Interview With Kelly Crandall About Her Experience At Dover International Speedway

This past weekend Kelly Crandall visited the Dover International Speedway, just to see dominance, mistakes, and surprises. As Jimmie Johnson was about to win another race, and end his 6 race drought with Kelly to witness, another mistake was made on the part of Jimmie; he sped coming off of pit road which ended his shot at the win. Kyle Busch was the eventual winner, in which Kelly states in the interview "I had him as my fantasy pick and he went out and got me those points."

This race was lackluster compared to the expectations, but as Kelly describes it was a good, clean, and fun day for all the race fans out there!


Daniel Caudill's Five Questions

1. First off: How did the accommodations at this track compare to any other track you have been to?

Everything at the track was great. Arrived on Sunday morning, the traffic was moving really well and we had great parking right away and headed to the track.

2. Would you recommend that track to any other person?

Yes I would. The area, the track, everything was great.

3. Where were you located at the track? Were you able to get a good view of the whole race?

I was sitting in between turns one and two and it provided a view for everything that happened on the track. The only thing you couldn't see was pit road.

4. How was it to watch the King Richard Petty give the command to start engines?

I've seen the King do things at the racetrack a few times because I've been to Daytona since 2004, but it's always nice when he gets back to the races and is able to have a part in it.

5. Whom did you want to win? Where did they finish?
The first driver that I wanted to win was Dale Earnhardt Jr. since I grew up as a fan of his, but that obviously didn't happen since he finished 30th. The next driver I wanted to win was Kyle Busch because I had him as my fantasy pick and he went out and got me those points.

Summer Dreyer's Five Questions

6. The race was relatively uneventful. Did you find it boring to watch from the stands as well?
It wasn't really boring because there was lots of racing going on around the field, but I did sit and say to myself that it was a very unusual race for Dover standards and I didn't think the ending was going to be as dramatic as the last few races had been.

7. Did the stands look as empty in person as they did on TV?

The stands were empty but not enough that was shocking. It looked like the stands did at any other racetrack. But there was still a great crowd that did come.

8. How did the crowd react when Jimmie Johnson received his speeding penalty?

I had my headset on so I couldn't really hear anything other than what was going on in those, so I didn't hear the crowd say anything. But I looked around and it seemed like everyone was confused on what was happening because it's so loud at Dover you can't hear the loudspeakers so I'm not sure they knew exactly what happen.

9. Were any of the wrecks in front of you? If so, which ones?

The only one that was in front of me was when Sam Hornish Jr. hit the wall for the first caution and he rode around the wall in turns one and two when his right front tire blew out.

10. What was the craziest thing you saw at Dover over the weekend?

I didn't really see anything that was crazy. Like I mentioned, we came in on Sunday for the race so I wasn't there all weekend for anything else. It was just a typical race and nothing really stands out as being crazy.

I want to thank Kelly for the pictures!

If you want to contact Kelly you can reach her on Twitter @KellyCrandall, or on her FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/KellyCrandall.
See you next week at the All-Star race!

Interview With Renata Perry About Her Experience At Darlington Raceway

This week we will talk to Renata Perry about her experience at Darlington Raceway. Renata witnessed Denny Hamlin win the Southern 500, the same week as previous Darlington winners were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Renata enjoyed meeting Michael Waltrip, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace, and more before the race, then enjoyed the amazing spectacle that is Darlington.

As she says in the interview, she was not able to see Jimmie Johnson’s horrendous wreck, but as she also says, she very much enjoyed the race, and has something to say about Darlington’s “future” second race. This may not have been Renata Perry’s first race, and probably not her last, but she very much enjoyed is, as hopefully you will enjoy the second interview on “Eyes of the Fan”

Daniel Caudill’s Questions

1. What was your overall favorite thing about your weekend at Darlington?

We had so much fun; it's hard to pick one thing. We got to hang out at the Speed Stage Home Depot VIP Zone, then we got autographs and our pictures taken with John Roberts, Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace. We even got to meet Kenny's wife Kim and daughter Brittany. It was awesome!

2. How were you able to see A.J Allmendinger violently side swipe Jimmie Johnson? How did you feel about that?

We were on the backstretch and couldn't see the wreck well, I only saw what happened really well after I got home and saw it on replays. That was crazy! I like Jimmie Johnson, but I'm ready to see someone else win and someone else win the championship for a change, so I was happy Jimmie got wrecked, and of course glad that he wasn't hurt.

3. How much of the track were you able to see from your seat?

We were on the backstretch; we could see the whole track fairly well, although sometimes we couldn't see too well, what may have been going on, on the other side.

4. Would you recommend Darlington raceway to anyone else?

Darlington is awesome! I would definitely recommend it to everyone else! I wish NASCAR would give them back a 2nd race.

5. How would you rate Darlington to any other tracks you have been to? If you have not been to another track, describe how Darlington was as a first experience.

I enjoyed all the tracks I've been to. I've been to Charlotte twice, Martinsville twice, Darlington twice, and Richmond once. I loved them all!

Summer Dreyer’s Questions

6. Had you attended any Darlington races in the past? How does the new surface compare to the old surface?

I had been to Darlington once before. I don't remember the year. I can't really comment on the old surface to the new surface. Some of the drivers mentioned that the tires were not wearing on the new surface though.

