Hello race fans! Well, is anyone ready for racing to start up again? I know I am. I know it's only been a little over two weeks, but I already have the itch to go to a race! I know Daytona is only about nine weeks away, but it seems like an eternity for me! Looks like the Nationwide race could have a new face in it's lineup. Getting ready to hear the official announcement today that Danica Patrick has signed with JR Motorsports to run a limited schedule in the Nationwide Series. You go girl!!! She is scheduled make her debut Feb. 13th at Daytona. Maybe that will help to sell a few more tickets for that race. I know I want to be there to see it. I know she has a tall order ahead of her, and no one should expect her to go out there and set the world on fire in 2010, but I think with alot of seat time, good race cars and alot of good direction, she will do well. I wish her all the best!

So, how many of you watched the Sprint Cup Series Awards Banquet? I watched the entire thing, even though I had to get up at 4 am to go to New York City the next day. (I missed not looking out for any NASCAR drivers, since the banquet was always there every year. ) It was pretty good, I heard the initial reaction from everyone involved, was very good. They liked the change of scenery and from what I hear, the cost was alot cheaper than New York. Imagine that! Everyone's speeches were about the same, mostly boring, except for Denny Hamlin's, which was quite comical. When he was going through his sponsors, he thanked Wiley X sunglasses, which he could have used a pair at Homestead when he spun Brad Keselowski out! That drew a large laugh from the crowd! All in all, it was a good night. Everyone looked great in their tuxedos and gowns, but I especially liked Rutledge Woods' pink tuxedo! If you missed it, go on NASCAR.COM and check it out. Only he could get away with wearing that!

I'm sure everyone is getting ready for Christmas right now as I am too, and I can't believe another season has come and gone already! I am looking forward to the holidays, once they are over, it's only a few weeks until Daytona! Can't wait for 2010 and another year of NASCAR racing!

I hope you will think of me on Wednesday, Dec. 9th as I will be having my gallbladder removed! Not a big deal, just looking forward to it being over with. Also, please keep the mom's of the owners Lynch Tours & More in your thoughts and prayers this next week. Terry's mom, Dora, will be having surgery Wednesday Dec. 9th and Chris' mom, Ev, is having surgery on the 15th. Best wishes to both of them on a speedy recovery!

Until the next time, have a great holiday, and we'll see you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well, I can't believe it, but the season is all over! But what an exciting finish in all three NASCAR series starting with the truck race on Friday night. Congratulations to Ron Hornaday on winning the Camping World Truck Series Championship! He should be back next year as strong as ever and should be in the running for another championship. Congratulations also goes to Kyle Busch for not only winning the Nationwide Series Championship, but he did it in style by winning the Ford 300 on Saturday night. That was truley an exciting race as the Denny Hamlin/Brad Keselowski fued continued. Denny made good on his promise to get Brad back on the racetrack by spinning him out! Too bad he didn't hit him a little harder that he would have wrecked his car! Sorry all of you Keselowski/Dale Jr. fans, but he had that one coming! Denny still finished ahead of Brad even though he was penalized one lap for rough driving! And lastly, congratulations goes to Jimmie Johnson on winning a record fourth straight Sprint Cup Series Championship! I was really hoping Mark Martin would have gotten up there and made it a little more interesting, but Jimmie still would have had to have something catastrophic happen to him for Mark to even get close. Even so, it was a great race and congrats to Denny Hamlin for winning the Ford 400! It was great being able to be there and witness history with Jimmie and see Denny win another race! I was sad when it was over, but I know Daytona is just around the corner and will be here before we know it!

As we go into the off season, I will be making some posts, but not as often as during the racing season. If there are any interesting subjects that come up, you can be sure I will be writing about them and giving my opinion.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has read my blogs over the last several months. It was a first for me and I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I hope everyone has a very blessed Thanksgiving and I'm sure I will be blogging before the Christmas holiday. But until then, have a great turkey day and be safe if you are traveling!

