Debbie Powers
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Phoenix Raceway brings Joey Logano his 25th Career Cup Series Victory.
Phoenix, Arizona
Sunday March 8, 2020
Setbacks proved to be inadequate in keeping Joey Logano back on Sunday in the Fanshield 500 in Phoenix.
Starting in the 13th position, the driver of the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford moved up to fifth before a lap 57 caution in Stage 1 and exited pit road in fifth, conquering two restarts and finishing the segment in third place.
Stage 2 found him starting in twelfth position but the determined driver made his way into the top-five and maintained the third position until there was a caution on lap 130.
The Team Penske driver found himself at the rear of the field on the restart due to an uncontrolled tire during his pit stop but still got a seventh-place finish in Stage 2! Logano’s car was good on long runs and in Stage 3 he would restart in the sixth position, with a pit stop gaining him ground to fourth and a new set of tires. Logano put those fresh tires to good use and pulled ahead for the lead with only 88 laps left, but with 61 laps remaining, gave it up due to a jack incident and would find himself restarting the final stage in the eighteenth.
When a caution on lap 276 occurred, Logano moved from seventh to third as many of the cars came in who had previously stayed out.
Even with multiple restarts, Logano took, and kept, the lead to win, now only a single point behind driver Kevin Harvick in the NCS drivers’ points standings!
After his victory, Logano commented, “ We had a really good Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. We had more things go wrong today with the jack breaking which was no one’s fault. I had some good restarts to get us back up there. I knew racing Kevin ( Harvick) was going to be hard. I figured I was going to get hit so I throttled up in the corner so much. I thought he was going to give me the bump-n-run, which I expected, I wouldn’t blame him for that. I couldn’t be prouder of this team. Two wins already in the books and we have to keep this thing rocking!”
Logano is obviously going all-out for his second Championship and if he continues his momentum, he will be a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses!
If you’ll be in Atlanta this weekend, Logano will make two Trackside Live appearances, one on Saturday following the Truck race, at 7:15 pm, and again on Sunday, March 15th at 10:30 am. Both will be Q and A sessions.
If you’re watching from home you can catch all the action on Fox at 2 pm (ET).
Skills... the man has skills! Will Sunday be his first Atlanta win?
He and his “new” team seem to be clicking...
I guarantee you it won’t be from lack of trying if not!
Noteable: Roush Yates Engines also celebrated their 200th win with Ford Performance and the FR 9 engine in Phoenix on Sunday.
Phoenix, Arizona
Sunday March 8, 2020
Setbacks proved to be inadequate in keeping Joey Logano back on Sunday in the Fanshield 500 in Phoenix.
Starting in the 13th position, the driver of the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford moved up to fifth before a lap 57 caution in Stage 1 and exited pit road in fifth, conquering two restarts and finishing the segment in third place.
Stage 2 found him starting in twelfth position but the determined driver made his way into the top-five and maintained the third position until there was a caution on lap 130.
The Team Penske driver found himself at the rear of the field on the restart due to an uncontrolled tire during his pit stop but still got a seventh-place finish in Stage 2! Logano’s car was good on long runs and in Stage 3 he would restart in the sixth position, with a pit stop gaining him ground to fourth and a new set of tires. Logano put those fresh tires to good use and pulled ahead for the lead with only 88 laps left, but with 61 laps remaining, gave it up due to a jack incident and would find himself restarting the final stage in the eighteenth.
When a caution on lap 276 occurred, Logano moved from seventh to third as many of the cars came in who had previously stayed out.
Even with multiple restarts, Logano took, and kept, the lead to win, now only a single point behind driver Kevin Harvick in the NCS drivers’ points standings!
After his victory, Logano commented, “ We had a really good Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. We had more things go wrong today with the jack breaking which was no one’s fault. I had some good restarts to get us back up there. I knew racing Kevin ( Harvick) was going to be hard. I figured I was going to get hit so I throttled up in the corner so much. I thought he was going to give me the bump-n-run, which I expected, I wouldn’t blame him for that. I couldn’t be prouder of this team. Two wins already in the books and we have to keep this thing rocking!”
Logano is obviously going all-out for his second Championship and if he continues his momentum, he will be a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses!
