Welcome Owen Miyata Larson (#nascar)

Owen Miyata Larson was born at 11:09 p.m. on 12/22/20014 at the Lake Norman Regional Medical Center.  He weighed seven pounds fourteen ounces and measured nineteen and a half inches long.

Dad, Rookie of the Year driver, Kyle Larson finished the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season in seventeenth place (the highest a non-Chase driver could finish)  He had eight top-fives and seventeen top-ten finishes.

Mom,  Katelyn Sweet is the sister of Brad Sweet, a sprint-car racer who also has competed in NASCAR.  Owen is the couple's first child.

Congratulations to the 'Rookie' Mom and Dad!

Help Kids With Cancer!

Papa John's, Pepsi Max and Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation Partner to help kids with cancer! Are you going to the Next NASCAR Race in Phoenix?

Each time you order one large Papa John’s  2-topping pizza and a two-liter Pepsi-Cola product, for just $11; One dollar will be donated to the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation .

Note: This offer is valid in Phoenix, AZ only! Use Promo Code "JEFF11."

America takes notice of Joey Prusak

Joey Prusak with Queen Latifah

Joey Prusak is only nineteen years old and already an inspiration to the youth of America . . . . well more accurately to Americans of all ages.

Just in case you missed it, Prusak’s name went viral when he displayed good morals and good manners while performing his job.

The Hopkins, Minnesota Dairy Queen employee saw a blind customer drop a $20 bill, which promptly found its way into the purse of another customer -- after she picked it up and slipped it in there. When the woman attempted to order her food, Prusak refused to serve her unless she returned the money. Claiming it belonged to her, Prusak asked the woman to leave.

The 19-year-old then gave the blind customer $20 out of his own pocket, and the world took notice. After another customer witnessed Prusak's kind act and sent an email to Dairy Queen, his story quickly went viral and caught the attention of mainstream media, who hailed the good samaritan.

Queen Latifah, a noted NASCAR fan had Prusak on her show to congratulate him for doing the right thing and to reward him for his courageous actions.

Kevin Harvick, winner of the 2007 Daytona 500, recorded a message for Prusak, played on Latifah's show.

NASCAR is proud of your recent acts of kindness and courage," said Harvick, "On behalf of NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway, I'd like to personally invite you to attend the Daytona 500. As a past Daytona 500 champion, I look forward to seeing you at the Great American Race.

Many have reached out to Prusak, but perhaps none more high-profile than Warren Buffett, whose company owns Dairy Queen.

I started laughing (when he called). Who knew it was going to be the real Warren Buffet?" Prusak told Latifah that Buffet said to him, "I'm really proud of what you did and I'd like to invite you to our shareholders meeting in May, you can be Dairy Queen's guest.

@joey prusak currently only has 608 Followers
 Let’s get that number higher.

Please Follow @joeyprusak on twitter and ask your friends and family to do the same!  Leave me a comment if you started following this amazing example of American NASCAR Youth!

You can also connect with Joey on his Facebook page.

I will be sure to continue to follow Joey Prusak and hope my grandson will grow up  as ethical as Joey.

(Prusak is also an amateur racer, running some events at Minnesota's premier NASCAR Hometrack venue)

Happy Birthday Leo!

Happy 3rd Birthday to Leo Benjamin Gordon

Jeff and Ingrid's son, Leo, loves playing with cars, especially Papa's #24 die cast cars. He really likes to play with them at home on the floor or table. The only thing was, he didn't have a race track to race them on, not to mention a few scratches that may have happened while doing a burnout with one of his cars.

Well, Mama talked to Papa and Papa talked to Opa (John Bickford), then Opa started designing with the help of Hendrick Motorsports' graphic design group. The result? Leo's very own 24"x36" vinyl re-positionable race track that he can take with him anywhere he goes!

Now, Leo's always got a track that he can race his #24 die cast cars on, that also helps prevent the surfaces he's racing on from being scratched.

They in the process of having Leo's race track reproduced and will have some available at www.JeffGordonStore.com in the near future.

Win Dale Jr.’s Ride

NASCAR Race Mom probably should not be spreading the word, because I would really love to be that lucky fan who wins Dale Jr.’s ride! However, more importantly than my own selfish desires is the great work “The Dale Jr Foundation” does. Check out the video below.

The Dale Jr. Foundation is a charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.

