Well hello there, December. Your buddy November was such a wuss we're a bit out of shape and not quite ready for you, but we'll get it all sorted out and get our winter legs under us quickly enough...

Two days ago it was still near 50. Yesterday we were in the low 30s, falling to the high 20s by late in the day. Right now, it's a balmy 15 degrees with light snow flurries. Lo and behold, it's almost like normal! After the second-warmest November on record, it's taking a bit of getting used to, but we're in it for the long haul and we'll deal with it.

Yesterday, the pond was only frozen on the right side, despite the fact it was 32 degrees or below for most of the day. I think a bit of a breeze was rippling the left half just enough to keep it liquid, although it was kind of neat to notice the growth of the first edge of new ice, spreading leftward throughout the day, claiming more and more of the water and adding to the two-day-old ice that was already entrenched on the right. This morning, we have a full white pond for the first time this season. Just enough ice to hold, and just enough snow to cover it. Kinda pretty, really...

(NOTE: I just got done with this blog, and it ended up being pretty long, so you may need some time to wade through it. Probably a good thing this is Friday, because you can nibble on the leftovers during the weekend...)

I do have a few more questions to answer today, and I'll get to that in just a bit. First off, though, I've spent the last couple of days talking with Dan "Dozer" Hough, the guy who really is the heart and soul of the loosely-formed "Wilk Warriors" group, and he let me know that a bunch of them want to have a get-together in January, down in Springfield. Last year, as you might recall, they had a pretty official, formal, and almost banquet-like party for Tim and the team, to celebrate the 2nd-place finish in the points, and we had all discussed whether or not anything like that should happen again. The consensus was this: The next big formal bash, with local dignitaries, dinner, well-dressed people, and other actual banquet-style stuff, should come right after we win our first Full Throttle championship.

So, we weren't really expecting to do anything this year, but Dozer had the great idea to make it just more of an informal mingling reception, and by scheduling it for January 9, we can both celebrate the past season and kick off the new one. That sounds great to us! And, as opposed to last year when Dave and I had hadn't even officially joined the team yet, and had other plans in place, I'm absolutely going to be there for this one.

I mentioned it to Barbara, and she immediately said she wanted to go with me, so that's even better. I booked flights, a car, and rooms yesterday (just like press release writing, I was going through withdrawals, so it was good to be back on my regular travel websites and set it all up) and we'll fly down to St. Louis on Friday the 8th, have dinner at my favorite St. Louis-style pizza place (Farotto's, in Rock Hill) then drive up to Springfield in the morning. On Sunday, we'll drive back down to St. Loo and have lunch somewhere in the city before flying home late that afternoon.

The trip will be great on multiple fronts, obviously, and I'm thrilled to be able to join my team for the deal on the 9th. Plus, I've been suffering from acute Farotto's cravings lately. I can close my eyes and actually taste a Farotto's deluxe pizza, and it's been driving me crazy. I'm counting the days until we have dinner there on the 8th. No, seriously, I am. It's 35 days until I munch on toasted ravioli as the appetizer, and then dive into my deluxe pizza for dinner. 35 days. But who's counting...

In support of the reception, Dave and I are going to put another video/slide-show together, compiling some video and great pics we've accumulated throughout the year. That should be fun, as well... And it sounds like he might enlist the help of his son Justin, who is an aspiring sports video and film guy.

Catching up since the last blog, Barbara and I did go to the Wild hockey game on Wednesday night, and we spotted Dave there in the Jacobsen seats, two sections over. Dave even took a neat picture of us, standing in front of the big mural that features the first-ever Wild team, holding our "Go Wild!" signs. Nichol wasn't feeling well, but Dave didn't want the tickets to go to waste, so he attended alone and we both commented, between periods, that hockey is the one sport we can have just as much fun watching alone as we can with company. If I go to a baseball game by myself, it's okay but it brings back memories of my scouting days, and that's not that much fun. Basketball and football are fine, but it really seems like having someone there with you is essential. Over the years, with our Wild tickets, I've ended up going by myself a number of times, and I think the non-stop action that envelopes you so much that you don't even notice you're by yourself. When they score, everyone high-fives total strangers anyway, so it's just like being there with your extended family, the Team of 18,000.

