Live from the Big Event

Making peace with easy

Did you ever have one of those days where everything went toowell? You know, the kind of days which make you suspicious and wonder if the gods are screwing with your head?

Welcome to Saturday, the day before race day.

It started with a contemplation of whether I wanted to go to the 5K. I certainly wanted to cheer on posse member Paula, who was running her first race in nearly two years after battling injury. And, I felt like the 5K was part of the entire race weekend experience. Plus, I had to run 15 minutes anyway, so why not do that at the 5K?

I ran alongside the race and went out at a nice, easy pace -- above a jog but slightly below how I would normally think of starting out a race. I'm still learning what different paces feel like, so I figured this would give me a good measure of how I felt and a judge of time and distance. I figured I was probably running a 10:20 mile pace, but wouldn't be surprised if it was slower.

When I got to the mile marker I wanted to scream in joy.

I ran that first mile in 9:51. And it felt ridiculously easy.

This is what a year of consistent training can do.

I ran for about 17 minutes until I hit the halfway point along with the 5Kers.

I walked the rest (much to the delight of travel posse member Herm, who wanted me to stick to the preparation plan I had from my coach) but frankly, walking was difficult. I felt so good I wanted to keep running. I could have run that pace forever.

But then again, forever was coming on Sunday, so it's best to save it.

Back at the hotel, the rest of the morning and afternoon were spent napping and resting and off our feet.

We decided to eat dinner early and found an Italian restaurant called Perricone's Marketplace. The menu on line looked good and reasonably priced so we called to see if they could accommodate a party of four at 4:30.

"Sure, come down. We can take care of you," the guy on the phone said.

Not wanting to walk too much, we tried our hand at the free "Metro Mover" to get us over to 10th Street, where the restaurant was. (Think "Metro Rail" only this circles downtown instead of only running in a straight line.) The public transportation was easy to figure out. We got off the tram but had no idea which way was 10th Street or where exactly on 10th Street Perricone's was located.

We turned right and there, at the corner .... was the restaurant.

That really was too easy.

We went in and found the gentleman we spoke to on the phone. He asked if we wanted to sit outside or inside and I, of course, said that since back home in Buffalo it was only 15 degrees, we'd take advantage of being able to eat outside.

"Where in Buffalo do you live?" he asked.

We rattled off our Buffalo and Western New York locations.

Turns out, he went to Lafayette High School. In fact, his mother still lives in North Buffalo.

Yes, we in Buffalo can play the "it's a small world" game all day long.

Our pasta meals were great and rightly portioned. This is important as I tend to eat whatever is put in front of me. If I were a guppy, I would explode.

The Metro Mover ride back was even simpler than the ride out and back at the hotel it was more rest in preparation for half marathon day.

Indeed, Saturday felt like things were just too easy.

But instead of over thinking, I'm going to take it just another good omen.

It was easy because I put in the work.

I planned for this trip since September. I saved my money so I could afford the race and the destination. I found great running friends to travel with who compliment me, have great ideas and make the journey go smoother and with more fun.

Most importantly for Sunday, I put in the training to run a great race.

I will take the good omens, enjoy the day, run based on feel and know that the results will take care of itself.

It's all about enjoying the moment and seeing just what it is I'm able to do in 13.1 miles

Kyle Busch wins the Centurion Boats at The Glen

WATKINS GLEN -- After a successful test run with Saturday's Zippo 200, Larry Ott and myself are back to try a live blog.

Just click on the box below and join in.

Afterwards, feel free to add a comment below.

---Keith McShea

Montoya surprises a fan

Carl Overhiser of Savona (about 90 miles south of Rochester) has been to Orchard Park to see the Buffalo Bills play several times but has never had the opportunity to have one of them come pay him a visit just three hours before game time.

On Sunday morning, Overhiser received a major surprise when he received a visit at his campsite from one of his NASCAR heroes, Juan Pablo Montoya. Overhiser was randomly selected for the visit by Wrigley’s, the sponsor of Montoya's No. 42 Big Red Dodge.

"I think this is really cool," said Overhiser. "I’m a fan of everybody but I used to be a Terry Labonte fan until he retired. I was a Harry Gant fan but he retired. Now I like Juan."

Montoya spent about 10 minutes talking with fans and signing autographs at the campsite, in the track infield where the Esses roll into the backstretch.