Can't wait till next year so I can see you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well, here we are with only one race left in the 2009 NASCAR season and it looks like Jimmy Johnson is going to be the first driver to win four Sprint Cup Championships in a row! I thought maybe after last weekend in Texas, Mark Martin would have been able to close in on Jimmy even more this past weekend in Phoenix. But instead, Jimmy goes and wins the race and extends his lead over Mark! I couldn't believe it! And now, Jeff Gordon is mathmatically out of the running once the race starts on Sunday. So, does anyone think something could happen to Jimmy on Sunday and Mark could possibly win the title?!!! Wishful thinking, but I think it's in the bag for the Lowe's team. As much as I hate to admit it, they have been on top of their game all year. I don't know what it's going to take to stop them, but I hope someone gets the chance to try next year. I was never a real big Mark Martin fan, but I would have like to see him win this year. You could tell by his interview on Sunday after the race, that he was really dejected. He probably thinks this is the closest he's going to get to winning it, but, he is going to continue racing through 2011, so we'll see what happens.

I thought the race in Phoenix was a little boring, but there was one big wreck in it that hindered some good drivers from contending for the win. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and others got caught up in the melee and never did recover. The season can't be over soon enough for Jr. I'm sure. This was a miserable season for him and I'm sure his fans can't wait for next year either!

And, what about the ongoing feud between Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin! You know who I'm sticking up for. I couldn't believe Brad took Denny out in the Nationwide race on Saturday. I'm sorry, but that was uncalled for. It's one thing to bump and run, it's another to bump, then bump again and then spin the guy out. He better watch out, there are several drivers besides Hamlin that are watching him!!!

I am sad that the season is coming to a close, but am glad that I have the opportunity to attend the last race this weekend in Miami. The weather looks great and I'm looking forward to some great racing and alot of fun! If you're at the race track, look for me with my Lynch Tours shirt on, or stop by our bus and say hello! Good luck everyone, especially to Jimmy and Mark, be safe, and may the best man win! (Oh, and good luck to Denny too!)

See you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well, who would have thought that we would be talking about Jimmie Johnson crashing at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend, finishing 38th and taking a huge hit in the points! I know everyone, including myself, thought the championship was all but wrapped up, but I guess we shouldn't have assumed anything. I know that 73 points is still a pretty comfortable lead, but if he has any trouble these last two races, it's Mark Martin who will be right there, like he was this past weekend, to take advantage of it. Now, having said that, the likelihood of that happening is slim, but stranger things have happened! But at least we know now that Jimmy Johnson is human after all! Also, what a great job Mark Martin did to close the gap on Jimmy and even though Jeff Gordon gained 80 points on Jimmy, I still think 112 points is a pretty big margin to make up with only 2 races to go. I guess we'll have to wait and see how all this all plays out after this weekend. Congratulations goes to Kurt Busch on a great win!

Now, I thought that Kyle Busch was going to pull off the trifecta this weekend. He won the truck race and the Nationwide race, but came up short when he ran out of gas with three laps to go in the Sprint cup race. And just when I thought he had turned the corner and put away his childish actions, he lets me down by snubbing the media after the race was over, leaving his brand new crew chief, Dave Rogers to speak for him. Now I'm sure he was very mad, especially when the person passing him for the win was his brother Kurt, but so were alot of the other drivers who ran out of fuel also and some of them, on the very last lap! But, you heard from some of them, including Jimmy, who should have been the most upset, and they handled the media with no problem. I know that Kyle is not obligated to talk to anyone after the race, but it would have been nice to hear what his thoughts were about coming so close to making history. But, then again, maybe we wouldn't have wanted to hear him! Either way, I thought it was very unclassy of him to act like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. Let's hope it doesn't happen again any time soon. We do have to remember that Kyle is only 24 years old, though that doesn't excuse his behaviour, I just think he has a lot of growing up to do.

