As a few of you know, I work on a couple of racing teams.  I've posted a blog recently about my father's drag truck and I have another blog trying to get my point across that I do have a spot in racing.  But many of you probably wonder how I managed to work on two very remarkable teams.  Well I'll tell you and we'll start from the beginning!   Well maybe not, I'll probably just give a brief history and then jump into how I landed my spots on two teams!

I went to my first race in 1999 at a local asphalt track with my brother's scout troop.  We frequented the track a couple more times in '99 and went a few more times in 2000.  Met some pretty cool racers, met some great people, and had a fun time.  I really got bit by the racing bug in 2001.  I really wanted to know more about racing.  From the horsepower behind the machines on the track to the drivers' hometowns.  EVERYTHING!  I even did the same thing with local racing.  I collected autograph cards like they were family heirlooms.  I know I have 2-3 shirts that have nothing but driver autographs on them!  In 2002, I kept going to the same track.  One night, noticed one of our family members and found out that one of the drivers that was racing was a cousin of mine!  I kept his stats (unofficially) for that year and would have an "official" spot on his team for 2003, although, not for very long.  In 2003, I also started a little business for race fans.  Now don't laugh, but my business was making bracelets for fans and drivers.  Think about this.  Guys have all the racing apparel in the world for any driver they want.  When it comes to women, not so much, just the big name drivers.  And yes, my tactic was to go after the women that enjoyed racing.  2003 wasn't a good year, but hey I had just started. I brought the business back at the start of the 2004 season and it was a success!  I had drivers ordering left and right, fans ordering left and right.  It got to the point where I brought my beads out to the track and beaded bracelets at the track prior to all the features.  I did the same thing again in 2005, just not big of a it.  When the 2006 season came around, I decided not to bring the business back since it was my last semester of high school and was preparing for college.  It felt odd not making bracelets, but it was nice not having to make 25 on a Friday night! 

Now comes one of my breaks into racing.  In 2007, I decided that I would bring the bracelets back.  I figured it wouldn't hurt, would give me something to do over the summer.  February 2007, I posted a topic on my local racing forum informing fans, drivers, crews, etc that I was bringing my bracelet business back.  I got one reply and was getting concerned.  The next morning, I woke up and checked it again.  I got the reply that changed a part of my racing life!  Kent Crane is the crew chief of Crane Racing Motorsports.  His son, Billy, is a 3rd generation driver.  2007 also happened to be the year that they painted the car pink.  The reply was asking for 25 bracelets for a car show in early March.  He wanted pink and silver and invited me out to the shop to get a sneak peak of the car to make sure I got the proper pink.  Now I have met both Kent & Billy before, but not like this.  I went home that weekend and went out to the shop and met Kent & Billy again and saw the car.  It was GORGEOUS! (And still is!)  Stood around and talked some, even sold a couple of bracelets right off my own wrist, was paid ahead of time, and went to get the beads for the bracelets.  I got the bracelets done, gave them to Kari, the Marketing Director, and prayed that the bracelets worked out.  And they sure did!  From then on, I kept getting orders for bracelets to give out at car shows and after the races and became an official member of Crane Racing Motorsports.

I hold many titiles for Crane Racing Motorsports.  I am the Internet Tech.  I research information for upcoming races, upcoming car shows, any racing information in general, I take pictures at car shows and at the races, and I even run and update our MySpace page.  Yes, I still make bracelets for the team, just not as frequently.  They are more reserved for special car shows.  I am happy to say that I will be a 3rd year member of CRM and wouldn't trade it for the world.  I don't get paid for doing all of the internet stuff, I used to get paid for the bracelets, but not so much anymore.  But it doesn't matter.  I attend car shows, meet great people and kids, and have an absolute blast!  I'm very excited for 2009 and can't wait for it to start.  So if you see a #48 Rose Quartz Metallic ASA Ford Fusion, that means Crane Racing Motorsports is in your town!

As for the second team.  I "met" the driver on MySpace.  He races at the same track that Billy does and that's what led to our friendship was the track.  It took quite awhile to meet the driver though.  Oh, I guess I should inform you of the driver.  His name is Rodney Phillips.  His team, Rodney Phillips Motorsports or RPM!  We messaged each other randomly and as the season got closer, I kept promising him that I would meet him.  Wasn't able to meet Rodney for the first couple of weeks since they were pretty rough for Billy and team and I needed to be there with them.  Finally in May,  Crane Racing had a good night and I was able to finally go down and meet Rodney.  I introduced myself to him, he introduced himself to me, we chatted for a bit and had to leave as Billy finally showed up to his pit.  I went back to Rodney's pit the next week as it was a bad night and just didnt' want to be down in Billy's pit.  He signed my hat, we chatted some, and left to go to Billy's pit.  The next week, I went down to Rodney's pit (again) and he gave me a proposal.  He handed me this card and wanted to see what I could come up with.  He said that he liked what he saw on Billy's site and figured I couldn't do wrong.  I took the card home and worked on it some and finally came up with an idea.  I would text him to pick his brain about what he wanted on it.  Asked for a picture that he would want and finally landed something.  I texted him to inform him that I had a price quote and he called me up.  Talked it over, landed on an agreement, and surprise visited him the next day with the rough makings of his autograph card.  He was completely floored and absolutely lofved the work I had done on the card, both on the front and back.  I got paid on the spot and set forth on getting supplies.  While shopping for supplies, he calls me and thanked me left and right for all the work I did.  By the next race, he had 25 cards he could pass out and give away to fans.  Not only do I make his autograph cards, I also help him with car shows.  Going out to car shows is a good way to represent yourself as a driver and crew and you might actually find that sponsor you never thought of!  I set him up with his first car show and met him out there as I was going to be the only representative of Crane Racing attending (no car, no nothing, just flyers for our big race).  It was an absolute blast out at the show with Rodney and he had a little bit too much fun himself.  Let's just say his car didn't quite like being revved up with nowhere to go and the motor let go the next night at the track!  Rodney didn't have the season like Billy, but there was fun all around.  I don't know where his 2009 season is going to go, but hopefully he'll be out on the track and I'll be back making him some autograph cards!

I may not have the know-how that Billy & Rodney and their respective teams have.  I may not be able to tell you what their respective motors are.  But I do know that I bring something unique to both teams.  They may be completely different, but all in all, I have an absolute blast working on both teams.  There's nothing I would trade, I found the place where I belong.  And all of this started because of some little bracelets I made for fans at a race track that us three have in common.  Will this take me to NASCAR? Probably not, but knowing that I was a part of something so relatively reminiscent of it makes me happy. 

If you are wanting to visit Crane Racing Motorsports MySpace page, go to www.myspace.com/craneracing48

**On a side note, Rodney thought I made Billy's autograph cards.  I did not and I did reveal this to Rodney.  Even knowing this, he still loves the cards I made for him!**