"I like coming to see the fans and talk to them," said Montoya. "I think it’s good to show them appreciation because if they were not here, we would not be here."

Helping to coordinate the promotion was Heather Kincel, who is the public relations person for Montoya. Kincel is a native of Chatham (about 30 miles southeast of Albany) who attended both the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State.

---Larry Ott

Who's going to win today?

Online Surveys & Market Research

The poll includes the top six in the points (which also makes them the top six in the starting grid), four-time Cup champion at the Glen (Stewart), a five-time NASCAR champion at the Glen (Fellows) and yesterday's Nationwide champion at the Glen (Ambrose).

Who's your pick and why? Anybody else worth being on the ballot?

---Keith McShea

Sunday at the Glen

WATKINS GLEN -- It's race day at Watkins Glen International, where it pays to beat the traffic and get here early.

8:28 a.m. We're in the media center after a smooth drive up from Route 414 from Corning, up Bronson Hill road and through Gate Two. After covering this race for more than 10 years, knowing the fastest ways to get to the track are almost as important as knowing what's going on on the track. There are a lot of people coming to this village for the race, there aren't many roads in and there isn't an interstate within at least 20 miles. But if you leave a little time and study a map, you'll get here just fine.

My spotters back in Buffalo told me it rained for much of the day yesterday, and that rain must have come through the Finger Lakes overnight. The pavement around the road course is wet and some of the skies are grey, but it isn't raining and there are some patches of sun. That's a 50-50 report, and that's what the forecast calls for: a 50 percent chance of rain today. Hopefully things will clear up.

9:38 a.m. Who's going to win today? Take our poll and tell us why. I've gotta think about my answer for a bit.

10:14 a.m. Keeping busy on the blog -- there's now more from Kevin Everett at the BillBoard blog.

10:26 a.m. Quick weather update, another of the 50-50 variety: Larry Ott had to don a sweatshirt about a half hour ago as some rain was coming down, but he and I were just outside and there were sunny skies.

10:42 a.m. The official prerace schedule has been handed out and the green flag is scheduled to fly at 2:20 p.m. The flyover, which happens at the end of the national anthem, is one of the coolest things to experience at a race -- today's is being done by the Niagara Falls Air Force Base.

12:58 p.m. Just back from my annual Sunday walk through the merchandising area, a fun time-killer on race day to get souvenirs and gifts for friends and family. The temporary mall is also an unofficial popularity gauge. Most drivers have one hauler, while some have shared space on a team truck. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had two haulers, both mobbed with people (I guess there are a total of seven Junior haulers on the grounds). One of Junior's was next to two others that had long lines: Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. Kyle Busch's truck had a good crowd as well. Ghost-towns included, surprisingly, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin.

I got a program -- more for the diecast car that comes with it, marked with an '08 for this year's race. It's cool to have a car from each race. Along those lines, I headed to Ryan Newman's trailer to see if they had a "raced version" of his Daytona 500 winner, but it was sold out. I have the raced version of every Daytona 500 I've covered; looks like I'll have to order it online.

Weather report: nothing 50-50 here -- it is pretty spectacular at the moment. Sunny skies have made for great views of the hills surrounding the track, which lies high above the southern tip of Seneca Lake.

1:38 p.m. The drivers are being introduced and are riding around the track in the back of pickup trucks. We're getting there. Larry and I are contemplating our picks for who will win the race. We'll have those as the live blog begins before the race. 

---Keith McShea

Ambrose wins Zippo 200

WATKINS GLEN -- Well, here goes nothing - for today's Nationwide Series race from Watkins Glen International, we're going to try a new method of blogging which really puts the "live" in live blog.

Just click on the box below and join in. If there are any hiccups, bear with us. This is our first time around this track, so to speak.

Afterwards, feel free to add a comment below.

---Keith McShea

A lap around the Glen. Wow.

WATKINS GLEN -- I'm back in the media center after a ride around Watkins Glen International, and wow, was that fun.

Brett Bodine, who drives the pace car every week at Sprint Cup events, was at the wheel for three laps -- the first more of a tour around the track, the next two quite a bit faster.

I rode shotgun, strapped into a seat belt complete with shoulder harnesses. Bodine said I didn't really have to put them on, but how many times am I going to get a chance to ride around the track with shoulder harnesses on?

