Lynch Blog

2011-07-16T12:31:00.000-04:00

Hello race fans!

I guess you're wondering where I've been these last few months! Sorry, no excuses, just really busy. I was away on vacation, throwing a few parties at my house and just enjoying the summer! The last time I blogged was right before the Charlotte races back in May! I was fortunate enough to travel down to Charlotte with Lynch Tours & More and spend the entire week before the Coca Cola 600 doing shop tours! It was fantastic! I have always wanted to do the "Dream Tour" and even though I didn't get to experience the entire tour, I was able to share in most of the activities that were included in the package! Thanks to the Lynch family for including me in one of the best race weeks of my life! Met lots of great people and even made my way into places, the day of the 600, most people don't get to! Finally got my picture with Denny Hamlin on pit road right before the race...check it out on my facebook page, it's my profile picture!

Since then, seems like things have been fairly quiet on the NASCAR circuit, that is, until last weekend in Kentucky! Anyone out there that went to the races? Lynch Tours & More had a group that went and they too, were stuck in that traffic mess! They made it to the track by 6:20pm and some of our customers missed going down on pit road and to driver introductions! What a bummer, shame on Kentucky Speedway for not being more prepared! I heard Bruton Smith's press conference yesterday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway didn't help matters! He apologized for fans not making it to the race, but basically blamed everyone else for all the problems! He insulted the state of Kentucky, even going as far as saying Interstate 71 is the worst road he has ever been on! Excuse me Mr. Smith, but you knew that before you petitioned for a date there, so why are you blaming the state for that? Also, I guess it was the state's fault that you ran out of food and drinks too! Now,I am a big fan of Bruton Smith, his tracks are always well maintained and I feel my money is being put to good use every time I return to one of his tracks. But, I am so disappointed that he has not stepped up and taken responsibility for what happend and just tell people he will do whatever it takes to make it right for next year! Instead, he is not reimbursing the fans who never made it to the track, instead, he is offering them the chance to go to one of his other tracks this year or the 2012 Kentucky race. Too bad if you already used up all of your vacation for this year and can't go! Come on Bruton, man up and do the right thing, reimburse those fans! We are what make this sport and without us, there would be no NASCAR racing! Now that I've voiced my opinion, I would love to hear from you guys! Anyone who was at the race, or at least attempted to make it to the race, right a comment on here and tell me about your experience and if you would go back to Kentucky!

Let's get back to the business of racing. The Series is in Louden, New Hampshire this weekend in what should be some great racing! I'm sure alot of the drivers are looking at this race as a very important one. The next time they visit Louden, it will be the first race in the Chase! So, it's extremely important to have a good car and a good starting position. Ryan Newman won his fifth pole at this track for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 on Sunday with his teammate and boss Tony Stewart starting second. Good luck and may the best man win! (Go Denny Hamlin!)

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, it's going fast! If you're looking to go to a racetrack soon, give Lynch Tours & More a call at 1-888-RACETOUR or check out our website, which now can be found under www.lynchtours.com or our old site at www.racetour.com! We look forward to seeing our current and past customers and of course, welcoming new ones! Thank you for your continued support and as always, see you at the races!

2011-05-20T18:26:00.000-04:00

Hello race fans!

I hope everyone is getting ready for a big week of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway! It all starts Friday night with qualifying for the Sprint All Star Race. I just watched David Ragan win the pole for the Sprint Showdown, which is the forty lap race that takes place prior to the All Star race. The top two finishers of the Showdown will advance along with the fans vote, to the All Star race on Saturday night! After qualifying tonight, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take to the track for the N.C. Education Lottery 200. This weekend is full of action and it's just the beginning of the busy week in Charlotte! Next weekend will start out with the Nationwide race on Saturday and then Sunday, is the longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600! Should be an exciting week of racing and I can't wait for all of it! Also, congratulations to the #11 FedEx team of Denny Hamlin, who won Thursday night's Sprint Crew Challenge! They are the first team to win the event twice, way to go guys!

Speaking of Charlotte, I have the opportunity to travel down to Charlotte on Sunday to spend the entire week visiting different race shops with Lynch Tours & More, along with attending next weekend's races! I will also have the opportunity to attend the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where I will see my all time favorite driver, David Pearson, get inducted into the second class of all time greats! I am so excited and can't wait to get down there to begin, what will sure to be a fun filled week of NASCAR events!

So, what did everyone think of Regan Smith's upset victory in the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway? I was so excited for him! It's really nice to see a driver win his first race, and especially somewhere like Darlington! There is so much history there and for Regan to win his first race there, will be something he will never forget!

I took a group of LTM customers to Dover this past weekend, for what I thought was going to be a Sunday where we were sitting on the bus, waiting out the rain! As it turned out, It never really rained, it was very cloudy all morning, but when it was time to race, the clouds went away and the sun came out! It ended up being a beautiful day with temperatures around 75 degrees! Congratulations to Matt Kenseth who won the race, but I was very disappointed in how Denny Hamlin ran. Granted, this is NOT one of his better tracks, but he ran in the same spot all day long! Then, he sped down pit road and just never seemed to get it together. He finished sixteenth and somehow managed to gain three spots in the championship standings! Go figure!!! Anyway, had a great time with our customers and I also took several family members with me, which was great. All seemed to have a great time and so did I!

Now off to Charlotte! I hope everyone gets to enjoy all the racing this week and I wish all the drivers, crew members and fans, a safe, fun time!

As always, see you at the races!

2011-05-05T22:31:00.000-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, once again it's been a little while since I've written my blog so I hope everyone's had a great couple of weeks! I've been very busy, starting out with two weekends ago going to Talladega with my sister, niece and nephew. What a great time we had, and I enjoyed taking our Lynch Tours & More customers too! Both Nationwide and Sprint Cup races were very exciting, even with the two car draft that I witnessed in person for the first time. I wasn't sure how I would like it but it wasn't bad! It still ended up with close finishes for both races at the end, which was great, so I wasn't disappointed! Was a little bummed Jimmie Johnson won, but all in all it was a good race. After we went to the races, my family and I headed to Savannah, Georgia for a few days. What a great city! Took a trolley tour, a Dolphin tour and the best part, ate at Paula Dean's restaurant! I have wanted to do that for a long time and I finally got to try it out. It did not disappoint, had the best fried chicken I have ever eaten! Can't wait to go back!

I returned from my trip and dove right into Easter plans. I had two days to get everything together. I had my family and my in-laws over for a grand total of eighteen people! It all worked out perfectly, food was great and even managed to have an Easter egg hunt for my younger niece and nephew. There was only one person missing, my mother-in-law. :( It wasn't the same without her, but she was in our hearts all day long.

Then it was off to Richmond International Raceway. Took a group of customers and had a great time there. I was fortunate enough to receive some tickets for myself, my sister and nephew to the Bubba Burger hospitality area. The hospitality there is great because it's indoors and you can walk around and see the different drivers making appearances. My nephew got his picture taken with David Ragan and his favorite driver, Tony Stewart. He even signed his hat, what a special treat that was! The race was great, Denny Hamlin finally had a good night with a second place finish. It didn't really help him with the points, he stayed the same, but it certainly had to help his confidence. Even though Kyle Busch won, I was happy for Denny's good run.

This weekend the teams head to Darlington Raceway. What a great race track! Lynch Tours has a group there, Brian and Stephanie are the tour representatives and I know they will have a great time! Should be a fun race and I'm hoping Denny can repeat with a second straight win there! GO DENNY!!! Don't forget the races are Friday and Saturday night. So, good luck to all the drivers and crew and most of all, have a safe weekend!

Lastly, I want to wish my mom and all the mom's out there a very Happy Mother's Day! Make sure you treat your mom extra special and let her know how much she is appreciated. Mom, you are very special to me and I love you very much!

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

2011-04-13T17:24:00.001-04:00

Hello race fans!

Once again I am lax in writing my blogs lately! No excuses this time, just really busy! Hope everyone is enjoying the race season so far, I am somewhat, still bummin about Denny. I thought Martinsville and Texas were going to be good tracks for him, but that didn't turn out the way I wanted it too! It did however, turn out great for Kevin Harvick at Martinsville and Matt Kenseth at Texas! Kevin won his second race in a row and Matt broke a seventy six race losing streak. The Martinsville race was pretty exciting but found the Texas race to be a bit boring. It's one of those mile and a half, cookie cutter tracks that can sometimes be exciting and sometimes be boring. Oh well, that's all about to change this weekend in Talladega!

So, who thinks the racing this weekend is going to be the way it was at Daytona this year? Will there be the two car drafts again or could it be single file racing that we've seen there before? I would love to see the three and four wide packs all day, but I don't think that's going to happen! It still should be a great race and who knows, maybe this will be the race where Dale Earnhardt Jr. breaks that long losing streak! He's been doing pretty good this year, looks like having Steve Letarte as his crew chief has really made a big difference. Guess we'll have to wait and find out! I actually will be at the races this weekend with a Lynch Tours & More group. I'm really looking forward to my first race of the year! I'm taking my sister, niece and nephew along with me, we are making the long drive to Atlanta, where our group will be staying. Should be a great time, so if you're at the races this weekend, stop by and say hi, we'll be in the fourth turn bus parking lot!

After the races, my family and I are heading to the beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia for a couple of days! While we're there, we are going to check out Paula Deen's restaurant! Anybody ever been there? I've heard it's great and I love watching Paula on her cooking show on the Food Network! Who knows, maybe we'll see her there! NOT! Anyway, looking forward to a fun week!

Don't forget, Lynch Tours & More is taking a group of people to the inaugural race at Kentucky Speedway in July. Don't miss this opportunity to see the Sprint Cup Series make their debut at this mile and a half, tri-oval speedway! We are offering two different hotel locations, one is an airport property for those who want to fly and have shuttle service to the hotel. Check out our website at www.racetour.com for all the information. We look forward to hearing from you!

Everyone have a great weekend and until next time, see you at the races!

2011-04-02T15:01:00.001-04:00

Hello race fans!

