The Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil / Phoenix (Unofficial)
- Jessie McGuire played the National Anthem beautifully and PROUDLY! on a trumpet!! Hundreds of red white and blue balloons were released. - Gentleman (sorry I didn't get the name) Pennzoil was The Grand Marshal and called "Gentlemen, start your engines,"
- Cloudy and in the mid 80's
- #20 to honor Navy: #20-Tony Stewart and the Home Depot team will display the logo of the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk on the #20 Pontiac at Phoenix in honor of the men and woman servering aboard the aircraft carrier near Afghanistan

	We started off Thursday at Action Performance. Rusty was scheduled to appear 3PM to 4PM. I won't tell you what time we got in line - but it was early! Michael got in the Rusty line and I got in the Kevin line. Rusty was terrific! He signed anything people brought in - Shirts, hats, pictures, diecasts, car hoods, pool cues, etc. He smiled, chated and posed for pictures. Security cut off the line at about 3:45 - but Rusty stayed until about 4:30 or so to see all the people allowed to stay in line.		Kevin Harvick was scheduled to be at Action Performance 4PM to 5PM. BGN Qulifying ran late and he didn't arrive until about 4:30. Security announced Kevin would sign only one item per person. But Kevin wasn't having any of it, he signed anything people gave him. I handed him two trading cards and he signed them both. Then I asked if I could take a picture. The security guard said to just lean in across the table. Kevin said No Way - come around by me. So, of course, I did!
	Michael got this license plate autographed after he took my picture with Kevin.		After we got Rusty and Keven at Action Performance, we ran to Arizona Mills (a mall) where Ricky Rudd was appearing at GameWorks at 6PM. Ricky was also wonderful - signing anything you wanted, chatting and posing for pictures.
	Elliott Sadler was at GameWorks with Ricky. I love to listen to him talk. He has a great sense of humor!		Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) is a 1 mile track. Friday our seats were in Turn 1. It's a nice track and you can pretty much see the whole thing.
	Surrounded by desert and mountains it's a very pretty setting. Not very crowded Friday - but wait until Sunday!		The hill in the background will be much more crowded as the weekend continues.
	All lined up and ready to start Qualifying		Dale Earnhardt, Jr's goal is to keep it low going into Turn 1. He'll end up starting 30th
	Bobby Labonte does a little better - he gets in 18th.		Terry Labonte has a fair run - he's in at 23rd.
	Here's the first 15 on the grid for Sunday. Casey Atwood makes the fourth first time Pole Winner this year. He'll be the youngest starter in the modern ear for next years Shootout!		Saturday after the BGN race the Cup guys line up for "Happy Hour"
	Everybody is hunting for the "perfect" setup.		Looking for just a little more speed - a little better handle
	Ya gotta be able to pass both low and high on Sunday		Sunday morning the Budweiser Clysdales kick of the pre-race festivities. I'm not sure Buddy, the Dalmatian, was real thrilled. It was a little warm.
	I told you there would be a lot more people on the hillside.		U.S. Army sky dive team. They were amazing. They came out of the plane in a speed dive and did a couple formation dives before splitting up.
	Every one of them landed right at the Start/Finish line!		Driver introductions and a lap around the track - #29 Kevin Harvick
	#26 Jimmy Spencer. Mr. Excitement - he's a love him or hate him driver.		#40 Sterling Marlin
	And the crowd goes wild as Little "E" rides by waving		Here's my number one favorite #5 Terry Labonte!
	The current "bad boy" of racing #20 Tony Stewart.		#28 Ricky Rudd
	My co-favorite #18 Bobby Labonte		Friday and Saturday the back stretch stands were empty - but Sunday for the Winston Cup race they were packed full
	With flags waving everywhere, the crews line up for the National Anthem.		Four F16's fly through the fireworks just after Jessie McGuire played the National Anthem beautifully and PROUDLY! on a trumpet!! Hundreds of red white and blue balloons were also released.
	Behind the pace car, Casey Atwood lead them off pit road		Couple warm-up laps to get everyone ready.
	The safety workers salute the drivers as they go by.		And they're off!!!
	Everyone wants to get down into the "low groove"		Caution #1 Lap 34 Bobby Hamilton and Sterling Marlin suffer flat tires and smack the wall. Ken Schrader also has a flat - but keeps it off the wall. Casey beats 'um all off pit road.
	And the rest of the field follows		#88 Dale Jarrett
	#5 Terry Labonte		#2 Rusty Wallace
	#6 Mark Martin		#18 Bobby Labonte
	Caution #2 Lap 72 Kenny Wallace and Joe Nemechek have tires go down. Lots of tire problems today. To hot? low pressure? too much camber? Rusty will beat Casey out of the pits this time!		Restart Lap 78 Rusty Wallace, Casey Atwood, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, John Andretti make up the Top 5.
	Lap 185 Rusty slows - right front tire going down. NO CAUTION and he looses a lap and 1/2 in the pits!		Little "E" showing signs of a little on track contact.
	#29 Kevin Harvick on his way back to the track after a pit stop.		Lap 193 while in the lead Casey Atwood looses a right front tire. Again NO CAUTION and Casey goes down a lap.
	So intent on the race Bill and Karen didn't even know Michael took their picture.		Looks like he got me to!
	Caution #4 Lap 203 for debris on the track.		#15 Michael Waltrip
	#12 Mike Wallace		#24 Jeff Gordon
	#36 Ken Schrader - showing a little right front damage from the cut tire.		#99 Jeff Burton
	Caution #5 Lap 241 Robert Pressley spun after contact with Jerry Nadeau. Casey Atwood gets his lap back!		#40 Sterling Marlin showing lots of right side damage from his Lap 34 cut tire and meeting with the wall. He had a VERY long day just "riding around".
	Mike Wallace took only 2 tires under caution to gain the lead. That's going to be big for his two brothers in just a little bit!		#20 Tony Stewart
	Caution #7 Lap 271 John Andretti in the pits after hitting the wall. Both Wallace brothers get a lap back from middle brother Mike.		Jeff Burton wins and does a victory lap with the American Flag.
	8 teams lost right front tires. 2 teams lost 'um twice! Great Win by Jeff Burton.		Jeff Burton climbs out in Victory Lane - no plastic pipe gate - but he stayed off the roof like a good boy! Our seats were down in Turn 2 - way to far from Start/Finish to get a picture. This one is from www.thatsracin.com
	Jeff Burton with the winner's trophy. This one is also from www.thatsracin.com		On the way out, I saw this truck and just HAD to stop and have my picture taken!