On to Phoenix this weekend. This track reminds me of a small Pocono, so I think anyone who does well on the flat tracks, should do well this weekend. Again, Lynch Tours will have a group out there so be on the lookout for Terry who will be wearing his Lynch Tours shirt. If you see him, stop and say hello! To the drivers, crew members, and fans, good luck and have a safe weekend, and as always, we'll see you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well, the drivers survived another nail biting race at Talladega this past weekend. Although, some would probably like to forget about it! I've heard alot of people complaining about the restrictor plate racing and how NASCAR is enforcing too many rules. I agree that they probably shouldn't be telling them how to drive the car, but they are also looking out for the safety of the drivers and the fans by putting a smaller plate on all the cars. I don't like to watch them drive around in single file for a good part of the race. Let them bump draft in the turns, let them go below the yellow line, at least they would have no one to blame but themselves if they wreck! As long as they keep them bunched up in packs there is going to be the potential for the BIG ONE! In my opinion, the reason the for most of the accidents are because of guys blocking. Look at this past spring race there, Carl Edwards was blocking Brad Keselowski to try and hold onto the lead, and we all know what the outcome was there! Let's face it, when you have 43 guys racing inches apart for 4 hours at 200mph, something is bound to happen. So I say, let 'em race without all those rules, let's get back to the good ole days of beatin and bangin and put the race back in the hands of the drivers! Like Ryan Newman said after his scary tumble, "I respect NASCAR, I wish they would respect me." I was very glad that Ryan and Mark Martin could walk away after those accidents and kudos to NASCAR for making a safe race car. Having said all that, I think it was a pretty typical Talladega race and congratulations to Jamie McMurray on a great win!

Next subject, I guess the Danica Patrick story is not dead after all. Hearing that she is close to signing a two year deal with JR Motorsports. She is supposedly going to continue to run in the IRL series and run a limited schedule in the Nationwide and Truck series in 2010. I guess if she's going to do it, that's the way it should be done. At least it will give her some seat time, but man is she going to have a busy schedule! I hope she can keep up with it! Stay tuned!

Lastly, I wanted to share with everyone that Lynch Tours & More, the company that I am a tour guide for, is now on Facebook and Twitter. So look us up and follow us as we travel to the different race tracks throughout the year. We'll be posting information and pictures to keep you informed of happpenings on and off the track. Check out our latest pictures from Talladega!

Good luck to everyone this weekend at Texas. It should be an exciting race, and even though Jimmy Johnson has basically wrapped up his fourth straight title, I think you will see the rest of the chasers push the limit a little more than they would have if they would be up there fighting for the championship. So look for guys like Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart to be up front vying for a win along with Jimmy! Be safe and we'll see you at the races!

PS. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who lost loved ones and those who were injured yesterday at the Fort Hood Military Base in Texas.

Hello race fans! Well the last short track race of the year was certainly an exciting one! Denny Hamlin once again, won in his home state of Virginia and dethroning Jimmy Johnson.
Congratulations Denny! Once again, Lynch Tours had a great time in Martinsville this past weekend and even though we sat on the bus for a good part of the day on Saturday, waiting for the rain to pass for the truck race, it was still a good time. Congratulations also goes to hometown favorite, Timothy Peters on a great run in the truck race.

Now, onto the most important race in the Chase, Talladega. Many think this is the race that could ultimately decide the 2009 Sprint Cup Champion. I tend to agree, after all, anything can and almost always will happen at this track. I think it's going to be whoever survives the "big one" that will have the best shot at the title. I think it's safe to say that the only ones left to challenge Jimmy for the championship are Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. Tony Stewart (who I picked at the beginning of the Chase to win) might be a long shot but again, I believe it will all depend on who is left standing at the end of the race. I know I will be watching at home with anticipation to see who wins! If you happen to be in Talladega this weekend, Lynch Tours will be there, so stop by the bus parking lot between turns 3 and 4 and say hello.

Now, there is one more subject I would like to address this week. I just read on NASCAR.com that AJ Allmendinger was arrested early Thursday morning after failing a sobriety test when he was pulled over for driving under the influence. What are these drivers thinking???? Michael Waltrip just barely passed the same test when he was pulled over for the same thing just 2 weeks ago! These guys are supposed to be role models and what kind of example are they setting for all the young race fans out there. Especially when their jobs require them getting behind the wheel of a race car that goes sometimes over 200mph! I'm sorry, but I just don't understand it. They both have addressed the situations and apologized, but I honestly question whether these guys should be driving a race car. Maybe that sounds a little harsh, but remember, NASCAR has been extremely harsh with the Jeremy Mayfield case, and if they are going to reprimand him, maybe they should consider doing the same to these drivers who are abusing achohol. After all, whose to say that they aren't "under the influence" while they are driving their race cars?!! Anyway, I think it's something that needs to be looked at very closely.