If you can, please join me and buy a $25 raffle ticket to support this worthy undertaking. After all, would it not be wonderful if you or I could win Dale Jr.’s Ride while help other achieve their goals. Only 8,888 tickets will be sold and there are three awesome prizes up for grabs!

MORE ABOUT THE RIDE

• 2013 Corvette Grand Sport 
• Convertible hardtop • Black Exterior 
• Titanium Grey Interior 
• QZW wheels, grand sport black aluminum 
• 6.2L 430H Engine 
• 6 speed paddle shift automatic transmission 
• Heated front seats 
• Navigation system 
• 6 months of OnStar Directions and Connections 
• Bose premium audio 9 speakers 
• Bluetooth 
• Universal home remote 
• Keyless Access with Push Button Start 
• Power Heated Outside Mirrors • Total Value: $63,000

Grand Prize

Come over to JR Motorsports and pick up your 2013 Corvette Grand Sport Convertible presented to you by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. We’ll cover the federal taxes on the vehicle! Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of JR Motorsport’s race shop before taking off in your new ride.

Second Prize 

Opportunity for winner and a guest to attend the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series race of your choice as an Honorary Pit Crew Member on a JR Motorsports car. Includes race credentials, tour of the JRM race haulers, time spent on the JRM pit stall, roundtrip airfare for two*, as well as a VIP gift bag.

Third Prize 

Roundtrip airfare and Pit and Garage Access for two to the May 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Event in Charlotte, NC. While you’re in town, enjoy a $200 shopping spree at the JR Nation store in Mooresville, NC.

More information 

Raffle Dates: April 1 – October 1, 2013

Cost: Purchase one raffle ticket for $25.

Odds: Only 8,888 tickets will be sold.

Click Here To Purchase A Raffle Ticket

Source: 

 

The Greats Didn't Make It On Talent Alone

The new NASCAR Home Tracks spot aired yesterday during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Daytona, live on TNT. “Do Your Part,” pays homage to our local and regional series. It encourages fans to see and feel what NASCAR is all about in their hometowns. I also encourage you to experience NASCAR in person at your local track.

Attending a NASCAR race is a full senses experience. The bright colors; the roars of the engines and the screaming fans; the smell of brake dust and rubber; the taste of a cold beverage on a smoking hot day spent in the sun with your friends and feeling the rumble in your seat as the cars charge past. There is nothing in the world like attending a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in person. You'll be hooked.

NASCAR 2013 NASCAR Day Pin

The NASCAR Foundation is a great way to help kids in need. You will receive this 2013 NASCAR Day pin as a tribute to your donation. Put this cool checkered ribbon on display on Friday, May 17, 2013 to show everybody that you support the 10th NASCAR Day, the NASCAR Foundation and, most importantly, the children!

• 1" x 1" Lapel pin;
• 10th celebration NASCAR Day pin;
• Checkered flag design;
• Learn more about children and family initiatives supported by The NASCAR Foundation at NASCAR.COM/Foundation;
• The NASCAR Foundation embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities. The NASCAR Foundation seeks to raise funds and increase volunteerism to support nonprofit charities and charitable causes throughout the nation with an emphasis placed on initiatives that affect the ability of children to live, learn and play.

 All this for just $10.00!  To order your 2013 NASCAR Day pin click here.

3 Year Old Knows All The NASCAR Drivers

Way too cute not to share!



Hopefully this little guy will get to meet some of his NASCAR heros soon!

On the Dew Crew with Dale Jr.

As a Mountain Dew Insider, and in the top ten of the “Dew Crew,” NASCAR Race Mom was invited to participate in an exclusive virtual press conference (via Google+ Hangout) with NASCAR Chase Driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 

Dew Crew Google+ Hangout with NASCAR Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

If you are like me, you probably do not know much about the free Google+ Hangout Feature. However, it is much like Skype in a conference call format. Google+ Hangout is very intuitive and user friendly. 

My five fellow invited “influencers” and myself were allowed to ask two or three questions. I was amazed at how congenial Dale Jr. was and thoroughly enjoyed the event. Mr. Earnhardt Jr. made me feel very welcomed and valued! 

With the assist of my readers, NASCAR Race Mom picked two questions to ask the nine-time, NASCAR Sprint Cup Most Popular Driver: 

Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were teammates at the 2001 Rolex 24.
(Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

Question Two:

NASCAR Race Mom: What was the best piece of advice your father* gave you? 

