Pictures from Richmond, VA

I finally got some pictures ready to share from our Richmond Race Experience so thought I would add them here. This is definitely one track that we would like to go back to. The Racing was exciting and we had a great time seeing the sights of this historical city, too.

Richmond, Virginia or Bust

Thursday, September 6th at Noon was the deadline to be on the Road to Richmond, Virginia and we met our deadline. We made really good time on the road with just gas 'n go stops, arriving just south of Emporia, Virginia at 11:00 p.m., which was about 40 miles from our final destination of Richmond International Raceway (RIR).
We spent the night and got up and on the road to RIR by 8:30 a.m. arriving and getting parked by 10:00 a.m. We made in time to watch the Cup cars for their final practice at 11:00 a.m. We found seats in the shade up high at the start of Pit Road so we could catch the cars coming doing Pit Road and out onto the Track. After Final Practice we walked around the merchandise trailers, found some bargains and got some samples from the various sponsors.
It was about 91 degrees and the sun was beating down, so we found a cool place in the shade to sit and relax a little before Qualifying started at 4:00 p.m.
At Qualifying we went to our seats in the 34th row of Commonwealth Section (way up high on the front stretch) next to the top fence. Great seats to see all the action on Pit Road and on the Track!
We were exhausted after this long day, so we left after Qualifying and found an Applebee's close to our hotel for a sit-down/knife& fork meal. And who do you suppose was sitting at a table just across from us...... the Engine Crew (Nitro and friends) from the # 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team. I talked with them and convinced them to have their picture taken with Janine since she is a Jr. Fan...
By the time we finished eating and got showers we were hitting the sheets and it was 10:30 p.m. Cully arrived around 2:00 a.m. flying in from Nashville by way of Washington D.C.
On Saturday morning we all got up and had breakfast in the hotel lobby and then decided to find a place of interest to visit in this very historical part of the country. We found our way to The American Civil War Center and National Park in downtown Richmond. We toured the facilities, took in all the exhibits and I walked away very thankful for the fortitude and strength of our forefathers for fighting to make the United States of America what it is today and also thankful for the freedoms that we have as US Citizens. We then found a great place for lunch where they make their own Root Beer for lunch in the downtown area.
Shortly after 3 p.m. we decided to make our way to the Track.
What a mistake we made...... We should have been there at Noon if not before...... The Race Traffic was HORRIBLE to say the least. We wound our way around to the backside of the Track for several hours. Finally at 6:15 p.m. Cully and I got out of the car and walked to the Track so that I could be sure to get pictures of the Driver Introductions. Janine and Rudy parked the car in Lot H and road the tram to the Gate. They actually made it just in time for the start of the Race. Our seats were in Turn Two - Dogwood Tower, Row 7, which was just coming out of Turn Two and once again we could see the whole track and all the action of the cars coming out of turn one and two, all the way down the backstretch and into turn four. I got a couple of good pictures of the cars three wide in turn two. Jeff Gordon dominated the first half of the Race and led the most laps.
With 100 laps to go, Janine and I left our seats to head to the Pedestrian Tunnel to meet up with the ONMC group to be a part of the media questions to the 12 Drivers that made the Chase. Janine and I were in the 2nd to front row and got some great pictures of the drivers while the signed autographs and threw out hats and shirts and did ESPN and SPEED interviews. We even got autographs from Clint Boyer, Kyle Busch & Denny Hamlin and to put the frosting on the cake - I caught an autographed hat from Jeff Gordon! Before it was all over we were sprayed with Champagne by the Drivers after they completed their picture sessions for the media. We left the infield area at 1:00 a.m. met the guys and caught a Tram to the parking lot where we sat in traffic until 2:30 a.m. We were back at the hotel by 3:00 a.m. and the alarm went of this morning at 6:15 a.m. And that brings us to back on the road again home to Florida. Our expected arrival time is 6:00 p.m.

I've got another update also..... We are moving..... in the process. I will share more later.....another day and include pictures of our new dwelling place real soon.

See ya on the Road!