I would like to start out by apologizing for not writing a blog for the past few weeks. It's been a very difficut month of March as my mother-in-law Esther, was sick and passed away on March 14th. She had been battling cancer for the last eight years and it finally was too much for her. She passed away peacefully and her family will miss her dearly. So, thank you for being patient with me as I took time to be with family over the past several weeks.

Now onto the business of racing! It's been so long since I blogged, I almost forgot who won what races! lol! On my last blog, the series was headed to Las Vegas where Carl Edwards did his signature back flip after his win! Then it was off to the short track, Bristol Motor Speedway. That weekend started off kind of strange with all the tire issues, but in the end the problem was taken care of and Kyle Busch completed the double by winning both Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series races! And, last week it was California style racing as Kevin Harvick passed Jimmie Johnson on the last turn on the last lap to take the win! Great finish to a somewhat boring race, but that's California for ya!!!

I have to say, I am a little bit bummed by Denny Hamlin's start so far this season. I know he usually always starts out a little slow, but this is not what I was hoping for. This weekend's race in Martinsville should be just what the doctor ordered! Qualifying was on just prior to me writing this today and Denny starts fifth! Hopefully that's a good sign that he will have a great run!

News has been kind of quiet in the world of NASCAR these past few weeks so not much going on to talk about. One thing I will say is that I'm happy to hear that the TV ratings have been up from last year at most of the races so far. Not quite sure what has changed except maybe the new point system, could that be it? Maybe it's because Dale Earnhardt Jr. is doing better, that certainly would be a good thing. Whatever the reason is, maybe this is a sign of good things to come after a rough couple of years with the economy.

The Sprint Cup Series is headed to Martinsville, Virginia this weekend and this is one of my most favorite tracks! It ranks right up there with Bristol and Richmond! Lots of beatin' and bangin' gonna go on there and I can't wait! Jamie McMurray is starting from the pole so be sure to tune in on Sunday to watch at 1:00pm ET on FOX!

Lastly, Lynch Tours & More has been continuously updating our website with pricing for upcoming races, so be sure to check it out at www.racetour.com If you have any questions, give us a call at 888-RACETOUR!

SEE YOU AT THE RACES!!!

2011-03-05T15:17:00.002-05:00

Hello race fans!

With only two races into the 2011 NASCAR season, who would have thought we would see a 20 year old rookie win the biggest race in NASCAR and the following week see a veteran break a sixty-six race losing streak! WOW! If this is an indication of what this year is going to be like, I say, "have at it boys!" I'm not really a Jeff Gordon fan, but I have to say, it was good for the sport for him to get back to victory lane. And apparantly, fans who watched both the 500 and the Phoenix race, agreed! Television ratings were up significantly for both races, especially Phoenix. It was the most ever watched race since they started racing there! I thought Kyle Busch was going to pull of the Trifecta and, he almost did! He sure gave it his best and I was pleasantly surprised how gracious he was in his interview after the Sprint Cup race where he finished second! Looks like marriage is definitely agreeing with Kyle! Speaking of him being married, tune into the Style Channel on Saturday night, March fifth, to get a behind the scenes look at Kyle and Samantha's wedding that took place New Year's Eve!

Now, I want to talk about a subject that came up on twitter last week by Dave Moody, host of SIRIUS Satellite Radio and one of Motor Racing Network's commentators. Moody writes articles, I think once a week, for Sirus and then he posts them on twitter. Now, I like Moody, I think he's a great announcer for MRN and I love to listen to him on Sirius, however, I was a little annoyed at the article he wrote last week. The name of the article was titled "Searching for Balance in Nationwide Series". The article goes on to say how, because of the new point system, it is more challenging for the media to have to interview drivers, who may have not won the race or even finished in the top ten, but drivers who are now in the top ten in points. As you know, before the race season started, drivers were forced to choose which series they wanted to run in, so the Sprint Cup drivers who race in the Nationwide Series, will receive no points and vice versa. Moody made reference to Danica Patrick in particular, stating that she qualified fourth for the NS race in Daytona and finished fourteenth then she qualified twentieth in Phoenix and finished seventeenth three laps down, yet she was interviewed by ESPN following both races. Without going into the entire article, his point was basically that this has created a new challenge for the media with who to interview after a race. After I read the entire article, I tweeted Mr. Moody back and said to him "its no different than dale Jr. last week. He is and has not run much better than Danica still gets tv time." Moody's response back to me "Good point, still don't like it though." Now before all you Dale Jr. fans get upset at me, I was NOT saying that cause I'm not a fan of his, I was merely pointing out that after the Daytona 500, FOX interviewed Dale, who by the way crashed out and finished twenty fourth, and never bothered to interview David Gilliland, who fninshed a career best third! Then, the conversation continued this past Friday on Sirius Radio with Moody and Kenny Wallace who proceeds to say that he knows for a fact that certain people, not sure if he means the interviewers or someone else, would be fired if they don't interview certain drivers! Not sure I totally believe that, but not sure why Kenny would say that if it's not true! If that is true, it's pretty sad! I feel drivers who finished in the top five in the race should get their time in front of the camera and then if there is time left, they can move on to anyone else they feel should also be interviewed Anyway, I just wanted to voice my opinion on the matter and if anyone out there agrees with me, or even if you don't, I would love to hear your thoughts on it. You can read the entire article by going to the following website: http://www.sirius-speedway.com/2011/02/searching-for-balance-in-nationwide.html.

Well, it's off to Las Vegas this weekend for both series! One of these days I'm gonna get to that track! I have never been to Vegas and am anxious to see the city and of course, the races out there, maybe next year! Good luck to all the drivers and of course, GO DENNY HAMLIN! He's racing in both the Nationwide and Cup races, can't wait to watch!

On a final note, I wanted to let everyone know, that I have added a photo gallery on my blog page. It's in the upper right hand corner underneath the Home page link. Some are older pictures and some newer but I will be adding more as the season goes on. Hope you enjoy them! Have a great weekend everyone and as always, see you at the races!!!

~

2011-02-26T23:02:00.004-05:00

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!

2011-02-19T12:08:00.003-05:00

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!!!

2011-02-06T14:43:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-12-22T20:54:00.003-05:00

Hello race fans!

Well, I guess you thought I disappeared since I haven't written any blogs since after the Phoenix race! I apologize for being away so long, it's just been a little crazy around here since then!

As you all know, my last blog was written with great optimism that Denny Hamlin would go to Miami, all be it with a slim 15 point lead over Jimmy Johnson, and drive the wheels off his car and come out of there the 2010 Sprint Cup Champion! Obviously, that didn't happen. His weekend started off bad by qualifying in the back, and it just went down hill from there! In my opinion, I think he had a great car, and had he been a little more patient at the beginning of the race, I honestly believe he could have won the race, or at least finished near Jimmy! As soon as I saw the incident with Greg Biffle, I knew it wasn't looking very good. I couldn't even watch most of the race, I went to watch my niece bowl in a tournament and they had a bar with several tv's in it and I would go in there and see what was going on every now and then. By the time I left the bowling alley, it sounded like Denny was moving up and might have a chance, but by the time I got home, there were only about twenty laps left and I knew his chances were over. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement, but I can only imagine how Denny felt. He was so close, but Jimmy once again, came through when it counted and got his record fifth straight Sprint Cup Championship! Oh well, there's always next year and my motto is going to be #11 in 2011! Sounds like it could be a winning year!

Since then, I have been a busy lady! My husband and I took his sister, niece and nephew on a bus trip to New York City with Lynch Tours & More on December 4th. We went to see The Lion King on Broadway and it was fantastic! If you ever get the chance to see it, you should go. And after that, I have been busy getting ready for Christmas with shopping, wrapping, baking and all the fun stuff that goes along with the holiday season! So, again I apologize for not posting any more blogs since the middle of November.

Sounds like 2011 is going to be an exciting year for NASCAR as I think we are going to see some changes for the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series. One thing I know NASCAR is looking at is changing the format for the Chase. I personally like it the way it is, but if I were to guess what the changes may be, I think they will add the number of Chasers maybe to fifteen and then start eliminating some of them after so many races. I guess it would basically come down to three or four drivers going for the Championship with only a few races left in the season. Which is pretty much how it is right now, but we will have to wait and see. Also, looks like they are going to limit the amount of races the Cup guys can race in in the Nationwide Series. That will most likely be a good thing. It's not really fair to the guys who are just running in that series, they don't really have much of a chance with the big guns there. I am really looking forward to the upcoming season and seeing how many changes there will be and of course I can't wait to see the spectacular racing that I know will be played out starting with the Daytona 500 on February 20th which is only a short fifty eight days away!

Lastly, I would like to take this time to thank everyone for reading my blog in 2010! I know I don't always say things that everyone agrees with, but I do try to inform you of things that are on my mind and also things happening in the NASCAR world. If you have any ideas that you would like to hear from me on, please feel free to comment, I am open to any suggestions. I also want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Please be safe and remember what the real meaning of Christmas is, the birth of Jesus Christ!

Just a reminder, keep checking Lynch Tours & More's website for next year's schedule, and if you are on our mailing list, watch your mail for a very special post card from them as they will be celebrating 20 years in business in 2011! So until next year, take care and as always, I'll see you at the races!

2010-11-18T20:38:00.004-05:00

Hello race fans!

Well, here it is, the last race of the season! I can't believe it, it just seems like yesterday we were starting the 2010 season in Daytona and now, nine months later NASCAR is ready to crown another Champion! Since my last blog the series was at Texas and Phoenix. Needless to say, I was happy with one outcome and not the other! So glad Denny won at Texas, but so very bummed about the Phoenix race. Fuel mileage plays a part in that race alot, and this was no exception! Unfortunatley, I know that's the name of the game. The biggest downer for me was that I was at the race in Phoenix! I was so excited for most of the race, but as the laps wound down, I knew Denny was in trouble. It could've been alot worse, but I know Denny was very frustrated, as he should've been! But, congratulations to Carl Edwards on his win there. I'm not sure Denny could've beaten Carl anyway. He probably would have finished second, which still would have been better than twelfth. Shoulda, woulda, coulda, doesn't much matter now! A fifteen point lead is not much, but I think I would rather be ahead, than fifteen points behind.

