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Hello race fans!

All I have to say is, if you didn't like last weekend's Daytona 500, I'm not sure if you are a true race fan! That had to be one of the most exciting 500's I've seen in a very long time! I wasn't real sure about the two car draft thing, but after seeing all forty three drivers on the track at one time, I kind of started liking it! I knew all of them weren't going to draft in two's, I told my husband the morning of the race, that I thought the first eight to ten drivers would split up into two's, and the rest of the field would probably be in a tight pack. For the most part, I was right! The only thing that really surprised me, was how early the "big one" happened! I was so glad Denny was in the back of the pack when it happened and survived, well at least till about three laps to go! As the race went on, I thought, wow, is this the race that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was going to break out of his slump??? Well, that didn't happen! But, who can't be excited to see the young twenty year old driver, Trevor Bayne, win his first Sprint Cup Series race, not to mention, the biggest race of the year! I'm sure many will say that he won because some of the big names were taken out early, or it was just first time luck. I happen to think it was pure skill! He still had to stay out of trouble, he ran up front all day and when it counted, he was there. So, say what you want, the kid is good and apparantly I'm not the only one who thinks that! I was especially excited to see that #21 car in victory lane, as David Pearson was my favorite driver back in the day! I actually was at the last race that Pearson won at Daytona back in 1976. I went to the race with my dad and sat in the first turn and was soooo excited when he crossed the finish line first after that famous crash with Richard Petty! Definitely one of my most fondest memory of my dad!

Well, after all that excitement, it's time to move on to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. Now that the new points system has had one week under it's belt, how is everyone feeling about it? I was a little confused at first, it seems like it should be easy to follow, but when you have guys like Trevor Bayne who are not running for the Sprint Cup title, it made it a little confusing! But, I guess all I need to do is wait till the race is over on TV and see where everyone is at! LOL! As of the time I am writing this, Kyle Busch has already won both the Truck Series race and the Nationwide race. Is this the weekend he finally pulls off the Trifecta? I wouldn't be too upset if he did, but my money is on Denny. He almost won the fall race last year, until he had to pit for fuel at the end. Although, I think he's going to have to contend with a very fast Carl Edwards who will be starting on the pole. Whoever wins, I feel this will be the real start of the 2011 NASCAR season. I'm looking forward to seeing some great racing and most of all, getting to the race track very soon!

Lynch Tours & More has posted several more race packages on our website and there are still more to come. We are looking forward to meeting new customers this year and welcoming back our returning customers as well! The Lynch's are also celebrating twenty years in the business this year, and we want you to be a part of it! Visit us at www.racetour.com or follow us on Facebook and be a part of this very special season in racing!

Have a great weekend and as always, see you at the races!

Hello race fans!

Is everyone as pumped up about the 2011 NASCAR season as I am? I am so excited to get things rolling, I have been counting down the days and now it is finally here! I have been watching, when I could, all the racing from the Budweiser Shootout, to the practice sessions and the Gatorade Duel 150's! My husband and I were in the beautiful islands of Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean from February 8-16, so fortunately we got FOX and saw the Shootout! As you can imagine I was so excited to see my favorite driver Denny Hamlin, cross the finish line first, but of course that was short lived! I knew he didn't win when he crossed below the yellow line, but it sure was an exciting way to finish the race! Denny's week hasn't gotten a whole lot better! He apparently didn't have his steering wheel locked in when he went to qualify, so he ran in the grass and ended up qualifying very poorly for the Duels. But, fortunately, even after a spin in that race, he came back and finished eighth to qualify eighteenth for the Daytona 500! GOOD LUCK DENNY!!!

So, having said all that, I want to know what everyone thinks about all the rule changes since they got to Daytona! And what about this two car draft that seems to be the "new" form of racing there now! I'm not sure I like it, but I don't think we will know what to expect until we see all forty three cars on the track on Sunday!
As some of you know, I am an avid NASCAR fan, and personally, I don't care what they drive, how they drive it, or what kind of car it is, I will always be excited to go see a race or watch it on TV! I just want to see a great race with my driver contending for the win!

