I Love Being This olelongrooffan!

Last summer, thejeepjunkie and this olelongrooffan lost a buddy to cancer.  But it's okay, TomP had a full life and lived it to this motto.  After his passing, I continued to mow the lawn at his home until it sold in October.  That lawn tractor and push mower were then parked on the patio of my neighbor Bert's home until Tom's sister down in Sanford closed on her house and needed those implements.  Well, earlier today, this olelongrooffan received a call from thejeepjunkie wondering when me and the Indian could get that Kubota down to Sanford?  "In about an hour," was my response and sure enough, an hour later we rolled up to her new home and delivered those grass cutters.  She popped me a twenty for gas and this olelongrooffan got on his merry way back to the Birthplace of Speed.

As is the usual course for me, I took one of Eisenhower's highways down to prett-near MickeyMouseLand and returned home on State Road 17-92. On that roadway, I spotted, but didn't get an image of, an late 60's Toyota Corona like the one David Braeckel drove back in high school at St. Agnes Springfield Catholic.  It sure brought back some fun memories for this olelongrooffan and then all of the sudden, I was back in Daytona Beach and passing the Speedway.

Well, as I wanted to check on infield parking passes for Speedweeks this olelongrooffan stopped in to the ticket office and on the way, I spotted one the pace cars for the Budweiser Shootout this weekend parked out front.

Now it was nice enough.  Not nearly as flashy as some of the others I have seen out at that track.  Maybe that is Anheuser-Busch, understated elegance.

And unlike the time I popped open a door on one in the garage area at some race I was attending, this one was locked up tight.  And also unlike that other car, this one only possessed two pedals instead of the desirable three.

As this olelongrooffan was leaving the Speedway, my cell phone once again comes to life and it is, again, thejeepjunkie.

Whatcha doin' longroof?

Just leaving the track after getting a couple images of one of the pace cars.  What about you jeepjunkie?

Just calling to see if you remember where that place is on Dunn Avenue that has that big transporter parked in the lot?

H*ll yeah I do!

Then you need to get over there and do what needs to be done!

And I do and this is what this olelongrooffan picked up on that trip.

Yeah Counters, that is a full garage access to the Speedweeks starting today through the Daytona 500.  Now, this olelongrooffan has b*tched about the lack of access to the garages in a post or two but thejeepjunkie has, once again, hooked this olelongrooffan up.

However, I must state that when dropping by thejeepjunkie's shop and upon sharing the possession of this pass with him, his first comment was "Where is the other one?"

What jeepjunkie, not one but two passes to the Daytona 500?

"Yeah, d*mbass, I told you there was another one.

Well, this olelongrooffan promptly headed back out to that road that possesses thesungoddess's maiden name and was able to fanangle those NASCAR dudes out of another pass, this one even better than the first.

Yeah Counters, that is a HOT pass for the garages and the pits from today on through the Daytona 500.  This pass cannot even be purchased by the general public!

There is a real bummer for both of these passes though.

NOT GOOD FOR GRANDSTAND SEATING.

Plus, as thejeepjunkie pointed out this evening during Happy Hour, this olelongrooffan has to leave Pit Road on February 20th!

Oh well, in the meantime, know this olelongrooffan will be able to

Celebrate Life.