David Ragan: I Will Think About It the Rest of My Life
Even as David Ragan, driver of the No. 6 UPS Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, prepares for the upcoming Phoenix race, Daytona is still on his mind.
In the final laps of the Daytona 500, Ragan was in charge, working with Trevor Bayne in tandem and leading the pack. Yet on the final green, white, checkered restart, Ragan made a major mistake, changing lanes before the start finish line.
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[/media-credit]Ragan was black flagged and his error cost him the victory in one of NASCAR’s most prestigious event.
“I absolutely thought we were going to win,” Ragan said. “We had a great car all day and we had an opportunity there at the end. The violation, the black flag, took the wind out of our sails.”
“I didn’t want to believe it at first,” Ragan continued. “I felt like the black flag was for Tony Stewart for passing on the outside.”
“I knew that I had started to make my way toward the bottom but didn’t feel like that I changed lanes to improve my position because I was the leader,” Ragan said. “So, I didn’t fully interpret the rule like NASCAR did. Therefore, I didn’t think we did anything wrong.”
“I thought they were warning us or that the black flag was for someone else,” Ragan continued. “So, I denied it for a lap or so. Then I finally realized this is really happening.”
Ragan still does not fully understand the interpretation of the rule that resulted in the penalty. After the race, he said that he most definitely wanted to seek out Mike Helton, President of NASCAR, to further discuss the situation.
“I haven’t talked to him yet,” Ragan said of Helton. “I’ll catch him in Phoenix. I understand what the deal is but I’d like to hear it from those guys as well.”
In spite of finishing top 15 and currently being 13th in the Sprint Cup standings, his mistake, the black flag and his win slipping away from him will always haunt him.
“I’ll always think about it, I’m sure, the rest of my life,” Ragan said. “Until we get another opportunity to win another Daytona 500 or another Sprint Cup race, I’ll always think about it.”
“But we have to stay focused on what’s in front of us,” Ragan continued. “We learn from the past. Of course, you’ll never completely forget about it but we’ll take from that day and hopefully it will make us stronger.”
Now that Ragan has also had a few days to reflect, he has realized that there were many positives for him and his team to take forward from his experience.
“Throughout the whole race, we put ourselves in position to win,” Ragan said. “We didn’t make any mistakes on pit road. I did a nice job on the race track not getting caught up in any of the wrecks.”
“So, those are some positives to look at,” Ragan continued. “And then the last call, I’ll always make sure now that on any restart that I’m aware of the rules and the way that the governing body interprets them.”
Ragan also could not be more pleased for Trevor Bayne, NASCAR’s youngest Daytona 500 winner.
“I’m happy for Trevor,” Ragan said. “If our UPS team couldn’t win it, I couldn’t think of any other guy to do it.”
“The Wood Brothers deserve the win, and Ford Racing, and this kid, I say a kid even though he’s just a few years younger than me, he promotes believing in the Lord and I think that’s great,” Ragan continued. “It’s good for NASCAR.”
“I’m not going to lie, I wish I were there,” Ragan said of his missed chance to be in Victory Lane. “But if we couldn’t do it, I’m proud for Trevor and I feel like we played a part in getting him there.”
Having said that, however, Ragan acknowledged that he is more than ready to put the Daytona finish in his rear view mirror and move forward.
“If we can go to Phoenix, if we can lead some laps and run in the top ten throughout the race, I would be happy with that,” Ragan said. “I have a lot of confidence in our team.”
“The sooner that we can get there, the sooner we can forget about this one,” Ragan said. “It’s a long season. I have to keep my head up and keep our eyes on the prize.”
Trevor Bayne – ‘To Everything there is a Season’
Like every other NASCAR fan I had been looking forward to the Daytona 500 since the end of last season. The track repaving and the anticipation of not knowing what to expect created a new buzz for NASCAR’s premier race of the season.
Then in the blink of an eye, everything changed. I received a call on February 2nd and found out that my brother had been killed in a senseless accident.
Suddenly I seemed stuck in a vacuum while the rest of the world swirled around me. Time stood still and the only thing that mattered was that I had lost my big brother.