While I was in Phoenix, I had the opportunity to do a little sight seeing! Chris Lynch, co-owner of Lynch Tours & More, traveled with me to the dessert. We rented a car and on Thursday we took a road trip to Sedona, where the scenery is absolutely beautiful!!! I have never seen anything like it! We took a Pink Jeep Tour (which I highly recommend if you ever get to Arizona)and had the best time ever! We had a great tour guide named Mike, and he took us on a Coyote Canyon tour. If you want to check out my pictures, go to my facebook page and check them out! It was a little chilly, we took the four o'clock tour, which lasted two hours, and when the sun started to go down, it was pretty cold. Thankfully, we had purchased sweatshirts and gloves before we left, and the tour provided nice warm blankets for us! On Friday, we took a drive from our hotel, which was in Tempe, over to Old Scottsdale, which is just a short drive, and checked out the great shops and restaurants there! We saw alot of silver and turquoise jewelry which was very pretty, but not quite my style! We headed back to Tempe and ate in a great little restaurant called Monti's . It was the first building built in the city of Tempe! It was great, food was good and the building was amazing! Check it out if you're ever in the area! Then, it was off to the races Saturday and Sunday. All in all, it was a great couple of days and I hope I get the chance to go back!

Now, heading into Homestead-Miami, the race that will decide it all, I am feeling pretty good about Denny's chances! He won this race last year but, it ended up under the lights. This year it's a day race, so I don't know if that will make a difference or not. We will find out soon enough! Unfortunately, I will not be there to see the race in person, but will be watching every second of it here at home! Terry Lynch of Lynch Tours & More has a group down there, so stop by and say hi to them if you are at the race! I wish all three drivers the best this weekend! I obviously want to see Denny win the race and the Championship and I will be very disappointed if he doesn't, but, he has had a year that he can be darn proud of! So, on that note, GOOD LUCK ON SUNDAY DENNY!

I also want to take this opportunity to tell everyone to have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving! I am so thankful everyday for my husband, my family and my health. So, take time this holiday season and thank the good Lord for what He has given you. Remember, there is always someone out there who is less fortunate than you are!

See you at the races in 2011!

2010-11-04T21:34:00.003-04:00

Hello race fans!

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful fall weather here on the east coast! Been a little cool here in Pennsylvania, but the leaves are looking very colorful! As you all know from my last blog, I was heading to Martinsville for the weekend with my husband and my nephew. I guess I don't have to tell you that it was a fantastic weekend! First of all, the weather was absolutely beautiful! It was sunny and in the mid 70's all weekend. I had a group of about 30 people with Lynch Tours & More and we headed to the track on Saturday for the Camping World Truck Series race in which Ron Hornaday, Jr. won. I was a little bummed, I really wanted to see Todd Bodine win, especially since his mom had just passed away the day before. But, it wasn't meant to be I guess. Then, Sunday we watched what was a fantastic race, but of course, I would say that, Denny Hamlin won! What more could I want, family, beautiful weather and great racing! Life doesn't get much better than that!

Then, after racing at the shortest track on the circuit, NASCAR headed to the biggest track on the circuit. TALLADEGA!!! I don't know about you guys, but the racing doesn't get much better than it does at that track. I've had the opportunity to visit there several times, and I can tell you that you are on the edge of your seat for most of the race and I'm sure it was that way for the fans who were in attendance on Sunday! I know watching it, was sure exciting! Terry Lynch had a group of people there and, well, all I'm gonna say is you need to go to Terry's facebook page and look at his profile picture. It was Halloween in Dega' and Ricky Bobby from Talladega Nights was there! Sounds like everyone had a great time and of course, the race didn't go without it's share of beatin' and bangin'! Thank goodness AJ Allmendinger was ok after that scary wreck at the end. You knew it was coming the way they were going four and sometimes five wide with only a few laps left. Congratulations to Clint Bowyer on his win, and now, it looks like it is definetly going to be Johnson, Hamlin and Harvick left battling it out for the Championship. I think it's going to go all the way to Homestead-Miami to decide who will win it! What more could NASCAR want, this is the closest points race with three races left, in the history of the Chase!

Next week, I will be heading to Phoenix for my first trip to this race track. I am so excited and looking forward to a great trip! Terry Lynch's wife, Chris will be traveling with me for some much neede r and r, so if you are at the race, look us up! Also, Terry will be in Texas this weekend with a group of customers, and I'm sure they will have a great time too!

Now, before I go, I hope everyone out there is pulling for Richard Petty Motorsports to figure out a way to stay in the sport. It just wouldn't be right, not to have a Petty in the garage area! It looks like they will be able to run these last three races, but things are very much up in the air for next year. So, let's keep our fingers crossed that they get sponsorship for 2011 so we can keep the most famous name in NASCAR in the business.

Everyone have a great weekend and as always, I'll see you at the races!

2010-10-21T22:44:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, here we are, halfway through the Chase! Only five more races to go and it looks like it's coming down to three drivers. Jimmy Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. You all know who I have my money on, I'm not giving up hope just yet!

The last two races have been quite exciting! California sure was interesting as we saw Tony Stewart take the victory. But once again, no one really gained any points on Jimmie as he finished third. Then, there was Charlotte this past weekend. I thought when Jimmie spun out at that it was going to be a bad night for him, but of course not! He didn't hit anything, came in and pitted and ended up finishing third again! Once again, no one gained any ground! But, I would like to say congratulations to Jamie McMurray on his win in the Bank of America 500! He certainly knows how to win at the big races this year! I absolutely loved his speech in victory lane! He explained why he cried when he won the Daytona 500 this year. He didn't know the year before if he would even have a ride, much less be standing in victory lane at the 2010 season opener. He seemed so humbled by everything and credits everything to the power of prayer! I say AMEN to that!

Was wondering what everyone thought of the big news about Kasey Kahne leaving Richard Petty Motorsports? Sounds like things were not so great there anyway, so I guess it's good he left when he did. Looks like he will be in the #83 Red Bull car which will be changed to the #4 since that's the number he had when he drove sprint cars. I hope everything works out for him, I think he is a very talented driver and deserves to be in good equipment. Also hoping that RPM can stay afloat, it would be a real shame if they had to close their doors. The economy has really hit everyone hard, including teams like that, so good luck to them! I hope everything works out for everyone!

Well, I'm off to Martinsville this weekend with my husband and nephew! Looking forward to a great time with them and my Lynch Tours customers! I know it's gonna be exciting and I hope my driver, Denny Hamlin, comes home with another win! I hope it doesn't come down to him and Jimmy, we need Jimmmy to finish further back, waaaayyy further back! GO GET EM' DENNY!

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll see you at the races!

2010-10-08T11:54:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

As you can see, I have been a little lax in writing my blogs the last few weeks. No excuses other than I have been extremely busy with family obligations, so thanks for your patience!

I hope everyone is enjoying the Chase for the Sprint Cup! The first three races sure have provided plenty of excitement, especially the race in Louden, New Hampshire! I would normally say congratulations to Clint Bowyer on his win there, but, as we all know, that win was tarnished by the penalties handed down by NASCAR to him and his RCR team. Now, I would like to share my thoughts on this whole thing! First of all, I am in the middle as far as Richard Childress drivers, don't really root for them, but also don't boo them either. However, I have been reading and listening to alot of people talk about this subject and I find myself leaning towards and in favor of NASCAR. I have always been a fan of rules, and when they are in place at the beginning of the year, everyone knows what they are. If you break those rules, even if it's by the slimist of margins, you are in the wrong and there should be consequences for that. I keep hearing people say that, why didn't they see this when the car went through tech at the track? What everyone is not understanding is that the infraction was not on the actual body of the car, it was how the chassis was welded onto the body of the car. So, when the "claws" are put on the car when it goes through inspection at the track, it would not detect something that was done underneath the car. Now, I don't claim to know anything about cars, but I will say that when they give you the specs on what a car is supposed to be when it is built, and they give you a little margin for error, it better be that or you will be in big trouble! I understand that Richard Childress said that car was legal when it left the shop to head to New Hampshire, but was he actually standing there when the car was built? Probably not, and I was a little disappointed in his excuse for why the car was not legal after the race. If a tow truck was the cause of that, then every car that races in a restrictor plate race, would be illegal because of all the bump drafting that is done during the course of those races. And believe me, there is alot harder bumping going on in there than there is from a tow truck! So, having said that, I applaud NASCAR for sticking to their guns and doing the right thing. My only question is, what caused them to look at Bowyer's car in the first place. I know they were warned about their car in Richmond, but why??? Something had to throw up a red flag before that to cause NASCAR to take a look at that car. So, I would really like to know what that is. That's my take on the situation, I don't want to offend anyone by my thoughts, but we all have an opinion and that's mine!

Moving on to Dover. I had the opportunity to take a group of Lynch Tours & More customers along with my husband, and a very dear friend and her son, which happened to be his very first NASCAR race! We had a great time, tailgated before the race and had a great group of people! Thanks to all of our customers for their continued loyalty to us! But, I was a little bummed about the race. Was hoping Jimmie Johnson didn't win, because now it looks like he is making a run at that fifth championship! Was glad to see Denny Hamlin finish in the top ten. I knew he had to have a good run there to stay in the points lead. But we all know, that didn't last long!

Then it was off to Kansas! Was glad to Greg Biffle win, he had a great car all day! But, you know who finished second and now he is the points leader. I can't believe no one can stop the Johnson express!!! I am still not counting out my guy! Denny is only 8 points behind Jimmy and there are still other guys who can catch him too. There is plenty of racing to go, and I think after the race in Charlotte next weekend, we will have a better idea of who is going to be the real contenders for the championship! GO DENNY!!!

This weekend's race in sunny California should be a good one. I hope it doesn't come down to fuel mileage, but if it does, you can bet there are guys who are going to take some chances. The non-chasers will definetly be ones to watch if it does come down to that. What about a retaliation from this past weekend's race between David Reutimann and Kyle Busch??? Mmmmmm!!!! That could be interesting! Good luck to all of the drivers!

