Wow, Just Wow...

That's what Tom Jensen of the Speed Channel said and I can't top that: Sunday was one of, if not the, greatest days of racing ever. Did you catch any of the Grand Prix of Monaco, the Indy 500, or the Coca Cola 600?

Having seen the Indy as a kid, I've always got a warm spot in my heart for the Brickyard. Like everyone else, I was shocked and disappointed to see 23-year-old rookie JR Hildebrand hit the wall on the last lap before his impending victory. So close! I hope he returns to give it another shot next year.

Later, at the Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte, NASCAR did not disappoint in hosting a long, but super race. I follow drivers Kurt Busch #22 and Joey Logano #20, but in the final laps I was on my feet shouting for fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., who appeared to be in position to snap his Sprint Cup winless streak running since 2008. But in the final lap, Jr. just ran out of gas! How shocking is that? Again, so close. On the bright side, Kurt Busch landed a fourth place finish and Joey Logano came in third. You know I'm happy about that!

Do I think Jr's winning position in this race was a fluke? No way. I think he has been getting closer and closer to achieving that elusive victory. His own words illustrate that no-excuses, positive, team-minded focus that will indeed get him across the finish line:

"I'm disappointed we didn't win. I know all our fans are disappointed to come so close. But if we'd have won that race, it'd have been a gift. We were a top-five car but never put ourselves in the lead. We ran good tonight. I'm proud of my guys and how the car unloaded. I'm proud of how we worked all night long. We've been around for a long time, we'll get plenty. Don't worry about that."

I look forward to seeing that win happen. But for now, I'm off to watch the Grand Prix highlights...

Stand back or get in

Hey NASCAR fans, racing is back!  To kick off the season, the young Trevor Bayne drove his way to a surprising win in the Daytona 500, crediting a focus on his faith for the victory. Bayne's enthusiasm filled some of the void on the 10th anniversary of the death of legendary #3 racer, Dale Earnhardt. In the spirit of things to come, here's a photo I took from New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH back in September 2010. Fasten your seatbelts for a great 2011 season!

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