We are so excited to see the sun shining. Maybe the weather man will be wrong for race day. Even the flag across the street is at a standstill, so they may be hope for a good hair day!

We were in such a good mood leaving the hotel, that we just got out of the parking lot when I realized the truck was popped up - nice way to start out!

10:30 am - Arrived at the track. Traffic was light, We got a parking pass, so we were able to park inside. (No more rides on the wild tram).

11:00 am - #23 Toyota Tundra is still in the garage - getting ready for the tech line.

11:15 am - Trip, JB, the tire guy and engine guy are huddle in the truck taking race strategy. I hover around, because I have questions to ask. They notice I have my notebook in hand and says - “Oh no, she’s back.” They keep on talking business - then it turns into laughter - so I thought it was my time to interject. Not so fast they say - they are discussing serious business - ha! Trip asks if I just wake up on race day with all these questions - ha! I say, no - way it’s all about the fans.

11:45 am - JB announces he is going to the IRL garage. I said must be nice - they will not let us roam around the way we did last year. He teases - “I guess you don’t have the right pass! - ha” I said - “Neither do you”. JB replies, “But I have the pull! Nice …

11:50 am - Bob Jenkins walks by … Takes me a few minutes to realize who he is.

12:00 pm - The #23 truck has been through one garage of inspections and now is on it’s way through the scales near the gas pumps.

12:05 pm - Trip informs me that the guy by the fence knows me. I look up and he calls me over. He introduces himself, “I’m John Benson from Kansas”. He even showed me his credit card for validation. It was nice to meet him and his friends. There were enjoying the race weekend.

12:10 pm - IRL car are on the track - sound like bumblebees.

12:17 pm - The #23 truck gets directed to the parking spot in the staging area for qualifying. Just a few trucks over is the #51 - all by itself …. I hang out at the back of the #23 and observe what is around me. Ron Hornaday is sitting in a chair at the back of his trailer …. #51 team is hovering around their trucks … Fans have begin to fill the stands watching IRL practice. I’ll tell you it’s too bad that Kansas is not very fan friendly - only selling season tickets instead of single events.

12:20 pm - Decide to head into the bathroom. I run into the PR rep for Billy Ballow. Introduced myself and express my concern for the amount of work she must have incurred since the Martinsville incident. She laughed and said it’s part of the job. She told me that she even received a voice mail from JB’s fan club president. “HE” went on to chew her out and even bring her family into it. Needless to say, “I AM NOT HAPPY” about this. It’s one thing to send letters to sponsors, etc - but to say you are someone that you are not - is not called for. Lucky for me, she plans on forwarding the message to me so I can review.

1:00 pm - The trucks are lined up on pit road. In the fan area, there is a hole in the fence for fans to slide their merchandise to get autographed.

1:05 pm - Qualifying begins … The first driver out really puts down a lap - so the teams can see that they speeds have picked up.

1:07 pm - Dennis from the #51 crew stops by to say hi and give me a hug … He used to work with Johnny during the Valvoline years … Said he was not at Martinsville - missed out on the excitement - I just smile ….

1:15 pm - Jim Thomas, the new marketing director at Bill Davis Racing asks me if I get nervous. I just laughed - ask Pickle. He is the one who mocks me so bad when I start to pace.

1:20 pm - A big semi is coming down pit road. It is the IRL fuel truck. They are unloading the fuel tanks in the pit stalls. I did not realize that IRL does not use dump cans to load the fuel in the car.

1:25 pm - Larry Foyt stops by to talk to the #23 crew. Sandi remembers him from the ASA days …

1:27 pm - crew member from another team asks me why I am taking so many notes .. I just smile. (I must be making people nervous)

1:30 pm - JB is sitting on pit wall talking to Dennis from the #51. Dennis’s dad owns Schoenfield headers and the Benson’s have don business back and forth.

1:32 pm - Mike Skinner walks by and says hi …. The top of the transporters are full with crew members and crew chiefs watching qualifying.

1:35 pm - Trip is at the #23 along with the majority of the team …. There are a couple of fans asking for Johnny to sign their hats and have their photo taken. I ask them to forward the photo to the JBFC. (I forgot to charge my camera battery - so I am saving it for the victory lane photos).

1:45 pm - Time for JB to get into truck and get buckled up. Part of the windshield is coverage from the sun …

1:50 pm - Frank (Kyle’s spotter) stops by to talk - I smile. He wants to know what I writing - I smile. (Note: I have been friends with him since the ASA days!)

1:55 pm - JB on the track … Conditions are totally different than yesterday.

Bummer - the times are very slow.

1:57 pm - Skinner makes his laps - not much better than JB’s …

1:58 pm - JB pulls his truck into the impound area. Gets out of truck, I give him his jacket and he begins to debrief with Trip and crew.

2:00 pm - Skinner pulls in behind JB … JB goes over to Skinner and they are in a discussion. They both end up talking to the NASCAR officials. They share a few laughs … (My opinion - it’s about how the trucks will run in the race - qualifying does not pay a thing!)

2:10 pm - Sandi and go back to the transporter … Part of the team is watching Cup qualifying … The rest is just hanging out. Three hours until race time. IRL cars are on track … Cup qualifying is over. Dave Blaney does not make race. The news travels up and down the transporter. This is not good news for Bill Davis Racing.

3:00 - Driver’s Meeting - Johnny and Tripp make their way to hear the updates about the race.

3:40 pm: #23 team meeting takes place in the hauler. I sit this one out

4:40 pm: driver’s introduction ...  Johnny gets a lot of cheers ...  (Thank you)

4:55 pm: I’m standing by the #23 truck when the teams line up for the Star Spangled banner. Sandi is in the pit when a crew member from one of the Indy teams decided to stand in line with the #23 crew members. He asks Sandi to take a photo of him with the team. He even participates with the high fives! ….. Four planes zoom overhead ….

5:00 pm: Johnny gets ready to get into his truck … It’s time for his luck to change … I tell him to have fun!