Moving along, good luck to everyone this weekend in Talladega. Have a safe race, and oh by the way, in case you didn't know, history will be made on Saturday as the first father/daughter will be competing in the truck race. Good luck to Mike and Chrissy Wallace!

See you at the races!

Hello race fans! I am still thinking about what a great time I had with my husband and nephew last weekend in Charlotte. It was fantastic and even though I am not a Jimmie Johson fan, I was very excited to raise a glass of champagne and toast him along with my customers from Lynch Tours. Everyone had a great time and we received alot of nice comments from our customers. Thanks to everyone!

I am writing this week's blog sitting in a hotel room in Roanoke, Virginia. My husband and I are attending this weekend's race in Martinsville. I have a group down here with Lynch Tours and am looking forward to a great weekend! I just love the short tracks and this is the last one of the year, so I will be sad when it is over on Sunday.

I listened to qualifying on SIRRIUS NASCAR radio on the way down to the hotel today and was pleasantly surprised to hear that Ryan Newman is on the pole for Sunday's race! I think it has been a while since he has started there and, what a place to get back on top. There were also a few other surprises in the top ten, like Martin Truex, Jr. (3rd) David Reutimann (5th), Casey Mears, Joey Logano, Bobby Labonte, Reed Sorenson, and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top 10. Way to go guys, and we all know that starting up front at Martinsville is very important, not only for the race, but also for pit selection. That could make all the difference for them. Also, a big surprise was who isn't starting up front. Tony Stewart, Jimmy Johnson and Denny Hamlin all starting 13th and back. The biggest surprise is Juan Pablo Montoya who is starting a distant 21st! But, anything can happen at this track and most certainly will, so we will find out after 500 laps on Sunday.

So once again, good luck to everyone this weekend. It's going to be an exciting race and I can't wait to see it! Be safe out there and if you're at the track, don't forget to buy one of those famous Martinsville red hot dogs!

See you at the races!

Hello race fans! Once again I am a little behind on my blogging as I took a little time off. But, I didn't miss out on any of the racing the last two weeks. Congratulations goes to Tony Stewart on his win at Kansas and of course Jimmy Johnson on his win in California.


As I stated in my last blog, I am very concerned about the domination Jimmy has had in the series right now. Don't get me wrong, they certainly have done their homework, but as I stated previously I don't think it's good that every week it's the same driver starting up front, leading practice and winning the race. We need some other driver's to step up to the plate and give him some competition. Now, Juan Pablo Montoya certainly has been doing that as is Mark Martin, but it's the same three drivers week after week. No wonder ratings and attendance are down. Who wants to tune in or go to a race that we know the same person is winning all the time. I don't want to sound like a whiner, but let's get real here, it's the truth! I still would like to see somebody like Mark or Juan win the title or even the one I predicted to win it, Tony Stewart. I think my man, Denny Hamlin, threw his chances out the window at California with that "rookie mistake" he made while leading the race. Better luck this weekend Denny! Now, that's the last time I will mention that subject!

Now for this weekend's race at Charlotte. I will be there with Lynch Tours so if you're at the race track, look us up! I am looking forward to a great time there as my husband and nephew will be attending with me. We will be attending qualifying on Thursday night, doing some shop tours on Friday morning before the Nationwide race and then, to top off our great weekend, on Saturday night we will be toasting the winner of the Sprint Cup race in the Speedway Club! Last year we toasted with Jeff Burton! This is definitely one of my favorite trips!

So having said that, best of luck to all the drivers this weekend. This is their home track and I'm sure this is one they would all love to win. So, drivers, crew members, track workers and fans, be safe out there and have a good one!

See you at the races!

