Sprint Car Photoshoot

Saturday was our first Sprint car race of the season, it was so busy I didn't have a chance to take my camera out of its bag!  I arrived at 3pm and it was non-stop until 11pm...crazay!  We had 27 sprint cars and three supporting classes, when I finally had a minute to catch my breath I figured we had 63 racing vehicles in total.  That's pretty cool.

I met up with TSR earlier in the day to photograph the cars.  Before they went to the track.  Just in case they got...dirty lol!

So, I'll let you in on a little secret.  I'm actually not impressed with these pics.  I haven't really been happy with my racing photo's lately...I'm still turning it over in my head, got some idea's.  Now I just gotta make them into plans!

Anyways, introducing TSR!   There's a story behind the paint scheme...its based on Jimmy Spencer's (a retired NASCAR driver) Smokin Joe car...I don't get why that makes it so cool, guess itsa guy thing lol!  I DO think they look pretty flashy though!

Driven by:

#32 - Sean Moskal

 and #23 - Brad Robertson

Brad had the whole family along...I have yet to meet a racer who didn't like a photo of a little person in his/her car.  I imagine your own kid would be extra fun!

SOOO funny, I'm convinced this is what drivers would LIKE to do when things don't go as planned....

Team Shot:  Car owners, drivers, kids and dog included lol!

Oh ya...I said Brad brought the whole family right?  In my opinion, the racing world could use more pink!

The dark side of racing

Seriously, Saturday morning I woke up dreaming of burning sprint cars. I don't really buy into premonition or superstition...and actually I know exactly what conversation led to that particular dream...but lemme tell you it still left me feeling uneasy all day. Saturday night I was at BCR, the sprints were at RMRP...Sean will probably kick my a## and call me a pansy when/if he reads this...but it was a small relief to know he wasn't racing. Unfortunately racing is a family (actually...its fortunately...I'm fortunate to be part of this crazy family) and there were plenty of other guys, some that I've also known for years, strapping themselves into sprint cars that night.

One day I should do a post on race car safety...from a science/biology aspect I find it super interesting. And fortunately at the higher levels of racing (e.g. mods/sprints/late models) you almost never see people taking short cuts with their equipment. The argument I've heard...and made...is that you are actually safer in a race car than you are on the highway...and in my logical moments I really believe that.

But after Sean's accident this summer I SAW the bruises on his legs and back...a few weeks later his back gave out and he missed 2 weeks of work (now I'm gonna get my a## kicked for sure lol!)......and it freaked me out. I was also reminded this summer that people have DIED racing in Alberta...and that freaked me out too.

THEN yesterday I was on an Alberta racing forum and read that Canadian sprint car driver, Travis Rutz, had been in a bad racing accident on the weekend. I won't lie, until yesterday I had NO IDEA who he was...but then you start googling a few things...and you realize that is someone's kid/brother/friend/mentor...I thought I dodged a bullet Saturday night when everyone I KNEW came home safe...but remember that racing family part? There is a knot in my chest at the thought that ANYONE in a race car didn't go home safe this weekend...

I know that next year Sean is gonna strap himself back into 1500lbs of race car and who knows how many gallons of highly explosive fuel...and then rocket himself around a dirt track like a little kid on a go-cart. I know I'll be cheering him on because I am only too proud of him and any other racer who has the determination and dedication to make this crazy dream they have a reality. But I also know that each weekend I will pretend to have no fears, to not get emotional and freaked out after a big wreck, and to not remember that every now and then something happens to remind you how fragile life really is.

Along with thousands of others in the racing community...my thoughts are with Travis, his family and his friends.

Victory at RMRP

Ha...I love nights like last night, when the totally unplanned turns into wonderful! My summers are usually so busy that I don't have time to join the 'race tour' even though I have been curious to check out Rocky Mountain Raceway Park in High River since they expanded their track. My pal Sean had been recruited to drive the #397 sprint car while its regular driver Kyle recovered from an unfortunate mechanical bull riding incident LOL. When I asked if there would be room for me to tag along I got promoted to 'Honorary Crew Chief'...so yesterday we were off to the races.

The track was running a little light for volunteers so I offered to help with line-ups...I always find it very interesting to see how other tracks run their shows. In fact I would love to see how a NASCAR race is organized/facilitated...so if anyone has any pull with NASCAR let me know!

