Bees, Bulls and Lions

Oh, my!

Pit crews have some creative names in NASCAR. The Pit Bulls (Greg Biffle) and The Killer Bees (Matt Kenseth) are two. Do we still call the #17 crew The Killer Bees? I know they are in Crown Royal purple for now, not the bold black and yellow of DeWalt that earned them then moniker.

So, where do the Lions come in?

Why, sponsoring a trip to the Irwin Tools night race at Bristol, of course. The Alum Creek Lions Club hosts a yearly trip to this race every summer. It’s a fund raiser for the club, which, like all Lions Clubs, provides eye exams and glasses, eye surgeries and hearing aids to folks in the community in need.

This year, there are still seats available, so let me tell you about the trip.

1. You don’t have to drive. That is a big plus in my book.

2. You don’t leave at the O-Dark-Hundred hours, it’s 10 a.m. from the Southridge Shopping Center in Charleston, W.Va. Really big plus!

3. Affordable price, $185. That includes transportation to and from the track (again, you don’t have to drive); movies on the way, a chance to nap all the way back; good seats between turns 3 and 4 (the aluminum grandstand in the Boogity, Boogity, Boogity (Darrell Waltrip) section; and a little tailgating while you wait to leave after the race (sub sandwiches, chips, soda and water). Why just hop out in traffic and sit, burning fuel? Wait for a while, socialize and snack.

The first shot on this blog is taken from our seats. Actually, so was the bottom one. It's a great view of the entire track, well except directly in front of you when you are five feet tall and everyone stands up in front of you. However, I did catch this crash from my seat in 2009. It was Mikey Waltrip. Ouchie!



After your arrival, approximately 4:30 p.m. after a stop for grub before you hit the track and the $4 bottles of water, you can take in the sightes, visit the souvenir haulers or grab some swag from race sponsors.

Speaking of taking in the sights, this Dale Jr. fan certainly let his opinion of the younger Busch Brother be known, don't you think? I've had friends in the Official NASCAR Members Club tell me they had heard about this guy, but didn't believe it was real.

I assure you, it is. This was his headgear at Bristol, 2009.



So, what’s not to like? Affordable, Bristol night racing, good company in a family atmosphere, at least the Lions group is family-friendly, and a road trip.

If you are interested, call Lion Paul Wheeler at 304-746-4415 or contact him by email at pwhee71827@aol.com. He’s also on Facebook.

It’s Bristol, baybee!