RaceBuddy road blog (cont'd)

Day 17 -- Sunday, June 21

• We backtracked a bit on Saturday and spent part of the day in Napa and Fairfield, home of the Jelly Belly. We bought a pound each of Caramel Apple, Grape, Orange Juice, Red Apple and Watermelon for the trek to Loudon next week.

• Slept in a bit, still had time to hit Garden Court for breakfast and made it to Infineon to setup trackside.

• We'll be rolling at the checkers; almost 7 hours to L.A. Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be long hauls -- to Albuquerque and Kansas City -- so we're hoping for relatively traffic-free rides.

• Saw a lot of grapes -- photos, paintings, wine -- and thought a tattoo with grapes would be unique. Is there a way to make a grape "tough"? Maybe a grape vine around the bicep with a bunch of grapes hanging with a dagger through it? ... We're still kicking it around.

• Enjoy the race! Off-sequence pit strategy will be a factor; these guys are going to gamble ...

Day 16 -- Saturday, June 20

• Walking around Infineon Raceway is pretty cool. The atmosphere is unique, in a good way. Tailgating is like any other track -- but the food is different; first time I've seen artichokes and wine served from the back of a pickup.

• A lot of drivers are saying the same things: Get the best finish possible and let's move on to Loudon. (These are the guys who are Chase contenders but not necessarily those who enjoy road-course racing.)

• Here's the thing about the 'road course in the Chase' argument: If a majority of the drivers (or, more specifically, a few of those considered "voices of the garage") wanted a road course in the playoffs, NASCAR could make it happen. Alas, there is no outcry for it and thus not included.

• A lot of attention on Juan Montoya this weekend. Don't overlook Robby Gordon; he's my pick to click on Sunday. Don't fall into the road-ringers hole, either; just not gonna happen for one of those guys during the course of 110 laps.

Day 15 -- Friday, June 19

• Sonoma! We stayed up all night, walked out of the Peppermill in Reno with house money and drove into the valley mid-morning.

• Slim Jims are tasty at 4:30 a.m. They taste better with OJ rather than Coke; the fizz just doesn't mix well.

• In the end, salted cashews are in a class by themselves. Head to head with peanuts, there is no comparison. I ate two tins of cashews on the drive over. ... Gonna pay for that later tonight, no doubt.

• Off to the track; no lunch from a paper sack today. We're looking for something local, something to eat with a real fork, spoon and / or knife.

Day 14 -- Thursday, June 18

• Sunrise in the valley is Zen-like, if I were Buddhist.

• Breakfast: Mickey D's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit with hash browns and a Coke.

• Hitting I-80 again this a.m. And while we've been singing this song for two weeks (it's Track 1 on the CD), today we trek through Winnemucca, Nev.!

I've Been Everywhere

I was totin' my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road,
When along came a semi with a high an' canvas-covered load.
"If you're goin' to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride."
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand.
And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land!"

I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

I've been to:
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota,
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota,
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma,
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma,
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo,
Tocapillo, Baranquilla, and Perdilla, I'm a killer.

I've been to:
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana,
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana,
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa,
Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake,
Grand Lake, Devils Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake.

I've been to:
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica,
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport,
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina,
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a.

I've been to:
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado,
Ellisburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado,
Larimore, Admore, Haverstraw, Chatanika,
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika,
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City,
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity.

• The National Automobile Museum is really cool; the current featured exhibit is famous movie cars. There's also a shop in the museum where they work on the vehicles.

Day 13 -- Wednesday, June 17

• Actually slept in a little longer than expected this a.m. Trekking from Iowa to Colorado ... I cannot imagine walking that back in the day.

• Bounded up I-25 to Cheyenne, Wyo., to check out the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum and pay tribute to Lane Frost; my 14-year-old son is named after the rodeo cowboy.

• It's about six hours from Cheyenne to Salt Lake City, so mid-afternoon arrival is now the target.

• Ten years after my first trip to Salt Lake City, it remains just as beautiful. Two words: Antelope Island.

• Also played putt-putt golf today. Eighteen holes, 48 strokes!

• We're headed to Red Rock Brewing Company to sample some of the local hops-based beverages.

• Geeked up for tomorrow's stop: Reno -- visiting the National Automobile Museum and then rolling the dice!

Day 12 -- Tuesday, June 16

• Today is going to be a hike -- almost 13 hours to Denver, with stops in Omaha (shout out to the Southern Miss team for making the College World Series!) and Lincoln, Neb. Lunch will be at Gorat's Steakhouse; highly recommended as a true locals joint.

• Iowa Speedway in Newton is just off I-80. Rusty Wallace has built a jewel! I can only imagine how hoppin' this place will be Aug. 1.

• Small world: Nate Teut is from Newton; he pitched for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, the Cubs' Class AA team, in 2000 (11-6, 3.06 ERA) when I worked for the local newspaper.

• Pit stop in Kearney, Neb. Less than two hours west of Lincoln, the town touts itself as the halfway point between Boston and San Francisco. OK, that's random but good to know.

• Still on track to be at Coors Field in time for first pitch -- Rays-Rox with a couple of plus-4 ERA guys. Can't be more offensive than Artie Lange on Joe Buck Live on HBO last night ...

• Made it to Denver and ultimately the ballpark with minutes to spare. Snagged a couple of tickets ... and now looking forward to relaxing for a few hours. It's been a long day but totally worth the effort.

• Wednesday will be a drive in the park, by comparison -- only eight hours from Denver to Salt Lake City. We'll be looking at the Mormon Tabernacle by noon (and asleep well before sunset)!

Day 11 -- Monday, June 15

Marla Collins

• Checked our fuel gauge before heading out; good thing -- there was a wreck leaving the track.

• En route to Dyersville, Iowa, today. It's about 7½ hours from Brooklyn to D'ville, so we stopped overnight in Gary, Ind. We'll be rolling for about five hours today, which will give us time to play on the Field of Dreams before nightfall!

• Rolling through Chicago on I-90 brings back memories of watching WGN as a kid. Hearing Harry Caray, Jack Brickhouse and Steve Stone from the Friendly Confines was 1B to hearing Ernie Johnson and Skip Caray on TBS. Two totally different broadcasts but similar just the same.

• "Jo-dee, Jo-deeee Davis" ... and whatever happened to Marla Collins?

• We'll be back in Chicago in a couple of weeks. Double-dip: Cubs-Braves on July 8; ChiSox-Indians on July 9. If the Bears were playing the Chiefs we'd have the Native American trifecta.

• We're playing a name game: Name a celebrity, and the other guy has to name one whose first name starts with the same letter as the previous celeb's last name. (Al Pacino; Phil Mickelson; Megan Fox ... lame, we know -- but it's been a long 11 days.)

• Lunch in Freeport, Ill., at Diamond Dave's Taco Company -- c'mon, with a name like that, you've just gotta stop! ... Who knew? Freeport is home to Little Cubs Field and Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal).

• The Field of Dreams is really cool. People from across the land are here for one purpose: to play ball. Ten years after the movie, the field hasn't changed much. (We didn't hear any ghostly voices and Shoeless Joe Jackson didn't saunter out of the corn, either.) But I did play catch and wished my dad could have been here ...

• Imagine that, in the middle of the Midwest fields: the National Farm Toy Museum. And you thought the Field of Dreams was the only thing in Dyersville, Iowa (besides corn). (Continued)