Monday, March 13, 2006
THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR W/OUT FOOTBALL
This is the best part of the year without having football to watch. Racing season is getting cranked up, March Madness is already here and the sweet sound of bat meeting ball can be heard in ballparks all over this country.
The weather doesn't hurt either.
As far as the racing goes, the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet is doing exactly what it needs to be doing and that is qualifying for races. It is well-known that we have no points to fall back on so no aggressive chances can be taken until we are locked into the field (inside the top-30 in points after five races). Mark is driving smart races and after Atlanta we will be able to show our hand a little more. 18th in points is a perfect spot to be in.
March Madness is a religion around North Carolina and it is about to get as heated as a Baptists vs. Methodists softball game. My team, Duke, is the No. 1 seed in the tourney. North Carolina, who is the favorite of everyone else around here, is a No. 3 seed. Why do I feel like I should be the worried one?
And baseball, the sweet science, a game that is near and dear to my heart. A game I've played (whether in the form of hardball or softball) since I was five years old and a game my dad played as well as anyone in the storied tradition of Cherryville, NC baseball. Ask anyone around who the best baseball program is and you may get some Bessemer Citys, you may get some South Mecklenburgs, but almost always you will get a Cherryville. Bar none, the best in the state of NC.
So tie up the hammock, light the charcoal and put Jack Johnson on the radio. Spring is here.
-Hovis
The weather doesn't hurt either.
As far as the racing goes, the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet is doing exactly what it needs to be doing and that is qualifying for races. It is well-known that we have no points to fall back on so no aggressive chances can be taken until we are locked into the field (inside the top-30 in points after five races). Mark is driving smart races and after Atlanta we will be able to show our hand a little more. 18th in points is a perfect spot to be in.
March Madness is a religion around North Carolina and it is about to get as heated as a Baptists vs. Methodists softball game. My team, Duke, is the No. 1 seed in the tourney. North Carolina, who is the favorite of everyone else around here, is a No. 3 seed. Why do I feel like I should be the worried one?
And baseball, the sweet science, a game that is near and dear to my heart. A game I've played (whether in the form of hardball or softball) since I was five years old and a game my dad played as well as anyone in the storied tradition of Cherryville, NC baseball. Ask anyone around who the best baseball program is and you may get some Bessemer Citys, you may get some South Mecklenburgs, but almost always you will get a Cherryville. Bar none, the best in the state of NC.
So tie up the hammock, light the charcoal and put Jack Johnson on the radio. Spring is here.
-Hovis
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
NEW SEASON IS OFF AND RUNNING
Hopefully ya'll tuned into the Busch race on Saturday and were able to see the No. 88 Navy Monte Carlo running up front before getting shuffled to the back late in the race. Whether we had drafting help or not it was a good run for us and, after the last lap carnage, we are happy to have a car that is in one piece.
We'll take our 22nd place finish and go to California where we expect to have an even better run.
And speaking of California. Mark, Dale Jr. and Jeff Hammond will be flying with the Blue Angels in El Centro, Ca. on Monday. I am trying to get a pool up to see which one will puke first. My money is on McFarland.
-Hovis
We'll take our 22nd place finish and go to California where we expect to have an even better run.
And speaking of California. Mark, Dale Jr. and Jeff Hammond will be flying with the Blue Angels in El Centro, Ca. on Monday. I am trying to get a pool up to see which one will puke first. My money is on McFarland.
-Hovis
Saturday, January 28, 2006
NAVY SEALS, NOT QUITE
This post comes to you from dreary Philadelphia as Mark and I wait to participate in the East Coast Motorsports Press luncheon. No, I haven't had a Philly cheesesteak (yet), nor have I quenched my History thirst in my first real experience in this city where our independence began.
This trip from hell started in Charlotte where we were informed that you could not check bags inside of thirty minutes before your flight, so we had to forfeit our direct flight to Chicago for one with a two-hour layover in D.C. Our flight from O'Hare to Philly was the worst I have ever been on. It was a packed, old plane (the monitors were huge and came down from the top of the fuseloge) and they cut the air off as soon as we landed, which wouldn't have been that bad had we not landed at the farthest point from our gate.
But I digress.
Mark, Dale Jr., Gus, JR and I were in Chicago getting a crash course in Navy basic training. Great Lakes Naval Base is the only basic training post in the U.S. Navy these days. We basically (no pun intended) saw a group of young recruits as they first arrive at the base and at the end of our trip we watched a group graduate and get ready to join the fleet.
Without a doubt the highlight of the trip was our attempt at the NAVY Seal preliminary physical conditioning test. We more or less are in half the shape we should be to even be considered to the Seal program. We had to swim 8 3/4 lengths in the pool using only the side or breast strokes. We made it three. We also did half of the number of push-ups and sit-ups (60 are required in two minutes, but we really didn't push ourselves). One of our goals for this year is to get in enough shape to at least pass that test next year.
-Hovis
This trip from hell started in Charlotte where we were informed that you could not check bags inside of thirty minutes before your flight, so we had to forfeit our direct flight to Chicago for one with a two-hour layover in D.C. Our flight from O'Hare to Philly was the worst I have ever been on. It was a packed, old plane (the monitors were huge and came down from the top of the fuseloge) and they cut the air off as soon as we landed, which wouldn't have been that bad had we not landed at the farthest point from our gate.
But I digress.
Mark, Dale Jr., Gus, JR and I were in Chicago getting a crash course in Navy basic training. Great Lakes Naval Base is the only basic training post in the U.S. Navy these days. We basically (no pun intended) saw a group of young recruits as they first arrive at the base and at the end of our trip we watched a group graduate and get ready to join the fleet.
Without a doubt the highlight of the trip was our attempt at the NAVY Seal preliminary physical conditioning test. We more or less are in half the shape we should be to even be considered to the Seal program. We had to swim 8 3/4 lengths in the pool using only the side or breast strokes. We made it three. We also did half of the number of push-ups and sit-ups (60 are required in two minutes, but we really didn't push ourselves). One of our goals for this year is to get in enough shape to at least pass that test next year.
-Hovis