Hello race fans! Sorry I'm a litte behind on writing and missed last week's entry but, I'm back now weighing in on last weekend's race at Louden and this week's race at Dover. Congratulations to Mark Martin on his win in New Hampshire. Who knew that a 50 year old man could get the job done the way that Mark has this year. He certainly is going to challenge my pick, Tony Stewart, for the title this year. Also, the big surprise has been Juan Pablo Montoya! He has really made great strides this year and is looking like a serious contender.

Now for Dover. Congrats also goes to Jimmy Johnson for his win at the Monster Mile. What a dominating car he had and he showed he was the class of the field. Maybe I was wrong about him, he just took a little longer to start running like the Jimmy we all know. But, having said that, if he continues to dominate the way he has been, I'm afraid of what it's going to do for the sport. People are not going to want to go the race track and see the same guy winning races and the championship. And even though I'm not a true Mark Martin fan, he probably would help the sport by bringing back some of the old timers that have stayed away. We need someone like him to win the championship. I think the sport also needs for Dale Jr. to step up to the plate and start running up front and contending for wins. I don't care what anybody says, I really think that is hurting attendance and tv ratings! After all, he is the most popular driver on the circuit!
Again, I am not a Jr. fan, but if things are going to pick up, he needs to pick it up! Also, I was glad to see Joey Logano was ok after that terrifying wreck. I was there, and let me tell you it was pretty scary to watch. I'm sure he will be sore for the next couple of days.

Now that we are two races into the Chase, it looks like we are starting to separate the men from the boys. No offense to anyone, but I think if you are not close to within 100 points from the leader, your chances are getting pretty slim to win the title. I'm still not giving up hope on my driver Denny Hamlin, but he and the rest are going to have an awful lot of luck on their side if they are going to beat guys like Jimmy, Mark, and Juan.

Speaking of luck, I wish alot of good to all the drivers this weekend in Kansas. It should be a great race and I'm sure the favorites to win are going to be Jimmy and Mark again. Be safe out there and have a great race.

See you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well, I hate to say I was right, but, I was right! Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth did not make it into the Chase. As shocking as that is to alot of people, it's really not all that surprising. The two of them have not had stellar performances over the last several weeks. In fact, with the exception of Kyle's win at Bristol in August, that team has struggled every week since then. Also, since Matt's season opening win at Daytona and the following week's win at California, that team hasn't done much all season. So, it's really not a surprise to see either one of them not contending for the Championship. However, the biggest shock of the night for me was how gracious Kyle was in his interview after the race. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn't arrogant or down on his team. He actually sounded sincere, even though he had to be steaming mad on the inside. Way to go Kyle on a classy interview.

Congratulations to Denny Hamlin on finally winning at his home track! What a great race for the win and, also the great racing that took place with the guys trying to get those last few spots in the Chase. Brian Vickers did an awesome job those last few laps getting by Kyle and Sam Hornish Jr. to squeek his way into the Chase.

Now that the field is set, I am going to give my prediction on who I think will win the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Although I think Mark Martin is the sentimental favorite, I'm not sure he is consistent enough to pull it off. Jimmie Johnson certainly has the drive since he is going for a record 4th straight championship, but he has not had the car the last few weeks to contend for wins like he's had previously at this time of the year. Jeff Gordon would love to fulfill that "Drive for Five" dream, but he's another one that isn't as consistent as he needs to be. My favorite pick would have to be Denny Hamlin. He has the momentum going into the Chase with his win this past weekend and he's been solidly in the top 5 the last several weeks. However, I'm not quite sure they are where they need to be to win it this year. So, who is my pick? Tony Stewart. I know he hasn't run well the last few races, but who has better motive to win it than him. He's a first time car owner in his first year. Both of his cars made it into the Chase, and I think he would love to prove everyone wrong. No one expected him to win a race this year, much less win 3 (including the All-Star Challenge)and I know, no one ever thought he would be a top contender to win it all! So, that's who my pick is and I would love to know who you think will be at the head table in Las Vegas in December.

Good luck to all the Chase contenders starting this weekend in New Hampshire. Be safe and have a good race. I will be busy attending my mom's wedding this weekend. She is marrying a wonderful man after being a widow for the last 11 years. I love you mom and welcome to the family Bob.

See you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well, here we are, 3 days before the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and it is nail biting time for many of the drivers. I'm sure that those that are not quite locked in and those that are on the outside looking in are sweating it out about now. I know I would be! I'm going to give you my predictions for who I think will make it in and who will not. First of all, none of the drivers currently in 5th through 12th are safely locked in. Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, and Juan Montoya can breath a little easier than the rest. So, it's anyone's guess who will make it. My picks from 9th through 12th are going to be Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Gregg Biffle, and Brian Vickers. Yes, that's right, I don't think Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch are going to make the Chase!!! That doesn't mean I don't want them in, I just think their performances have not been what they should be the last several weeks, and Richmond is one of those tracks that you have to be on top of your game and stay out of trouble to have a decent finish. And let's face it, they need more than a decent finish they need a top five and/or a win. I might be wrong, and basically it's just a gut feeling that I have, that I picked who I did. Let me know who you think will make it.

I just read that Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing are merging and going to run Fords next year. Their drivers are going to be Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard. Reed Sorenson and Bobby Labonte are out of rides starting next year. What a shame for Bobby. A champion of the sport and now it looks like this year could be his last. I hope he can pick up a ride and race for a couple more years. Good luck Bobby!

I will be in Richmond this weekend for the race and I am so excited to see the outcome! Lynch Tours & More has 3 buses going so be on the lookout for us. Good luck to all the drivers this weekend, but especially the Chase contenders. Be safe and we'll see you at the races!

Hello race fans! Hope everyone had a great summer, but now that it's over, it means NASCAR is really heating up with the last two races before the Chase. I'm sure there have been some sleepless nights for some drivers, while others are resting quite comfortably at night. I know I am ready and can't wait for the Chase to begin.

I watched the Nationwide race on Sunday and found it to be quite interesting, if not comical. There were an awful lot of spins and crashes once the rain started and, some drivers couldn't keep their cars going in the right direction if their life depended on it! I know it had to be very frustrating for those drivers trying to race in the rain but, at least it wasn't as bad as last year. Congratulations to Carl Edwards on the victory but, my heart goes out to Marcos Ambrose. The poor guy leads a ton of laps and was flawless all day until he got to the last turn on the last lap and then he blows it! I think he was mirror driving and just flat out miss judged the turn. I've never seen Marcos not smiling or happy in an interview, but after that race, he was not happy with himself. I felt so bad for him. But, as we all know, the best car doesn't always win. Better luck this weekend Marcos.

This weekend's race in Atlanta should be an exciting one, as this will be the first scheduled race under the lights there. I still miss the Southern 500 not being run on Labor Day weekend, but I need to get over it and move on. Atlanta is a very fast race track, so I wish all of the drivers, crew members, and fans a very safe weekend.

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend! See you at the races!

Hello race fans! What a great race this past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway! I was there to see it in person and I have to say it was pretty exciting. How can you not like Bristol?! There was action all over the track all night long with two and three wide racing. Who would have ever thought we would see that there! Congratulations to Kyle Busch. He has certainly made the Chase even more exciting now. I think he will make it in, but he has his work cut out. There's alot of tight competition for those last few spots. There are only two races to decide who's in and who's out. Stay tuned!

Lynch Tours had a great weekend with our customers. The tailgate party was a success and I met alot of great people. Looking forward to my next race which is Richmond.

I've been hearing alot of chatter on my SIRRIUS Satellite Radio about people wanting to change the format of the Chase. I personally think it is great the way it is. I've heard suggestions about doing a fan vote to put the most popular driver in, which in my opinion, would not make much sense. You have to be good enough to make it into the top 12 and if you're not, you don't deserve to be in the Chase. Like the old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". And I don't think it's broke. I have to admit, when they first came up with the Chase, I thought it wasn't going to be a good idea, but as time went on, I began to realize that this is exactly what NASCAR needed. All other major sports teams have playoffs, why not NASCAR. Thanks to all the people who came up with the idea and made it work!

