I mean, really. Let’s recap… He’s very good looking. He’s married to a model. He’s gonna be a daddy. He’s making millions of dollars as a race car driver. He’s won an unprecedented 4 Sprint Cup Series Championships in a row. He’s got the smartest crew chief. He’s just won two races in a row. He won the Pepsi Refresh Project competition he was in versus Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Sheesh! Jimmie, knock it off! I kid, I kid.

Actually, now that I read that, if Jimmie ever feels down (why would he?) he can read that paragraph and it should perk him right up again.

Photos from New Hampshire after the jump! (more…)

Saturday is always my favorite day in the garage because it’s all about practice and we haven’t reached the max level of wandering people that will be around come Sunday.

Something I hadn’t realized about the garage at Infineon is how perfect it is before the cars roll out for the first practice session of the day. Infineon’s garage stalls are all in one long row. You walk a straight line and you get to see everyone. This is especially eerie when all the drivers are sitting in their cars with their visors up just waiting for the call to drive out to the track.

It’s the only time when they’re basically a captive audience. You could jump out in front of their cars and do a little dance or hold up a big sign saying whatever you want and they have to watch because they can’t go anywhere. I didn’t do a little dance, I just tried to take pictures but I recommend that if you’re going to get a garage pass make sure it’s on a day when the guys are practicing. It’s the best time. (more…)

To answer Melody’s question from my previous post, I was in Tony Stewart’s hauler for all of 5 minutes. It was luxuriously air conditioned and I didn’t see the back lounge area. Plus Tony wasn’t there he was out practicing but it was very cool to be inside a hauler for any reason and any amount of time.

Sunday was of course the Coca-Cola 600 and on my drive in to the track I couldn’t get over the amount of tailgating that was going on seemingly EVERYWHERE. Every blade of grass surrounding the track was filled with trucks, tents and people with barbecues. Even the parking lots of commercial office buildings had groups of people crowded together. It was so neat to see. There’s tailgating at the California races but nothing to the degree of what I saw outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s something that you have to witness for yourself.

I got to the track in time to attend a tweetup organized by SBNation’s Jeff Gluck. I went to meet up with ‘Fabulous’ readers Tara S. and Penni. It was really cool finally getting to meet them in person. I seriously adore the women that read my blog, you guys are the bestest! This is the perfect time to thank you all for the sweet comments about my interview with Tony Stewart. I really appreciate the encouragement.

As I alluded to in the title of this post, the Coca-Cola 600 was really all about Bradley Cooper and his hotness visiting a NASCAR race for the first time. He was there with three of his other cast-mates to promote their new movie “The A-Team.” I thought Brendan Fraser’s presence at Chicagoland a couple of years ago was a big deal but Bradley really brought out the ladies. Media and PR people alike make it a point to be in the media center for the cast’s press conference. As soon as Bradley walked into the media center people were requesting to have their photo taken with him (as you can see at right, that’s not me, unfortunately), which he happily obliged. (more…)

So I know everybody is putting a lot of thought into Carl Edwards actions this weekend at Atlanta. Was he justified in bumping Brad “I Have No Friends” Keselowski into flight or should he have found him after the race and gently slapped him across the face with a white glove?

I’m in two minds about it, but I know for sure that it was fun to watch. I’m glad Brad was OK after the wreck (and we should never take the strides they’ve made in keeping the drivers safe for granted), but we know that Carl didn’t intend for him to flip around like that.

Now let’s talk about the other disaster in this race. Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the pole and then proceeds to lead not a single lap in the ENTIRE race. How is this possible? Holy crap, I love you Dale. I really, really, really do, but what the heck?

Big shout out and congrats to David Gilliland for putting on a great show on Sunday! He led laps and ran up front a whole heck of a lot. Good things are coming for that No. 38 Charter Air Transport / Taco Bell team! It’s so nice when you support a driver and they do good things to remind you why you pull for them in the first place. Seriously, I cannot WAIT till David wins a Sprint Cup race. It’s going to be AH-MAY-ZING.

Fellow Toyota drivers Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers talk in the garage during Friday’s practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(Credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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Dear HBO,

I love you. Will you marry me? Seriously, I was smitten with Sex and the City and then I was head over heels with Curb Your Enthusiasm, and now I feel like we should make it official.

I just watched the first episode of 24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona and it was so good I didn’t want it to end. 30 minutes was not enough. Luckily for me, and everyone else, there are 3 more episodes left.

First of all, it looked like I was watching it in HD when I wasn’t. It was beautiful. The director, camera dudes and editors all deserve raises. I was geeking out over just how great the whole thing looked.

Second, as usual your storytelling skills were on point. Thank you for the steady voiceover and the reenactment of Rick Hendrick eating cookies & milk off of a Mickey Mouse plate.

It was everything I expected and more. I learned that Jimmie has abs! I found out that Chandra is getting acupuncture treatments to deal with morning sickness! Chad Knaus’ kitchen is ridiculous and he grinds his own coffee beans! I love that stuff.

But on a serious note, I sincerely hope that a ton of non-NASCAR fans take the time to watch this great show. It’s the perfect opportunity for newbies to get a better understanding of — and an inside look at — what it takes to race in NASCAR. You guys have done it again in creating awesome premium television content. This is how Jimmie Johnson’s story should be told.

xoxo
-Valli

P.S. – I know the series isn’t about Dale Earnhardt Jr. but could you slip him in here and there? Thank you!!

Tomorrow night HBO airs the first episode in a 4-part series that follows Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s team as they prepare for the 2010 Daytona 500. I’m very excited for this show. I think it’s going to be awesome, especially if it’s anything like HBO’s other sports series “Hard Knocks,” which follows a different NFL team through training camp each season (I love that show so much I wish I could be an intern for it or something, I mean really, looooove it). I love, love a true reality series and from the looks of it “24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona” will deliver. Check out the clips below! (more…)