For all of you who are looking to book a race trip this year yet, we now have our Homestead-Miami race on the Lynch Tours website. Plus, all of the remaining races on the schedule this year. Charlotte next weekend, Martinsville, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and of course Homestead-Miami! We still have availability for all of these races! So, give us a call at 1-888-RACETOUR or check out our website at www.racetour.com. As always, see you at the races!

2010-09-17T14:01:00.003-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, here we are getting ready to start the Chase for the Sprint Cup! I can't believe there are only ten races left in the season! The last blog I wrote, I was saying how there were two races left till the Chase, now here we are, ready to go!

First off, I must say that I was so disappointed in Atlanta when Denny Hamlin was leading and blew his motor. I guess I can be thankful it was that race and not one in the Chase. Having said that, way to go Tony Stewart for winning the Atlanta race! He was overdue and now he is one to watch in the Chase for the Sprint Cup! And of course, you all know I was exstatic when Denny won in Richmond last weekend! My husband and I were there with a group from Lynch Tours & More and it was so exciting to see Denny win at his home track and hopefully carry that momentum over to this weekend in Louden! Way to go Denny, you rock !!!

Now that the Chase is officially beginning this weekend at Louden, New Hampshire, I'm not sure who is the clear favorite to win this race. Many of the drivers in the Chase have won at this track including Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, just to name a few. So, it should be an exciting race! And, we certainly can't count out other drivers that are not in the Chase. They have nothing to lose and will be looking for wins to finish the year out. I look for drivers like Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray to have strong runs there. I will be watching on Sunday to see how the drama plays out! Can't wait!!!

So, I want to know who you think will win the Chase! I know I made a prediction last year who I thought would win it and I didn't do a very good job! I think I said Tony Stewart would win and Jimmie Johnspn wasn't going to win four in a row! As you can tell, I'm not very good at making predictions. However, if I was going to pick somebody, you all know who I am going to pick! Yes, Denny Hamlin! He has about as good a shot as he's ever had to win it! He has gotten alot better at the mile and a half race tracks and of course, there are several tracks in the final ten races that he's won at, including Martinsville and Homestead-Miami. The biggest problem tracks that I see for him are Dover and Talledega. He did finish fourth at Dover in May, but he usually is not very good there. He is a very good restrictor plate racer, but his finishes do not show for it. So, if he can get a good finish at those two tracks, he might just have a chance at the Championship! My second picks if Denny doesn't win it, would have to be Kevin Harvik or Jeff Gordon. Harvick has been so consistent all season and has lead the points for a long time until now. Jeff also has been consistent, but has yet to pull off a win this year. My fear is that once Jeff starts winning, he may not stop! So, there you have it, those are my picks for this years Championship!

Lastly, I want to wish all of the drivers in the Chase, the best of luck these next ten races. It is sure to be one of the most exciting ones yet! I do think though, that it will come down to more than one or two drivers at Homestead. I'm thinking there could be four or five with a legitimate shot at the tile when we get to the last race! Wouldn't that be cool?!!! I hope that is the case, NASCAR could really use that right now! So, everyone be safe this weekend and as always, I'll see you at the races!

2010-09-04T21:59:00.005-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, after an exciting week in Bristol, Tennessee, I am back and getting geared up for that final push to the Chase! First off, I must congratulate Kyle Busch on his trifecta at Bristol Motor Speedway. I was fortunate (or not!) to witness history with Kyle taking wins in all three series, Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup. I have to give him credit though, to accomplish that, is quite a feat and he deserves alot of credit for pulling it off! Way to go Kyle! I also had a great group of people with Lynch Tours & More! The weather was great, we had a super tailgate party and the racing was fantastic! It doesn't get much better than that! Thanks everyone for making another race trip a great one!

Now, after a week off, it is down to crunch time for several of the driver's trying to make the Chase! With only two races left, it looks like it's going to come down to Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray for that last spot in the Chase. I really like Jamie and would love to see him make the Chase, but it's going to be very hard for him to make up 100 points in that short amount of time. Alot of the drivers will be able to lock themselves in after Atlanta, but there are a few that will be holding their breath until after Richmond. One of them being Jimmie Johnson. He better hope he does well these next two races and doesn't have any mechanical issues. Wouldn't that be something if he didn't make the Chase!!! Not likely to happen, but you never know! Stay tuned!

Who's everyone's pick to win at Atlanta this weekend? You know who I'm rooting for! Denny Hamlin of course! He has the pole for Sunday's race and I would love to see him win there! He's gotten alot better at the mile and a half tracks so hopefully he can pull off a good finish, maybe even a win, to lock himself into the Chase! GO DENNY!!!

Lynch Tours & More is off to Richmond, Virginia next weekend for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 Nationwide race on Friday night and the Air Guard 400 Sprint Cup race on Saturday night ! We will have one bus there on Friday night and two buses there on Saturday night. I will be there for the Cup race only and will be looking forward to seeing if Denny can win again at his home track! Can't wait! Stop by and say hi if you get a chance. The bus parking lot is near the Chevy Fan Fest building, I will be on Bus #2, just look for our Lynch Tours sign in the bus window!

In the meantime, I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe Labor Day weekend! I will be spending it with family and friends! So until next time, I'll see you at the races!

2010-08-20T09:59:00.003-04:00

Hello race fans!

Sorry I missed writing my blog last week, but I'm ready to get back at it! Well, Juan Pablo proved he is an ace on the road course when he won at Watkins Glen two weeks ago! I was happy to see him win after some disappointing finishes, especially Indianapolis. He sure knows how to manuever around that tricky course! I'm sure it won't be long before he wins on an oval! It certainly wasn't a good day for Denny, as I thought he would have a top 5 finish until that incident with Jimmy Johnson. I hope he gets back in winning form soon, cause I am counting on him to be a serious contender for the championship!

Now, Michigan proved to be a place where Kevin Harvick found his mojo! It was his first win at that track. He has really proven that he is a great driver and can win a championship. Of course, my money is on Denny! Who would've thought after the season Kevin had last year, that he would be sitting atop the point standings right now. In fact, I thought he wouldn't even be back at RCR this year, and not only is he back, but he has signed an extension with them and will have Budweiser as a sponsor for 2011!

Speaking of sponsors, there has been alot of shifting around with drivers, sponsors and cars for next year! Alot of announcements made this past week for 2011! Marcos Ambrose will leave the 47 car and go to the 9 car, Kasey Kahne announced he will drive for Red Bull next year, (what's up with that, a Toyota???), just to name of few. And then there's the schedule for next year, that is very different. Not sure it makes any difference to me, but would love to know what you guys think of it!

Now we are off to Bristol, one of my most favorite tracks!!! I am in Bristol with Lynch Tours & More for all three races. I attended Wednesday night's truck race which Kyle Busch won, big surprise there! Now, I am getting geared up for the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races Friday and Saturday night! I will be cheering Denny on in the Cup race, hopefully he will have a good night! I can't wait for all the action, after all, it's BRISTOL BABY!!! So on that note, good luck to everyone this weekend and if you are at the track, stop by and see me! We will be in the turn 4 bus lot on Friday and the Earhart parking lot (turn 1) on Saturday. Take care as always, see you at the races!

2010-08-03T10:34:00.007-04:00

Hello race fans!

How about that Jamie McMurray winning the Brickyard 400! What an awesome finish for him and the whole Chip Ganassi race team! Chip has now made history with the only person to have won the Daytona 500, the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. that's quite an accomplishment! Jamie has really seemed to turn things around this year since he joined Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. It was really cool to see him in victory lane with his wife and then rub her pregnant belly! Way to go Jamie!

Then, it was quite an exciting week after that! Jack Roush had another plane crash last week in Wisconsin. He and a female companion were injured, but thankfully both walked away from the scary incident. Jack is still in the hospital recovering from facial injuries and hopes to be back at the track very soon! Get well soon Jack! Other news, was the surprise fines handed out by NASCAR to Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin. What is up with that? Apparantly, these two drivers made some comments that NASCAR didn't like after Talladega and Texas, and they fined both of them, Ryan's was $50,000! Now, I know you are all gonna say that I don't like this because of Denny. NOT TRUE! I feel the drivers should be able to voice their opinion (in Denny's case, it was on Twitter)as long as they are not using profanity. But, isn't this getting a little ridiculous! And then, NASCAR keeps it a secret, why??? I'm just saying, let them speak their minds! I would love to hear what you all think of it! I won't be offended, would love to hear your comments!

The best medicine Jack Roush could have gotten, was when his driver, Greg Biffle took the checkered flag at last Sunday's race at Pocono! What a great race for Greg as this is the first win for Ford this season and the first for Greg since 2008! I was really pulling for my driver, Denny Hamlin, but I was happy with his 5th place finish. With only five races left until the Chase, Denny is solidly in, but needs some more wins to get those extra bonus points. Right now he is tied with Jimmy Johnson with the most wins. Go Denny, and keep up the good work! Also, was so glad to see Elliott Sadler walk away from one of the scariest wrecks I have seen in a long time! Thanks to NASCAR for such a safe race car and for the HANS device, which without a doubt, saved his life! Elliott was on such a high as he had just won the truck race the day before. So, say what you want about NASCAR, but thanks to them, Elliott is still here today because of them!

Lastly, I got to spend some time with a dear friend of mine from Ohio the beginning of this week. I met her and her husband several years ago on a Rusty Wallace cruise that Lynch Tours & More used to go on. They also have traveled with us on race trips and my husband and I got to know them very well. Her and I met just outside of Cleveland and spent a few relaxing days together. We visited some wineries and got caught up on each other's lives. What a great time together with her! Can't wait to get together with her again very soon!

Now, back to the race track, this weekend's race at Watkins Glen, NY. I had the opportunity to visit that track last year, and I have to say, found it quite interesting. Was a little weird seeing them go by the grandstands the opposite direction, but it ended up being a really good race, and the scenery up there is absolutely beautiful! So, I am actually looking forward to watching it on TV on Sunday and rooting for Denny!

So, I hope you all have a great weekend and as always, see you at the races!

