Why Hello There

Why hello there, long time no talk.  

This is such an odd feeling - sitting down, signing into the blog, and writing again. I'd be lying if I said that it didn't take five attempts to get my email and password combination right. If we're going to be honest, the last time I was on here, I told you all about my career change and had really no intentions of coming back. I was drained both mentally and physically from school and my passion for the sport dwindled to almost nothing.  I was tired of being asked why I wasn't writing, mainly because I didn't know how to tell everyone that I was exhausted.  At 20, I had kept at this blog for five years and for someone that young, it was draining.  

I've done some pretty cool things since August of 2015: I interned with Belk in their corporate office, HQ Charlotte at Packard Place, Continental Tire, and BSN Medical and I even got an extremely fluffy puppy.  What's even cooler for me is that when I started this blog, I was barely a sophomore in high school and today, I sit here a short 55 days away from graduating from UNC Charlotte with degrees in both Mass Media Communications and Psychology.  

Lilly Belle, the very fluffy puppy

I can't help but to think back to June of 2010 when I started this blog; I was naive, confused, and had no idea what I was going to do with my life. But now, in March of 2017, it's never been clearer. I'm more than 100% sure that Digital Marketing is what I'm supposed to be doing and I can't help but think that this blog is where that love bloomed. If it weren't for my consistent posting of article links on social media, this blog would've never taken off and who knows where I would be right now.  All I know is that when anyone looks at my resume to hire me, they are always impressed with my blog and how I was able to grow it into what it is today.  So maybe I was never really meant to be a NASCAR Pit Reporter, maybe there was always a bigger plan out there for me and this was just a stop along the way to get me to where I needed to be.  

All I know is, without the support of all of my followers, readers, family, and friends, I would have never had the confidence to pursue Digital Marketing, so thank you all. 

The End of an Era

I’ve grown up quite a bit over the last five years. When I started this blog, I was fifteen and unsure of myself; I knew I wanted to work in NASCAR, but wasn't sure of what I wanted to do. I considered Public Relations for a brief period of time, but it wasn't the right career path for me, so when broadcasting fell into my lap, it excited me and I was more than one hundred percent sure that it was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

I’ve met some truly great people over the last few years and have had the privilege of doing things many NASCAR fans can only dream of, and for that I will always be grateful. At 20, I can say that I’ve been a passenger in a race car, been a credentialed media member, had hot passes, became friends with drivers and crew members, and have enjoyed these last five years more than I could have ever imagined. 

I did a lot of soul searching over the last year and spent quite a long time trying to convince myself

that becoming a pit reporter was the thing I wanted, but, in the end, it wasn’t.  I needed to find a new career path. 

After spending countless days and nights tirelessly looking through all the career options for a Mass Media major, I stumbled upon Media Director and it immediately piqued my interest.  I think it would be a good fit for me and allows for career advancement, which is important.  Who knows, I may end up being the Media Director for NASCAR, only time will tell.  

Here are my social media links for you all to keep in contact with me:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• E-mail address: thenascarcorner@yahoo.com

Thank you all for your readership over the last five years, it has meant so much to me! You all have allowed me to do some great things in life. 

Rest In Peace, Buddy Baker

After announcing last month that he had an inoperable lung tumor, Buddy Baker passed away early this morning.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Buddy's family and friends during this very difficult time.  The Gentle Giant will be greatly missed.  

Buddy Baker Steps Down from SiriusXM

I’m saddened to say that NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Buddy Baker announced Tuesday night that he has inoperable lung cancer.  Baker will be stepping down from his co-host position on the shows “Late Shift” and “Tradin’ Paint” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, effective immediately. 

The “Gentle Giant”, a Charlotte, North Carolina native, has won 19 races and 38 poles in what is now the Sprint Cup Series.  In 1980, not only did he win the Daytona 500 with an average speed of 177.602 mph, he also became the first driver to reach 200 mph on a closed course at Talladega Superspeedway.  Buddy Baker was one of NASCAR’s best superspeedway racers, winning one Daytona 500, one Southern 500, and three Coca-Cola 600s. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with Buddy and the entire Baker family during this very difficult time. 

Byrnes Named Fifth Squier-Hall Award Recipient

Studio Host and Pit Reporter Enjoyed 30-Year NASCAR Broadcasting Career

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 4, 2015) — Popular FOX Sports broadcaster Steve Byrnes has been named the recipient of the 2016 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. Byrnes most recently served as the play-by-play announcer for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on FOX Sports 1 and was the network’s co-host of NASCAR Race Hub. He passed away in April after a long battle with cancer.

Byrnes will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Jan. 22, 2016 and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

“For three decades, Steve’s hard work and humanity brought NASCAR fans closer to their favorite drivers,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “His passion for the stories and people he covered was always reflected in his work. Steve was respected for his professionalism and adored for his easy demeanor.”

From 2001-14, Byrnes served as a pit reporter for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on FOX. He also served as a studio show host and appeared on various programs.

Prior to joining FOX, Byrnes hosted a variety of NASCAR programs including Inside Winston Cup Racing with Ned Jarrett and Darrell Waltrip’s Racers on TNN. He also worked as a pit reporter for CBS, TNN and TBS.

His courageous battle with cancer served as an inspiration to the NASCAR industry, fans and his peers. In April, shortly before his passing, Bristol Motor Speedway named its Sprint Cup race the Food City 500 In Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand up to Cancer.

Byrnes was among eight nominees voted upon by a panel comprised of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former drivers. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport.  Legendary broadcasters Ken Squier and Barney Hall, for whom the award is named, were its initial recipients. Other recipients of the award include Chris Economaki (2014) and Tom Higgins (2015).

The other seven nominees for the 2016 award were:

Norma “Dusty” Brandel, the first woman to report from inside the NASCAR garage

Russ Catlin, one of the best-known early racing writers and historians, served as editor of Speed Age Magazine

Shav Glick, covered motorsports for the Los Angeles Times for 37 years, bringing NASCAR coverage to the West Coast

Bob Jenkins, served as the lead NASCAR lap-by-lap anchor at ESPN from 1982-2000.

Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer

Benny Phillips, spent 48 years covering NASCAR for the High Point (N.C.) Enterprise, 27 years for Stock Car Racing and 12 years on TBS

T. Taylor Warren, best known for his three-wide photo of the 1959 Daytona 500 finish, he covered every Daytona 500 until his death in 2008.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association® (IMSA®) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.

About the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Conveniently located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, opened May 11, 2010, and includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, a 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop and NASCAR Productions-operated broadcast studio. The venue is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. seven days a week and has an attached parking garage on Brevard Street. The five-acre site also includes a privately developed 19-story office tower and 102,000-square-foot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000-square-foot ballroom. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. nascarhall.com