If you’ll be in Atlanta this weekend, Logano will make two Trackside Live appearances, one on Saturday following the Truck race, at 7:15 pm, and again on Sunday, March 15th at 10:30 am. Both will be Q and A sessions.
If you’re watching from home you can catch all the action on Fox at 2 pm (ET).
Skills... the man has skills! Will Sunday be his first Atlanta win?
He and his “new” team seem to be clicking...
I guarantee you it won’t be from lack of trying if not!
Noteable: Roush Yates Engines also celebrated their 200th win with Ford Performance and the FR 9 engine in Phoenix on Sunday.
Logano still sitting in 2nd behind leader Ryan Blaney in Cup Drivers Points Standings after California
Fontana, California
Sunday March 1, 2020
Not for lack of effort, Joey Logano finished 12th in the Auto Club 400 in Fontana on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. Even though he started 7th, he battled a tight-handling Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang that continued to plague him throughout most of the race, with the condition worsening in traffic around the two-mile oval.
Even with a solid qualifying effort, the start of the race found Logano radioing crew chief Paul Wolfe to notify him that his No. 22 Ford was slightly getting loose going into Turn 1, a condition most likely because of the heavy tailwind he got while moving down the front stretch. Wolfe began adjustment on the chassis and by the end of Stage 1, Logano was running top-three lap times, finishing seventh when the stage ended on lap 60.
After more adjustments before the start of Stage 2, Logano was happy with the balance of the No. 22 Ford Mustang, but as the race moved towards the 100-lap mark of the 200-lap race, he radioed in that he was now fighting a tight-handling condition.
This tight condition would remain a major factor during the rest of the race, and at one point during the second half of the event, Logano dropped to the 15th position, although he did manage to battle back for a 12th-place final finish.
The former Champion\ remains second in the NASCAR Cup Series driver points standings, (-11) behind his Penske teammate Ryan Blaney
Logano commented post-race "It was almost like two different races for the Auto Club of Southern California Mustang team. I thought we started the race strong and could race inside the top five, but towards the middle of the race, it just turned very tight. We tried to take some of our previous adjustments back out, but it didn't seem to affect it much. The track seemed to tighten up as the race went along."
Fun Fact: Joey Logano has 8 wins on one-mile and under tracks and is headed to Phoenix to see if he can tame the desert on Sunday at 3:30 pm (ET) in his Pennzoil Ford Mustang.
Chat with me Here: @DebbiePowers11
Fontana, California
Sunday March 1, 2020
Not for lack of effort, Joey Logano finished 12th in the Auto Club 400 in Fontana on Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. Even though he started 7th, he battled a tight-handling Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang that continued to plague him throughout most of the race, with the condition worsening in traffic around the two-mile oval.
Even with a solid qualifying effort, the start of the race found Logano radioing crew chief Paul Wolfe to notify him that his No. 22 Ford was slightly getting loose going into Turn 1, a condition most likely because of the heavy tailwind he got while moving down the front stretch. Wolfe began adjustment on the chassis and by the end of Stage 1, Logano was running top-three lap times, finishing seventh when the stage ended on lap 60.
After more adjustments before the start of Stage 2, Logano was happy with the balance of the No. 22 Ford Mustang, but as the race moved towards the 100-lap mark of the 200-lap race, he radioed in that he was now fighting a tight-handling condition.
This tight condition would remain a major factor during the rest of the race, and at one point during the second half of the event, Logano dropped to the 15th position, although he did manage to battle back for a 12th-place final finish.
The former Champion\ remains second in the NASCAR Cup Series driver points standings, (-11) behind his Penske teammate Ryan Blaney
Logano commented post-race "It was almost like two different races for the Auto Club of Southern California Mustang team. I thought we started the race strong and could race inside the top five, but towards the middle of the race, it just turned very tight. We tried to take some of our previous adjustments back out, but it didn't seem to affect it much. The track seemed to tighten up as the race went along."
Fun Fact: Joey Logano has 8 wins on one-mile and under tracks and is headed to Phoenix to see if he can tame the desert on Sunday at 3:30 pm (ET) in his Pennzoil Ford Mustang.