2010-07-23T15:03:00.006-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, here we are, going into one of the most anticipated race weekends of the year, Indianapolis! The Brickyard 400 trophy is one of the most coveted trophies in NASCAR and I'm sure if you ask any driver, they will tell you they want to win this one above any other! I know I am so excited and can't wait to watch all three series this weekend! I would love to say that I can predict who is going to win on Sunday, but honestly, I'm just not sure. I would love to see Denny Hamlin win (of course!), but there are just too many driver's capable of pulling it off. Look at Juan Pablo Montoya who should have won last year, but messed up on pit road on the last pit stop! Then there are the usuals, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch just to name a few! I guess we willl just have to wait and see! Good luck to everyone!

Now, I would love to hear what everyone's thoughts are on last weekend's Nationwide Series race at Gateway!!! I thought to myself, as I was watching the closing laps of the race, that Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski are NOT going to go down without a fight! And boy, was I right! When I saw Brad go into the first turn on the final lap and saw him get into Carl, I thought, here we go! Then, they made it through without incident. I thought for sure when they got to turns three and four that Carl would get to Brad's back bumper and turn him around or at least, shove him up the track. I never thought he would get him on the straightaway! Now, here are my thoughts on all of this: I don't like Brad, don't really root for Carl one way or the other. But, when NASCAR said, "have at it boys!", what were they expecting?! I think Brad needs to learn a lesson about respecting other drivers, but I also think Carl needs to choose his place of "retaliaton" a little better. Doing it on the straightaways, is not the best place for that. The fine levied against Carl meant absolutely nothing, the points, well, they will probably come back to haunt Carl down the road. Especially, if he loses the championship by 60 points or less! So, having said all that, HAVE AT IT BOYS!!!

Now, for all you ladies out there (and men too, if you care!). I recently read an article that Brooke Gordon (ex-wife of Jeff) had a baby boy in September 2009! I was shocked! Sometimes I try to find out what she's been doing and I had never seen any information on her other than she was dating some guy who was running for governor of South Carolina. She has since married him, his name is Mullins McLeod. However, he is not the father of the baby, that honor goes to a man named James Dixon II. He apparantly is seeking to change the baby's last name to his, as Brooke gave him her last name, Gordon. The baby's father is also asking for $10,000 a month in support from Brooke, use of her nannies and, oh yea, he wants her to buy him a 1.2 million dollar house! Now, I now some of you probably don't like Brooke, but I always did. I always thought she was good for Jeff, but what do I know. I just feel bad for her, sounds like this guy is trying to milk her out of money that he doesn't deserve! If you want to check out the article on her, go to www.scenedaily.com.

Lastly, I want to remind everyone that Lynch Tours & More still has availability for all of their races on the schedule this year. Don't miss out on all the excitement of such tracks like Richmond, Dover, Charlotte, the short track in Martinsville, the superspeedway in Talladega, Texas, Phoenix, and last but not least, Homestead-Miami! There's no better place to end the season, than in the sunny south! So, give us a call at 888-RACETOUR or 717-896-0008 or visit our website at www.racetour.com and let us take care of all the details for you!

Have a great weekend and I'll see you at the races!

2010-07-16T17:04:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! We celebrated with family and friends at our house with swimming, lots of food, and a little display of sparklers and fireworks! A fun time was had by all!

Having said that, there was plenty of fireworks at Daytona International Speedway for the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. First, the #3 was back in action for Friday night's Nationwide Subway Jalapeno 250 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel. That was the first time that car had raced since the death of Dale Sr. Was there ever any doubt he would win? It was very emotional for both Dale Jr. and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. It's been a long time since the two of them have won a race together. But, it looks like that will be the last time you see the #3 on the track with Dale in it. He has made it very clear that he will not run that car again. He might want to think twice about that, the ratings for ESPN2 was the highest they've been in a long time! Also, even though she finished with a banged up race car, Danica Patrick had her best finish yet, 24th! Hang in there girl, it will get better!

Then it was the Sprint Cup Series turn on Saturday night with the running of the Coke Zero 400. What a wild race! First, Kyle Busch gets turned into the wall by Juan Pablo Montoya(personally, I think it was both their faults!)then the BIG ONE!!! Wow, I don't think I have ever seen that many cars taken out in one wreck! And, the people who caused it, Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton, kept going and had descent finishes! Never a dull moment at that race! After all the wrecks and the smoke cleared, Kevin Harvick picked up his second win at that track and second of the year. He certainly is proving he is championship material! Now, my guy on the other hand, Denny Hamlin, did not fare so well. I was really hoping he could get the monkey off his back at that track, but it was not meant to be. Getting caught up in the big one, he limped his car home to a 24th place finish. Not one of his better tracks! But, I am still confident he is going to give Jimmie Johnson a run for his money when the Chase rolls around!

Now, Chicagoland was a so-so race. The Nationwide race saw Kyle Busch win again and David Reutimann stole the show with his win in the Cup race! I was so happy for David, and it was nice to see the emotion he showed and how the other drivers were also happy for him. Congratulations Kyle and David!

This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series is off, but the Nationwide and Truck races are at Gateway International Raceway Friday and Saturday nights. Don't forget to watch as I will be, so I can get my NASCAR fix for the weekend! Have a great weekend everyone and as always, see you at the races!!!

2010-06-30T15:31:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, it's been a while since I posted a new blog. I've had alot going on, including going on vacation for a week. Went to the beach and enjoyed it very much with my husband and his family! Now I'm ready to get back to blogging and it sounds like I have alot to catch up on!

First of all, Denny Hamlin backed up his Pocono win with a win at Michigan a few weeks ago! He, at the time, was leading all drivers with the most wins for the season so far with five. Many think that he is peaking too soon and when it comes time for the Chase to start, he will somehow falter, like Kyle Busch did last year. I am hoping that does not happen, not sure what he is supposed to do differently. Lay back and let someone else win?!!! I think not!!! Anyway, way to go Denny!

Then, the series headed out west to Sonoma, California for the first of two road course races this year. Now,for those who were hoping that Jimmy Johnson was in a "slump", you were, I'm sure, very disappointed to see him win there! I don't know what it is with those guys, but just when you think they are slipping a little and maybe someone else will catch up to them, they come right back and prove us all wrong! Then he follows that up this past weekend with a win at Louden, New Hampshire! WHAT IS UP WITH THAT!!!! Now he is tied with Denny for most wins this year! I know this can't be good for the sport. Someone has to get it together and beat that 48 team this year! I hope it is Denny and the #11 team!!!

Now, the teams are going back to Daytona for the second time this year. Restrictor plate racing is always one of my favorites and it is always so unpredictable! Will there be the big one? Who will get caught up in it? Will someone win that usually doesn't? That seems to be the case there! I am sure betting that Jamie McMurray will be a factor again! By the way, congratulations to him and his wife as they announced this week that they are expecting their first child together! Sure is alot of that going around in the garage area! lol! Best wishes to all of them!

Well, what did everyone think of Danica Patrick's return to the Nationwide Series this past weekend in Louden? Unfortunately, I did not get to see the race, but saw some of the highlights. Seems like she is a moving target every race she has been in so far. I'm not saying Morgan Shephard spun her on purpose (don't think he is that type of driver!) but it sure looked like there was no give and take either. I still think once she gets enough seat time and learns about these cars, she will do a much better job. Hang in there Danica!

Lastly, I want to wish everyone a very happy July 4th this weekend! Please take time out of you busy weekend and remember those who have fought and are still fighting for our freedom! They truely are my heroes! Thank you to all the men and women who serve in all of the armed forces! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

Good luck to all the driver's this weekend in Daytona. Be safe and as always, see you at the races!

2010-06-09T17:32:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

Sorry for the delay in posting a new blog, but I'm back and ready to talk NASCAR! Wow, what an exciting couple of weeks of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway! As expected, the All-Star race proved to be one of the best races of the year! Who would've thought that Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch would come out of that race not liking each other very much. Cooler heads eventually prevailed, and in the end it was older brother Kurt Busch who stole the show and came away with the million dollar payout! Congratulations Kurt!

Next, it was the Coca-Cola 600, which I had the opportunity to attend. I went with my husband and the group from Lynch Tours & More. We had a great time, as Dean and I first got to tour Victory Junction Gang Camp. What a fantastic place! If you ever get to the Randleman, NC area, you have to go there, it's amazing! We then headed to Richard Childress' Vineyard for lunch and a tour, all before heading to the racetrack for the weekends events. If you go to Lynch Tours facebook page, you can check out all the pictures! What a great weekend of racing as Kyle Busch won the Nationwide race and Kurt won the 600! I wish I had all the money he won in those two weekends! Way to go Kurt!

Then it was off to Pocono. I went to the race with my sister Kathy and let's just say, we had a blast! The weather was very cloudy and windy in the morning, then we headed into the track for the race and we no sooner got to our seats, they started the pace laps, and it started to pour! And when I say pour, I mean it was a downpour! We were in the next to top row of the grandstands, so there was no way we were leaving, so we put on our rain ponchos, and there we sat until the rain stopped, about 15 minutes later! We managed to stay dry and within an hour and a half later, the track was dry and the race was underway. A cold front went through during the race that dropped the temperature about 10 degrees from the start and with the wind, it felt like it was about 50 degrees out! So, we had a mixture of weather, but it didn't really matter. I guess I don't need to tell you that I was very happy when I left there! Denny Hamlin once again dominated and won the race! Way to go Denny! My sister's favorite driver is Tony Stewart, so she was very happy that he finished third. All in all, it was a great day!

What did you all think of the Joey Logano/Kevin Harvick fued! I'm sticking by Joey, there's only so much you can take from a driver before they snap, and I think that's exactly what happened with him. He probably shouldn't have made the remark about DeLana Harvick, but it was more of a dig towards Kevin than her. Hang in there Joey, you made a statement and I think everyone listened!

Now, they're off to Michigan which will probably turn into a fuel mileage race. Who will be the winner this weekend? Can Denny continue his dominance, or will it be his teammate Kyle Busch, or will Hendrick get their act together and win? You know who I will be rooting for! GO DENNY!!! Good luck to everyone this weekend and have a safe race!

As always, I'll see you at the races!

