We just got back from the best adventure of our lives! A royal purple carpet treatment gratus from DeWalt.
Brad McFarland and his daughter Mikayla had a tremendous time as well as my son and his wife. I wouldnt trade witnessing their pleasure for all the fine tools that DeWalt sent me.
DeWalt is one class act. We stayed all day Sunday at their DeWalt motorhome equipped with plasma tv’s on…inside and on top this fanastic vehicle. They cooked brauts…hamburgers, prime rib…all the beer and pop you can drink…and the view from on top was excellent. Much more to tell…and I will as I break the pictures up into groups.
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Did you see us waving at you?
Kathy and I were southbound on I-95 about 9:45am and then again, northbound, about 6:15pm.
i see nothing but smiles in those pics.
so did they let ya take a lap?
i was on the road and didn't get to see the race...................................
YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T
MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE
DUCT TAPE.
LOL
Stan, did you make a staircase for the RV, too? Glad to see you all had such a nice time.
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Stan, I see you were located just about next to the Crown Royal trailer.
Get any of those lovely velvet bags?
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Calvin- No...but I got lots of free M&M candy from them. They were just catty corner from us. I have actual garage pics, and more coming later...but I have to get to the shop.
Stan
More please! How cool is it that of all the possibilities, #17 found his way to victory lane the same year you're there!!!
Did you get to go to victory lane?The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
I was able to talk to Matt Kenseth....and he is such a humble nice guy. I looked him straight in the eye...and said...."You are going to win the Daytona 500" He was taken aback by that...then said.."Thanks for the confidence"
We were able to go right up to his car...and in the comand and control center motorhome. This place had tighter security than an airbase.
Pictures of the garages.....Brad McFarland.....two F 18 pilots that we got to meet.
To top all this 17 numbers.....the stair project I built for this contest had 17 steps.....and when we flew back to Indianapolis...we were leaving the gate...and I just about dropped. I t=tole my son Jeff...look at the gate sign. It was painted yellow with black numbers.....and the gate number was 17! I about passed out!
The best part of this whole DeWalt contest was not the fine tools I won....or this DeWalt race experience....but it was seeing Brad and his daughter Mikayla have such a good time. I felt so warm inside watching them experience what they both said was the best time of their life.
Thanks everyone....your votes helped make this possible. By the way...a DeWalt rep told me that there was over 6 million votes cast for us 17 finalists.
Stan
I know you had a great time Roush is the king of hospitality... peggy ruttman use to run the food part.... (racer Joe Ruttmans wife... brother tony won the indy 500) Jeff Smith use to run everything for Roush... but he might have left or this is his last year... but they are all good people... I use to "rent their hospitality area" ie... i paid to bring my at the track guests to their tents & food... was much more casual then...
I got to live that life for a few years and had a ball... but i have no idea how they do it for years on end... i was gone 4 days a week for 34weeks a year and would spend 2 weeks in daytona to start it... stayed in the drivers motorhome area...basicly lived at the track every weekend...
I'd bet if you got to talk to Jack Roush or any of the drivers they'd be more impressed with your flying and aircraft building skills than you were with them... Jack use to fly his P51 (that he built the engine for) to the race in daytona every year... and would give rides in...
man I know you had a great time... and that you got to share it is even more cool... I use to work hard to get at least one or two friends into the pits at each race... i knew the gig wouldn't last forever and it was really cool to be able to share something that could not be bought....
glad you had a great time... and your boy won... what more could you have asked for
P
ponytl- Sounds like you had an inside track that few can imagine. It was a lot of fun to venture into this world that my son or I will probably never see again. I really think this was once in a lifetime.
However,...I do have another chance. In Saturdays race...the car in the pole position had a very recognizable logo on it. It was "Jimmy Johns" the famous sandwich shop. Jim Liatud from Champaing, Il. started this chain and I heard on nationwide news the other day that it is the fastest growing company in the U.S. I built 5 stairways for that gentleman.. and know him very well. I just didnt realize he was sponsoring a car now. He just very well may be in the big leagues soon... I asked if there was a die cast car made for the car he was racing...and was told its coming out in 2 months. My son and I are getting one and going to ask Jim Liatuad if he will sign them. I can see this connecion being handy in the future.
Stan
Man i know you guys had a ball... I was involved when you could run a busch (nationwide car) for under a millon a year... and a cup car for 2-3million... the little guys still had a chance... and everyone hung out @ the chart house or some of the daytona dives at nite... I use to bring home bags of lugnuts from dale earnharts car just so i could pass out "dales nuts " to my friends at the dirt track... I was usually one of the last guys out on pit road before tha cars rolled off onto the track... very cool... at the time i not only made my living being there but was a fan of the sport... I always knew how lucky i was to be there and always tried to share the experience with others i knew who would always remember it... part of my job was to entertain people just like you... I also took care of many "make a wish kids" and families.... that was pretty special...
You more than earned your trip... I don't see how it could have turned out better for you... I hope you and those you got to share it with.... will have a story for life... if you could convince Matt that he won because you were there.... you'd have jet service to every race :)
what more could you ask for...
P:)
dirt track racin! I love it! I have very nice track 6 minutes from my house and i sponsor a couple cars there as well. Tell me more about your job at the races please.
raced since i was 12... Karts then dirt track... hobby class then late models (raced with alot of guys who went on to nascar...mark martin.. some of the wallaces... ect...) then IMCA modified... also had a factory & built chassis/ cages... part .. surface plates... flow benches ect... sent out parts & pieces all over the world... designed & developed a couple parts in & for the highest levels of the sport... I don't know if any are still in use... they were in a gray area then... but with stiffer fines and less gray areas ... pretty sure if spotted they'd fall under "unapproved parts" and I'm sure the fines would be large...
