I was able to laugh and have fun with him. Before the race I was able to attend church with the drivers, which I thought was awesome.

During the race I was able to sit in the pit box and... Read More » learn a whole new exciting side of racing. It was a beautiful day for this "old lady".

What made it extra special was that only 10 months before I was diagnosed with cancer, had surgery and treatment. I wasn't sure I would even see my 50th birthday! But by the grace of God, meeting Tony was the best birthday I could ever have had! « Collapse
Ralph S. , of Ontario, CA

Posted: 12-26-07 12:00 PM EST
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My favorite NASCAR story is actually one that didn't happen at the track. I had tickets for the September 2nd race at Fontana this year for me, my wife and both my kids. But we decided to stay home and watch the race on TV since we saw the weather report that said it was going to be 120 degrees at the track. No way we were going to subject ourselves to that kind of baking!

The kids were a little disappointed, as was I, but somebody has... Read More » to step up and lead. We'd have been sitting there during driver intros, on our 10th gallon of water, sweating through our Tony Stewart t-shirts, and wishing we had just stayed home and watched on the TV.

So, we just pretended that we were at the track. I let down the tailgate on my car, set up the grill and put the horseshoe stakes into the ground.

The kids, wife and I had a great time that afternoon. We had our own little tailgate party, and were able to go inside to cool off whenever we needed to, which was like every 5 minutes.

I made my famous bratwurst, the wife made her pimento cheese sandwiches, and the kids made a mess.

When the race finally started, I turned on the surround sound and we watched the event from the comfort of our home, in high def, on the big screen.

I really enjoyed spending that day with my family. I'll always remember it. « Collapse
Lesslie P. , of Orange, FL

Posted: 12-26-07 12:00 PM EST
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I grew up in a "racing" family - Grandpa was seemingly always working on cars and Daddy was always racing 'em. My favorite NASCAR memory was made about a year ago at the 2007 Daytona 500. Grandpa, Dad and me were fortunate enough to be sitting on the frontstretch for one of the most exciting finishes to a race in NASCAR history.

As Martin and Harvick came off of Turn 4 on that final lap, side-by-side and bumpin' and bangin', I'll never... Read More » forget Grandpa and Dad yelling for Martin to "go!" They aren't necessarily Mark Martin fans, but they always root for the "old school" guy if there is one.

From our vantage point, it looked like Martin had won the race, but we were probably just seeing things. Or maybe we were blinded by the fire coming off of the 07 car as it slid across the finish line on its hood! It was amazing; you could feel the heat! What a memory. Go Smoke! « Collapse
Joe M. , of Chicopee, MA

Posted: 12-26-07 12:00 PM EST
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My buddies and me decided to take a road trip from Massachusetts down to Darlington last year for the race in May. Four old fraternity brothers, all 43 years old, leaving wives and kids to pay our respects to one of the great tracks in NASCAR - it was a trip with so much potential.

Unfortunately, the wives were not thrilled about our excursion. It was Mother's Day weekend, and they wanted to us to be around to take them to dinner and... Read More » tell them how great the are.

But, we decided to press on.

We loaded into Charlie's old Toyota Previa van (he claims it's his wife's, but I swear he drives it more than she does) and began what should have been a 12 hour trip to South Carolina broken up over two days of driving.

We were literally 30 minutes into our trip when the van began to make a high-pitched whining sound. Then the shaking began another couple of minutes later. We knew our trip was over when plumes of smoke started pouring out of the tailpipe.

We tucked our tails between our legs and called Greg's wife Cheryl. After Cheryl got done laughing at us, she came and picked us up and brought us home.

We ended up watching the race at Greg's house on TV. Not quite what we had envisioned, but a great NASCAR Memory nonetheless! « Collapse
Larry C. , of Waterford, MI

Posted: 12-26-07 12:00 PM EST
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In 2004 I was able to attend my first race at Watkins Glen with a group of friends that have been going as a group for more than 15 years. WOW! Was I impressed, the different walks of life in attendance, to the parade and getting pics of Tony!

The funniest part of the story was a trip across the track to one of the OTHER campgrounds! One of our groups' brother is a police officer from the area assigned to work the race that day! He told... Read More » us we HAD to check this campground out, so after dark we crossed the track and entered the low price campground! No running water, no porta johns etc! But, let me tell you, these people were having just as much fun as everyone else!

After walking around and having a great time watching and enjoying these people, we started to head back. When we got to the gate to our campground, IT was closed and locked! Now what to do?

We found a security officer and explained our situation. He informed us we would have to walk several miles back to main gate and show our track passes. (THEY WERE BACK AT OUR CAMPSITES!) Now, the four of us are all in our 50's and feeling kind of foolish, so we found another officer and begged, prodded and pleaded! He finally told us that his brother was working main gate and if we could hitch a ride over there, he would let us back in!

After searching, we found a back gate attendant who was getting off work and was willing to take us back to the gate! Whew, thank goodness! After getting to the gate, we got a 5 minute lecture on keeping track of time and keeping our badges with us! Like we were kids! I think we gave these same speeches to our kids! Moral of the story, keep your tickets with you and wear a watch! « Collapse
April A. , of Pell City, AL

Posted: 12-26-07 12:00 PM EST
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My best NASCAR memory has to be taking my son to qualifying. He was 3 yrs old, and now he's 5. He loves racing! To see the excitement on his face when we walked into Talladega Superspeedway was just the best thing in the world. His face lit up like a Christmas tree. I thought he'd be scared from the noise, but he jumped up and down yelling, "woo hoo".

I will never forget it. He didn't stop watching when his favorite driver was done. He... Read More » wanted to stay for the VERY last car to go.

Being a single mother, it's hard to get the extra cash to buy tickets to a Nextel cup race. To win them, would be just the most awesome experience for him. « Collapse
Jim C. , of Jensen Beach, FL

Posted: 12-26-07 12:00 PM EST
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I've been a fan of Smoke since he came over from open wheel. And I've only been to one race so far, that being the Ford 400 in Homestead!! I'm sure you know that every fan must experience a race in person at least once!! I wish I could see some of the other tracks.

Nonetheless, I was at Homestead when Tony won his second championship. It was a great experience. The part that I will always remember is after Tony won, I stood at the base... Read More » of the flag stand waiting and hoping he would climb the fence!! We waited and waited, had to be at least 45 minutes. Watched him go from one celebration to another, then on to interviews.

Ultimately we thought he wasn't going to come over to the fence, so we decided to head for the car to drive back home that night. Much to my dismay, I found out that after the Speed TV interviews, he did in fact climb the fence!! Right at the flag stand!! Right where I was standing waiting with my camera!!!! What a missed opportunity to get a real good close up of Smoke!!

Of course, the ultimate memory would be to meet Smoke in person! Thanks for the chance! GO TONY!! « Collapse