Chat with me Here: @DebbiePowers11
Photo Credit Debbie Powers
Vegas Luck is on Logano's side.
Las Vegas Motorspeedway
Las Vegas, Nevada
February 23rd, 2020
Joey Logano put the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford in Victory Lane for the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas last Sunday!
Logano started fifth and maintained that position for both Stage 1 and Stage 2, and led 54 laps.
When the eighth caution of the race came with 5 laps to go, Logano stayed out and stayed ahead of Matt DiBenedetto to clinch the win.
This was Logano’s 24th career win and his second consecutive win in the Pennzoil 400. Before his win, Logano ran in third and fourth positions, battling loose conditions before coming in for adjustments during the competition caution on lap 25; the Pennzoil crew got him back out in the fourth position. Logano grabbed the third position again but lost rear grip and was passed by teammate Ryan Blaney, dropping back to fifth. He stayed loose for the remainder of Stage 1, pitting on lap 83 for air pressure and wedge adjustments as well as tape on the nose of the No. 22.
He restarted fourth on lap 87 and stayed there for the opening laps of Stage 2 and Crew Chief Paul Wolfe brought him in for adjustments. late in the run, Logano reported handling had improved. A caution with two laps remaining locked him into fifth again.
With the start of Stage 3 on lap 166, Logano pushed Blaney to the lead on lap 173, then battled to take it away from him down the backstretch. After a caution on lap 177, Logano restarted with a push from fellow Ford Performance driver Kevin Harvick and elected not to pit or give up track position with only 5 laps remaining. Logano got shuffled to the middle on the restart and went on the offensive to regain track position; in three laps he was back in third place and fell back to fourth before passing Harvick for third on lap 212.
On lap 216 Logano pitted for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. As pit cycles continued, Logano found himself side-by-side with Chase Elliott before Elliott cut a tire heading into Turn 1. Trapped a lap down as other cars had remained on the track, Logano took the wave-around and was third in line for the restart on lap 226. Logano surged forward to the lead off Turn 2, holding Kevin Harvick off.
On lap 255, Blaney, on fresher tires, took Logano’s lead away until the eighth caution slowed things down on lap 263; Logano elected to remain on the track while others chose to pit.
Logano took complete advantage of his shot to win the race, pulling away at the drop of the green flag; when a four-car incident ended the race on the final lap, Logano’s gamble paid off with a trip to Victory Lane!
“Winning the Pennzoil 400 with our Pennzoil Ford is so huge,” Logano said afterward. “It means a lot to be able to do it two years in a row winning this race. I’m proud of everybody here did behind me today. They prepared a great Ford Mustang and executed the race perfectly and that’s what we wanted. We fought hard and tried to keep every spot we possibly could and then ultimately, oh man, being able to pull it into Victory Lane here.”
Logano heads to California this weekend for the AutoClub 400 with 5 playoff points.
Logano has five top-5’s in Fontana and one top-10 since joining Team Penske.
He sits -3 points behind Ryan Blaney.
Photo Credit Hoover over each photo. Special thanks to Debbie Powers, Sue Parzych, and Shel Shockley
Las Vegas Motorspeedway
Las Vegas, Nevada
February 23rd, 2020
Joey Logano put the No. 22 Pennzoil Ford in Victory Lane for the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas last Sunday!
Logano started fifth and maintained that position for both Stage 1 and Stage 2, and led 54 laps.
When the eighth caution of the race came with 5 laps to go, Logano stayed out and stayed ahead of Matt DiBenedetto to clinch the win.
This was Logano’s 24th career win and his second consecutive win in the Pennzoil 400. Before his win, Logano ran in third and fourth positions, battling loose conditions before coming in for adjustments during the competition caution on lap 25; the Pennzoil crew got him back out in the fourth position. Logano grabbed the third position again but lost rear grip and was passed by teammate Ryan Blaney, dropping back to fifth. He stayed loose for the remainder of Stage 1, pitting on lap 83 for air pressure and wedge adjustments as well as tape on the nose of the No. 22.
He restarted fourth on lap 87 and stayed there for the opening laps of Stage 2 and Crew Chief Paul Wolfe brought him in for adjustments. late in the run, Logano reported handling had improved. A caution with two laps remaining locked him into fifth again.
