It’s 1 hour prior to race time this fine Sunday afternoon at PIR. As I make my way over to my seat it is a “sea of humanity” waddling towards the grandstands!
The foot traffic was wall to wall once inside the facilities. The race track is paying tribute to all military veterans, since Weds. was Veteran’s Day. There is a swearing in ceremony for those individuals who were joining the different branches of the U. S. Armed Forces today!
God bless our youth who bear the brunt of our continous fight for freedom. Freedom caries with it “the ultimate price”!
Anyway it is a beautiful day in Phoenix! Now it is time for me to get to my seat, put on my scanner gear, buckle in and pull those belts tight one more time!!
Let’s go racin’ boys!!
P.S. To all my friends and family, who like myself served in the military, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service to the USA!
Excuse me while I’M WORKING ON MY REDNECK! Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
It is about 30 minutes to the drop of the Green Flag for the Phoenix Nationwide race. The pre-race festivities are wrapping up with the driver introductions.
The fans are filing into their seats with great anticipation for an exciting 200 mile race! Kyle Busch could wrap up his first Nationwide Series championship with a good finish at the end of the race.
The bright colors of the race fan’s fashion correct ensemble is a stark contrast in driver loyalities. There are M&M’s logos for Kyle Busch, there are GameStop stuff for Joey Logano/Denny Hamlin, Chevy logos, Toyota, and Ford logos! It is a truly “win on Sunday, selll on Monday”!! The national anthem is over, the flyby has happenend, give ‘em THE COMMAND TO CRANK THE. ENGINES! Let’s go racing boys! Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
It is Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Int’l Raceway and the Nationwide cars have finished qualifying. The Sprint Cup cars are now scheduled to get on the track for their qualifying session. Unfortunately the heavens have opened up and the rain is coming down! But the rain showers have now ceased, they were short lived! Today the Natiowide Series takes to the track at Phoenix Int’l Raceway for the Able Body Labor 200. I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK! Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Victory Junction enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment.
Imagine a place where children with ongoing medical problems can learn, grow, have fun and enjoy a fantastic camping experience. Can you picture it? Adam Petty did. In 1999 Adam and his family participated in a charity motorcycle ride to benefit Camp Boggy Creek, a camp for seriously-ill children in Florida. From that day on, Adam dreamed of building a camp like Boggy Creek in North Carolina for children who cannot attend normal summer camps due to their unique medical needs.
Adam passed away in 2000, but his parents, Kyle and Pattie Petty, took action to make Adam’s dream come true. As they worked at this, Kyle and Pattie became involved with the Association of the Hole in the Wall Camps founded by actor Paul Newman. With guidance from Newman’s program and help from the Pettys’ friends in NASCAR, Kyle and Pattie were able to raise the funds necessary to make Adam’s dream a reality.
Victory Junction opened in June 2004 and this year will be celebrating its fifth year anniversary. Working as a year round camp, Victory Junction serves children, ages 6-16, with a number of different health issues. During the summer, Victory Junction offers weeklong, disease-specific sessions with up to 128 kids per session. During the fall, winter and spring, family weekends are offered and serve up to 32 families per weekend. And, all this is possible thanks to the generosity of corporations, individuals, and organizations, no child or family has had to incur the cost of attending Victory Junction.
Located in Randleman, NC, Victory Junction is built upon 84 beautiful acres donated by Richard and Lynda Petty. Themed around NASCAR racing, the camp echoes the sights, sounds, and feel of a real racetrack! Victory Junction has 42 buildings and program areas, such as Adam’s Race Shop, Goody’s Body Shop (medical center), the Hendrick Motorsports Fuel Stop (dining hall), the Silver Theater, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Water Park, the Michael Waltrip Operation Marathon Sportscenter, Kurt Busch Superdome, Jimmie Johnson Victory Lanes (bowling alley) and Jessie’s Horse Power Garage (stables and riding arena), there is no shortage of fun and empowering activities!
To date, Victory Junction has changed the lives of more than 10,000 children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses and their families. (Victory Junction Gang Camp)
The Victory Junction Gang is a charity that I hold near and dear. It is one of the two charities that I fully support and donate to each year, the other is St. Jude’s in Memphis.
Kyle Petty maybe the son of Richard Petty, and had to live in the show of greatness for all of his life. But what he really may be remembered for will nothing to do with NASCAR! I believe the legacy that both Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie will be remembered for will be for The Victory Junction GangCamp and what they have been able to do for the chronically ill children!
It is quite impressive that Kyle and Pattie Petty were able to take an idea that their 18 year old son, Adam, had and make it become a reality!
Read my article on the “new agreement” between George Gillett, the primary shareholder of Richard Petty Motorsports and Prince Faisal of the Royal Saudi Family. It is the first step in Gillett selling his stake in Richard Petty Motorsports to the Royal Family!
Look out for one fast “camel jockey”, here he comes!