Dale Jr.: One thing that was important to him was that we finish school. He dropped out of school in eighth grade at sixteen years old and even though he was able to have a successful career as a race car driver I think that he knew as he got older and understood just what he had done, I think he understood how limited and how the odds were stacked against him to have that type of career and have that kind of lifestyle so it was really important to him that myself and Kelly finished school and attempt to earn a degree in college. He was really glad that my sister went the extra mile to do that. I went to Mitchell, which is in Statesville, North Carolina, twenty minutes up the road and got an automotive degree because I wanted to work on cars, and at this time, when I graduated high school, driving race cars and being a race car driver for a living weren’t a guarantee. So I went and got an automotive degree to be a mechanic in a dealership, and that’s what I actually did for about four years. But, that’s what was most important, the standard stuff, stay away from drugs and alcohol and hanging around with the wrong crowd. He was always worried about us sort of getting mixed up in the wrong things and I just think he knew what the pitfalls in life were out there and how dangerously close we were to those and how easily affected and impressionable young kids are so he was really worried that we make the right choices at that age, but once we got done with college we got a lot of freedom, we made the choices we wanted to make and he wasn’t quite as concerned after that.

For Question One, click here to go to the NASCAR Race Mom blog. 

* Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001) is considered one of the best NASCAR drivers of all time. Earnhardt Sr. won a total of 76 races over the course of his career, including one Daytona 500 victory in 1998. He also earned seven championships as his aggressive driving style earned him the nickname "The Intimidator". 

A complete video of the event should be available soon.

Dale Jr. Makes Wishes Come True

This is why I love NASCAR so much.

Teenager, Jeffrey Buzzell's wish comes true when he meets NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. . . . . . and so much more.

Welcome Alex Almirola!

September 4th tweet from Aric Almirola (‏@aric_almirola)

Best day of my life! Better than any trophy or accomplishment. Today I became Alex Almirola's Dad. Baby and Momma are good

September 6th tweet from Aric Almirola (‏@aric_almirola)

Alex and I watched our first football game together last night. He didn't think it was that exciting. I thought it was a good game. #kids

September 11th tweet from Aric Almirola (‏@aric_almirola)

Alex and I watched our first football game together last night. He didn't think it was that exciting. I thought it was a good game. #kids

September 19th tweet from Aric Almirola (‏@aric_almirola)

2 weeks in and Alex is eating us out of house n home. Takes after his dad in that respect. We're runnin the planet dry just washin bottles.

The Alex is the first child for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Aric Almirola, and his wife, Janice. 

My Conversation with #24 Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon Telephone Call
Pepsi ‘Max It Now.’ Winner

Recently, I participated in a competition entitled Pepsi ‘Max It Now.’ You had to register your username and sync your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, Google, Instagram, and IntoNow) and then complete challenges.

The challenges included posting a Sponsor-requested photo or video, answering a Sponsor-requested question, sharing Sponsor-requested information, checking into a location, or identifying a television commercial or show. The challenges were not easy, but fun and educational.

Imagine the surprise and excitement, when NASCAR Race Mom received an e-mail stating that I was a winner!

While NASCAR Race Mom (NRM) did not win the grand prize, I was lucky enough to snag the only “Personal call from Jeff Gordon (pre-recorded) given away.” My excitement waned a bit when I noticed the “pre-recorded” part.

However, I was later informed that my five-minute phone call with the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion would actually be live! Now I was truly animated. My husband and I have been huge Jeff Gordon fans for quite some time now! The two weeks before the scheduled telephone conversation inched by slowly.

“Hello, this is Jeff Gordon,” our conversation started. “How are you doing?” he asked. I am sure that this NASCAR legend had no idea just how great I was feeling.

Jeff Gordon presented himself so at ease and polite, he immediately calmed my nerves. As I was allowed to direct the dialogue, I asked him about the highs of Richmond International Speedway versus the lows he experienced during the last race.

“That’s just part of racing,” Jeff explained. “It is definitely not how we wanted to start the chase as we already had to start twelfth in the points; but we are not out of it yet. You have to be careful not to dwell on all that good and bad. Ten races are a lot more than most people realize. We need to get everything we can out of it and make up some ground. Never give up!”

This weekend you will see Jeff race in New Hampshire, minus his famous mustache. When I asked him why he lost the mustache, Gordon chuckled. “First of all, the real question is why did I open my mouth about growing the mustache in the first place. But I did and true to my word, I grew it. Then after the type of weekend we had, I thought I enjoyed the mustache long enough. But we had fun with it.”