He was six years older than me and I always looked up to him. I listened to the same music and shared his love of fast cars. I even had a few teenage crushes on his friends.
As the days passed, my emotions took over and I all I could do was hang on and try to ride out the storm. For the first few days, I couldn’t bear to close my eyes. All I could see was the tragedy that took my brother’s life. One minute my heart was breaking and the next moment I found myself angry at the world.
This isn’t the way it was supposed to happen. I never even got to say goodbye.
I watched the Budweiser Shootout, qualifying and the Duels through clouded vision as I struggled to find my way out of the fog that had enveloped me.
As the Daytona 500 approached, I wasn’t even sure if I would watch. I could just imagine all the stories that would be told on the 10 year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death. My loss was too fresh and I didn’t know if I could handle the remembrances of another life lost far too soon.
Race day came and I guess old habits die hard as I found myself in front of the television watching the race. As I was waiting for the race to start I remembered a conversation I’d had with some fellow race fans on a NASCAR fan site.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. had just won the pole for the Daytona 500 and we talked about the very real possibility that he might have a shot at winning the race. We also discussed Trevor Bayne and how strong his car had been in qualifying.
This is what I told my friends.
“Highly unlikely, probably impossible, but wouldn’t it be cool to see Bayne win the 500 in the No. 21 car for the Wood Brothers? That, my friends, would be a story!”
Perhaps it’s just that Bayne was on my mind because, ironically, my brother was also born on February 19th.
I first got to know Trevor Bayne when I interviewed him in October 2009. My first impression was that this was a kid who had the potential to become one of NASCAR’s future stars. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to speak with him on several occasions and I’ve continued to follow his career closely.
As I watched the final laps of the race unfold, I had no idea who was going to win. Was Bayne really going to be able to win the 500 in only his second Cup start?
As he crossed the finish line in first place, I found myself grinning from ear to ear and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud as I heard him scream, “Are you kidding me?”
For the first time in weeks, I had completely forgotten everything else and was lost in that moment.
The excitement soon faded and I know that I will struggle daily to come to terms with my brother’s death. But I also realize that I am beginning to heal and will once again be able to feel not only life’s heartbreak but embrace its joy.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
“To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Trevor Bayne: Bayne, in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Motorcraft car, stunned the racing world, becoming the youngest Daytona 500 winner in history. With a momentous push from Bobby Labonte’s No. 47 car, Bayne held off the hard-charging Carl Edwards, taking the victory in only his second Sprint Cup start. Afterwards, the deeply-spiritual Bayne thanked the Lord, who brushed off the comment, saying He was a Junior fan.
“That’s called ‘using the Lord’s name in Bayne,’” Bayne said, “and then being told you’re ‘using the Lord’s name in vain.’
But I made history. Not only by becoming the youngest winner in history, but by becoming the first Daytona winner to be eliminated from Cup championship contention before the race. And I can’t think of a better birthday present for my 20th birthday. Hopefully, this win will lead to a long NASCAR career, because I’ll need plenty of time to live up to this.
As for now, the team and I are trying to make this moment last, and sell as many ‘Got Wood?’ merchandise as possible.”
2. Kurt Busch: Busch, with wins in the Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duels already under his belt, was in contention in his bid to complete the triple with a Daytona 500 win. But the driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge came up a bit short, unable to find a path to the lead, and settled for fourth. Busch lamented that he should have gone low on the back straightaway instead of selecting the middle line.
“I just couldn’t find the right partner at the right time,” Busch said. “And that’s quite ironic in a race characterized by more coupling than a Tim Richmond key party, circa 1986. And one marked by just as many partner exchanges, as well.”
3. Carl Edwards: As the green flag waved for the final green-white-checkered finish, Edwards was 10th, seemingly out of position to make a run for the win. But after linking up with David Gilliland’s No. 34 Taco Bell car, Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac Ford surged forward and into second behind Trevor Bayne. Edwards tried a pass for the lead, unsuccessfully, and finished second.
“How about this new points system?” Edwards said. “I love it. You finish second, and you’re in first. I’m sure Mark Martin could appreciate it as well.