We did have a good hockey fight, right in front of us, and I was able to grab a few iPhone pics of that, as the Wild's big man Derek Boogaard went at it with the Nashville Predators' Wade Belak. Boogaard (aka "Boogie Man") has been the Wild's designated tough guy for years, but under the new head coach he's been handed a much more substantial role in playing actual productive hockey, so he hasn't been fighting much this year. He even got an assist the other night on a beautiful no-look pass into the slot, but he's still a big guy who will fight if provoked, and when he and Belak "gently bumped into each other" in the corner, right in front of us, Boogie was ready to skate away but Belak shoved him again, and again, and we could actually read his lips as he said spewed a few R-rated expletives at Boogie to get him riled up, and then said "Let's go, right now..." Boogie kind of smiled his crooked little grin, the one that says "Are you sure you want to tangle with me?" and then the gloves were off. Boogie got the better of it, as he almost always does, considering his off-season training regimen actually includes regular sparring in the boxing ring with a trainer, to increase his fitness and his fighting skills.

Here's something I just noticed... I went to the Predators' website to make sure I had the correct spelling of Belak's name, and I noticed he's originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Derek Boogard is also from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. You have to wonder how much history there was, building up from familiarity over the years, prior to that fight. Local bragging rights were at stake!

Speaking of Saskatoon, which is in Saskatchewan, which is right next to Manitoba, which is where Winnipeg is located, I was trading emails with a Winnipeg native this week, who you might recall from earlier blogs, but even if you don't you surely recall him from a zillion gold records and the fact you can hardly turn a radio on, even today, without hearing his music. Yep, Fred Turner and I have become fast friends ever since we met in Brainerd a few years back, and we stay in touch regularly. We got to see each other a year ago in West Palm Beach when we were doing our pre-season testing, and were cyber-chatting this week just to catch up.

He let me in on a little news that I've been hearing about since West Palm, but at least it is now being reported on the web so I feel free to announce it here. Fred and Randy Bachman have been in the studio recording some new music, and are about to embark on a new tour! They have a press conference scheduled for December 8, up in Winnipeg, and Fred seems really jazzed to see if he and Randy can still crank it out, on the road, "live" and on-stage. Due to some legal wrangling by the other two members of the former band (who are not part of this project) they aren't allowed to use the name Bachman-Turner Overdrive, but will simply go out as Bachman-Turner, or Bachman & Turner, or something like that.

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Yesterday, as the ice edged ever leftward

 

Okay, back to the questions (as well as the answers).

Sheila H., from Jackson, Mich. wrote in with this one: "I've never heard anyone talk about how sponsorships work, in terms of how you get paid. Do they write you one big check at the beginning of the season, or do they break it up into payments, or what?"

Well, not every sponsor deal is the same, but you can pretty much take it to the bank (financial pun) that just about all of them are paid in installments. It's far better for the sponsor's cash flow that way, it surely makes the CFO and accountants happier, and it also eases the burden for the team, in terms of being fiscally responsible so you know you'll have operating money throughout the year. It's not uncommon, however, for sponsorships to be "front loaded" a bit, to give the team a stronger and deeper bottom line as they start the season, when a lot of new stuff has to be purchased, cars have to be painted, and up-front bills need to be paid.

It's funny, because when I got Sheila's email, my first thought was "Well, everyone knows that..." but then it hit me that most people probably don't, because we don't talk about the money side of sponsorship very often.

Thomas W., from Raleigh, N.C. asked this great one: "Why aren't all the tracks prepped exactly the same way? It seems nutty to me that so much time is taken analyzing the lanes, and that some tracks have lousy traction when others are so stout. Why can't they make them all the same?"

Thomas, I think I know the answer to your specific question, but if I knew the answer to the challenge of making them all great, all the time, I'd be offering my services as an extremely well-paid consultant, because (as we say) it ain't easy. Believe me, the track prep at each stop on the tour is as good as it can be, but every track has its own personality, it's own weather to deal with, and its own surface. You have your concrete tracks in Dallas, Charlotte, and Denver, and all three of them are in places that could hardly be more different. Everywhere else, we have both concrete and asphalt, and no two asphalt applications ever seem to come out quite the same. Just take a look at your street or driveway, and you'll see all the little pits and indentations in the asphalt mix. On a race track, every one of those is a place where the tire won't be making contact.

You add in the weather during the week, any big oil-downs that happen during the race, and any bumps or other smoothness issues that pop up once the "big honkin' fuel cars" start to run, and you end up with 24 races that all feature their own track characteristics. It can be frustrating for sure, when the lanes aren't equal, but the whole part about learning each track, analyzing the lanes, and then making tuning decisions based on what your guys firmly believe to be out there, is all a great part of this sport. If all golf courses were the same, no one would play the game...

Now, referring back to a question I listed earlier in the week when a reader wanted to know if we, in the free world, were ever going to actually see and be able to own the 2009 Tim Wilkerson LRS Shelby Mustang, in die-cast form. Visit our website (timwilkerson.com) right now to find out the answer!