With the start of Stage 3 on lap 166, Logano pushed Blaney to the lead on lap 173, then battled to take it away from him down the backstretch. After a caution on lap 177, Logano restarted with a push from fellow Ford Performance driver Kevin Harvick and elected not to pit or give up track position with only 5 laps remaining. Logano got shuffled to the middle on the restart and went on the offensive to regain track position; in three laps he was back in third place and fell back to fourth before passing Harvick for third on lap 212.
On lap 216 Logano pitted for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. As pit cycles continued, Logano found himself side-by-side with Chase Elliott before Elliott cut a tire heading into Turn 1. Trapped a lap down as other cars had remained on the track, Logano took the wave-around and was third in line for the restart on lap 226. Logano surged forward to the lead off Turn 2, holding Kevin Harvick off.
On lap 255, Blaney, on fresher tires, took Logano’s lead away until the eighth caution slowed things down on lap 263; Logano elected to remain on the track while others chose to pit.
Logano took complete advantage of his shot to win the race, pulling away at the drop of the green flag; when a four-car incident ended the race on the final lap, Logano’s gamble paid off with a trip to Victory Lane!
“Winning the Pennzoil 400 with our Pennzoil Ford is so huge,” Logano said afterward. “It means a lot to be able to do it two years in a row winning this race. I’m proud of everybody here did behind me today. They prepared a great Ford Mustang and executed the race perfectly and that’s what we wanted. We fought hard and tried to keep every spot we possibly could and then ultimately, oh man, being able to pull it into Victory Lane here.”
Logano heads to California this weekend for the AutoClub 400 with 5 playoff points.
Logano has five top-5’s in Fontana and one top-10 since joining Team Penske.
He sits -3 points behind Ryan Blaney.
Photo Credit Hoover over each photo. Special thanks to Debbie Powers, Sue Parzych, and Shel Shockley
Joey Logano Starts off 2020 with a Victory in the First Duel.
February 14, 2020
Starting 6th in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona, Joey Logano drove into Victory Lane in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang after leading 19 laps and scoring 10 points, guaranteeing him the third starting position in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, where he'll be looking for that second win!
Working in the outside line with multiple Ford Performance teammates, Logano stayed inside the top-10 during side-by-side opening laps. When the top lane began to show their strength on the tenth lap, Logano moved into the top-five.
Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was good for the most part during the opening run, with handling only slightly free. 24 laps into the run, Logano reported the car had started "four-wheel skating," The Ford competitors chose to remain on the track as the Chevy and Toyota cars hit pit road, in an effort to make speed, and put distance over the other cars.
When the Ford competitors started entering pit road on lap 29, a multi-vehicle incident occurred; the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil crew chose to pit for four tires and an air-pressure adjustment to provide stability for Logano's final laps, and pitted from fourth position.
Logano re-started fourth, and with a push from the No. 10 Ford of Aric Almirola, quickly gained the lead! When the field began shuffling, Logano took the bottom line, with the top six cars all being Fords.
Using the drafting help from Almirola, Logano maintained his lead and was able to claim victory at the end of the first event.
This Duels qualifying victory is the second consecutive one for Logano, as he won the second Duel in 2019 with a last-lap pass!
Logano said of the night..."We had a really good Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang tonight. TJ (Majors) did a great job spotting and keeping ahead of who had the runs and when we needed to change lanes. Aric Almirola really helped us get to Victory Lane, his pushes late in the race were critical to keeping us out front. It's great to get a win this early in the year with this group and build some momentum heading into the Daytona 500 Sunday,"
As you will recall, Team Penske made changes before the season starting, and Joey now has the former 2 crew and a new crew chief, Paul Wolfe, but TJ Majors, his spotter, remains with him. Logano has run seven Daytona 500's with Team Penske, and won in 2015! His best qualifying position to date was fourth in 2019, and he also qualified first in the July race last year.
Worth noting: Logano will make his 400th career start in the 2020 Daytona 500, the youngest driver to reach that mark!
Will he celebrate by pulling into Victory Lane again? Watch and see Sunday, Feb 16th @ 2:30 pm (ET) on Fox!