I really got a strong push from Gilliland. I must say, it’s not the first time I’ve been backed up by Taco Bell. And it’s quite unfortunate that my Roush Fenway teammate David Ragan was black-flagged for passing before the start-finish line on the penultimate restart. I know UPS prides itself on promptness, but this time, they were a bit too early. David learned the hard way that ‘once you get ‘black,’ you can’t go back,’ to the front.”
4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 8th at Daytona, remaining in the hunt until the end after surviving several incidents, early and late in the race, before closing strong. The No. 18 M&M’s Toyota was spun by Michael Waltrip on lap 5, and a lap 198 melee clipped Busch and caused a tire rub that forced a late pit stop. He led 3 laps on the day and led the way in an otherwise disappointing day for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“It’s unfortunate to be wrecked by another driver,” Busch said. “It’s even more unfortunate to be wrecked by another Toyota driver. Sure, these cars are Japanese, but I didn’t order ‘take out.’
Then, Waltrip triggered another crash, the Big One, on lap 29, by doing the same thing to David Reutimann, another Toyota driver, and Waltrip’s teammate. I think it’s official: when Waltrip trails you, it’s like being followed by the ‘Grim Reaper.’ When it happens again, it’s akin to being stalked by the ‘Grim Reappear.’”
5. Tony Stewart: Stewart started second on the final restart at Daytona, but the line led by race leader Trevor Bayne got the jump on the restart. Stewart attempted to slide in to the fast lane, but was shuffled back in the scramble, and ended up a disappointing 13th.
“Trevor Bayne ran a great race,” Stewart said. “It’s a life-changing experience that I hope he’s ready for. He’ll soon be deluged with an onslaught of ‘yes men,’ and, if he’s lucky, even more ‘yes women.’
As you know, I won the Nationwide race on Saturday, while Michael Waltrip won the Camping World trucks race on Friday night. That means all three Daytona winners are not even eligible for the respective series championships. Brian France was right; the new scoring system is much simpler. There’s a common leader among all three series, because, whether Camping World, Nationwide, or Sprint Cup series, ‘confusion’ reigns.”
6. Juan Montoya: Montoya led 5 laps and finished sixth in an action-filled Daytona 500 after surviving two skirmishes that slightly damaged the No. 42 Target Dodge. Montoya teamed up early with teammate Jamie McMurray, but when McMurray lost a cylinder, Montoya was forced to look elsewhere for a draft partner.
“I thought Jamie did well considering he was driving on 7 cylinders,” said Montoya. “He should be used to it. With the exception of Daytona, Indianapolis, and Charlotte, he drove that way in all of 2010.”
7. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s defense of his five consecutive Sprint Cup titles started auspiciously with a 27th-place finish, 19 laps off the pace. Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy was sucked into a lap 29 pileup started when Michael Waltrip sent David Reutimann spinning. Johnson nearly escaped danger, but was collected by the spinning No. 00 car.
“First,” Johnson said, “the good news for all of the anti-Jimmie Johnson factions: I didn’t win the Daytona 500. Now, the bad news: I didn’t win the Daytona 500, in 4 of the last 5 years. And, as everyone is well aware, I’ve got enough Cups to outfit the starting five to any basketball team.
Daytona boasted a record 74 lead changes. Just don’t expect one at the end of the year.”
8. Bobby Labonte: Labonte, the 46-year-old 2000 Winston Cup champion, pushed 20-year-old Trevor Bayne to a lead on the final restart the No. 21 Wood Brothers car would never relinquish. Labonte eventually finished fourth, his first top-5 finish since Las Vegas in 2009, and places him third in the Sprint Cup point standings.
“Just call me ‘The Cougar,’” Labonte said. “Because I pushed someone much younger than me into something for which he probably wasn’t quite ready. Does that make me a ‘statutory racer?’ Not in Florida.
Anyway, I’m proud to give JTG Daugherty Racing such a great finish. They have a great program with great leadership, as well as great ownership. I love working for Brad Daugherty. Among former NBA player/black hillbilly car owners, he’s by far my favorite.”
