A Quick Trip to Darlington

Last Friday morning a group of 22 people from our Church headed out early (met at the Church at 6:00 a.m. and left around 6:30 a.m.) for Darlington, South Carolina. We were on our way to the Darlington race track for the Nationwide race. The Welsh Neck Baptist Association sponsors a Bring-A-Kid Race Night at Darlington. We drove all day Friday and pulled into the Firehouse in Clio, SC where we would be bunking for the night. Clio is a very small town where our pastor grew up and still has family living there. He was able to make arrangements for us to stay there for the night. Thankfully they did not get called out on a fire while we were there, so the fire trucks were able to stay parked in their bay. After arriving at the firehouse we had about an hour or so of down time before it was time to head into Darlington to the racetrack. When we got to the track we were able to get our tickets and also a meal ticket for a hot dog and soda. We walked amongst many NASCAR fans and finally made it to the gate. Once inside the gate we found our seats and watched the driver introductions and waited for the words we had all longed to hear all day, "Gentlemen, Start your engines." During the driver introductions I was surprised to see a car with the coupons.com logo on it, (I haven't followed racing in a few years) so I decided that I would be pulling for that team. The driver of the car was Matt Kenseth.

I am sorry to say that this car and driver did not win, didn't even come close. He started from the 35th starting position and made it into the top 10. Matt crashed the #16 coupons.com car late in the race. Out of the 147 laps, he completed 134. He finished 30th.

While at the race, Chuck pointed out this couple to me that was sitting two rows down from us and when I looked it was the Tim and Penni from our former Church (FBC) that sang at our wedding almost 15 years ago. So during one of the cautions I went down and talked to them. What a surprise, she told me that they are at a Church that is about an hour from Darlington. At the time we were going to FBC, he was the youth and music minister. He is now the Senior Pastor of the Church they are at.

At one point in the race, Kaelyn looks at me and says, "Mom, I just love the smell of burnt rubber and the sound of those engines.". Do you think I might have me a race fan on my hands?

On a side note, there were so many beautiful old homes in Darlington. I managed to get a picture of this one while we were driving into town for the race Friday night.