X-Games move over! Ken Block out does you on his own!

I must admit I’m not much of an X-games kind of guy probably do to my age.  I’m just not into extreme sports.  However, when I see something that is jaw-dropping, I do pay attention.

Rally Car driver Ken Block has a series of Gymkhana videos. (The name is explained at the beginning of each video.)  His latest Gymkhana THREE, Part 2; Ultimate Playground; l’Autodrome, France is absolutely off the wall! I could describe this video but words do not do it justice.

Check out the video yourself.  I bet you watch it several times and tell everyone you know about it. I have and did.

Education, education, education! Lieutenant General Ben Freakley U.S. Army

I want to follow-up on my earlier post about what I saw and heard during my time with the U.S. Army, Don Schumacher Racing and the NHRA at the 56th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

One word sums up the focus I saw in many of their events.  Education.

I had a chance to sit down with Lieutenant General Ben Freakley to discuss today’s Army and why they are involved in NHRA.

 Here is that interview.  I think you’ll hear some surprising information.  Judge for yourself as I did.

**As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have spent this Labor Day weekend at the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis as a guest of the U.S. Army. Although they paid my transportation costs, no editorial direction was given. I was allowed access to all events and personnel surrounding the Army’s 10th anniversary of partnering with the NHRA and Don Schumacher Racing.***

NHRA & U.S. Army team up for more than just drag racing

Let me start by saying that the U.S. Army invited me to cover their 10th anniversary celebration this weekend of sponsorship in the NHRA. That invitation included them paying my travel expenses. However, they did not tell me what to write or report.

Something I saw very early this Friday morning at O’Reilly Raceway Park and the NHRA U.S. Nationals was very eye-opening.  A few thousand high school age men and women came to the track at 8AM to participate in the NHRA/U.S. Army Youth Education Services program. (www.nhra.net/YES)

 

Yes they did get a chance to do various “Army” things but they also got to hear from NHRA drivers about how an education and teamwork helped them achieve their dreams.

U.S. Army top-fuel driver and the man that has won six straight NHRA Top Fuel crowns, Tony Schumacher,  talked about how as a youngster he put off doing the hard work in high school until “tomorrow” until tomorrow became today.

There were also inspirational stories from a few Army members themselves who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hopefully these young men and women that attended the YES program will remember what they heard and saw today.  Not to have them sign up to be a member of the U.S. Army per se, but to become better students and citizens.  That in itself is a worthy outcome.

Scratch another one off my racing “Bucket List”

As hard as it is to believe, I have never attended the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.  That changes this weekend.

Amazingly, I worked in Indianapolis from 1984 until late 1987 for WIBC Radio and never made it to the event.

I worked just an hour south of Indianapolis for many years in Columbus and never made it to the event.

Then again, I grew up 15 miles from Madison, Indiana and never made the Unlimited Hydroplane races there.

Covering the U.S. Nationals this weekend allows me to put another check mark next to racing events I’d like to attend before I turn into worm food.

I’ve been lucky enough to scratch off the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Rolex 24.

I still have on the list the 24 Hours of LeMans, Monaco F-1 and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Not sure I’ll make those three before I’m looking at the underside of my grass but I’m not giving up hope!