9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: With several notable favorites, including Hendrick teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, as well as the entirety of Richard Childress Racing, nursing battered cars, the stars were aligning for what would have been a historic and sentimental Earnhardt victory. But after surviving one green-white-checkered restart, the No. 88 Amp Energy car was collected in the second, and Earnhardt finished 24th, six laps down.
“That’s when ‘Junior Nation’ becomes ‘Junior Damn! Nation,’” Earnhardt said. “And that’s the nature of superspeedway racing. Some drivers take the attitude of ‘going for broke’ a bit too literally.”
10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer led 31 laps at Daytona, second only to Ryan Newman’s 37, and was charging with 4 laps to go before being victimized in the final pileup of the day. Bowyer, despite extensive damage, stayed on the lead lap and finished 17th.
“It was an up-and-down day for Richard Childress Racing,” Bowyer said. “While Paul Menard scored a top-10 finish, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton suffered engine failures. In his first Cup race with the ‘King Of Beers’ on the hood, Harvick’s No. 29 car said ‘This Bud Is Through.’ Burton’s Caterpillar Chevy wasn’t much better, and became ‘heavy equipment’ only for a tow truck when the No. 31’s engine expired on lap 92.”
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: It’s time to return to ‘regular’ racing
Remember last Sunday when 15.6 million television viewers, and 182,000 spectators, watched the Daytona 500 in awe stuck wonder over a form of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing we had never seen before? We all marveled at the two car drafts, the elaborate radio communications to set up driver partnerships and the changes NASCAR had to implement to keep their Sprint Cup cars under the 200 MPH zone.
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[/media-credit]Forget about that for the time being. It’s time to return to regular racing. The elite of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be doing some good old fashioned flat track racing at the Phoenix International Raceway this Sunday with the running of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 (K). Sunday’s race is going to be about which team has the best handling, and the best car balance, while negotiating a one mile oval that basically has no banking at all. There’s also the element of passing for position at Phoenix: it’s not that easy and has to be carefully negotiated.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
One of the more obvious story lines will involve the element of redemption. There are a lot of high profile Sprint Cup teams who left Daytona last weekend with disappointing finishes which in turn placed them between a rock and hard place in the early season championship standings. This is especially true of the teams who found themselves caught up in the early race, 17 car, “big one.” It also applies to Richard Childress Racing drivers Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. Both were considered pre season Chase contenders and both exited the Daytona 500 with uncharacteristic blown engines.
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Then there’s the matter of Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne. With winning the great American race comes a media and public relations blitz that would wear out even a healthy 20 year old. Bayne literally spent this week criss crossing the country while doing telephone interviews in between personal appearances.
Bayne also had a big decision to make this week regarding which NASCAR championship he would be running for in 2011. Recent changes in NASCAR policy states that a driver can only declare to seek just one of their big three national touring titles. Bayne, scheduled to race the full time NASCAR Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing, had originally declared to run for that title. But after the Daytona Cup win he was presented with an offer to change his option for the Chase title.
In what is considered to be a very wise move, Bayne chose to stick to his original option and seek the Nationwide title. While the sponsorship profile for his Roush Fenway Ford is still rather tentative at this point, the effort is being backed by one of the more powerful teams in NASCAR who will insure the car is entered in every one of the events on the Nationwide schedule.
On the Sprint Cup side, Bayne’s tenure with Wood Brothers Racing was originally set for a part time schedule of 17 sponsored races. That number was bumped to 18 events after the team decided to use a portion of the Daytona winnings to add the Martinsville race to their schedule. While it’s extremely possible that the team’s Daytona performance could attract new sponsorships, there is no real guarantee the offers will be enough to cover the expenses of all 36 races.
Again, Bayne made a wise choice that was likely aided by some sage advice from the likes of Jack Roush.
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Also this weekend you will hear a lot about the lawsuit issued by former NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Ray Evernham against his former partner George Gillette Jr. The suit is seeking damages of $19.3 million and was filed this past Tuesday at the North Carolina Superior Court in Mecklenburg County. The specific defendants are the Gillette owned Booth Creek Management and Gillette GEMS LLC.