2010-05-21T12:07:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, here we are, coming up on one of the most exciting races of the year! The Sprint All Star race in Charlotte,NC ! I am so excited and can't wait to watch it on Saturday night! It all starts with the Camping World Truck Series race on Friday night, then the All Star Showdown race on Saturday night and then the big race, the Sprint All Star race! Terry Lynch, owner of Lynch Tours & More has begun his Dream Tour week by going to the Pit Crew Challenge on Wednesday night, which Denny Hamlin's #11 team won! And, I'm sure you all know, that made me very happy! They will be going to all of the races, visiting most all of the race shops, eating in the Speedway Club above Charlotte Motor Speedway and then, topping it all off next weekend, by toasting the winner of the Coke 600 and heading back to the hotel in a limousine! WOW, now that's what I call an exciting week! Have fun guys!

Now, I must talk about last week's races at Dover. Kyle Busch had a chance to make history by winning all three races, Truck, Nationwide, and Cup. He almost pulled it off and was only three laps shy of doing it, but he had fuel pump issues while he was leading the Truck race, and had to pit with only a few laps to go. I'm sure he is kicking himself knowing he came that close, but he still had a great weekend with winning the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races. Congrats Kyle! I was happy to see Denny finish fourth in the Cup race considering he hasn't done well the last few times he raced there, so this was like a win to him I'm sure!

I was very glad to hear that Brian Vickers is out of the hospital and on the mend! It sounds like he could be out of commission for a while though, at least until the doctors can find out what caused the blood clots and until they are confident that Brian is well enough to get back in a race car. Until then, get well soon Brian, we are all pulling for you!

By now I'm sure you have heard that the lawsuit Jeremy Mayfield filed against NASCAR has been thrown out. I have very mixed emotions about this whole thing. I feel that NASCAR's handling of the situation could have been a little different, but I also feel that if Jeremy really has been doing drugs, that he needs to come forward and deal with it, apologize, and get help! I feel for him and his wife cause his career is over and now he has to find some way to make a living. Maybe he already has and I hope for his sake that is the case. Whatever the case may be, I wish you all the best Jeremy and please, if you do have a drug problem, get help! NASCAR fans can be very forgiving and I know they would love to see you come out of this with good results!

Finally, don't forget to watch all the action this weekend and next in Charlotte! I know I will be plus, I will be attending the Coke 600 weekend activities! I plan on writing another blog after all the races in Charlotte, so till then, have a great week and a safe Memorial Day weekend! Don't forget to remember those who serve and have served our country, after all, it's because of them that we have the freedom to go and enjoy the races! THANK YOU to all our men and women in the military, you truly are my HEROES!!!

See you at the races!

2010-05-13T17:13:00.003-04:00

Hello race fans!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day weekend! I know I did, I spent it with my family and my husband's family and we had a very nice day! I ate way too much, but I didn't want to offend anyone by not eating! LOL! It was a great day to relax and that's exactly what I did, even though I'm not a mom!

What a spectacular weekend for Denny Hamlin at the Darlington Raceway! First, he wins the Nationwide race over his teammate Kyle Busch on Friday night, then he wins the Southern 500 Saturday night in the Sprint Cup race! It was quite a busy weekend for him, and I'm sure his knee was ready for a break! It's the first time anyone has swept both races at that track in 17 years! So, way to go Denny! I'm sure his mom was proud!

Also, while our group was attending the races in Darlington, some of our customers, and our tour representative Stephanie Strausberger, were interviewed by a local TV station in Myrtle Beach! That is where our group stays for the races. They talked to them about how the races in Darlington boost the local economy. If you want to check out the video or the article that was in the paper, go to Lynch Tours & More facebook page and see what they all had to say!

Just heard that Brian Vickers was hospitalized for an undisclosed illness, and will not be racing this weekend at Dover. Casey Mears will be filling in for him until he is better and can return to the track. I don't know what the illness is, but it must be pretty serious for him to miss a race. My thoughts and prayers are with him and best wishes for a quick recovery!

Speaking of Dover, this is what I call my home track! I am looking forward to going to Sunday's Autism Speaks 400 with my family and with a group of Lynch Tours & More customers! We will be cooking out before the race and the weather looks like it's going to be perfect! It should be a blast! Don't forget, Lynch Tours also takes a group in the fall to Dover for both the Nationwide race and the Sprint Cup race. Check out our website at www.racetour.com for pricing or give us a call at 888-racetour if you are interested in going! Also, check out our other race tour packages some of which include, Charlotte, Bristol, Texas, Martinsville, and many more!

So, on that note, good luck to everyone this weekend at the Monster Mile! They don't just call it that for nothing! It will eat you up and spit you out faster than you can imagine! And if you're at the track, don't forget to stop by and say hi in the bus parking lot. Be safe and have a great weekend!

See you at the races!

2010-05-04T13:40:00.005-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, it looks like we've had two more exciting races since my last blog! The Aaron's 499 in Talladega being the first one, which as promised, provided some of the best racing I have seen in a long time! I think it's safe to say that the spoiler is a big hit and even though there were several wrecks, everyone stayed on all four wheels and no one was injured. And, there was even more drama between teammates Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Now, I am not a Gordon fan, but I will tell you that what Jimmy did to him at the end of that race was totally wrong! Jimmy had to know that Jeff was coming with a full head of steam on the inside lane, so why he thought he could jump out in front of Jeff and get in line with him is beyond me! Jimmy's middle lane was not going anywhere, so if he wanted to get in the same line as Jeff, he should've waited until Jeff's line was past him and then tucked in behind them. I don't think there were alot of cars coming up on the inside if I remember correctly. I know he probably wanted to be in front, but wow, he could have triggered a very big accident that would have taken out alot of drivers! Thankfully, Jeff took the high road (or in this case the low lane!)and went below the yellow line and was shuffled back to the back of the pack, or else it could've gotten really ugly!!! Too bad for Jeff, because he got caught up in another wreck not of his doing. I would have been mad at Jimmy too! But, apparently Rick Hendrick sat down with the two of them and they supposedly got it straightened out. But, I bet there is alot more annomosity between the two of them then we will ever see! Now, having said all that, congratulations goes to Kevin Harvick on a spectacular win! What a great move he made on Jamie McMurray at the last second to get around him and beat him to the finish line! That was awesome!!!

Then, it was off to Richmond International Raceway for the Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400. This is one of my most favorite tracks! I was there with Lynch Tours & More and a great group of customers! It was a perfect night for racing and though most of the race was not what we are used to seeing at Richmond, it was still a pretty exciting! The last twenty laps were very exciting and just when you thought Jeff Gordon was going to win, here comes Kyle Busch with two laps to go and steals the win! Kyle pretty much dominated the first part of the race and then he faded back for a while, but there he was at the end with four fresh tires and took the win! Congrats Kyle! I know Jeff was disappointed, but we all know it's only a mattter of time before he wins. My driver on the other hand, struggled most of the night. Denny started 30th, which is so uncharacteristic of him at that track, but he did manage to work his way up to the top ten before falling to eleventh at the end. Still, not a bad finish but I know he was disappointed!

Now we're off to Darlington Raceway this weekend! We will have a group there, so if you're there, stop by and say hi! Stephanie is the tour representative there this weekend with her husband Brian. I'm sure they will have a great time as always! Good luck to everyone at the Southern 500!

Also, don't forget this Sunday is Mother's Day! Make sure you take wonderful care of your mom's, they are very special people in our lives! And, to my mom and my mother-in-law, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, I LOVE YOU BOTH!

Have a great weekend and we'll see you at the races!

2010-04-22T14:06:00.014-04:00

Hello race fans!

Well, there has been alot of things that have happened since my last blog! Where do I begin?!! First of all, I need to start with the race in Phoenix. As most of you know, my favorite driver is Denny Hamlin. Phoenix was his first race back after his knee surgery. And, even though it didn't go the way he planned, I have to give him alot of credit for running the entire race! I really questioned his decision, especially after going two laps down, but in the end, he didn't want to let his team down. I get that now, but at the time, I didn't think it was such a good idea! I hope it didn't set his recovery back, but I guess time will tell. As for the race, I thought it was pretty good. It was good to see Ryan Newman back in victory lane again! It was a long drought for him and his team, so congratulations to them! I have to tell you a story about Ryan that happened two years ago at the fall race in Charlotte . I was in the garage area with my husband Dean and my nephew Tucker, who has cerebral palsy. We were pushing Tucker around in a wheelchair (he can walk with crutches, but it's easier on him when we do alot of walking to use a wheelchair). A man came up to me and handed me a bag and said, "Don't ever say the Nationwide Series never gave you anything!" and he laughed and walked away. I said thank you and proceeded to look in the bag. Here it was a #12 Ryan Newman diecast car. one of the larger scale diecasts and I thought, wow, that's really cool! Now, keep in mind, they were probably getting rid of all of his items since he was going to Stewart-Haas racing the next year, but still I thought that was really nice. Now, I'm still not quite sure why a man from the Nationwide Series gave this to me, but whatever, I wasn't going to argue with him! Later on, the drivers started heading out to the stage for driver introductions, we were standing near the exit of the garage, when here come's Ryan with his wife and a guy from MRN radio doing an interview while he was walking beside him. I had told my nephew to get the diecast car out of the box, just in case we would see Ryan and boy am I glad he did! When Ryan saw us standing there with Tucker, without us even asking him anything, he walked right over to us, while he was doing his interview, and signed the car for Tucker!!! I was so shocked and amazed that he would do something like that when he could have easily just kept right on walking and talking without even acknowledging us! Ever since then, we have had a new found respect for Ryan, and now that he is with Tony Stewart (which happens to be Tucker's favorite driver) we all kind of like him a little, maybe even alot more than we did before! Thank you Ryan for an awesome experience!!!

Now, on to this past weekend's race in Texas. Wow, what can I say?!!! That race was awesome, and maybe I'm just saying that because Denny won, but even so, it was really exciting, especially at the end! Maybe we should start calling Denny, Monday Morning Denny! What an unbelievable task, not just winning the race, but winning it with a bum knee that was just operated on less than three weeks ago! Needless to say, I was ecstatic! Congratulations Denny! Also, congratulations to Kyle Busch on winning five in a row at Texas in the Nationwide Series race! Joe Gibbs racing had a spectacular weekend!