7. What was it like listening to the mothers give the command to start engines?

Aww, we missed that! Bummer. That musta been awesome! I'll have to see it when I watch the race on my DVR. We were still making our way to our seats then, because we were at the Speed stage right up until race time.

8. How full were the stands?

Looked quite full to me. In our area, seemed like every seat had someone in it, although the seats weren't being utilized a lot of the times. We were on our feet!

9. Who were you pulling for in the race?

I have lots of favorite drivers. Clint Bowyer and Dale Jr. are 2 of my favorites, but they were unfortunately not really factors. Clint had a tire let go I believe and finished in the 30's. I also love Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Tony Stewart. I was thrilled that Denny Hamlin won!!!

10. Were you there for the NW race? What did you think about Denny Hamlin sweeping hte weekend?

We weren't there for the NW race. I was keeping up with it on my phone thru Twitter. We were traveling to SC during the Nationwide race.

Thanks to Renata for the picture!

Interview With Christine Tompkins About Her Experience At Richmond International Raceway

This weekend Christine Tompkins visited Richmond International Raceway for the Heath Calhoun 400 and experienced a fantastic race. This race was not plagued with multiple cautions as we’ve seen for the previous races. More importantly there were no rain delays the whole weekend, unless you want to bring up the race Summer Dreyer attended at the Kansas Speedway for the Camping World Truck Series. Christine had a wonderful time before and after the race, as hopefully you will see after reading this interview.

Daniel Caudill and Summer Dreyer have put together a total of 10 questions for Christine to answer. Hopefully you will enjoy them, it was the first time Summer and Daniel put together a batch of questions so we hope they will get better as the races go by.



Daniel Caudill’s Five Questions

Q. Who did you want to win this weekend? How did they do?

A. I wanted Tony Stewart to win of course but he ended up placing…..23rd I think?



Q. Where exactly where you located at the track: turn 1, 2, 3, 4, backstretch, front stretch?

A. I was seated just right before turn 3.



Q. Was this your first experience at a NASCAR sanctioned race; if not how does Richmond International Speedway compare to the other tracks you have visited?

A. This was not my first race; in fact it’s been my 9th (7th at Richmond). The only other track I’ve been to is Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC. Between RIR and LMS, both I REALLY like and I can’t compare the two.



Q. Overall what was your favorite part of the event?

A. I love the driver intros! It’s great to see the crowd go crazy for Dale Jr. or shout swear words at Kyle Busch.



Q. What would be a couple things you would tell someone who was going to RIR for the first time?

A. 1.) Bring a rain coat (just in case) and 2.) Keep an eye out for drivers that are out and about.



Summer Dreyer’s Five Questions

Q. Who did you think was going to win the race on that final restart: Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, or someone else?

A. At that point I was hoping for [Jeff] Gordon to win.



Q. Were you able to see the flaming piece of debris? If so, what did you think of it?

A. I MISSED THAT! I was sooo mad.



Q. Were you able to see the whole track from your seats?

A. Yes I was able to.



Q. Did you have a scanner? If so, who did you listen to?

A. Yes I have one and I listen to Tony Stewart! (GO SMOKE!)



Q. What are some things around the racetrack that you like to do over the weekend?

A. I’m not at the track the whole weekend, but I do get their early in the morning. When I did get there, I spent 90% of my time out side of the track, checking out the different trailers, and seeing if I can spot any of the drivers.



I want to thank Christine Tompkins for accepting the interview request and for being the first of many to get interviewed on Eyes of the Fan. I also want to thank her for the pictures she sent us to use in the interview.

If you would like to contact Christine Tompkins through social networks, she has a Twitter account under the name of @Blackout_Kiba, and she also has a FaceBook located at www.facebook.com/FairfaxKiba.

What is Eyes of the Fan?

Q. What is Eyes of the Fan?

A. Eyes of the Fan is a site dedicated, created, and ruled by fans. Each week we will interview someone who attended the previous race to give a perspective unlike any other. The questions may include things such as who they were rooting for, how they felt about the race overall, etc.

Q. What is the purpose of Eyes of the Fan?

A. The purpose of Eyes of the Fan is to let all the fans that do not have the privilege to visit NASCAR Sprint Cup races a chance to feel the excitement that is surrounding the actual race. NASCAR is a sport that is mostly understood through the eyes of Fox, TNT, Speed, or ESPN. Hopefully through this site you will get a chance to see NASCAR in a whole new light.

Q. I am going to a race this year, how can I be interviewed for Eyes of the Fan?

A. If you are going to a NASCAR Sprint Cup race this year and would like to get lined up for an interview, please email Daniel Caudill (Daniel.E.Caudill@gmail.com) or Summer Dreyer (SummerDreyer@live.com). We will get back to you as soon as we can. As of right now, we will only be interviewing one person per race. The sooner you get in contact with us, the better chance you have of being interviewed.

Q. Is there any other way I can contact Summer or Daniel?

A. Yes, you can contact us through email, which is mentioned above, or by Twitter.
You can follow Summer on Twitter @SummerDreyer
And you can follow Daniel @Daniels_Caudill.