01 March, 2017

“Drivers….Start Your Engines!”

 Last Sunday, a throng of fans gathered under the sunny skies at Daytona Beach, Florida and heard movie star Owen Wilson give the command that triggers the roar of engines that marks the start of the NASCAR season.  The “Great American Race” (as it’s sometimes called) got underway, and for the next 2 ½ to 3 hours the speed, drama, and excitement that is the Daytona 500 was watched by racing fans all over the country!!

I have been a “semi fan” (if you will) of NASCAR ever since I was first introduced to the sport as a result of the experience I had when Mattel Hot Wheels sponsored one of the drivers whose surname is among those considered legendary in the sport.  In 1997, Mattel re-designed the paint treatment on the #44 Pontiac driven by Kyle Petty, (son of Richard Petty who is at times referred to as “King Richard”, or “The King”).  The car featured the distinctive Orange Hot Wheels track loop, and the Hot Wheels flame logo and was quite visually unique.

Definitely the association of a NASCAR racer with Hot Wheels cars and track sets was a marriage made in “fantasy heaven” for a kid who could imagine himself being behind the wheel of one of those “speed racers”.  I have to admit that being the Hot Wheels Package Design Manager at that time was a real treat. (smile)  It enabled me to attend my first NASCAR race at California Speedway, and enjoy the VIP status of being a company sponsor of one of the drivers!! (smile)

I followed NASCAR for a few years, going to races in both California and here in Vegas, and even attended a NASCAR Truck Series race (my brother-in-law Michael a truck fan) as well as an Indy Series car race.  To tell the truth, I’ve discovered that I am much more a fan of the Indy (IRL) “Open Wheel” cars, and their up-scale cousins the “Formula 1” cars (my brother Rob is a fan of Formula 1), because of their beautifully sleek body design(s) overall.  I look at them as works of art, as opposed to the regular stock car bodies that comprise NASCAR’s field of competitor vehicles.

I do have a couple of replicas of Hot Wheels race cars, but neither of them are crystal!! (smile)  I think it may have been in 2012 (or 2013) that I actually acquired the Dale Earnhardt Jr. car that is in my collection today!!  While working at ADTS (Alcohol & Drug Testing Services, LLC) that year, I learned that my co-worker Annie was an avid fan of “Junior” as he is called by the sport’s aficionados.  I decided that for her birthday, I would give her some sort of gift that would feature her favorite driver….maybe a baseball cap, or a T-shirt or something.

I do not really remember where I came across this beautiful crystal car, but I knew immediately when I saw it that I would have to get it for her!! (ha,ha,ha)  Then, I thought about getting one for myself, and figured I’d throw Michael in the mix also.  So, all three of us have this piece in common!!  Annie has since moved back home to Pennsylvania, and I’m hoping that each time she looks at her car, she thinks of her two NASCAR buddies here in Vegas!! (smile)  The piece actually has its own display base, but I choose to have it sit right on the shelf, so I photographed it that way.

I know that I love this piece, and while I don’t follow NASCAR as closely as I did a few years back, I still occasionally will catch up with Rob and we’ll do a “Beer, Wings and Race watch” Sunday, in place of our NFL Sundays. (smile)

As I said earlier, I’m more a fan of the Indy style race cars, and for my birthday a number of years ago, I received the beautiful Indy Racer you see in this other shot!!  I received it from my friend Bernadette, and it really surprised me because I don’t think she knew that I was a fan, but rather thought it would be a cool gift to give me because it seemed like a very guy type gift!! (ha,ha,ha)  I never asked her, about that….hmm

This car also has a display base, but again I chose to simply have it sit on the shelf….maybe because I think the car should appear to be on the ground, I don’t really know. (smile)  At any rate, my two race cars bring back a few really fun memories.  I loved the thrill of sitting in the stands, and feeling the rumbling in my chest as the thunder of the NASCARs, and the high pitched whine of the Indy cars whizzed by, only moments after I would hear the famous words, ”Drivers….Start Your Engines!”