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This weekend I got to combine work with fun. In summer of 2010 I worked the Census and met a fellow Census worker named Tom who runs a very small sports travel business. Mostly shuttle buses to various sporting events. Some of those include the NASCAR races at Talladega.
He hired me to help him with one of the buses last April, and I did the same this past weekend. The “job” part is going to various hotels in the Birmingham area to pick up passengers, making sure people who paid get onboard, and being a sort of “host” and concessionaire (selling refreshments of various types) during the drive to the track and back.
The benefits of that are a reasonable base pay, tips, and getting to see a lot of the races (got to see Sunday’s race from start to finish). I’ve been a NASCAR fan since I was a kid, and watch nearly all the races on TV, but had never been to a race in person until October of 2008, when a few friends and I went to the AMP energy 500 in Talladega that year. Now, working with Tom, I get to go to them and make some money too.
Saturday, there was only one bus to the track, for the Camping World Truck race and Sprint cup Qualifying. There are not nearly as many people who go for the Saturday racing as Sunday’s. Tom hired me to work that bus while he stayed in Birmingham to take calls from last-minute customers. Sunday, for the Sprint Cup race, we had two buses and were filled to capacity (if not for a no-show, I’d have had to ride the front jumpseat along the steps)
The racing was good both days. My favorites didn’t win, but it was good anyway, and safe, no big wrecks either.
BTW - I made a website for Tom’s business, Southern Sports. But, another company has that name for a website so for the website the url is:
https://southernsportstours.com
Tom also wanted it to emphasize the Talladega race shuttle buses, so the site also has this url:
https://talladegaraceshuttle.com
photos:
1 - A photo of myself at the wheel of the #18 car that Kyle Busch drives. