Hello, hello, hello! It’s been a while since I’ve written, so I figured it was time for an update : ) The last couple months have been filled with lots of change and travel. I made the move to Indiana (or as some like to call it, “The Hoosier State”…although, I’ll never call myself a Hoosier, only a Buff) at the start of February.

While Colorado is still in my heart, Indy is treating me very well. It has allowed me to grow and learn many new things…like how to tell direction based off of the sun and not the mountains.

IndyCar traveled to St. Petersburg, Florida two weeks ago for the first race of the season; which was a whirlwind of a weekend! It definitely kept me busy and broke me in for my first adventure as an employee of Andretti Autosport.

All six of my drivers did awesome in St. Pete and Sebastian Saavedra from Indy Lights even came home with a third place podium finish! Covered in champagne for my first race? Sure, I’ll take it!

Last weekend, we made the trek to Birmingham, Alabama for the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. That was my first time to the area; talk about one GORGEOUS facility. Four of my drivers were there, from both Star Mazda and Indy Lights. Sage Karam finished second in the first Star Mazda race and Seb once again got on the podium for Indy Lights…but in FIRST this time! I think we could all get used to results like that : )

Not it’s on to the next one…

That’s all for now. Hope you’re doing fantastic and I can see y’all at a track soon!

Well, once again my life has been blessed! My internship at Earnhardt Ganassi in Charlotte finished up, so I am back living in Colorado, which I am very glad about. It’s been almost 23 years, and those Rocky Mountains look better every day!

I now have a new job (finally getting paid to work in racing!) as the Director of Public Relations for the Trans-Am Series. I first and foremost have to thank my former CU Sports Information Department boss, Dave Plati. Dave used to work with my new boss and he’s the one that allowed me to get this ball rolling.

Trans-Am started back in 1966 and was based on commercially produced cars that had been modified for racing competition. Throughout the years, many racing greats have gotten their start in Trans-Am, including Tommy Kendall, Scott Pruett, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Paul Newman, Scott Sharp and Paul Menard to name a few. After going away for a few years, Trans-Am came back and was still a part of SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). Beginning in 2012, Trans-Am is splitting away from SCCA to become its own entity.

This past weekend, I flew to Orlando for the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, which is basically the long version of a race enthusiasts dream! There were 40,000 people in attendance, ranging from companies that produce parts, firesuits, etc. and many drivers and teams. It finally sank in how lucky I was to have this great opportunity when I saw someone I recognized within the first 15 minutes. Throughout the weekend, I met many of the new people I will be working with and also attended various meetings and seminars.

I am grateful for all of my past experiences that have led me to where I am today. I keep meeting some pretty awesome people that make my life even better I’m looking forward to this new adventure and thank all of those that have helped me get here!

The racing world lost a part of our family on Sunday, with the tragic accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that took Dan Wheldon’s life. There are few people that leave you with a smile on your face from the moment you start talking to them and Dan was definitely one of those.

I was fortunate enough to meet Dan three and a half years ago when I was shadowing the IndyCar Series at Nashville Superspeedway. The weekend had already been amazing, but once I was around Dan, it seemed to get that much greater. I was working at the driver autograph session and was given the duty of having each driver sign a Colts helmet that would be for charity. When I got to Dan and told him what the helmet was for, he automatically gave me a hard time since he was a big Chicago Bears fan. He proceeded to say “I’ll only sign it if I can write ‘Go Bears!’” and then told me to ask Casey Irsay (daughter of Colts owner, Jim Irsay) if that would be acceptable. After she laughed it off and told Dan to write what he wanted, he decided that he’d only put his name. That same feisty spirit is the first thing that comes to mind whenever I think of Dan.

Just three months ago, I went to the IndyCar race in Iowa with my parents. Mom decided to fly home early, so dad and I took the flight back to Denver a day later. Once we were at the airport, we noticed many of the drivers going their separate ways to take flights home, but noticed that Dan and Bryan Herta were sitting at our same gate. Dad and I walked up and started to strike a conversation with them when Dan started asking about college and my past internships. I told him I had just graduated and was in the process of looking for a job when he told me I should contact his management company that was based out of Boulder. How cool was that? The same man that had won the Indianapolis 500 two months earlier (and was now out of a job himself) was helping me further my own career.

Whenever I have been at the track and Dan was there, he was nothing but positive. He would literally talk to any person from the media or agree to every autograph and picture until fans were happy. No one will forget the sight of that awful accident that took Dan’s life on Sunday.  I’ll continue to pray for his wife and two son’s that are left behind and all of his friends and family for strength. He was not only a great racecar driver, but an amazing father and person. All those that were ever in Dan’s presence are truly blessed. He passed away doing what he loved and I’m sure wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

See ya on the other side buddy.

Throughout the past couple months, I have spent a lot of time with job hunting and networking.  In mid-August, I made a trip to Charlotte, NC for an internship interview with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. I found out the following day that I was being offered the internship and immediately accepted.

I am now all moved in and finishing up my first week with the team. Myself and two other people are interning in the Public Relations department, where we basically do a lot of writing! We prepare advanced releases for upcoming races, write post-race releases, pitch story ideas, handle the team’s social media, as well as many other things.

The internship is supposed to last for roughly three months, so for now, I am happy to call the Tar Heel State home. However, I am greatly missing my Buffs back in Colorado and wish them every success in the upcoming season!

I feel very fortunate to be given this opportunity. It has set me up to learn from the best. Chip Ganassi is the only car owner to win the four biggest races in North America – The Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400, Rolex 24 at Daytona, and Daytona 500. I’m sure I’ll have more exciting stories as my time here progresses!

In the meantime, be sure to check us out on Twitter @EGRTeams , @TCGRTeams, and @CGRTeams. If you’re on Facebook, “Like” us at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing Team Shop. We’ll have a lot of contests going on where you can win some awesome prizes!

After not writing for a while, I finally had another great weekend that was “blog worthy!” Since moving back from Indianapolis, the job hunt has been long and tedious. It is definitely true that looking for a job is a job! However, I know that I’m closer to finding what I’m supposed to do and I can’t wait to see what that is.

Last week, I was put in touch with Kurt Hansen of Race Central TV. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect because the Mopar Mile High Nationals were coming up that weekend. On Thursday, Kurt and I met at the Mopar Big Blog Party in Golden, CO. This was a neat event that kicks off the whole weekend and gets people ready for some racing! He was live on Mile High Sports Radio from 6-8pm. Following the radio show, he and I went out into the crow and interviewed some passionate fans.

Friday was an exciting day for me because I had never been to an NHRA event before. I arrived at Bandimere and was anxious to see what the weekend had in store. There were four different categories of cars that started qualifying that day – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The final round of qualifying on Friday night was awesome! The Top Fuel cars hit close to 310 mph and were so extremely loud! After growing up around IndyCar, I was convinced I would lose some of my hearing, but this weekend was bound to do some damage!

Saturday and Sunday were very hot, but the days both flew by. We set up a Race Central TV booth, where fans could stop by and get information on his show. I worked the booth for a bit, then also went into the crowd with Kurt. Towards the end of the day, and also on Sunday, he took me to the Start line, which really topped off the weekend! I was able to see why Bandimere is called Thunder Mountain because my whole body was shaking from those cars! It was definitely the full experience – the sound, the drivers and the NITRO!

I am grateful for this past weekend and definitely hope that my work with Race Central TV can continue. Be sure to check out Race Central Radio on Mile High Sports Radio (am 1510 fm 93.7) on Friday’s from 6-8pm and Race Central TV on Altitude on Thursday’s at 5:30 and 10pm.

Congratulations to all of the winners – Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle). The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series continues its schedule this weekend, July 29-31 in Sonoma, California.

Bye for now

The last week has brought more madness, but when it comes to the Indy 500, madness is expected and welcomed!

I have learned just how vital sponsors are to the IndyCar operation and how all teams wouldn’t be who they are without the loyal dedication of their sponsors. Much of my time has been spent giving these people tours of the garage and pits, which I absolutely enjoy. Here are some fun facts that I have learned along the way pertaining to the race and IndyCars:

• Each car gets 33 sets of tires for the Indy 500
• Each set costs around $2,500
• Once we get the tires from Firestone, the teams take out the air and fill them with nitrogen…the air expands and wears the tires too quickly.
• A finished IndyCar weighs around 1,500 pounds and is made out of carbon fiber.
• Once the drivers are in the car, they try to make them all weigh as close to one another…Danica Patrick or Ana Beatriz, for example would have to add weight to their car to be more similar to taller drivers such as Justin Wilson who is 6’3”
• A complete IndyCar costs around $500,000
• IndyCar leases all engines from Honda, so they have sole control over when to run them…to lease one engine, it costs $80,000-$100,000
• The seat the driver sits in is customized to their body…in order to do that, the driver sits on a large bean bag filled with resin. They then suck out all of the air so that the bag molds to their shape.
• An IndyCar wheel ends up costing around $15,000…the driver can customize the wheel to show fuel, oil pressure, lap times, etc.
• The drivers have a push-to-pass button on the wheel, which gives them an extra boost for about 20 seconds. The number of push-to-pass they get depends on the length of each track, but they usually get around 20. Once they press the button, there is a reset factor afterwards, so they have to wait a bit before they can press it again. There is also a button on the wheel to radio into the crew members…once the car is in the pits, that radio frequency can only be heard by the crew members and the driver.
• There is enough downforce on an IndyCar that you could turn the car upside down and it would drive on the ceiling.

Hope you all find those facts interesting!

All four of Dreyer and Reinbold’s cars qualified for the race with Davey Hamilton starting 15^th, Justin Wilson 20^th, Paul Tracy 25^th and Ana Beatriz 33^rd. I’m looking forward to the upcoming race and can’t wait for the excitement that May 29^th will bring!

What a crazy adventure these past six days have been! A week ago today, my dad and I left beautiful Colorado for Indianapolis, Indiana. I was lucky enough to land a job for May with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing.

I started at the shop on Monday and enjoyed it from the very beginning! We have been preparing for the 100^th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, which is so exciting. I have attended the race almost every year since I was seven, so to be able to start helping this monumental year means so much. We were given a tour of the shop, where all of the crew members were working of the four cars – Justin Wilson (a fellow Coloradan!), Ana Beatriz, Davey Hamilton and Paul Tracy. There were many interesting facts we learned that I hadn’t heard before. For example, each IndyCar team for the 500 gets 33 sets of tires, with each set running around $2000. After receiving the tires from Firestone, they are then filled with nitrogen to be more durable.

We have gone on many errands and back and forth to the track in order to set up the suites for our sponsor guests. We are estimated to have roughly 400 guests near race day, whom we will give tours and show them around the track in the meantime.

As I was driving under the tunnel into the track early this morning, “Good Life” by One Republic began to play. I then caught sight of the Pagoda in the distance and got goosebumps. That song seems to sum up my life perfectly right now. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to finally do what I love and hope it can continue past May.

That’s all for now, but I’ll update with more excitement later on! If you’re in Indy, be sure to stop by the track for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing!

Graduation is nine days away, which is so hard to believe. What a great adventure these past four years have been. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Having grown up in Colorado my whole life, I was so anxious to go out of state for college. After many visits, my heart was set on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill…but God had another plan in the works that turned out to be the greatest one of all.

During my time at CU, I have formed so many awesome memories and developed friendships that will last a lifetime. There have definitely been some challenging times, but the happy times far outweigh them.

Like many freshman in college, I was trying to adjust to the change of pace and found myself missing home. I joined the Club Tennis Team and met some amazing people. They became the greatest core of friends that I would keep all four years. Towards the end of freshman year, I was able to move out of the dorms and into a house with some of those friends. This was the change of pace I needed from my dorm experience and couldn’t wait for more fun times to come.

As I’m sure most of you know by now, I have a slight obsession with IndyCar racing : ) The summer after my freshman year I was able to shadow the IndyCar Series for two races. I will never forget how excited I was to experience the action first hand and knew that from that moment on, I would work as hard as I could to get internships for real-life knowledge. All of those internships became a part of my college career that I will forever be grateful for.

There are countless moments over the next few years that I thought I could never top, but it always seemed to get better.

I have to thank my parents over and over for being there for me when I needed them most. I definitely couldn’t have done it without them…and a little TLC from my dogs now and then. No matter where I end up, I’ll always be a Buff at heart and will be proud to say I attended the University of Colorado.

Hail, all hail our Alma Mater!
Ever will our hearts be true:
You will live with us forever,
Loyal we will be to you.
We will sing forever your praises,
Ever more our love renew,
Pledge our whole devotion to you.
Dear old CU!

Where to begin?…This weekend has been one of the greatest adventures I have had in a long while. I was fortunate enough to intern with Andretti Autosport at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida. I arrived on Wednesday and the rest of the team got there Thursday. On Thursday afternoon, I went to the track with Al, the Director of Corporate Communications. Mr. Larsen was so great the whole weekend and he let me dive in right away for the full experience! I met Mike Conway, who is one of the drivers for Andretti, as he was getting ready to do a TV cooking appearance at a local restaurant. Al and I then took Ryan Hunter-Reay, another driver for Andretti, to take some photos in his fire suit.