I'm sure everyone is looking forward to a weekend off this week. Some drivers I'm sure will be spending time relaxing and some will be heading to Montreal for the Nationwide race. Good luck to all the drivers taking part in that race. Be safe out there! Have a great weekend and we'll see you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well here we are with only 3 races left before the Chase, and after a great race in Michigan, (Congrats to Brian Vickers on an awesome race!)the only one with a guaranteed spot in the Chase is Tony Stewart. Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson are pretty much a shoe in and Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin are not far behind. But, we are heading to Bristol this weekend and we all know that anything can happen there! Guys like Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin are really going to have to points race, and let's face it, just surviving there is a feat in itself. Brian Vickers and Clint Bowyer will really have to step up to the plate to make it in and Kyle Busch, well he needs to drive the wheel off his car to make it in. Somehow, I think he does that every race anyway.

As I said, we are heading to Bristol this weekend which I am looking forward to as always. I know alot of people are not as thrilled with the "new" Bristol, but I personally love it! You can now pass and there is action all over the track. What could be more exciting than that! Lynch Tours is taking several bus loads of customers and having what should be an awesome cookout before the race on Saturday night. If you are there, stop by and see us. We will be in the track's bus parking lot(behind turn 4) on Friday night and in the Earhardt bus parking lot (behind turn 1) on Saurday night. Look for our signs in the window of the buses.

Now, there is one more thing I would like to address. I forgot in last week's post to mention a very important piece of information. Terry Lynch of Lynch Tours & More, reached a huge milestone the weekend of Watkins Glenn. By going to that race, he has now fulfilled his bucket list of going to every track on the Sprint Cup circuit. What a great accomplishment! I'm glad my husband and I were a part of that and maybe someday I can do the same (in my dreams!). Congratulations Mr. Lynch, you are the man!

Good luck to all the drivers this weekend at Bristol. Have a safe one and we'll see you at the races!

Hello race fans! This past weekend I had the opportunity to head up to beautiful upstate New York with my husband. All I can say is that the views up there are absolutely breathtaking! If you have never been there, I highly recommend going to see it. If you are a wine lover, you will enjoy it even more. There are lots of wineries to stop at and they each have taste testing available. Most were free, but a few charged a minimal fee. We also visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. What a quaint little town with lots of little shops, restaurants, and of course lots of baseball memorablia. It was a great couple of days!

Now, on to more important business. While we were there, we had the opportunity to attend the race at Watkins Glen, which unfortunately for the second week in a row,we had to wait until Monday to see. But once again, it was well worth the wait. Seeing a road course for the first time, I wasn't sure how I would like it. But it was actually pretty exciting! Though I have to admit, it was a little strange seeing the cars going in the opposite direction. We could see more than I thought we would. We sat in the front stretch grandstands with the jumbo screen right in front of us, so what we couldn't see in person, we could watch it on there. It was really exciting watching all of the double file restarts there, kudos to NASCAR for adding that to the series! Congratulations to Tony Stewart on another great race. Who would've ever thought that this team would be as good as they are this early. A scary moment happened with about 29 laps to go when Sam Hornish, Jr. and Jeff Gordon got into an accident that sent both of them carreening off each other and into the guiderail. Thankfully both were ok, but I'm sure pretty shaken up.

Now, on to Michigan International Speedway for what will certainly be another great race. Best of luck to all the drivers and keep safe out there.

See you at the races!

Hello race fans! Wow, what an exciting race on Monday at Pocono Raceway! I had the opportunity to attend the race and I have to say it was one of the best races I have ever seen there. The double file restarts made for some interesting racing, especially towards the end of the race. Congratulations to the winner of the race, Denny Hamlin, he was certainly overdue. It was again, not without a little controversy. Denny got into David Reutimann with 26 laps to go which led to a crash that relegated David to a 29th place finish. Hamlin admitted he was driving a little aggressive, but said he wanted to get the positon and was driving with a lot of emotion. Denny’s grandmother had just passed away on Friday. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his entire family.

