Mary and Cindy's Daytona 500

I am new to blogging, but I am ready to give it a try. I went to the Daytona 500 this year with my best friend Cindy. It was her first experience at the Daytona track. It was my fourth year attending. My first being in 2004 when Dale Jr. took the win! I don't think I can ever top that one. Before we left, we kept talking about what we should bring to wear. I kept assuring her we would see a little of everything as far as the weather was concerned. Some warm days, some cool, and definitely a shower or two.

We arrived on Thursday in time to see the qualifying races. This was my first time to see them live. We sat in the general admission area. Not the best seats at the speedway, but a much closer view of the cars zooming by than you get high in the stands. It was a nice day only needing a light jacket with our favorite driver T-shirts. Also, a good day to enjoy a few cold bud lights! Both races were exciting, and,the starting lineup for the 49th Daytona 500 was finally determined.

Overnight, a cold front came through making Friday quite a chilly day. We spent some time at the flea market drinking hot chocolate, and Cindy bought a beautiful Crown Royal jacket to support her favorite driver, Jamie McMurray. We spent some time in the famous Daytona K-Mart, and did some shopping at the trackside trailers as well. We bought some new t-shirts and accessories for the race weekend.

Saturday arrives, and we head to the Fan Zone before the Busch race. We worked our way through the crowds to take a peek in the garage windows, and to get a glimpse of the area from atop the garages. It was a beautiful day, clear blue skies, and just a little chill in the air. We sat at the Budweiser Bristro and enjoyed a "brunch" consisting of a large fruity drink called the "Bump and Rum". Yummy! It was a perfect spot to enjoy the Fan Zone experience. We could listen to the band playing on the stage, watch and hear the Nextel Cup cars as they practiced, and watch all the people going by. We had a blast! Then it was on to the Busch race with Cindy sporting her new Crown Royal jacket and me in my favorite Dale Jr. jacket. Our seats are on the superstretch up high in the Turn 2 Tower. This part of the grandstands face the lake, and the weather can be drastically different than on the ground. Today, it was quite calm, and we enjoyed the first Busch race of the season. However, Cindy wasn't very happy that Jamie's day ended after only 18 laps.

Race day finally arrives, and we are up early preparing for the day. Watching the weather forecast, and stepping outside our hotel, we decide to wear t-shirts and driver jackets with an extra long sleeved shirt tucked in our seat cushions just in case. We felt like we were well prepared for the day. lol We got to the track around 9:00 a.m., and walked through the trailers and the expo area. It was very windy making it feel much colder than it was. Clouds were rolling in and out keeping the temperature down. We stopped at the Speed stage and watched Race Day for awhile. Kenny Wallace was a hoot as always. Getting colder by the minute, we decided to stop by Daytona USA to warm up. It was packed with fans having the same idea. After returning to the outside, we starting doubting we had enough clothes to make it through this day. Knowing the wind would probably be worse up in the stands, we headed back to the merchandise trailers. We both agreed that we did not want to spend the day freezing and have to wimp out before the end of the race. Cindy went to the Jamie McMurray trailer, and since I already have a large Dale Jr. wardrobe, I headed to the Martin Truex trailer. We both returned with new driver hoodies. Identical except the names across the front. We were now satisfied that we would be warm and cozy all day. We started the long walk toward our seats. While waiting for the tram to take us around to the superstretch, the sun came out, the skies cleared and it started to get quite warm. We were happy believing that purchasing our new hoodies brought out the sun and warmth, and gladly removed a couple of layers. Once we reached our seats, we immediately felt the wind blowing through us, and soon realized we would need everything we brought with us. We bundled up in extra shirts, hoodies and jackets ready for the race to begin. It was a great race. We even forgot about the wind after awhile, and were very happy watching our drivers make their way through the field until lap 196 when Jamie and Junior were involved in the same accident. The same incident also took out Martin Truex Jr. We were so dissapointed as we watched the final laps without the 8, 26 and 1 cars. It was almost dark now, and I could see a yellow streak racing to the front. It's Kevin, I screamed to Cindy. It's Kevin Harvick! When they crossed the finish line, we weren't sure who won! It all happened so fast. It was a great finish! I am very happy for Kevin and the Richard Childress team.

We are now looking foward to the Dover race in June where we are sure we will be able to leave our hoodies and jackets behind for new Earnhardt and McMurray rain ponchos!