Daytona 500.

Clint Bowyer

You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy.
For all the grief I give small-town folk for having a love affair with NASCAR, today I've reverted back to my old ways to watch with fanfair the 50th Daytona 500.  Thanks to my father, my brothers and I have been longtime fans of auto racing.  Dad owns a sprint car, as do friends of the family, and Dad's cousin owned a race track.  And, I have had the opportunity to meet several racing champions, including Jeff Gordon... before he was famous.  It's in our blood; the roar of the engines, the roar of the crowds, and the ultimate rush of speed.  Words can't adequately describe this feeling to those who have never experienced a race.  All I can compare it to is watching a major-league baseball game on TV, and then actually seeing the spectacular event in person at the stadium.  Well, therre is no comparison.
Today, one of the reasons I am watching the televised race is to cheer on fellow Emporian Clint Bowyer, who drives the #07 Jack Daniels car.  (Earlier this weekend, I found a photo of him in one of my yearbooks.)  I can only surmise, but I would would bet all televisions back home are tuned in to the race to root for him.  So, let me yell out, "whoo hoo!"