Follow and chat with me here:
@DebbiePowers11
Photo Credit : Don Charest
February 14, 2020
Starting 6th in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona, Joey Logano drove into Victory Lane in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang after leading 19 laps and scoring 10 points, guaranteeing him the third starting position in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, where he'll be looking for that second win!
Working in the outside line with multiple Ford Performance teammates, Logano stayed inside the top-10 during side-by-side opening laps. When the top lane began to show their strength on the tenth lap, Logano moved into the top-five.
Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was good for the most part during the opening run, with handling only slightly free. 24 laps into the run, Logano reported the car had started "four-wheel skating," The Ford competitors chose to remain on the track as the Chevy and Toyota cars hit pit road, in an effort to make speed, and put distance over the other cars.
When the Ford competitors started entering pit road on lap 29, a multi-vehicle incident occurred; the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil crew chose to pit for four tires and an air-pressure adjustment to provide stability for Logano's final laps, and pitted from fourth position.
Logano re-started fourth, and with a push from the No. 10 Ford of Aric Almirola, quickly gained the lead! When the field began shuffling, Logano took the bottom line, with the top six cars all being Fords.
Using the drafting help from Almirola, Logano maintained his lead and was able to claim victory at the end of the first event.
This Duels qualifying victory is the second consecutive one for Logano, as he won the second Duel in 2019 with a last-lap pass!
Logano said of the night..."We had a really good Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang tonight. TJ (Majors) did a great job spotting and keeping ahead of who had the runs and when we needed to change lanes. Aric Almirola really helped us get to Victory Lane, his pushes late in the race were critical to keeping us out front. It's great to get a win this early in the year with this group and build some momentum heading into the Daytona 500 Sunday,"
As you will recall, Team Penske made changes before the season starting, and Joey now has the former 2 crew and a new crew chief, Paul Wolfe, but TJ Majors, his spotter, remains with him. Logano has run seven Daytona 500's with Team Penske, and won in 2015! His best qualifying position to date was fourth in 2019, and he also qualified first in the July race last year.
Worth noting: Logano will make his 400th career start in the 2020 Daytona 500, the youngest driver to reach that mark!
Will he celebrate by pulling into Victory Lane again? Watch and see Sunday, Feb 16th @ 2:30 pm (ET) on Fox!
Follow and chat with me here:
@DebbiePowers11
Photo Credit : Don Charest
NASCAR stars aren't the only essential drivers for races...
January 30, 2020
Ever wonder what goes into getting your favorite driver's car track to track?
I reached out and got some answers!
"On the road" begins with a schedule of who first driver will be, as well as when they need to pull out to get to their destination on time...and after a race, a first driver has to have been "off" for ten hours, which means either they go to sleep in the hauler or stay at a hotel while the other driver works the race.
If "their driver" wins the race, it delays leaving the track a little, with Victory Lane and tech factored in...and, of course, there's that "win" satisfaction they leave with! (Am sure it is much preferred over leaving earlier because the car is "history")...
Days on the road depend on the season's schedule;
they typically travel 40k-45k miles per season.
What happens when they do a "West Coast swing?"
This is a logistical juggling act, with some teams electing to go back home between races and others bringing cars and parts out in between races, then taking previous weeks race stuff back to the shop.
And how's that time adjustment (internal clock) from one coast to another?
Basically, it takes some getting used to, but after doing it awhile it can become fairly easy.
These guys stay in shape too!
Gotta be on your game to take care of your rig and responsibilities week to week; that doesn't just end with parking the trucks in the garages or shops! Besides their duties at the track, between races, there's general maintenance, and they clean, and get groceries. See how those rigs shine? Drivers take great pride in keeping them clean, polished, and organized!
They also have a hauler driver competition, where DOT (Department of Transportation) knowledge and obstacle course challenges are conquered by the best of the best!
Think you want to drive for a team?
Make sure you prepare yourself with the understanding that home time is a premium! If you can't be away from your wife/partner, kids, pets, etc... for long periods of time repeatedly, it's probably not the job for you...
And an aside...these guys are some of the nicest people you will meet in the garage...