Evernham, who created the team, that is now known as Richard Petty Motorsports, sold the majority interest to Gillette back in 2007. After some extreme problems in his financial profile, Gillette sold the operation to a group of businessmen, including Richard Petty, late last year. Evernham claims that he was never paid for his former 20% interest in the team and Gillette is in breach of their contract.
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A God bless and welcome goes to the newest member of the NASCAR nation. Sprint Cup driver Matt Kenseth and his wife Katie welcomed the arrival of their new baby daughter this week. Grace Katherine Kenseth arrived at 3:49 am Tuesday morning weighing seven pounds eight ounces. Mom and daughter are reported to be doing just fine. The new baby joins her sister Kaylin and brother Ross.
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Over the past several years we’ve all witnessed Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards do his signature back flip off of his car after winning a race. I’ve often wondered if team owner Jack Roush was a little nervous over this maneuver due to the high possibility of a bad landing and driver injury.
If a back flip worries Roush then you have to wonder about his feelings regarding what his dare devil driver did on Thursday in Las Vegas. Edwards was in town to help promote the March 6th Sprint Cup race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Apparently he thought it would really cool to visit the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino and take in their “Sky Jump Las Vegas.” This is a controlled free fall plummet of 885 feet at approximately 40 MPH.
The good news is the fall offers a breath taking, panoramic, view of the Las Vegas Strip. The bad news is it’s a little nerve racking for NASCAR team owners to learn that their driver is the one doing the free fall.
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THE VEGAS BREAKDOWN
The Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE), has placed driver Denny Hamlin on top of their list to win Sunday’s race and they’re backing it with 5 to 1 odds. This is a most interesting proposition. Hamlin is still seeking his first win at Phoenix, but he does have a previous track record of five top five finishes, six top tens along with an average finish of 11.6 at the track.
Second on the WSE list this week is a wager that makes a lot more sense. It’s Jimmie Johnson who practically rules the important categories at the Phoenix International Raceway. Johnson has a series high four wins there along with ten top five finishes and 13 top tens. He also has a series high average finish ratio of 4.9.
Next in line, at 13 to 2, is Carl Edwards which is another worthy consideration. Edwards won the second Phoenix event last November in a very dominating fashion. Also bear in mind that there is a huge momentum swing at Roush Fenway Racing and the Roush Yates Engines program, with the Ford FR9 engines, seems to be running at full strength.
At seven to one you will find former Phoenix winner Kyle Busch who is always a threat to find victory lane on any given weekend. Next is a trio of drivers, led by two time race winner Kevin Harvick, at 12 to 1. Harvick is joined by former Phoenix winners Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon in this category.
At 18 to 1 you will find drivers Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle. Busch is a former Phoenix winner. You also have to factor the Penske Racing operation’s strong presence during Daytona Speedweeks. Biffle is another driver from the Roush Fenway Ford stable and, at 18 to 1, is a wager well worth considering.
Clint Bowyer, and his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, is rated 20 to 1 this week followed by Roush Fenway Ford driver Matt Kenseth at 21 to 1 odds. But it’s the driver at 22 to 1 odds that could be the strongest consideration for those of you who don’t mind long shot wagers. That would be Mark Martin whose Phoenix stats includes two wins, a series high 12 top fives and 19 top ten finishes. Martin also has a very healthy average finish ratio of 8.5 at Phoenix.
Also a worthy long shot consideration is two time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton along with Ryan Newman, who won last year’s April race. Both drivers are listed at 23 to 1 odds this week.
At the bottom half of the WSE listing this week you will find Juan Pablo Montoya at 30 to 1. At 40 to 1 is a quartet of drivers featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr and David Reutimann. Finally the WSE doesn’t seem to have a lot of faith in the Red Bull Racing Toyotas this week. They have their drivers, Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers, listed at 50 and 55 to 1.
Now for the disclaimer. NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers are for information and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their races. For those of you who may feel guilty about going against their wishes, then send the money to me and I’ll place the bet for you. (Yeah Right !)