I had a killer gig for a while... I put sponsors & teams together... i was the at the track guy for the sponsors... also did the cross marketing into the music industry when country was huge... the concerts at the races... the artist that sang at the tracks... also provided the show cars and their transportation and the consessions... hats t-shirts at the track/venue stuff... did the Brooks & Dunn "metal Rodeo tour"... the "david lee murphry" stuff ... all in all it was a blast... but 34 weeks a year even when they pick you up in a private jet (way cool rock star life)... had a ball.... met friends for life.. got to do stuff few do... and i got to share it with many...
but it's a life for a 25yo ... not a 35yo :) plus i had other business interest....
P
wow! sounds like fun. did u ever race at K-C Raceway between chillicothe and waverly ohio? used to be atomic speedway?
no i was a 200 mile guy.. i'd only tow 200 miles to race..
where you at?
Memphis, Tenn.
how did you know that there's no profile?
He posts quite frequently and has told us.
ever been to ogdensburg ny i lived there as a kid for a couple of years been to utica a few times but don't remember to much about it lots of good fishing around ogdensburg i've been back a few times in my adult life.my brother and i took our boys on a week long fishing and camping trip there in 07 and my boy who is 5 ask me all the time if we can go back. so i'm gonna try to make the trip this summer for him.
Lots of lakes to fish in in upstate! Yes I have been to Ogdensburg. I tend to go into the Adirondack, and up to Thousand Islands. Your boy will love it if he likes trees and water!
There's Atomic Speedway in Lenoir City in Tennassee. 1/3 mile dirt. Took my pals there after their Mom's funeral in Oak Ridge. Bought Beer. Anthony was at the 500 this year as he's been for many.I saw Kenseth in his first race at Dover. Who's that in the 17? He's fast!
Bumper looks like it's 1/2" too low ;-)
What a great adventure. Building those stairs was the project that keeps on giving!
I am an adventurous type.,,and I was going to have a small Stans Stair shop decal in my pocket just in case I got close to the DeWalt car. My son Jeff strongly advised against it...but I was going to have it with me just in case. Then I forgot to take it with me! I would easily have gotten it on the bumper long enough for a photo. Had I placed it in the cluster of other sponsors on the doors...I think it would have disapaeared in the cluster of other decals.
Stan
I read in a magazine article that even the small stickers cost the sponser like $50k/race! It depends on it's location. The rear bumper costs more than the right rear quarter panel because of its exposure.
Would've been a classic shot though! Is the sticker adhesive rated for 150+MPH?
Here's a Sticker story for ya.
Mikayla got me a few NASCAR things for Christamas, one was a 2" round sticker, with #17 on it. I took it to the race and was going to somehow prank stan, but with all the DeWalt stuff around, nobody would have noticed or cared.
So... You know when your boarding the plane, you can see the side of the airplane (with the door open). I figured what the heck, Air Tran could use a little custom flare on their plane, and what better than a DeWalt #17. just before boarding the plane in Atlanta, I peeled the back off and palmed it, and as always, the back up at the entance to the plane allowed me the perfect opportunity. I leaned on the plane, and waiting to board, the sticker was left behind.
After we were in the air, I thought, Hmmm? They're going to see it when they open the door in Dayton. Me being the only one on the flight with a DeWalt Shirt and Hat, wouldn't be hard to figure it out. Had me worried for a while, but soon forgot until exiting. I couldn't help but to turn and look while getting off the plane.
It's still there, and I got home. Just wondering if anyone really noticed, or just didn't care.
But if anyone is wondering, an Official Brand NASCAR Stickers are now confirmed to go 350+/- mph without peeling off. Go MATT, GO!
Brad
Edited 2/20/2009 4:25 pm ET by SawdustShoppe
Incredible experience, I mean absolutely incredible!!
Wow, where can I start, what can I say?
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I want everyone to know just what kind of guy Stan Foster really is. This man’s chest isn’t big enough to contain the heart he has inside. It was an incredible, once in a life time experience, and to include my daughter and I, well, I don’t know what to say, there are truly no words to express the gratitude of his selfless gesture. Not only for me but, to include Mikayla, well that’s just over the top! You may or may not now what my daughter has gone through growing up with out a Mom in her life. It’s difficult to make up for that, but whatever I do I try to expose her to everything I can, the best I can.
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This is by far one of the most incredible experiences she’ll ever have. She had a blast.
We spent a lot of time at the race with Stan, Jeff and Jenn, but I wanted to have a little Daddy and Daughter time alone, and away from everyone else. Before the race started she just wanted to explore everything, and go everywhere. When we were walking down the boardwalk by the lake inside the track, we stopped at one of the docks, I sat down on the bench to rest my legs, she sat next to me, leaned her head on my shoulder and said “Thanks Dad†. I had tears welling up, and so did she, she hugged me and then said “I love you so much, you’re the best Dad everâ€. I lost it, the tears just poured out.
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That is such a wonderful feeling, I just can not explain. I felt like king of the world, Super Hero and the lottery winner all wrapped in one. I may have lost the DeWalt contest, But I’m the the single most happiest loser in the world. Thanks to Stan and Dewalt for an experience of a life time.
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There are no words I can find that would truly express the sincere gratitude and thanks for what I’d consider to be one of the greatest experience we’ve ever had.
Stan, All I can say is Thank you so very much for being such a wonderful, loving, caring man. I know that doesn’t really say it the best, but it says it all. God Bless you.
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P.S. When you get to the pearly gates, see if you can get us seats right next to yours, I know God will have some of the best just waiting for you.
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Sincerely,
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Brad and Mikayla
(Your new friends)
Well you really did come out the winner, in the Dewlt contest only in a different way,but a Winner just the same,glad there was some one like Stan to share it with you and the daughter.