Summer was still in full effect and NASCAR sizzled in the hot California sun over this holiday weekend. With no drop in temperatures in sight, the asphaly of the track reached temperatures of 65.6 degrees celsius! There’s no conversion problem there, it was a scortching 150degrees farenheit as the cars sliced through the heat on the track. With a Busch series race on saturday and a Nextel Cup series race on sunday, California speedway was bustling with all kinds of action this past weekend…and I was on site for all the excitement. With Interush running two cars in the Busch series, there was no shortage of work to be done. Our partner sponsor, Smith and Wesson, was awesome and even provided us with a VIP suite.

 Kathryn Morris, star of the hit TV show Coldcase, was in the infield for the Busch series race. I have to say that she looked much younger in person and had to be one of the nicest hollywood celebs I’ve ever met. Our driver, Stanton Barrett’s father even showed up to watch his son fly around the track in this unusual heat. Mr Barrett is well known in NASCAR but is even more famous for setting the world land speed record back in 1973 with the Budweiser rocket car. Once again, I couldn’t have asked for nicer company.

Miki and Yuka joined me for the Nextel Cup race on sunday.

Chris from Ski motorsports handles both Smith and Wesson as well as NOS and was kind enough to accomodate everyone in the VIP suite again. I can’t thank them enough for giving us a fully catered, air conditioned, luxury suite directly above the pits to view the race from. (of course with 3 different access passes, I spent most of my time taking pics from the pits and the terrace upstairs…it was hoooootttttttt!!)

While up on the terrace the girls grabbed racing legend Richard Petty for a quick picture. Not bad for their first NASCAR race! NASCAR topped the race off with a small firework display as local hero Jimmy Johnson took the win. Much fun was had by all and the best part about it is I get to call all this work =)

The last stop on this outing…another strikingly beautiful place. Glad it was the last stop though, I was already beat up, tired, and sweating buckets!! hehe, gotta love summertime in the desert!

This place is amazing….I can’t believe I have never been here before! I’m definatly coming back on vacation!! It is soo beautiful!! The hiking was insanity and the venture through the narrows in the water was quite a change from normal hikes…

Nothing like a relaxing day/night at the Wynn…the Belagio water show…this is the life! Have to keep the details of this under wraps =) so enjoy the pictures…

Unfortunately the turnout on this event wasn’t as great as expected. We worked with Endless to setup a display with their AME wheel line and the Weld S14. I think I spent more time in the hotel room chowing down on room service. I really hope their marketing get’s into gear and has a better turnout for the next event… 

http://www.autocraveonline.com/

I am really pleased at how this came out! The layout came out great and I’ve recieved nothing but positive feedback on my writing. Be sure to pick up a copy this month!!

I spent Sunday helping Ito-san and the crew prep up the WELD S14 for time time attack action at California Speedway. The mid-engine monster was pretty amazing at the hands of Tarzan Yamada who piloted it for a respectable 1:15 lap time. I think the only cars that came in with quicker times were all pushing at least 100 more horsepower and sporting some form of awd so the WELD S14 definatly held it’s own. (not to mention Ito-san had less than 2 jetlagged days to tune and prep it for the event)

Should have whipped out the camera earlier……but Lance clutching the welch’s is classic hehe

Tim, Henry, and Alex took the Gloria and S14 out for a quick photo session recently…the photos are like the cars themselves, clean and simple!