Racing tomorrow night...

We're going to be going to the races tomorrow night (July 3) to cheer on the actionchurch #222 car at Susquahanna Speedway. (link) This will be the first time that we have been out to the track this year since most of the races are on a Saturday night. (a "school night" around our house since we get to the club early on Sunday mornings) I'm looking forward to seeing Bob run the car but I am bummed that the Extreme stocks aren't running until Saturday night. Lance Danmeyer has been attending actionchurch for a couple of months and has put our logos on his #87 Camaro in the Extreme stock division... I was really looking forward to seeing two actionchurch cars running around the track! I'll try to get picture of his car up on the website.

If you get out to the track this week cheer on the #222 Legends car on Thursday night and the #87 Extreme Stock Camaro on Saturday night... As Darrel Waltrip would say so eloquently...boogity boogity boogity!

Go Bob Go!

Tonight is the first run of the year at Susquahanna Speedway Park (link) for the "actionchurch car". It's a "school night" for us since we get to the club on Sunday's before 8am to set up, but we will definitely catch some races that don't fall on Saturday night... Good luck Bob!

2008 Racing Schedule

We are really excited to be sponsoring the Bob Lash #222 Legends car again this year. Bob and Joan Lash are always great to work with and we are fortunate to have them out on the track representing actionchurch. I will post pictures of the car as soon as we give it an actionkidz "makeover". Bob will be bringing the car to church for "kidz" of all ages to enjoy so stay tuned.

Here's the schedule:

Saturday , April 26th- Susquahanna Speedway Park (link)
Friday, May 23rd- Big Diamond Raceway (link)
Saturday, June 7th- Susquahanna Speedway Park
Sunday, June 15th- Susquahanna Speedway Park
Friday, June 27th- Big Diamond Raceway
Thursday, July 3rd- Susquahanna Speedway Park
Saturday, August 23rd- Susquahanna Speedway Park
Thursday, October 9th- Dirt Nationals (Big Diamond Raceway)
Friday, October 10th- Dirt Nationals (Big Diamond Raceway)
Saturday, October 11th- Dirt Nationals (Big Diamond Raceway)
Saturday, October 25th- "Candy Bowl" IV (Susquahanna Speedway Park)*

*actionchurch will be giving away candy, balloons, etc, at this event.

Stuff we're working on...

After week one here is the stuff we're working on:

• Better organization for set-up and tear-down. We had lot's of help this week but were actually a little slower because we don't have a system developed that is easily worked by people who have never done it before.
• More Set up and tear down crew. We would like it to be a rotating "shift" before church (Maybe twice a month at first) We would like to have different people tear down so that the set-up crew that got there at 8am can leave.
• Jeff and Chrissie in actionkidz need more help! Some people indicated on their survey cards that they would like to help out...we need it. I loved walking up the stairs to actionkidz after the service and hearing a kid say "Mom that was Awesome!... actionkidz rocks!
• We need a place for infants... The new heated deck area is much quieter and much better suited to mothers with small children but we need someone to guide them out there and make sure they are comfortable...we have a screen and (Small) speakers in place now. We just need a better method to guide them out there.
• A "video dude" or "dudette" we are looking for someone with skilz in recording and producing video intro's and short interviews for the service.
• Web site help... One of my biggest disappointments was not having a "good/cool" website up to welcome our guests.... Right now we are using a godaddy freebie template that I update. (link) We will be investing in a new website...but we are looking for someone with a passion to keep it fresh and updated.

Are you part of the solution to any of the things we are working on? After attending actionchurch do you see more stuff we should be working on...except for my hair, t-shirt choice, and love of the word "freakin'"?

Sunday recap...

I had a great Sunday with Michele and Reagan yesterday. Here's the Highlights:

• We went to church (LCBC) on Saturday night. (Amazing! They are running over 2000 people on Saturday night! Awesome service as usual)
• Slept in Sunday Morning and had a big breakfast of egg's, bacon, and Michele's Peanut butter pancakes. Yumm...
• Handed out balloons at the Candy Bowl Race at Susquahanna Speedway.
• It was awesome to see the grandstand dotted with actionchurch balloons.
• One of the kids asked if we gave balloons away to "show kids we cared about them" -Exactly!
• I finally saw a good use for mini-vans....Racing.
• Bob finished 9th! The actionchurch #222 was really racy and very fun to watch!
• Trick or treating in the pits after the race was a lot of fun. Reagan had a blast and the race teams seem like really kind generous people....very cool.
• I fell asleep watching the Tivo'd Nascar race from earlier in the afternoon...great day for my "inner redneck"!

Saturday Night Racing Postponed

I just found out that the due to all the rain this week the Candy Bowl race at Susquehanna Speedway (link) has been postponed until tomorrow afternoon (Sunday the 28th, 3 pm). We will be handing out actionchurch balloons to all the kids. We should have lots of little "customers" because there is trick or treating in the pits after the race.

Racing Saturday

Saturday night is the last race of the season for the Legends race car we sponsor.

I really appreciate Bob and Joan Lash using their race team their race team to help promote actionchurch. I am definitely looking forward the actionkidz car they will be running next year!

Racing starts at 3:00 and there will be candy for the kids. (Link for details)

Five things I learned at the York Fair

Two day's into the fair and here's what we have learned:

1. People love Dunkin Donuts Coffee...especially free Dunkin Donuts Coffee...just not so much when it's hotter than the face of the Sun!
2. People love the Race car, people want to try to get in and drive the race car...thanks to Bob and Joan Lash for bringing the car and hanging out with us all day. (Especially since it was wrecked pretty hard last Sunday night...Bob really thrashed to put it back together!)
3. I should have paid attention in math class...especially fractions...Thanks to Joan for teaching me how to make coffee that doesn't cause cardiac arrest!
4. Kid's love Balloons, but I suck at tying them...thanks to Shaun for teaching me how to tie a balloon...wow I have a skill now.
5. Bloomin' onions and Funnel cakes should not be eaten in the same month...let alone the same meal...and never before a spinning kiddie ride...I'm just sayin'.