Follow and chat with me here:
@DebbiePowers11
SHOP HERE for your new 2020 NASCAR gear!!
Photo credit: Judy Fredricks
NASCAR stars aren't the only essential drivers for races...
January 30, 2020
Ever wonder what goes into getting your favorite driver's car track to track?
I reached out and got some answers!
"On the road" begins with a schedule of who first driver will be, as well as when they need to pull out to get to their destination on time...and after a race, a first driver has to have been "off" for ten hours, which means either they go to sleep in the hauler or stay at a hotel while the other driver works the race.
If "their driver" wins the race, it delays leaving the track a little, with Victory Lane and tech factored in...and, of course, there's that "win" satisfaction they leave with! (Am sure it is much preferred over leaving earlier because the car is "history")...
Days on the road depend on the season's schedule;
they typically travel 40k-45k miles per season.
What happens when they do a "West Coast swing?"
This is a logistical juggling act, with some teams electing to go back home between races and others bringing cars and parts out in between races, then taking previous weeks race stuff back to the shop.
And how's that time adjustment (internal clock) from one coast to another?
Basically, it takes some getting used to, but after doing it awhile it can become fairly easy.
These guys stay in shape too!
Gotta be on your game to take care of your rig and responsibilities week to week; that doesn't just end with parking the trucks in the garages or shops! Besides their duties at the track, between races, there's general maintenance, and they clean, and get groceries. See how those rigs shine? Drivers take great pride in keeping them clean, polished, and organized!
They also have a hauler driver competition, where DOT (Department of Transportation) knowledge and obstacle course challenges are conquered by the best of the best!
Think you want to drive for a team?
Make sure you prepare yourself with the understanding that home time is a premium! If you can't be away from your wife/partner, kids, pets, etc... for long periods of time repeatedly, it's probably not the job for you...
And an aside...these guys are some of the nicest people you will meet in the garage...
Follow and chat with me here:
@DebbiePowers11
SHOP HERE for your new 2020 NASCAR gear!!
Photo credit: Judy Fredricks
"License Plate Merry" recaps her "every track" 2019 Bucket List Trip
January 27, 2020
Merry Mendoza is a dedicated NASCAR fan, originally following her favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt, then his son, Dale, Jr; when Jr retired, she was looking for a new driver and liked Joey Logano, for many reasons, one of them being her son looks just like him! She also admires his positive attitude, driving style, fan-friendliness, and his dedication to giving back.
When Merry decided to retire from her position at Folsom Prison, one of the main items on her "bucket list" was to go to every Cup race during a single season! She began buying tickets, planning her trips, and eventually let her apartment go, putting everything in storage, and voila! Off she went!
Merry met some amazing people during her season-long adventure, some at the tracks, some in her accommodations, and some in her explorations of local sites, like the lovely couple in Dawnsonville, Georgia who welcomed her into their home and made sure she got to see the Pool Room!
She visited old prison sites, cemeteries, and lighthouses, and saw as many covered bridges as possible, all interests she has cultivated. She also visited historical sites, such as Mt. Vernon, and then did fun things like blowing glass, getting an unexpected tattoo, and visiting NASCAR museums.
Of course, it wouldn't have been the trip of a lifetime without misplacing her keys, needing oil changes, and getting tire rotations during the 42,000 miles she put on her car (she flew three times or that number would have been significantly higher)!
When asked about her favorite memory, of course, it was a "Joey" moment; she was leaving the track in Phoenix and when stopped, consulting her GPS to see which way to turn once she got off-site, she heard " nice plates" but didn't see who said it. When she had to stop, as you do getting out of tracks, she heard it again, and, this time, looking up right away, was amazed to see Joey and Brittany next to her and laughing at her astounded expression! (Her license plates read "Joey22" in the Pennzoil color scheme. (She had them placed on her car at the time, as was way more budget-friendly than her truck).
When an autograph session came up soon after, Merry made sure she took her plates to have Joey sign, and eventually was dubbed "License Plate Merry" by the PR guy! Merry was able to meet her favorite driver several times over the season, and eventually, he would recognize her, and was always positive about her doing the whole circuit! She also was able to meet Brittany, his lovely wife, whom she liked very much!