I am curious to know what all you Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans are thinking this year. Do you like him paired up with Steve Latarte? Do you think he has a legitimate chance at winning the Great American race? And what about you Jeff Gordon fans? Will he finally break his losing streak? Will he ever win that fifth Championship? Don't get mad at me fans of both of these two, but I think Dale Jr. is gonna struggle again this year and I think Jeff is going to be a contender but I don't think he will win the Championship. Now, as I have said before, I am really bad at predictions, so if I am wrong about both of these guys, I will eat my words for sure! Also, can Jimmie Johnson win a sixth Championship in a row? I hope not!!! I want Denny to win it this year, and his motto has become #11 in 2011! I hope that is the case!!! I guess we will have to watch this season and find out!

I am going to sit back and watch the season opening Nationwide race in Daytona today and then anxiously watch the 500 on Sunday! I expect both races to be equally exciting, only thing that would make it better is if I was actually there! If you're in Daytona at the track, Terry Lynch of Lynch Tours & More is there with a great group of people, so stop by the bus parking lot and say hi!

One last note, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the tenth anniversary of the passing of Dale Earnhardt ten years ago this weekend. I was at that race back in 2001, and even though I was not an Earnhardt fan, I have to say, his death shook me to the core! I have never seen so much sadness and disbelief as I did that day. I was bringing a bus load of Lynch Tours customers back to Orlando after the race, when about halfway home, I found out that he had died. I told my customers if I knew anything before we got back to the hotel, I would let them know. Unfortunately, I had to make that dreadful announcement to them. I had grown men break down and cry when I told them and I sat down in my seat and broke down into tears! I had a personal reason for that, my dad passed away in 1999 and he was a huge Earnhardt fan, so it had an especially hard impact on me! In the days following Dale's death, I couldn't watch enough of all the coverage that was on TV or in the newspapers. Even though I was not a fan of his, love him or hate him, he was NASCAR! I think the sport to this day has not been the same! I would personally like to tell the Earnhardt family that you are in my thoughts this weekend as I'm sure it is very difficult to look back at that fateful day.

Lastly, I want to wish all of the driver's, crew members and fans at Daytona, a very safe weekend! And, thank you NASCAR for trying to put on the best show possible for us fans here and all over the world! As always, see you at the races!!!

Hello race fans!

I can't believe that the 2011 NASCAR season is almost upon us! It seems like just yesterday that Jimmie Johnson was celebrating his historic fifth Sprint Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway! I know I am extremely excited about the upcoming season as there will be some new changes, though not earth shattering, in all three series! Most notably in the Sprint Cup series with the new points system, the removal of the catch can on pit road and not to mention several different drivers getting into new rides! WOW, it's going to be a so much fun to watch it all play out!

So, who is bold enough to make any early predictions about who's going to win this years Sprint Cup Championship? I obviously have not done well in my predictions in the past, so I am not even going there!!! But I would love to hear from you guys! Will it be a Hendrick Motorsports driver, a Joe Gibbs driver or even a Richard Childress driver? All three of these teams had a driver finish in the top three so my bet, (if I were to make one), would have to be from one of these teams. However, you can't count out anyone, especially those who finished in the top twelve in points in 2010.

So, anyone heading to any races this year? Of course, you know that Lynch Tours & More and myself will be back in action to help you get to the race track. Our 2011 schedule is in the works with several race tours on our website with many more to come. Remember that we can customize your race tour package to accomodate most anything you will need during your weekend with us. Even if you have your own race tickets, we can still give you pricing for the hotel and transfers to and from the track, plus any additional ammenities that you may want included during your stay. Please don't hesitate to give our office a call as we would be more than happy to assist in helping you put your mind at ease, by taking care of all your travel needs in a friendly and professional manner! Give us a call at 1-888-RACETOUR or visit our website at www.RACETOUR.COM. Also, we will be eventually changing our web address to www.LYNCHTOURSANDMORE.COM, which will work now as well. Remember, our website is under construction. All of the races that we are planning on attending are on the right side of the screen, so if pricing isn't available, please call the office and we can help you with the cost. One new track that is on our schedule this year, is the inaugural race at Kentucky Speedway for the Sprint Cup Series! So, sign up early, to ensure you get to be the first to see your favorite Cup driver take to the track for what is sure to be an exciting race!

Thank you again for continuing to read my blog and I look forward to an especially exciting race season! I continue to be a huge Denny Hamlin fan and will be cheering him on this year with hopes of finally getting the big trophy at the end of the season.

As always, see you at the races!