We are having a great time meeting lots of new people and telling the actionchurch story. If you are out at the fair this week we will be across from 105.7 the X and the Fairview Cafe every afternoon after 4. See you at the Fair.

Race car schedule

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...the "actionchurch car" will be racing tomorrow night at SSP at 6pm. We've had two rain outs in a row but the weather is supposed to be beautiful and Bob says the car is running great!

Next Saturday, September 8 Bob (owner driver) is bringing the car out to display at our tent at the fair. Thanks Bob! If you haven't seen the car yet, stop by and say hello ...

Smooth...

I know, "you might be a redneck" if you post about farming and nascar in the same week. Technically Sunday starts a new week so I think I'll be okay... But I'll admit it, I'm a "gear head". I enjoy watching fast cars go around in circles. I understand stuff like "pit strategy" and being "loose" or "tight". Hi my name is Don and I am a nascar fan, I am part of "Earnhardt Nation". (Wait, maybe I am a redneck!)

To a nascar fan, one of the best races on the schedule is at Bristol, TN. Imagine cramming 160,000 rabid fans and 43 cars on a track probably smaller than your local Target parking lot. I think Bristol is what would have happened if the gladiators in the Colosseum had been given race cars to drive instead of weapons. Cars slide, wrecks occur, tempers flare, and excitement ensues...until last night.

This year they repaved "Thunder Valley". They made it very smooth. They reconfigured the banking so cars would have plenty of grip and wouldn't have to "beat and bang" their way to the front. Their new safer cars made it a much less dangerous place. In the pre-race show the commentators and the drivers raved about the new surface and how great the race would be now that it was so "smooth and easy to pass". I fell asleep. Without the "roughness" of the track, without the difficulty, without the "drama", the race became boring.

Sometimes I wonder why doing anything worthwhile has to be so difficult? Why it can't be "Smoother"? Why do there have to be so many "bumps" and "wrecks" along the way? Maybe the Creator of history also thinks "smooth is boring". Maybe (like everything else he does) HE desires to tell a "good story". Maybe the one who has been "weaving" our human story since creation also enjoys the drama of conflict and danger. Maybe because I am created in his image, "smooth" racing puts me to sleep...

Or, maybe I am just getting "too old" to stay awake after 11pm...

York Dispatch Photo Link

A few of the pictures from the York Dispatch article are in their weekly gallery. Here's the Link. (Go there)

Racing at Big Diamond tomorrow night.

Bob is racing at Big Diamond Raceway (link) Sunday night. Please pray for a safe trip and race in the "actionchurch car". We will be at the SSP (link) races August 5th and 19th...come out and "hang with us" it's a lot of fun!

Front Page!

The story about sponsoring the race car just hit the front page of the York Dispatch. It's on the news stands now so pick it up if you can. I am very happy with the story...I think Eyanna Mcmillan captured the our vision very well. They even spelled our name "right". (actionchurch- lowercase "a", one word) I will post a link when it becomes available for you "out of towners".

Does this make me look fat?

Bob (race car owner/driver) and I did a photo shoot with the "actionchurch car" for the York Dispatch today. Here's a couple of pictures Michele snapped. I'll post a link for the article as soon as I find out when it runs. Michele kept calling it a "press conference" which really made me laugh. I could just imagine, "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we've called you out to this hot parking lot to introduce you to the new sponsors of the Bob Lash Racing #222 car..."

Quote of the week:

I'm not sure if this will make the York Dispatch article...but it made me laugh! It also gives an insight into how people who are not church attenders view churches.

When asked by the reporter if he thought we (actionchurch) had started a trend, and other Churches in the area might sponsor race cars, Bob (owner/driver) replied: "I don't think so, I'm pretty sure the other churches want my money. I don't see any of them cutting me a check."

Bob and his wife Joan have been so good to us throughout this whole endeavor. I count it a real privilege to be able to sponsor their race team. Besides, I always love working with plain-spoken people who have something to say and the courage to say it!

Racing Update:

Without turning this completely into a "racing blog", I do want to give a quick update on what is happening with "team actionchurch".

• We went to the race on the 3rd and had a lot of fun. There were lots more families there than I imagined. I see a lot of potential to connect with our community at the track.
• We heard from the Track owner through our driver...we will be able to have a hospitality tent at the track as long as we don't give away something they sell at the concession stand. We are very OK with that! We're thinking of giving away actionchurch balloons for the kids, stickers, and a food item yet to be named. Stay tuned.
• Our next races on the schedule are both Sunday night races. August 5th and 19th. One of those dates will be when we set up the "big black tent"... I'll let you know when the date is confirmed.
• Thanks for all your prayers and emails. I had a really enjoyable talk with Eyana McMillan from the York Dispatch... I'll keep you posted on when the story will hit the paper.
  
  

Steamy Hot Race Car Pics!

The graphics are on the car and trailer and we are ready to go racing! Bob Lash and his wife Joan have been so kind to let us put our "mark" on so much expensive equipment for such a small amount of sponsorship dollars...we owe them big time! We will be racing at Susquehanna Raceway (link) Tuesday night (July 3rd). I will post a full schedule later this week. We have plans to have a hospitality tent at the track later this summer. Also, Bob has been kind enough to offer to bring this "rig" to our outdoor community events to draw attention to our tent...the possibilities are really amazing! I've started a new "actionchurch racing" blog category to make it easy to follow along.

Edit: I forgot to thank the crew at Fast Signs for doing such a great (and fast) job on the vinyl graphics!