“I hear that you live in San Diego.” Gordon asked me. After stating that he was correct, Jeff went on to hypothesize “Other than Jimmy Johnson fans, I don’t know that we have a lot of big NASCAR fans out there. I am glad that a true fan from San Diego won this phone call.” I assured him that there are lots of us NASCAR fans here in California!

Unbelievably, Jeff asked me about my son (Moses Smith) and his racing endeavors. When I explained that Moses had to take this year away from NASCAR to focus on his duties as the Manufacturer for the Formula Mazda series; Jeff stated that he had heard of the series. Gordon inquired, “He actually builds the race car? That is a pretty good business to be in. I bet he has plenty of challenges and stays busy.”

In my last question to Jeff Gordon, I asked him how having children (son Leo and daughter Ella) has affected his racing career? “No doubt that it affects you; it affects everything. You don’t realize what it is to be a Dad. In some ways it motives me more. I want to do something that makes them proud and that they can be a part of. The only thing that has really changed is my sleep pattern. I was not a morning person, but I am now. I am lucky that I have such an understanding wife.”

NASCAR Race Mom has not attended a Sprint Cup race this year, but I expressed my desire to attend the Phoenix race in November. Both my favorite NASCAR Series will be at the same track. The Cup cars run on Sunday and the K&N Pro Series West races a day earlier.

“Yes Phoenix is a great town and a great track. I hope to see you and your son out there.” Jeff responded. Now that would be a thrill!

NASCAR Race Mom is a huge fan of fellow Californian, Jeff Gordon. If you are not a #24 NASCAR fan, you should reconsider. He is a great athlete and quite a gentleman.

***Quick reminder: You can still purchase your 2012 Corvette Raffle Ticket today and you could be driving home in Jeff's personal 2011 Convertible Grand Sport 4LT. Only 7500 tickets available. September 24, 2012 is the last day to purchase your ticket.  Click here to purchase your ticket!

The mission of Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation is to support children battling cancer by funding programs that improve patients’ quality of life, treatment programs that increase survivorship and pediatric medical research dedicated to finding a cure.

In addition, the Foundation provides support to Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Hospital in Concord, NC, which serves children in the community by providing a high level of primary and specialty care, regardless of their ability to pay.

(I bought a ticket for the raffle . . . . a girl can dream, can't she!)

Emma James McDowell

 Congratulations to #98-Michael McDowell and his wife Jami on the birth of their daughter, Emma James McDowell. 

McDowell announced the birth on twitter. (9-13-2012)

Trace's New Room

Toddler, Trace McDowell, son of NASCAR Driver Michael McDowell and wife Jami, has a new room!

Trace also has a twitter account.

What do you think of his "Cars" decor?

Daddy's Little Girl

What a gorgeous photo of NASCAR Driver Matt Kenseth's little daughter.  NASCAR Race Mom loves her reflection in the car.

BRISTOL, TN - AUG 25, 2012: The NASCAR Sprint Cup series teams prepare to take to the track for the IRWIN Tools Night Race in Bristol, TN. Worldwide Copyright ©2012 Action Sports Photography, Inc. — at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Join the Dew Crew!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has ascended to the top of the Sprint Cup points standings, and it seems everyone has taken notice!

Now would be the perfect time for you to take notice of a promotion entitled "Join the Dew Crew."

If you love NASCAR;  Dale Jr.; #88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet; and/or Mountain Dew, you'll love this chance to win some great prizes!

The Dew Crew is currently running an action-packed tournament bracket, sponsored by Diet Dew! Two lucky fans and a guest of their choice will win a trip to see the race in Bristol, Tennessee on August 25th!  Wish it were me.

You can even win prizes just for joining The Dew Crew, so head on over and get signed up! Watch the video below for more info:

Join Dale Jr's Dew Crew by clicking here.  Help make decisions, share with other members of Jr Nation, and earn points for the chance to win Diet Dew prizes and gear! 

Disclosure:   MOUNTAIN DEW® and NASCAR Race Mom, support ethical blogging and strict adherence to the FTC guidelines pertaining to free samples and gifts. As a participant in a MOUNTAIN DEW® campaign, NASCAR Race Mom could be compensated by MOUNTAIN DEW® with product. 

However, NRM would have been pleased to share this news with my readers without said compensation.