As you can tell, I wasn't all that upset that my 'relaxing' evening of watching racing had been interrupted. I find it really hard to sit still at a race track, and yes, I am really just this happy to be at the races. In my opinion dirt tracks make for some awesome racing, but they do take a lot of additional prep work through the week to be ready for the weekend. Usually the drivers are expected to help pack the track, I have to admit it had been quite some time since I had seen that amount of mud, it was crazy!
After you finish packing the track you have to remove all that mud, even before I ever started my current job there was a good reason why I never kept my nails long. Sean wanted me to take this picture as evidence that he really does help scrape mud...

It was very exciting when Sean won his first heat...

But no where near as exciting as watching him win the feature event! What a change from a few weekends ago when he took his car home in pieces, to last night when he took home the trophy! Let me tell you the Moskal's sure know how to celebrate. I'm not 100% sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sean slept with that trophy last night...that's just how they roll.One of my favorite parts about racing is how the story lives on forever...this was the 'first' telling of Sean's big win...which is doubly funny when you think about the fact that ALL of these guys had actually watched the race!It was a great night, I was so glad to be a part of it!

Bumper to Bumper, Side by Side

It was back to BCR this weekend for another weekend of wild! I'd like to introduce you to the truck stocks...these guys are CRAZAY! I love watching them, they can go 4 wide through the corners and not touch each other (or the wall) which is a feat let me tell you! They are a dream to work with and are usually lined up to go racing before we have to ask, and they never complain when things don't go as planned. They come out each weekend to have fun, and although they are competitive, for the most part they don't let it get in the way of their camaraderie.

The Sportman Sprints were racing again this weekend, my good friend Sean Moskal had his newly painted sprint car out.

Sean, my husband Mike, and my dad raced street stocks together many many years ago. Additionally Sean and Mike work together at Southern Rewind, Southern Rewind is also one of Sean's sponsors.

So before I get blasted for playing favorites...I really do try to cheer for everyone equally. Every weekend I want to see good, clean, fun racing. I want every driver to go home safe, and preferably with their car in once piece...after all, I want to see you race again next week! I have learned there is more to racing that winning (although I'm sure the drivers will tell you differently lol!) and on many occasions I have seen drivers as excited to have raced hard and clean beside their friend as they would have been to take home the trophy.

That being said, Saturday night things came together for Sean and he lead the race for the first half of the main event. I was so excited for him, and although I really did want him to win I was really hoping that he had finally ironed out some of the kinks he seemed to keep running into. A caution come out and Sean fell to 3rd place which would have still been a respectable finish for him. However with about 3 laps to go Sean had to pass a lapped car, and I'm not sure what exactly happened but Sean's car ended up tumbling down the backstretch into corner 3.

Don't get me wrong, Sprint cars are fun and they are FAST! BUT they are a light car, with a short and narrow wheel base...and although the wing is meant to apply downforce and keep the car on the track it doesn't take much for them to go airborne. Watching a sprint wreck is awful...it doesn't matter who is in that car. I have never understood people who wait anxiously for 'the big one' from the stands, obviously they have never watched their loved one race. Fortunately Sean's safety equipment did its job and he walked away, however I don't think the average fan realizes how much money and time goes into preparing a car for racing and that each big wreck might be a racers last.

I'll leave you with the 'after' photo, OUCHIE!

Bridge County Raceway

I am a long time volunteer at Bridge County Raceway and this weekend was very exciting as we welcomed the ASCS CanWest Sprint Car series to Lethbridge. We regularly feature the Sportsman Sprints at BCR, the main difference between these two tours is the engine. ASCS runs a 360 engine while the Sportman run a smaller version (at least that's how I understand it...sprint car engines are not my forte lol!). Due to the recession and other factors the ASCS car count has suffered a little this year and a few of our Sportman drivers helped round out the field.

At the end of the day #6m Sean Moran took the checkered flag, he is what you could call Racing Royalty in Alberta and I have watched him do very well at our track in the past.

#44 Kelly Miller is the only local driver who is currently racing ASCS...his dad Donny has a long history of sprint car racing...and he owes me a beer:).

The following teams are the local Sportman cars supported the ASCS this weekend.

#33 Stuart Selby

#77 Rick Tessemaker#21 Calvin Fitch