I guess I may not have needed them, but it sure helped when Bodine floored the Toyota Camry going down the front straight downhill into Turn One, or revved it again to 80, then 90, then 100 mph in the short chute that leads to the final two turns. The tires squealed in and out of the corners, the car hopped as Bodine -- like the drivers do during the races -- edged on to the grass and rumble strips to gain a better racing line.

I know why Turn One caused Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart to spin out on their own in last year's Cup race -- on our first "hot" lap, Bodine roared down the front straight before the car plunges downhill -- which was quite a load of momentum to take into the 90-degree turn. That may have been the first point at which my right hand reached for the door handle - I was holding on tight.

The Esses were next, and they were stunning. They are the three uphill, back-and-forth turns that connect Turn One to the backstretch. The first turn sends your body to the side, roller-coaster style, then swings it back to the other as the car goes left, then right, then left again.

Bodine couldn't go too fast down the long back straightaway that leads into the Inner Loop because a clean-up crew was attending to the track after Sprint Cup practice. But even slowed down, you develop an immense respect for the driving that anyone does at the Glen -- the Inner Loop is basically a hitch in the backstraight (it's also called the bus stop) and drivers have to do amazing work with the wheel. Bodine cut off a bit of the loop by driving on the rumble strips, explaining how drivers will do that during the race, and I instantly thought of the great battles through that spot we've seen the last few years. Kurt Busch held off Robby Gordon as the two banged their way through the Inner Loop two years ago in the Nationwide event, while Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart abbreviated their turns in the Cup race last year. 

The best part about Bodine was how calm his voice was as described how drivers take on the course, even as he was roaring the pace car around the turns. The Chemung native called Watkins Glen the "superspeedway of road courses" not only for the long straightaways but because of the banking of the turns that allow you to maintain speed.

The best opportunity to build speed was in the short shute out of the sweeping Turn Nine and into the final two turns. I had my eyes on the speedometer as he pushed the Camry up to 100 even as the turn got closer and closer. It was a blast. "Heavy braking here," Bodine said as the tires squealed and he started the turn.

We started by slowly driving down pit road, passing by the signs hanging over the stalls (set up for today's Nationwide race). It's one thing to see that on television but it was really cool to actually drive by it. The three-lap ride ended when Bodine pulled over near the entry to the garage area.

Like I said about 30 times during the ride: "Wow."    

---Keith McShea

Saturday at the Glen

WATKINS GLEN -- Hello from Watkins Glen International, where the sun is out and it doesn't look like we'll have any weather trouble like we did yesterday when qualifying was rained out.

10:50 a.m. I'm gathering some notes, preparing stories (and blogging) from the media center while News auto racing correspondent Larry Ott is working the garages again talking to Western New Yorkers involved in NASCAR. After checking in with Springville's Josh Koch and Arcade's Troy Williams on Friday, he's got some more great stuff brewing for tomorrow's paper.

I arrived at the track a little while ago after a thankfully pleasant drive from our hotel in Corning -- a sunny sky is filled only with cottony clouds, which combined with the tree-lined hills made for some great views. Some enterprising folks along Route 414 have picked a great day for yard sales -- there will be plenty of traffic on that route this weekend. Also passed side-by-side neighboring houses, one with a rainbow-colored No. 24 flag for Jeff Gordon and one with a black No. 3 flag for the late Dale Earnhardt. Wonder if those neighbors are neighborly.

11:10 a.m. Right now the Nationwide cars are on the track for qualifying -- there are groups of six on the track at the same time.

The Sprint Cup cars will have two practice sessions -- from noon to 12:45 and 1:20 to 2:20 p.m. Those practices are more crucial than usual because noone has had their cars on the track yet (qualifying and practice were rained out Friday).

Former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett will also make an appearance with the media later this afternoon; he's signing his book at the Pyramid store located in the track's infield.

At 3 p.m., the Nationwide race will start. That race has been great fun the last few years, including an incredible banging-through-the-inner-loop battle between Kurt Busch and Robby Gordon in 2006.

11:30 a.m. I'm getting fired up for a ride around the track in the pace car, which is driven by Chemung native Brett Bodine at all Sprint Cup events. I'm really looking forward to actually experiencing all the twists and turns I've written about here. NASCAR PR representative Brad Klein just gave me the one-hour warning. I'm sure I'll have plenty to blabber about that later.