With only 5 races left before the Chase for the Sprint Cup, it looks like the top 3 drivers are pretty much locked into the Chase. The next two, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards are close, but not comfortably in yet. From 6th on down, it’s anybody’s guess. I think it will come down to the final race at Richmond to settle the last couple of positions. These final few races before the Chase begins, should be exciting ones and I for one will be watching every one to see who makes it in and who doesn’t. I would love to hear from you fans on who you think will or won’t make it into the Chase and who you think will win the 2009 Championship.

Good luck to everyone this weekend at the Helluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen! See you at the races!

Hello race fans! Well, NASCAR survived another race at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway and though it wasn't as storied as last year's tire fiasco, it didn't go without some controversy. This time it was Juan Pablo Montoya's pit road speeding incident. Now, I have to admit, at first I was like "What! That's crazy!" But, after watching it again, I thought it really looked like he was going faster than he should have been. I'm sure in the heat of the moment, he got a little over anxious and, was concentrating so hard on not making a mistake, he did exactly that! I felt bad for him, his team, sponsors and his fans. How cool would that have been to have a driver win both the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400! I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe next year.

Speaking of Indy, I can't help but talk about the ongoing Danica Patrick story. I have to admit that I have been a fan of hers ever since she came into the Indy Racing League series. I think she has what it takes to be a great driver in that series, however, I'm not sure making the move to NASCAR is the right place for her yet. I see how the former open wheel drivers (Montoya, Hornish, Speed) struggle and how only recently, one driver (Montoya) has finally started to look like a Chase contender. It took him several years to get to this point. If Danica does decide she wants to make the move to NASCAR, I hope she knows that it will take a lot of hard work and determination, and most importantly a lot of patience. She would need hours of seat time, which would include running both the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. I think she could be successful at it, but it would take the right team and the right equipment to make it happen. Whatever she decides, I will support her and wish her the best.

Now, on to Pocono (my home track) for what should be another great race. Good luck to everyone and have a safe race! Also, feel free to post your comments on here. I would love to hear what you have to say, whether it's about last week's race, the upcoming one, or any subject you would like to talk about. I will be adding some pictures in the near future of races I attend so that you can enjoy them too!

See you at the races!

Let me start out by introducing myself. My name is Jan Stoltzfus, I live in Pennsylvania, I am married and have no children. I have been following NASCAR since I was a little kid (which, without telling you my age, has been for the last 40+ years). My dad built dirt modified cars and both he and my mom used to take me and my sisters to tracks all over the northeast when I was growing up. Now, I don't proclaim to know everything about NASCAR, but I will tell you that I follow it very closely whether it be by television, radio (I am a huge SIRRIUS NASCAR radio fan), or just attending the races themselves. The name of my blog is based on a tour company named Lynch Tours & More. They are a travel agency in a small town north of Harrisburg, PA called Halifax. They specialize in race tours in which they provide tickets, hotel and transportation to many of the NASCAR races. Their website is www.racetour.com. I am a tour guide for them, so I travel to alot of the races throughout the season. Though this job does not make me an expert on the sport, I do feel that it helpsme stay in tune with what's going on in the world of NASCAR. So, once a week I will try to give you my opinions (and remember, they are just MY opinions) on the sport, it's personalities and the loyal fans that I come in contact with on a regular basis. So, I hope you enjoy this site as much as I am going to enjoy writing it.

My first subject has to be the ongoing Jeremy Mayfield story. First, let me say that I am not, nor have I ever been a drug user, so my knowledge of this subject is very little if any at all. Having said that, I am a little confused about this story. I know alot of people are quick to judge him and, I have to say that I was one of them, but the more this story goes on, the more questions I have. Would this man be fighting this case so hard if he was guilty? Is he trying to take NASCAR down? I don't know, but it sure seems a little suspicious to me. Now, either Jeremy is really, really smart, or really, really dumb, but either way it has cost him his career as a driver and, his personal life will more than likely suffer too. I would love nothing more than to see Jeremy come out of this a winner, (meaning he is clean and always has been) but I am afraid that the odds are stacked against him. I want to believe him, but only he knows the real truth and he must be able to live with that. Only time will tell, but I wish nothing but the best for Jeremy and his wife Shana.

Finally and most importantly, good luck to everyone this weekend at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. Be safe and may the best man win!

See you at the races!