All Stars Surround Us
The All Star event in Charlotte is a weeklong festival that begins on Thursday night with the Pit Crew Challenge and ends with the main event under the lights on Saturday night. However, this year, not all of the All Stars were on the track or in the Pit Stalls. They were in the surrounding area.
NASCAR teams returned home for their two week stay in the hub of NASCAR, Charlotte, North Carolina. It is an event that was developed to focus on the fans of the sport and allow them to see their favorite drivers compete for a million dollars. In recent years, it has also become a bragging point for the teams with the winner owning the crown of "home town champion". Typically, the event features a lot of hard driving and risk taking that fans don't usually see when valuable points are on the line.
This year's event didn't bring out those aggressive moves or retaliatory paybacks as in years past. In fact, the only caution flags that flew were for blown engines or single car spins. However, that didn't hold back the excitement as fans witnessed some very hard racing as drivers laid it all on the track trying to get to the front. Jimmie Johnson took this year's title for the third time which ties him with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon. "Those are two of the greatest drivers that have ever been in a stockcar," said Johnson after the race. "I want to set my goals high and be considered one of the best to sit in a stockcar. The only way you do that is by winning races and piling up those stats."
It was a very successful week as Johnson's 48 team made a clean sweep by winning the Pit Crew Challenge on Thursday night for the first time and then following it up with quick stops during the race that put their driver out front. "Those guys did such a fantastic job at the Pit Crew Challenge Thursday night," said Crew Chief Chad Knaus. "They beat the defending champions, not only once but twice. I think it speaks volumes about how good those guys are." As a result of winning that Challenge, Johnson's team was able to claim the number one pit stall for the race which gave them a huge advantage in claiming the million dollar prize.
As outstanding as the 48 team was Saturday night, I was equally amazed by the effort of the several groups of people that support the fans at the speedway. As I was leaving the Charlotte area Sunday morning, my 5th wheel broke down on the interstate not far from the track. As I sat stranded on busy I-85, I called for help. Triple A arrived to tow my vehicle to the Ford Dealership but, my 5th wheel was left sitting on the side of the road. That's when the fine folks at Tom Johnson Camping Center came to the rescue.
Tom Johnson has made its reputation on customer service and has done a great job supporting the race fans in Charlotte. I made a call to their service department and was amazed when they said that they could send a truck out to tow my 5th wheel back to their campground to hold it for me while I had my diesel truck repaired. Once there, I found that my truck could not be repaired that day and that I would have to spend an unexpected night or two. With most hotels sold out for 600 week, I asked Tom Johnson for a suggestion.
That's when they hooked me up with the great folks at the Charlotte Motor Speedway campground that operated the property next door. They had an empty camping spot available and allowed me to set up my rig up for the night. I now had all the services available like I was at home and was able to take care of my vehicle. Unfortunately, I was not able to get my truck fixed Monday and had to find a solution to allow me to come home. Enter again, the folks at Tom Johnson's. They packed up my 5th wheel and moved it to their protected storage area for me at no charge.
Johnson and his 48 team might have left the speedway with the All Star victory but, if you ask me, the folks at Tom Johnson Camping Center and Charlotte Motor Speedway were equally cast as All Stars in my book. Thanks a lot guys and we look forward to seeing you next week for the 600.
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