Also, what does everyone think of Kasey Kahne signing with Hendrick Motorsports to drive the #5 car starting in 2012? I was a little surprise, but not really. I know he has the talent, I just don't think he has the right equipment and with going to HMS, he will have some of the best equipment out there. The only question out there now is where will he be for next year? Everyone is speculating he will go to Stewart-Haas, which to me, would make the most sense, but one thing is for sure, he will be going in a Cup car and NOT a Nationwide Series car. Whatever he does, I wish him all the best!

This weekend's race should also produce some exciting racing! Talladega baby!!! I am really anxious to see how the new spoiler works this weekend. I know the drivers where somewhat pleased with it in Texas, but the real test is going to be to this weekend. It will be interesting to see if anyone gets airborne when the "big one" happens, and if they do, will the car come right back down to the ground or will they flip over! Let's hope they don't even get the chance to test them out, but if it does happen, hopefully they stay on the ground. I know I will be watching on the edge of my seat, to see what happens! So, good luck drivers and crew members. Have a great race and be safe and as always, I'll see you at the races!

2010-04-13T23:52:00.003-04:00

Hello race fans!

I hope everyone had a very nice Easter last weekend! I know I did as I spent the day with my wonderful family! The Sprint Cup Series enjoyed their last weekend off until July 13th. The Nationwide Series ran in Nashville with Kyle Busch winning. Congratulations to him and kudos for not smashing the Sam Bass guitar!

Now, for the races in Phoenix this past weekend. Congrats to Ryan Newman for breaking his 77 race losing streak in the Sprint Cup Series race! I thought Kyle Busch had it wrapped up until that late caution. Once again, the driver leading the race with less than ten laps to go, fails to win. Also, kudos to Denny Hamlin for running the entire race after having knee surgery ten days earlier. I personally would have liked to see him get out of the car, especially after he went two laps down. But, he felt he owed it to his team to finish the race and not let them down. Way to go Denny! And once again, Kyle Busch won in the Nationwide series, which was a pretty exciting race. I thought Joey Logano was gonna pull that one off, but Kyle made an amazing sprint to the front after being penalized by NASCAR for jumping a restart. It kind of reminded me of Denny's win in Martinsville a few weeks ago! I was also a little surprised to see how few people were in the grandstands for that race! I sure hope things will pick up soon, and we start filling seats again. Don't forget, if you want to book a race tour, call Lynch Tours & More or check out our website at www.racetour.com and we will take care of all the work for you! Some of our upcoming trips we have availability for are Richmond, Darlington, Dover, Charlotte and many more!

And, in case you haven't heard, Kasey Kahne has signed on to drive for Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2012! He will leave Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of this year. His plans for 2011 are still uncertain, but whereever he ends up, I wish him the best. He should do well at Hendrick, we all know he has great potential, I just think he needs to get in the right equipment. Stay tuned to see where he goes for next year.

Lastly, both series are headed to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. I'm very anxious to see how the new spoiler is going to work there. I still don't think we have seen the full affect it has on the cars, but this weekend should be the true test. Good luck to everyone, be safe and as always, we'll see you at the races!

2010-04-01T12:24:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

I apologize for not writing a new blog the last few weeks, no excuse just didn't get around to it! So, I must start out by saying congratulations to Jimmy Johnson (again!) on winning the Food City 500 in Bristol two weeks ago. I had to opportunity to attend the race as a Lynch Tours & More respresentative, with my niece Allison. It was a great weekend with a great group of customers! I was a little disappointed in the fact that my driver, Denny Hamlin, didn't do so well, but a 20th place finish after the day he had, isn't too bad. Also, it was the last race with the wing, which I'm sure some drivers will be happy to see go, others, not so much. Congratulations to Justin Allgaier on his very first Nationwide Series race! I was getting a little worried that his teammate, Brad Keselowski, was going to try to take him out for the win. Great job Justin!

Now, on to the Martinsville race. What can I say?! That was the most exciting finish I have seen to a race in a long time! I was actually not able to watch the race on Monday, as I was taking my sister for a test, she is fine, but I got a call from my husband Dean, and a text from my other sister, both in absolute shock as to what transpired at the end of that race! I couldn't believe what I heard! Pitting with eight laps to go while leading the race was not something I would have ever thought Mike Ford, crew chief for Denny, would have considered. But, on the other hand, you know that if they stayed out, everyone else was going to pit behind them. So, it was a situation where they were either going to be the hero, or zero. Thankfully, they were the hero's! Congratulations Denny!

And, of course there was the debut of the spoiler. I don't think it made any difference at Martinsville, we will probably have to wait until the Talladega race to see what affect it has on the cars. I am anxious to see if it makes any difference in keeping the cars on the ground. We will have to wait and see!

The Sprint Cup Series is off this weekend and the Nationwide Series is in Nashville, Tennessee.

I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe Easter holiday. I am cooking for twenty people on Sunday (I must be nuts!) and having an egg hunt for my neice and nephews. The weather looks like is is going to cooperate so I am looking forward to a wonderful day with family!

And lastly, don't forget to checkout Lynch Tours & More's website to book your next NASCAR race trip! We do tickets, hotel, and transportation. There's no other way to go to a race than with us! Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you at the races!

2010-03-18T21:36:00.004-04:00

Hello race fans!

I was glad to see all of the responses to the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski situation on facebook. I knew there were going to be alot of mixed reactions, and sure enough there was! I was almost right on the punishment NASCAR handed down to Carl. I knew they would probably put him on probation, I just thought it would be until the end of the year. I was a little surprised to see it was only for three races. Kudos to NASCAR for not giving Carl a more severe penalty. I was pretty sure they wouldn't just because of the "have at boys" attitude they want to put back into the sport. It must have worked, because everyone has been talking about it ever since it happened! Brad still says he's not going to change his driving style, and that's ok, but he better be prepared to take whatever he dishes out! I saw on Denny Hamlin's twitter page that he went into a restaurant the other day and who is sitting two tables over from him? You guessed it, Brad! Denny referred to him as Brad Crashelotski on twitter! But, I guess Denny took it back as Brad sent a bottle of wine over to Denny's table. Does this mean there is a truce between the two? I doubt it, but stay tuned to see what happens next!

Now, they're off to Bristol where there's almost a guarantee that one or more drivers will leave there mad at another driver! I will be very anxious to see if the racing is going to be anything like it was before they widened the track. Now that they've added the safer barriers in turns two and four, they say it should make for better racing. I can't wait to find out! I am actually down in Tennessee with my niece already, gearing up for the races this weekend. Lynch Tours & More will have two buses down there, so stop by and see us. Just look for our banners in the front window!

I wanted to let all you sprint car fans know that Lynch Tours is doing a bus trip down to Charlotte in November for the World of Outlaws finals. They will be crowning their champions in all three series, sprint cars, modifieds, and late models. If you're interested, please check out the information on Lynch Tours & More's facebook page, or call us at our office at 888-racetour (722-3868) for all the details!

Good luck to all the drivers this weekend, I'm sure they will need it! If you can't make it to the race, be sure to watch it on TV. You won't want to miss short track racing at it's finest! Thanks for all the comments and please keep them coming!

As always, see you at the races!

2010-03-07T21:34:00.003-05:00

Hello race fans!

Sorry I didn't get to write a blog before this weekend's race at Atlanta. I was very busy this week, no excuse, but I plan to make up for it now.

First of all, I need to say congratulations to Jimmy Johnson, again, for winning last week's race in Las Vegas. Also, the same goes to Kevin Harvick on winning the truck race there. Looked like there was a descent crowd there, but didn't look like a sellout like the track said it was. I guess it looked good on TV though.

Now on to this week's races in Atlanta. First off, all you Jr. nation fans should have been happy to see Dale get his first pole in a very long time. I was really holding out hope, for all of you, that he would have a good race. But, once again things went downhill and he didn't have a very good day. Never led a lap, but he did manage to finish 15th, thanks to all of the late race accidents. Hang in there Jr. fans, he will come around, eventually! Secondly, how about that wild wreck between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski?!!! Now, don't everyone get mad at me, but I am not going to defend Brad. He and Denny have a history too and you know who I always stick up for! Having said that, I never want to see anyone get hurt, but these drivers have been saying things about Brad for the past year now, and everyone kept saying, you can only do so many things, so many times, and someone is going to pay him back. Well, now it has happened and everyone is up in arms about it! This is what everyone wanted people!!! NASCAR said they were going to put it back in the driver's hands and go back to old school racing. Well, in my eyes, that's exactly what it was! You know very well, that if Brad's car wouldn't have gone airborne, we wouldn't be sitting here talking about it that much. I'm sure Carl didn't expect Brad's car to do what it did, but Carl had enough of the beatin and bangin that Brad does, and he wasn't going to put up with it anymore. Now, I know he was many laps down, but how many times have you seen another car get up behind someone who has wrecked them and gave them a tap, even if they were several laps down? It doesn't always turn out the way it did today, but it's not the first nor the last time it will happen. I know I will probably make some people mad, but remember, these are only MY opinions. It will be interesting to see what NASCAR does with Carl. I predict they will put him on probation until the end of the year, and maybe fine him, but I don't think they will take any points away from him. I could be wrong, but if they start doing that again, they are going to have to be consistent and then they are going back on what they were trying to accomplish by letting the driver's handle it themselves. We shall see. Let me know what your thoughts are on it. Would love to hear them!

I guess it's a good thing the Sprint Cup Driver's are off this weekend. They need time to cool off after all the excitement! But, then it's off to Bristol Motor Speedway where tempers are sure to flair! I can't wait for the beatin and bangin on the world's fastest half mile! If anyone is going to the races, stop by and see me. Look for the buses with the Lynch Tours & More banners in the windows. I am looking forward to this race, as it will be the first one of the year for me. Bringing along my neice. She is very excited about going as she hasn't been there in a very long time!

So, stay tuned for what's sure to be some kind of penalties, for Carl Edwards. We should know by Tuesday. Good luck to all of the drivers headed to Bristol in two weeks. And, all you race fans, try not to go through withdrawal these next two weeks. Hang in there, and as always, I'll see you at the races!