This next one is quite original, and the only problem I have with answering it is that I'm sure I'm going to leave someone out, because if I really thought about it and included everyone I know, this blog would be two weeks long. But here goes... Charles. D., from my old home town of Austin, Tex. asked: "It's been great to get to know Del, and now Tim, through your blog, and I feel like I know all three of you guys in ways we never could have otherwise, but can you tell us more about some of the other drivers? You know a bunch of them, so tell us what they're really like, if you can."

I guess I can, but I'll only endeavor to do this with the guys I know the best. To be honest, I know most of the drivers in only a social sort of way. We say hi, ask how things are going, and that's about it. Of all the other drivers, beyond Tim and Del, I obviously know the ones I've worked with far better, and I stay in touch with them the most. Jeff Arend and Phil Burkart are now what I simply consider buddies, and hardly a day goes by without a few emails popping up in my in-box from Jeff and Phil. Both very funny guys and they're both great people.

As for the rest, I probably don't have to even say anything about "Fast Jack" Beckman, because I write about him often and his life is an equally open book over on his blog. First class, top notch, great person. To meet Jack is to meet a guy who goes through life like he's running for Mayor. Everyone is important to Jack, and he makes sure that's apparent when he meets you.

I've just gotten to know our teammate, Bob Tasca, in the last year but that's been great, as well. Coming from the Tasca family, Bob's upbringing and background are so different from most of the other drivers, and his business acumen is noticeable from the moment you meet him. Bob comes at this sport from a totally different angle, and he sees it (and all the marketing benefits it provides) very differently. He's become a very good driver, but what I appreciate most about BT3 is his firm grasp of marketing, PR, and promotion. You'd almost think the guy is a third-generation car dealer, or somethin'.... Oh yeah...

Ron Capps is hilarious, and pretty much just like he appears on TV. Thoughtful, funny, and very engaging. Plus, he and Michael Waltrip do a great job on those NAPA commercials. Jerry Toliver is really interesting, to me, and in a great way. When he first came on the scene, I didn't know what to make of him with his ultra-outgoing personality, but over the years we've finally gotten to know each other a little better and he's really a terrific guy. He's a sharp businessman, and he's also a funny dude, but in the way I like the most because he's naturally funny, as opposed to stand-up comedy kind of funny. It's not an act, and they're not lines he uses over and over again, so if you get in a conversation with guys like Jerry, or Capps, or Gary Scelzi (boy do we all miss him) the humor just naturally evolves through the conversation, and is created out of thin air.

I miss Whit Bazemore too, and I'm not the only one. As you probably know, I worked for Whit in 1996 and our business relationship didn't even make it through the full season. He's outspoken, unfiltered, and can even be confrontational, but he's absolutely real, and he's very intelligent, to the point I'd say Whit is clearly intellectual. Back then, it just didn't work out for us to work together but he and I now really enjoy seeing each other on those rare occasions when he's at the track. Basically, he's a good man and good for the sport, and I really liked the work he did for ESPN2 this year. The sport needs Whit...

And Doug Herbert! I hope I won't be saying that we all miss having Doug Herbert on the tour next year, because he's one of the truly class acts in the entire sport. From the day I met Doug, way back who-knows-when, he's always treated me with enormous class and respect and he's always one of the drivers I openly cheer for when he's racing.

I've been on the phone and trading emails with Bob Vandergriff, over the last couple of days, helping him out with some important information he's working on as part of the Drivers' Safety Committee, and I can tell you that Bob is also a very intelligent, business-oriented guy. You could trot him out in any corporate boardroom and he'd not only be comfortable, but also successful. Just don't get suckered into playing golf with him if any money is on the line. Dude can play some golf.

Tommy Johnson is a great guy as well, and about as down-to-earth as they come. Sounds like he's got a great new opportunity in front of him, driving what will certainly be a top notch car in far-off desert lands, and hopefully that will allow him to race over here some, too. Good for Tommy! Our only loss will be his terrific work on the P.A. this year, with Bob Frey, because Tommy turned out to be a complete natural in the booth. We'd joke about that, at the races, because it was never anything he wanted to be, but he ended up being absolutely terrific in that role.

Basically, I have a great appreciation for almost all the drivers. Some are funny, some are serious, some are business oriented, and some are race car drivers, living the dream. They're all different, but all the same in their passion for this sport.

Wow, this went on forever, so I'm sorry for that... Once I got started, my fingers just kept going.

Time to send this in, but before I do I simply must announce the arrival Gibson Ali Hujabre, who entered this world last Friday with the enormous good fortune of being the first-born son of two of the nicest and most gracious people I know, my actor buddy Buck and his wife Mary. Gibson (think guitars, when analyzing his name) has a life of music, singing, dancing, acting, and (if Buck has anything to do with it) Funny Car driving, ahead of him. Can't wait to meet the guy!

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Wilber, out!