NASCAR.... Our 1st Experience!

April 19, 2013 ~ Brandon and I have never been to a NASCAR race.... until this weekend! We have watched it on TV a couple of times but that seems so boring until you are there in person! Of course we are Carl Edwards fans but it was really cool to be around the other drivers. (of course some were much better at interacting with their fans more than others)

A friend of ours, John Sutherland had asked us several months back if we would be interested in going to the Kansas Speedway in April. I didn't really hesitate and said "Heck yes we would!" and I somehow never really ask Brandon but rather include him in regardless. Over the past couple of years I wanted us to do things we have never really done and experience some pretty cool stuff when we could.... I wasn't going to miss this opportunity and John didn't have a clue what he was in for! (you know I am all about pictures and getting autographs)

We left at 7:00 AM Friday morning and headed to Kansas!

Once we got there we had to go to get our credentials. Once we got those we were ready to have some fun! Brandon and I had no idea what to expect but we knew it would be pretty cool to hang out in the garage/pit area all weekend! 

One thing I thought was pretty cool was I had no clue that they put the wheels and tires together at the event. Never knew that before... guess I thought people brought cars and your wheels/tires were included. (Crazy how much people in the garage/pits messed with tires all day long) 

Of course we had to go check out Carl's car!

Then the autographs got started! I had FastSigns in Columbia, MO make me a metal sign to take with me and have the drivers autograph. I wanted something different to remember my trip and I would be framing it once I got everyone's signatures on it. I ended up getting everyone except Jamie McMurry on it but he was a hard one to catch!

Brandon was taking all of our pictures during the craze of getting autographs

but what was really cool is Orlin Wagner from Associated Press took this picture! A friend posted it on my Facebook page which I thought was pretty cool!  I couldn't get my picture taken with Dale Jr. because he was on a mission but I really did get my picture taken with him! (Photo credit to Orlin Wagner A/P)

It was a really fun weekend and I think we got my picture with just about every driver!

I even managed to get a picture with Jack Rousch! (It was his birthday on Friday April 19th)

We had a blast! We can't wait to go back this fall! We took so many pictures that it was hard to pick which ones I would share. We didn't have tickets for this event but rather a HOT pass that allowed us to hang out in the garage/pit area all weekend. We even got to park in the Owners/Drivers Lot which was way cool! Thank you John for inviting us and thank you Tony for the awesome hospitality!