Today in History, February 18 - It's in the nickname

sunrise on the mountain

February 18, 2018

Today is one of the few days a year I know I won't open a manuscript-in-progress and work on it. Today is Daytona Sunday. 

My enjoyment of NASCAR began way back in the day when my Uncle Bob would take my cousin Linda and me with him to the local dirt track. I'm sure I thought the dirt track was great fun but you won't find me at one now. Dirt in my hair is NOT my thing. Linda and I could also pick any Sunday to sit in our Aunt Libby's backyard and watch the cars at the local dragstrip, too. Our county has a long and storied history of a vibrant car culture.  

NASCAR has gone through a lot of changes since the 1970's, some good, some bad. NASCAR is a single-family owned franchise - an oddity in the realm of sport. Sometimes they make crazy stupid rules but my sense of it is they don't want another death during a race. NASCAR is a lot tamer than it used to be. 

On this date in history, February 18, 2001, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr. died in a crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500. I think Darrell Waltrip summed it up best: "Live by the push, die by the push." I think he was talking in a more metaphysical sense when he said that, nevertheless, Earnhardt earned his nickname of The Intimidator by perfecting "the push." He did a lot of "blocking," too, and we all saw how badly that ended. 

I wasn't a Senior fan, although I did like Junior. "My" driver was always Terry LaBonte (#5). I just liked the way he drove. They called him The Iceman for his seemingly unflappable style and coolness under pressure. Terry didn't go out and deliberately wreck other drivers. Later, they called him "Iron Man" for the number of consecutive starts he had over his career. After Terry retired, I started to pay attention to Tony Stewart. You know. The guy they called "Smoke" for his temper. I loved his outspoken attitude and fearlessness in telling the France family (NASCAR owners) the truth. Alas, he too retired. 

You know folks in the South love their nicknames. If you earn one, wear it like the badge of honor it is.

But there was hope. Stewart partnered with Gene Haas to create Stewart Haas Racing, which has four drivers. And one of those drivers is Kevin Harvick. I kinda slid into paying attention to him and now he's my driver. Happy Harvick is what Darrell Waltrip calls him. I think they should call Harvick "The Instigator" but that's for another blog. 

It wasn't until this morning that it struck me that Kevin Harvick is the driver they tapped to take over the #3 ride when Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was killed on this date back in 2001. 

So here we are with this year's Daytona 500 falling on the date in history, February 18, of Senior's demise. I can just hear those chatterbox announcers now. 

Maybe, just maybe, I'd be better off writing today. 

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com

PS. The spousal unit will be cheering for Kyle Busch. They call him, "Rowdy." 

N is for NASCAR (and Netting Neptune by KC Kendricks)

April 16, 2015

Day 14

The 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge

Many Sundry Things

N is for NASCAR

*_*_*_*

Do you turn left at 200 miles per hour?

Say the word NASCAR and the part of the USA you live in will determine the reaction you get. During the War Between the States, Maryland was a border state. So it is with NASCAR. I live in one of the three most western counties in Maryland and friends and family are conflicted. Do they admit they like NASCAR or hide it like a dirty family secret?

Me? I don't hide it. I’m out and proud. I love NASCAR.  Do I have a favorite driver and a favorite team? Yes – Stewart Haas and Tony Stewart. It’s been a few tough years for Team #14 but I look at it this way – Tony will come out of this time a stronger, better person with a more seasoned outlook. And Danica Patrick? I hope Danica will continue until she gets a win. 

I confess to enjoying American muscle cars in general. My fascination with fast machines is what led me to be a race fan, not the other way around. It may not be politically correct, but give me eight cylinders and a minimum of three hundred horses under the hood and we’ll just see who gets to Loch Lomond first.

KC Kendricks

http://www.kckendricks.com

*_*_*_*

Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?

N is for Netting Neptune

Theron Bowman is in the throes of a mid-life crisis. At forty, he needs to make some serious decisions about his future. He splurges on a two-week vacation in the Caribbean, and like everything else in his life, things go horribly awry and he ends up working to pay for his room.

Forced by his father to break ties with his family, Colby Denton came to rest on St. Lucia, and opened an exclusive resort. To celebrate his tenth year on the island, and his birthday, Colby arranges for a series of festive beach side parties. When a sexy sea god swims out of the ocean in front of him, Colby has a brand new plan – netting Neptune.
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Learn more at www.kckendricks.com/NettingNeptune.html

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com

The Kendricks 500

May 11, 2014

This is blog No. 500 here at Between the Keys. I wanted to mark the occasion with something special but several weeks of serious consideration hasn’t produced many suitable ideas. Between the Keys is where I lay it all out – all the personal stuff, all the opinions, all the gripes, all my hopes for those I love and for the future. I wanted blog #500 to be something profound.

I’ve concluded I should tell myself “Good luck with that” and move on, so I will. At least a wee bit. Bits and Pieces that is.

It’s Mother’s Day here in the US of A and I plan to go see Mom and take her a card. I generally search the racks for the perfect card but I never seem to find one that satisfies me. Mom loves every card I get for her just as I love (and keep) every card from her. I don’t think it’s a prerequisite for her to like them just because she’s my mother but maybe she thinks it is. This year it’s a Hallmark card, but some year’s it’s been Dollar Tree. If the message comes close, then I don’t care about anything else.

Changing gears, we’re now the proud? owners of a John Deere 1023 sub-compact tractor. I’ve bought cars with 15x more horsepower for a lot less. The spousal unit is happy. Me? I can see where it will make life on the mountain easier, but damn. There’s gold plating somewhere on that bitch. Has to be for the amount of money we shelled out on it.

A few years ago one of my sister-in-laws gifted us with a yellow lilac bush. It’s blooming and it’s purple. Go figure.

I just finished a story called Dreams to Sell . Dreams to Sell is about finding your dream house and someone to share it with.

If you’ve followed along you know I like American muscle cars and NASCAR. I’ve watched Danica Patrick with interest and she’s doing pretty well this year. It’s tough to be a lady and like fast cars. People think you’re crazy. No. It’s the vibrations. (just kidding) Being backed by Tony Stewart is a plus for her, too.

The sun is shining and the front porch is calling to me to take a cup of coffee outside and watch the grass dry. So this is it for the Kendricks 500. Maybe by the time we reach 600, I’ll find something profound to share. 

KC Kendricks

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Congratulations, Smoke!