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Subway Fresh Fit 500 (K) is 312 laps, 312 miles/500 km, around the Phoenix International Raceway’s one mile oval.
The race has 45 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. Ten of those entries are on the go or go home list. This means these teams do not have a guaranteed start because they are currently outside of the top 35 in NASCAR owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to make the race.
That could pose a problem for the go or go home teams due to the weather. The Saturday forecast calls for rain in the Phoenix area which could wash out qualifying. It could also hamper the running of the NASCAR Nationwide Series scheduled for Saturday evening. Sunday’s forecast calls for clearing skies with some variable high clouds and a daytime high of 65 degrees.
Opened in 1964, the Phoenix International Raceway complex features a one mile oval connected to a 2.5 mile road course. The track is a prominent challenge to drivers because of its flat nature. There are only 11 degrees banking in turns one and two and nine degrees in turns three and four. The frontstretch, 1,179 feet, only has three degrees banking while the backstretch, 1,551 feet, is banked nine degrees. The pit road speed is 45 MPH. The speedway presently has seating for 76,812 fans.
The late Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix back in 1988. Since that time the series has raced there 29 times with 21 different drivers parking their cars in victory lane.
Carl Edwards holds the track qualifying record, 136.389 MPH, set in November of last year.
The Subway Fresh Fit 500 (K) will be broadcast live by Fox Sports with the pre race show beginning at 230 pm eastern time. The replay will be broadcast by the SPEED Channel on Wednesday, March 2nd, beginning at 12 pm eastern.
Celebrity Poker Tournament to Raise Money for Victory Junction
NASCAR DRIVERS, CELEBRITIES AND PROFESSIONAL POKER PLAYERS JOIN FORCES TO RAISE MONEY FOR VICTORY JUNCTION
Celebrity Poker Tournament to Raise Money for Kids with Chronic Illnesses Denver, CO – Black Ace Clothing is pleased to announce a celebrity charity poker tournament hosted by poker star Tiffany Michelle featuring special NASCAR guests Kyle Petty and Ryan Newman. Net proceeds from the Black Ace tournament will raise money for Victory Junction, a camp that serves children with chronic medical conditions and serious illness. The tournament will be held March 3, 2011 at 7:30pm at the Hard Rock Casino. This event will be a No Limit Texas Hold’em event with a buy in of $250 and $100 rebuys and is open to the public.
An autograph session for fans will be held from 6:30 – 7:15pm. Players will compete for cash and prizes awarded to the top finishing positions. To participate in the tournament players can register onsite at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino anytime the day of the event. “We are thrilled that Black Ace Clothing recognizes the value of Victory Junction to children across the country and was willing to create this event to ensure we see as many kids as we can in 2011”, said Kyle Petty co-founder of Victory Junction.
Scheduled to appear at the tournament are a growing list of NASCAR stars, professional Poker Pros and Hollywood personalities including: Richard Petty, Tiffany Michelle, Kyle Petty, Layne Flack, Vanessa Rousso, David Williams, Antonio Esfandiari, Maria Ho, Ryan Newman, Penn Jillette, David Alen Grier, Shaun Sipos, Bob Guiney, Dave Stewart (MLB), C Thomas Howell, Jennifer Cox, Trishelle Cannatella and more.
“Black Ace Clothing is very proud to be working with Victory Junction to help make a difference in the lives of these kids,” said Brad McCullough of Black Ace.
“Bringing together the exhilaration of live poker on the same weekend as the NASCAR race will be a winning formula for both fans and players alike. Tiffany Michelle is one of today’s most exciting poker stars and fans of both the poker and NASCAR worlds can now meet and play with their favorite personalities while supporting this unique and life-changing place.”
Check the website at www.blackaceclothing.com for more updates. About Victory Junction: Victory Junction is a year-round camping environment for children ages six to 16 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, NC, with a second location opening soon in Kansas City, KS. Victory Junction offers programs for a range of disease groups and maintains strong relationships with more than 30 partner hospitals. Victory Junction’s mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous individuals, groups and corporations to provide this experience at no charge to children and their families. For more information or to donate, visit www.victoryjunction.org.