2010-02-25T13:40:00.003-05:00

Hello race fans!

I hope everyone on the east coast is surviving this very cold and snowy winter. I know I am so ready for spring! It's actually snowing right now as I write this blog! Well, what did you think of this past weekend's race in California? I was a little disappointed in the race, the only exciting part was at the end when Kevin Harvick tried to run down Jimmie Johnson. Too bad for Kevin when he scraped the wall and lost his momentum, I really think he would have won if it hadn't been for that. But, congratulations, AGAIN, to Jimmy for winning another race! Did anyone notice the lack of spectators in the grandstands? This continues to make me wonder why California has two race dates! I was shocked at how little amount of people were there. I think NASCAR really needs to look at this. I know that Kansas will likely get a second date, but I hope they are not considering taking away a date from somewhere like Martinsville. California should be the obvious choice, and if they start taking away more short tracks, we will soon have all of the same type of tracks on the circuit. I think we all need to voice our opinion to NASCAR if we want to keep tracks like Martinsville! They seem to be listening to the fans, so I know I will do my part in letting them know we should keep it, so I hope you will do the same.

I am hearing that there will be a test for the Sprint Cup drivers on March 16th for the new "spoiler" that NASCAR is putting on the cars. The test is at Talladega and is open to the public free of charge. So those of you living near the track, go out and see for yourselves how the test goes. Also, you can bring your own food and drink. Can't think of a better way to spend the day!

Also, saw on Jayski.com that Carl Edwards and his wife Kate finally had their baby! A little girl named Anne Edwards and she was born today, Feb. 25th. Both mom and baby are doing fine and Carl said that Kate is having a little trouble burping the little one! He stated, "a whole new world". Congratulations and best wishes to both of them!

Time to head to sin city, Las Vegas! Drivers are gearing up for this weekend's race and it should be a good one. Can anyone stop Jimmie Johnson and, will Dale Jr. finally get his act together and get a good finish? Will Danica Patrick have a better finish than her two previous starts? I certainly hope so, but I think she is learning and doing all the right things. We will find out soon enough! Good luck to all the drivers this weekend and be safe!

See you at the races!

2010-02-17T13:53:00.003-05:00

Hello race fans!

WOW!!! What a spectacular race on Sunday! Congratulations to Jamie McMurray on his Daytona 500 win! I personally thought it was some of the best racing I've seen there in a long time. With the exception of the pothole (don't blame NASCAR, it wasn't their fault) the racing seemed to be much better with the bigger restrictor plate. Although, I was a little worried when everyone got on the track to practice for the Bud Shootout. There were alot of accidents which seemed to be the result of the faster closing rate which comes from the larger plates. Once everyone figured that out, things settled down. But starting with the Bud Shootout, that produced some excitement, though I have to admit, it wasn't as exciting as I thought it was going to be. Congrats goes to Kevin Harvick on another win there! The last few laps produced most of the excitement, and I was very worried we were going to see little racing for the rest of Speedweeks. But, the Duel 150's were very good and had some of the closest finishes I've seen at that track and the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races were fantastic!

Now on to the Nationwide race. For all of you Danica skeptics, I think she proved herself to be a true racer. She did a fantastic job in the ARCA race and even though she crashed out of the Nationwide race, she did play it smart, when she felt uncomfortable she moved to the back of the field. Unfortunately , in doing so, she ended up getting caught up in someone else's wreck. I think the true test will come this weekend end in California. She certainly isn't afraid to get in there and mix it up with the boys! Good luck to her and all the drivers this weekend!

Lastly, I was so impressed with Jamie McMurray's interviews following his big win. He seems like such a genuine person, and to see the emotion he showed really was a true testiment to how much everyone wants to win this race. I like to see the raw emotion, cause I think it puts into perspective that these guys and girls are just like everyone else. They are human beings! Way to go Jamie and thanks for a great race and great finish!

Also, congratulations goes out to Elliott Sadler and his wife Amanda on the birth of their son on Monday morning! Talk about cutting it close! Carl Edwards and his wife Kate are anxiously awaiting the birth of their child this week. Best wishes to them!

Now off to California! I think the season really starts here. So having said that, good luck to everyone and be safe!

See you at the races!

2010-02-02T19:49:00.006-05:00

Hello race fans!

Well, here we are only four days away from the start of the 2010 NASCAR season. I am so excited as I think this year will be a year of big change for the sport. I'm so glad that NASCAR has finally listened to the fans and put the racing back into the hands of the drivers. We will now see bump drafting all they way around the track at both Daytona and Talladega! Also, they are getting bigger restrictor plates, which will make the speeds a little faster. It should make the racing much more exciting for the fans and should also make most of the drivers happy too. I'm sure there are a few who don't like the new rules, but let's face it, unless they change something so they aren't all bunched up, (and we know that will never happen), there are those who will never like restrictor plate racing. To that I say, suck it up boys, if you can't race with the big boys, then don't race at all! Also, they are going back to the spoiler instead of the wing, (which I actually liked the look of) so we shall see how all that plays out. Kudos to you NASCAR!!!

So, how many of you out there think Dale Jr. will have a better year this year? I don't think it could be any worse than it was last year! Now, most of you know I am not a Dale Jr. fan, but I will say that I feel for the guy. He's always been compared to his father and honestly, I don't think he's anything like him. But, obviously he's struggling and with the best equipment in the sport, so he needs to figure out what the problem is and start winning races! He needs to win and NASCAR needs him to win. I'm not quite sure where the problem lies, but I'm thinking maybe he never could adjust to the COT car. Maybe with NASCAR bringing back the spoiler, is just what Jr. needs. After all, he won all but one of his races with a wing on his car. We shall see, but he's a good bet for Saturday nights Budweiser Shootout.

Lastly, just a little side note for the upcoming season. Looks like NASCAR is going to see a baby boom soon! As most of you know, Carl Edwards and his wife are expecting, and very soon I think, Elliott Sadler and his wife are also going to become first time parents in a few months, but the biggest shocker to me is that Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra are also going have a little one in July! I'm not quite sure why I was so shocked to hear that, but I was. I guess winning four championships was enough to secure their future financially! lol!!! Best wishes to all of the couples and I pray all of them have healthy and happy babies!

Now, don't forget to tune into SPEED at 4:30pm this Saturday to see if Danica Patrick makes her much anticipated stockcar debut! And then, the season starts with the Budweiser Shootout Saturday night at 8:00 on FOX. Then Sunday, it's qualifying for the Daytona 500 on FOX at 1:00pm. This will only guarantee the front row for the Great American race. The rest of the field will be determined with next Thursday's Gatorade Duels. Also, if you are in Daytona for the weekend of the 500, Lynch Tours & More will be there so stop by our bus and say hello! Good luck to everyone this weekend and next and be safe.

See you at the races!

2010-01-04T11:54:00.007-05:00

Hello race fans!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and is ready to start the 2010 NASCAR race season! I can't believe it, but Daytona is only about six weeks away and I can already sense the excitement!

A few story lines took place from the last time I wrote on my blog. First of all, Danica Patrick made it official by signing with JR Motorsports to run a limited Nationwide series schedule in 2010. She is making her stockcar debut in the ARCA race at Daytona next month. It sounds like she will officially start a Nationwide race in California, the weekend after Daytona. I am excited for her, but as I said in my previous blogs, she certainly has her work cut out for her. I have been following her on Twitter, and she is really excited to get started on her new venture. I know that she probably has high expectations for herself. but I think she has to think realisticly and just try to finish all the races she starts in and get that valuable seat time. Good luck Danica! Second, NASCAR changed the format for the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. The field will consist of the twelve 2009 Chase drivers, past Sprint Cup series champions, past Budweiser Shootout winners, past Daytona points race winners, and the reigning rookie of the year in the Sprint Cup series. Now, I am not going to say anything other than it's certainly better than how they did things last year, which was to take the top six points finishers from each manufacturer. But, I will say that a certain someone was not in the Shootout last year, and this year he will be. I'm sure that will make a lot of fans happy! And last, Richard Childress Racing lost one of their own on Christmas night. DJ Richardson died from complications of the H1N1 virus at the age of 37. He was the rear tire changer for the #29 car of Kevin Harvick. My condolences go out to his entire family.

As we start out this new year, I can't help but think about how great 2009 was. We saw history made at the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway. Jimmy Johnson won four consecutive championships, and Hendrick Motorsports finished 1-2-3 in the points, something no other team has ever done in NASCAR history. It certainly was an exciting year and I can't help but think that 2010 is going to be even better yet! I would love to hear what your favorite moment was for 2009 and who you think can win the Sprint Cup Series Championship this year. I don't know if I want to predict the winner, since I didn't do a very good job of picking last year's winner. If you remember, my pick was Tony Stewart. Of course, I will be pulling for my favorite driver, Denny Hamlin who finished the 2009 season very strong, including a win at the last race of the year. Whoever it will be, there's sure to be alot of drama and excitement by the time we get to Homestead-Miami. Good luck to all the drivers this year!

Lastly, I would like to tell all of my fans and followers that if anyone is looking to go to the Great American race, the Daytona 500, you can go to Lynch Tours & More's new and improved website at http://www.racetour.com/ and check out our prices for this race. We are still in the construction phase, but we do have a list of all the races Lynch Tours will be attending this year, and pricing for the entire 2010 schedule will be listed very soon.

Thanks again for making my first year blogging a great one! I hope I can continue to give you my opinion about NASCAR racing in 2010 and make it entertaining at the same time.

As always, I'll see you at the races!

2009-12-08T10:55:00.007-05:00

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!

2009-11-24T23:41:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-11-18T21:51:00.004-05:00

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!

2009-11-12T21:05:00.005-05:00

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!

2009-11-06T10:37:00.004-05:00

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.

2009-10-29T15:27:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-10-23T23:08:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-10-12T12:52:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-09-28T15:16:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-09-16T11:46:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-09-10T16:30:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-09-02T20:53:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-08-27T01:25:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-08-19T13:21:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-08-12T20:30:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-08-06T18:22:00.001-04:00

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!

2009-07-28T16:44:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-07-22T18:38:00.003-04:00

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!