Merry met people from Switzerland, Canada, and of course from all over the USA! She made a lot of new friends for life, and she also met Dale, Jr, and Roger Penske ( that was her "who'd have thought" meet lol)!
When asked if she would have any advice for someone who wanted to travel track to track, her response was "Just DO it!" She says to be prepared to change your oil and rotate your tires a lot...also, she recommends staying at Airbnbs because it was a big part of her fun! She would definitely get to the tracks early, make new friends, and she would not change ANYTHING!
"This trip was better than I ever dreamed it would be...I never imagined I would have seen all the places I saw and enjoy all of the people I met, especially Joey, my new friend..."
Merry had plans to attend Fontana and Phoenix this year, and then a friend she met last year surprised her with tickets to Daytona so she booked her flight and can't wait to go!
Asked about future travels, Merry says she would like to explore the West Coast up through Washington, and then also see Idaho, Wyoming, etc... as she hasn't had that opportunity yet...something tells me it won't be long!
Follow and chat with me here:
@DebbiePowers11
SHOP HERE for your new 2020 NASCAR gear!!
January 27, 2020
Merry Mendoza is a dedicated NASCAR fan, originally following her favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt, then his son, Dale, Jr; when Jr retired, she was looking for a new driver and liked Joey Logano, for many reasons, one of them being her son looks just like him! She also admires his positive attitude, driving style, fan-friendliness, and his dedication to giving back.
When Merry decided to retire from her position at Folsom Prison, one of the main items on her "bucket list" was to go to every Cup race during a single season! She began buying tickets, planning her trips, and eventually let her apartment go, putting everything in storage, and voila! Off she went!
Merry met some amazing people during her season-long adventure, some at the tracks, some in her accommodations, and some in her explorations of local sites, like the lovely couple in Dawnsonville, Georgia who welcomed her into their home and made sure she got to see the Pool Room!
She visited old prison sites, cemeteries, and lighthouses, and saw as many covered bridges as possible, all interests she has cultivated. She also visited historical sites, such as Mt. Vernon, and then did fun things like blowing glass, getting an unexpected tattoo, and visiting NASCAR museums.
Of course, it wouldn't have been the trip of a lifetime without misplacing her keys, needing oil changes, and getting tire rotations during the 42,000 miles she put on her car (she flew three times or that number would have been significantly higher)!
When asked about her favorite memory, of course, it was a "Joey" moment; she was leaving the track in Phoenix and when stopped, consulting her GPS to see which way to turn once she got off-site, she heard " nice plates" but didn't see who said it. When she had to stop, as you do getting out of tracks, she heard it again, and, this time, looking up right away, was amazed to see Joey and Brittany next to her and laughing at her astounded expression! (Her license plates read "Joey22" in the Pennzoil color scheme. (She had them placed on her car at the time, as was way more budget-friendly than her truck).
When an autograph session came up soon after, Merry made sure she took her plates to have Joey sign, and eventually was dubbed "License Plate Merry" by the PR guy! Merry was able to meet her favorite driver several times over the season, and eventually, he would recognize her, and was always positive about her doing the whole circuit! She also was able to meet Brittany, his lovely wife, whom she liked very much!
Merry met people from Switzerland, Canada, and of course from all over the USA! She made a lot of new friends for life, and she also met Dale, Jr, and Roger Penske ( that was her "who'd have thought" meet lol)!
When asked if she would have any advice for someone who wanted to travel track to track, her response was "Just DO it!" She says to be prepared to change your oil and rotate your tires a lot...also, she recommends staying at Airbnbs because it was a big part of her fun! She would definitely get to the tracks early, make new friends, and she would not change ANYTHING!
"This trip was better than I ever dreamed it would be...I never imagined I would have seen all the places I saw and enjoy all of the people I met, especially Joey, my new friend..."
Merry had plans to attend Fontana and Phoenix this year, and then a friend she met last year surprised her with tickets to Daytona so she booked her flight and can't wait to go!
Asked about future travels, Merry says she would like to explore the West Coast up through Washington, and then also see Idaho, Wyoming, etc... as she hasn't had that opportunity yet...something tells me it won't be long!
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