Texas - Day 4 - Sunday, April 15

Sunday was race day. We got up and got moving with excitement and anticipation.

Around 8am Dave came knocking at our hotel room door saying we had to get a move-on to beat the race day traffic. Dave had that Belt Sander on the fly - until we hit… that’s right, race day traffic. We could see the track, but couldn't move. Eventually we got in and found a parking spot.

We headed to the infield, and ended up at just the right place at the exactly right time. Talk about a God-ordained moment! I looked up and saw a group of men standing there talking. It was then I saw him - The King himself, Richard Petty. I said, “Susan!” and she turned and saw him too. I thought she was gonna have a coronary – after she realized she about walked into THEE Richard Petty! We asked for an autograph and picture. He was very gracious to oblige. What a blessing!

Susan realizes it's THEE Richard Petty!

I get my credential holder signed by Mr. Petty.

We went with Merri to the 38 pit and chatted with the guys there. Told them we missed them, they seemed to like that idea. I called my brother Gary from Dave’s cell, telling him the events of the weekend thus far, and that we got to see Richard Petty.

Big Ed

Then we headed down pit road to the 19 pit. We hung out there and took a few pics. Susan started chatting up one of the guys and asked him his name. He said, “Oh, I’m Ed.” We said, “Are you ‘Big Ed’?!” He said he was and we had a good laugh, explaining we had heard Josh talk about Big Ed on the scanner and wondered who he was.

Alnee poses for her traditional picture in the 19 pit area.

Susan had to take a picture of an "approved" deck lid bolt!

Me in the 19 Pit.

It was here we ran into Dean and Judy, another Texas couple who we knew from the SFC message board, and had met last September at the Barn Party in Emporia.

Robin, Dave, Alnee, Judy (with the sign), Dean, Mel & Susan

It was good to see them! After chit-chatting with them a bit we parted ways and went to the outside of the track where we did a little more shopping!

Michael Waltrip signing autographs at his souviner hauler.

It was along this trip down the shopping “mall” of merchandise trailers I was "abandoned" by my group. I thought we stopped to watch Hermie on Race Day at the Speed Stage, but I guess everyone else kept going long before I did! I bought a Speed t-shirt at the hauler next door and waited around thinking someone would come back for me. They didn’t! I had to pee so bad it hurt, had a headache and I was hot, hungry and thirsty. My stupid cell doesn’t work in the US. No payphones in site. What to do? I saw a rather brawny Ft. Worth Policeman standing by his cruiser near the entrance gate. He was talking on his cell phone and looked rather official. He got off the phone. I nervously approached him, and told him my predicament.

I’mfromCanadaandIgotseparatedfrommyfriendsIdon’tknowhowtofindthemcanIuseyourphone?

I was almost in tears. Well, it musta worked because he nodded and handed me the phone. I said, “It’s an Austin number, is that ok?” He said, “Sure”. I called Susan and praise God she answered! They were just getting down to the seats. She said she would come get me but I said no, I would just come in – I just didn’t know where everyone had gone. I thanked the man for letting me use his phone, asked God to bless him abundantly and headed on into the track.

I walked in the gate and there was a whole bank of payphones. GAH!!! The bathroom on my right, the concession on my left – all right there. First things first, gotta Truex! Then went and got a corn dawg and a couple cold drinks and headed down to our seats.

I found Robin and we got set up with the scanner. “Teyun-fowuh!” Since qualifying had been cancelled due to the “severe weather”, points determined the starting line-up. That meant Jeff Gordon was on the pole and Elliott was starting 15th.


Alnee took some great race photos with Robin’s swanky camera.


Pace car is off and the field comes around 4 to take the green flag.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had some problems.

Rookie David Ragan had a rough day.
There's a lotta duct tape on that car.

The track safety crew looking for debris after a wreck.

I'm sure I heard the guy in the back seat yell,
"Hey! Is that a WAFFLE?!?!"

Only in Texas...

My scanner buddy! Robin & me enjoying the day.

In the end Jeff Burton and the 31 team won the race.

We took our time leaving the grandstand, as post-race traffic is always crazy with 150,000+ people all trying to go home at the same time. We found we could exit out the end of the track without having to climb those dang stairs, thank you Merri for spying the way out!!!








We walked past the heli-pad and wondered who was on all those helichopters.





We finally got to the Belt Sander and hung out a while, chatting, resting… We talked to Phil as he was back at his RV but there was no way we could get through the traffic to go for one last visit.

Susan & Merri reviewed pictures. Robin rested. Later, Susan displayed a lug nut she scoffed from pit road while Alnee begged Susan not to abandon her!


We listened to the post race shows on the radio where we learned Dale Earnhardt Jr. had ran the last few laps of the race in the 5 car after both he and Kyle Busch had had problems and crashed out. Kyle had left the track. How monumental that would turn out to be, eh. What foreshadowing!

Dave listening to the radio.

In the distance, we saw smoke - a LOT of thick black smoke. It was a car fire. I don’t know how the fire truck got through the traffic but they got there and put it out. I said one for those people – what a horrible end to their race weekend that must have been.

We had parked at the corner of Victory and Burton. Who knew?!

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped for dinner at one of my most favourite saouthern places to eat - Cracker Barrel. Mmmmm mmmmmm. Raspberry iced tea, fried chicken, mac & cheese, hash brown casserole… As my Gran would say, “Nothin’ finer!”

Alnee rocks on the front porch at Cracker Barrel

It was back to the hotel to crash, as Monday Merri and Alnee would be heading home, and Robin & I would go back to Austin with Susan and Dave.