Friday was when the race weekend really started to pick up! It was also a special day for Andretti driver Danica Patrick, as it was her birthday! I walked to the track with Ryann, Marco Andretti’s PR rep, bright and early. We arrived at Hospitality where I met Michael Andretti. That was definitely a great experience to be around a racing legend. Ryann and I then took Marco to a Baltimore radio show appearance to promote that upcoming race. Following that, we took him to his ESPN shoot, dropped him off at the drivers meeting and went on to the PR meeting. This was something I really wanted to experience, to see how public relations for the weekend would be carried out. For part of the afternoon, I checked guests into the Hospitality area before Al and I took Mike Conway to his ESPN shoot. There were many simple moments throughout the weekend that seemed to make the overall experience that much sweeter. One of those was when Al and I were waiting outside of the ESPN room with Helio Castroneves and Jamie Little from ESPN, as they talked about the exciting race ahead. That same day, Al had me list the crew members for each of the four cars, which was helping them out, but it also allowed me to learn about the people that work hard and contribute each weekend. At the end of Friday afternoon, the cars had practice, so we went to the pits to observe that. Later that night, I was able to help at a sponsor reception at the Vinoy Hotel. This was a neat experience to meet some of the people whose companies keep the team going.

Before we knew it, Saturday had arrived! This was an important preparation day for the race tomorrow. In the morning, the Indy Lights cars practiced, followed by the Indy Cars. We stayed in the pits the whole time, in order to see how well the team was doing. I then went to the USF2000/Star Mazda autograph session for a bit before IndyCar qualifying began and we were back in the pits. After various qualifying runs occurred, Mike Conway would be starting the race in 4^th position, which was the highest of the Andretti drivers. After Mike did a few interviews, Al and I took him to a press conference with the “Firestone Fast Six” drivers. That night, I went to a tweet up with one of Andretti’s employees, Kim. Social media has now become very important, so it was neat to attend an event where that was the focus in order to promote the race over Twitter.

As you walk around the track on a Sunday, many people will tell you “Happy race day!” and happy it was! We arrived at the track one hour before the public gates opened, in order to start and get things set up. Kayleigh, from Andretti, and I went up to one of the suites to make sure it was ready to go for the sponsor guests. We then ate breakfast at Hospitality before the rush began. Hats off to Chef Erwin for always making the greatest meals all weekend! Everything seemed to turn busy instantly, but that is what I found so exciting. Kayleigh and I gathered a sponsor group at Hospitality and dropped them off at the driver transporters for a tour. I then went back to Hospitality myself and gathered roughly 40 people for their upcoming garage tour and meet and greet with Danica Patrick and Mike Conway. Once Danica and Mike got out of their driver meetings, they came to the garage and that was when the fan excitement began. Wendy, from Andretti, and I handed out autographed hero cards as the tour group then took their picture with the drivers. Before we all knew it, it was time for the race so everyone went to the pits for the pre-race festivities. Andretti unfortunately didn’t have very good luck, as Marco and Mike were taken out of the race on the first lap. Ryan Hunter-Reay also ran into trouble and couldn’t finish the race, and Danica finished 12^th. My day ended on a high note as I met the man behind it all, Mr. Mario Andretti. Talk about being in great company!

I know that was a lengthy description of my weekend, but each aspect made the experience whole. It was so great being back at the track and I was honored to meet and work with some of the best. This quote seemed to sum up my weekend and past racing experiences nicely – “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our heart and we are never the same.” Each and every person has definitely impacted me and I can’t wait to see them at the track again in the future…

To the surprise of many people, CU was snubbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee today and will not participate in the big dance.

There was widespread confidence that the Buffs would be making their first tournament appearance since 2003. A win over then-23^rd-ranked Kansas State was sure to seal the deal, since it was the third time this season that CU defeated the Wildcats.

However, the committee selected teams like Alabama-Birmingham, Virginia Commonwealth and Clemson over CU to round out the field of 68 teams vying for the national championship.

Basketball gurus have definitely criticized CU’s omission. ESPN’s Dick Vitale tweeted “Please explain how VCU -UAB get in over Colorado & VT?” Jay Bilas mirrored this opinion stating, “No disrespect to UAB and VCU, but this is really stunning. St. Mary’s, ‘Bama, Va Tech and Colorado should be in first. Better teams.”

CU will now look ahead to Wednesday, where they are the #1 seed in the NIT tournament. Come out and cheer loud at the Coors Event Center as the Buffs take on Texas Southern at 7pm!