Tag Archive | smoke

When Bad Things Happen To Good People

TonySupportLiving With Guilt And Sorrow

Tragedy comes in many forms. Things that happen to us, things we’re involved in and choices others make that turn us into the victim, but no one else notices.

I’m a spiritual person, a minister of my faith. On my path, we believe in reincarnation, karma, and that we’re all connected and interconnected throughout the Divine Universe! We are ALL part of the greater Divine consciousness, because we are made from that same star-dust that created the multiverse we live in.

Because of this view I don’t believe in the random tragedies or that all events we go through are accidents, nor are they preordained. Rather they are things we, let me rephrase – our greater inner spirit – has chosen to be involved in on a much higher level than our physical selves. In some cases I believe some of these events are extremely and extraordinarily selfless acts of sacrifices given for the betterment of a community, a nation or maybe even the world.

Before I go any further, let me once again, publicly offer my deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Ward family. This article will not and does not disparage anyone, through judgement or inference about what happened on that tragic night in August.  In fact, I believe from my ministerial perspective, there’s a greater Divine act occurring and both Kevin and Tony have made a huge selfless sacrifice for others in the world of racing. Please let me explain.

It might sound strange to some to think of the tragic event that occurred between Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr. as selfless sacrifice. I’d respond with give the thought a chance. There’s history in that kind of thinking. It’s not the first time such an event has changed the world. Continue reading

When Tragedy Strikes Racing

Tony Stewart Winged Sprint Car

Tony Stewart Winged Sprint Car

Everyone Feels The Sorrow

Last night at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York, the evening started like any other Saturday night race on dirt. Drivers lined up, the Four Wide salute to fans was given, pictures were taken and shared all over social media.

On lap14 of the final segment of the nights racing event Kevin Ward Jr., a 20-year-old competitor and Tony Stewart, 3-Time Nascar Champion were fighting for the same line on the track. The final segment consisted of 25laps on the 1/2mile dirt track.

Coming around turn 2 Tony’s #14 car on the inside of the corner, and Kevin’s #13 Sprint Car on the outside got into each other. Kevin ran up the track and hit the wall, not unusual and not a bad wreck. (read more from Jeff Gluck’s USAToday report). Continue reading

One Degree Of Separation

20140330 Tony Stewart

3-Time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart

The Degrees Of Separation Theory

Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world. So the chain of “a friend of a friend” statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps (such as a friend of a friend of a friend etc. out to 6 friends). It was originally set out by Frigyes Karinthy and popularized by a play written by John Guare.

For instance, my partner, has a cousin who co-owns a music school/concert hall in Charlotte NC where Jeff Bridges played a rehearsal concert. So I’m 2 degrees of separation from Jeff Bridges, and 3 degrees of separation from his brother Beau Bridges.

Today I learned that I’m 1 degree separated from my favorite person in the world (outside of my partner and our son of course). This idea made me very excited, so I had to share!

I’m friends with a guy who is a dirt track race car driver and who knows Tony Stewart. But it’s not a mere acquaintance, which I would count as a “friend of a friend” kind of separation. Others might, but I have higher standards I guess.

Today I learned that my racer friend is in Charlotte to visit the Stewart-Haas Racing Shop. I asked him, while he’s there anyway, to get me a picture of my Tony if he can. Ok, I didn’t really ask I said “get me a picture of my Anthony” and he agreed to make the attempt.  Continue reading

Why I Love NASCAR

NASCAR At Talladega Oct. 2014

NASCAR At Talladega Oct. 2014

They Do More Than Turn Left

Fast cars, slide jobs, banging on the doors, bump and run, a Chase, fight to the finish and big personalities! No it’s not the latest Fast and Furious movie, it’s NASCAR.

I’ve been a race fan (race as in any kind of car racing) since I was 12 or 13. I have no brothers, and my Dad wasn’t a race fan. But being the youngest of 3 daughters I was the tomboy in the house and I liked cars. Dad taught me how to change a tire, change the oil and oil filter, and check the timing of the engine. I was the son he never had.

Maybe that had something to do with it. But whatever it was, I loved fast cars and especially NASCAR and Indycar racing. As long as my favorite guy was in the race, I was watching and cheering and learning about the little things that make the race interesting. Continue reading

Tony Stewart’s Log Home

3-Time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart

3-Time NASCAR Cup Champion
Tony Stewart ~ The People’s Champion

Hidden Hollow
Updated: March, 2018

If you’ve never been to a Bass Pro Shop store, you really need to go. Even if you only go once, it’s worth the experience! Each one is an outdoor adventurist’s dream. But they’re also part museum, art gallery, antique store, aquarium, education, conservation and entertainment center all rolled into one. And I believe all of the stores, have some kind of restaurant attached, which adds to the adventure.  But the stores themselves, will give you an idea of what Tony Stewart’s Hidden Hollow looks like.

Several years ago, my family and I went to the Bass Pro Shop in Ashland Virginia soon after it opened. We all fell in love with that place from the get go. The restaurant, has become our celebration location, for birthdays, anniversaries and most holidays. Please, we live in the middle of no-where; there’s not a lot of places to go out and celebrate. The kid loves going to dinner and then heading upstairs at the shop, where he can take part in the “play gun” target practice range. But we especially love going to BPS during Yuletide when we can visit with Santa and have our picture taken for Free!

Our BassProShop hosts a great sea food restaurant named Islamadora. During dinner we started talking about living in a house designed like the store. It’s truly a masterpiece of art, nature and architecture. What a dream home that would be.

@TonyStewart 2014

@TonyStewart 06.04.2014

One of the advantages of being a 3 time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, like Tony Stewart, is being able to build your dream home. And he certainly did!  His new home reminds me of the Bass Pro Shops stores, inside and out and nearly exactly like what we had imagined such a house would look like. And why shouldn’t it, Johnny Morris owner of the Bass Pro Shops is one of Tony’s dearest friends.

Or as Tony tweeted
June 4th, 2014
“Fishing with one of the greatest persons I’ve ever known Johnny Morris from BPS @Bass_Pro_Shops

Before you continue reading this post; let me clear something up. This IS NOT Tony’s website. Try TonyStewart.com. So for those of you who feel the need to comment on this post and let Tony know you love his house and you want to come visit; please remember I’m not Tony; I’m not related to Tony, this isn’t his website; and he’ll probably NEVER see your comments. I appreciate the feedback and I love the house too. But you’ll be making your comments to me…not him So please don’t get upset when he doesn’t see them and doesn’t respond. Thanks.

Continue reading

We Simply Love Racing

20090911-08

Our Little Man At Our Local Track – Richmond! September 2009.
He’s been a Ryan Newman fan for a long time, but jumped at the chance to get in Carl Edwards Nationwide Ride!

It’s NASCAR, Everything Else Is Just A Game!

We are simple fans of Nascar, and racing in general. Sprint cup, NNS, Dirt, Late Models, Sprint Cars etc. Our “home” track is Richmond International Raceway. What better place to have as your “hometrack”?

My partner and I have been fans since we were in our teens. That was a very long time ago and enough said about that. He was born and raised in Charlotte and cheers on his hometown favorite DaleJr.

My guy is The People’s Champion, 3-Time Champion Tony Stewart. Became a diehard Smoke fan since his first win in 1999 at, Richmond of course.

And our man-child decided he was a Ryan Newman fan at the tender age of 5. We walked into a Nascar store at our local mall and within 5 minutes he was pulling the T-shirt of what was to be his favorite driver. The #12 Altel shirt for Ryan Newman. Continue reading