11:58 a.m. It's Dario Franchitti on the pole for the Nationwide race after a lap of 1 minute, 12.7 seconds (121.327). A boost for him after his Sprint Car operation was shut down. Robby Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin were next.

Antonio Perez, driving in a car owned by Arcade's Williams, will start 32nd.

1:10 p.m. Just back from a lap in the pace car. Wow. Incredible. Deserves a separate post. Definitely.

1:51 p.m. The second Cup practice is going on right now. Marcus Ambrose posted the fastest time in the first session, going an average of 121.491 mph in his lap of 1:12.598. Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman followed. 

David Ragan, who is in 14th place and 46 points out of the top 12, just smashed up his car during the second practice and headed back to the garage, where his crew is getting his backup car out of the hauler.

2:55 p.m. Jimmie Johnson seems to be having a good day. He had the top lap in the second practice session at 1:12.405 (121.815 mph). Robby Gordon, Ambrose, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top five.

2:59 p.m. The Nationwide Series' Zippo 200 is about to start -- we're going to try and do a live blog from the race.

6:25 p.m. After working on stories and blogs during a busy day, it's press conference time in the press conference room again after Marcos Ambrose won the Zippo 200.

Kyle Busch, who finished second, said an awesome word. He described the pit sequences, due to several different stops and caution flags, as "miscanjobulated."

Marcos Ambrose, crew chief Gary Cogswell, and team owners Tad and Jodi Geschickter and Brad Daugherty (yes, that Brad Daugherty, the former NBA player now doing auto racing commentary on ESPN) are a very happy group.

---Keith McShea

Said will race Sunday after all

WATKINS GLEN -- Boris Said, whose bid to make Sunday's Centurion Boats at The Glen was washed away by the rain, will race Sunday after all.

Said was just in the media center and told reporters he would be racing Kyle Petty's No. 45 Dodge for Petty Enterprises.

"You talk about a bucket list – that’s a pretty cool thing to put in your bucket: driving for 'The King,'" Said said.

(Bonus for me: I get to write "Said said.")

Said's PR man actually followed Said into the media room and announced it to reporters, to which Said said (there it is again): "Where were you, the snack bar?" 

---Keith McShea

Friday at the Glen

WATKINS GLEN -- We're live at Watkins Glen International for qualifying day, except there was no qualifying due to the weather.

I'm back in the media center working on my story for tomorrow's paper after interviewing Toronto road racer Ron Fellows in the garage area. Fellows won the Nationwide road race in the rain in Montreal last week. News auto racing correspondent Larry Ott is hustling around the grounds tracking down local people involved with NASCAR teams.

We'll give updates and tidbits when we can this weekend. There's always something going on.

5:14 p.m. As is custom, the top three qualifiers are brought to the media center for interviews -- even if qualifying gets rained out. Points leaders Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards will be visiting.

5:15 p.m. Edwards must have borrowed some gum from Juan Pablo Montoya. Edwards starts his press conference by delaying his first response and then saying, "got a new piece of Juicy Fruit in." Wrigley's gum sponsors Montoya. Wonder if Edwards got any residuals for saying that (or for it appearing here).

5:18 p.m. Busch hits the podium. Like Edwards, he's done pretty quick, giving some good answers to a few questions.

5:22 p.m. Dale Earnhardt Jr., starting second, is up last. There should be more questions - heck, he's Junior - and a great thing about him is that he gives thorough, honest answers. Often he'll ramble a bit.

5:34 p.m. Told ya. Earnhardt is still up there. He had some nice things to say about Ron Fellows, which will probably make it into my story.

Someone asked him if he was going to Australia, where he was supposed to race cars. Junior said he's not doing that; it turns out the story had come from an Australian racer who was trying to get Junior to drive down under.

"This guy also gives himself his own tattoos," Junior drawls, "so I don't know if he's a credible source." Awesome.

Junior will actually be going to Aspen, and then he is asked if he skiis. He does not. Seems like he's been asked that a few times. "Can I just go? ... There are a couple of good bar stools there I'd like to sit on."

5:39 p.m. The Junior Show has ended. Back to work. 

---Keith McShea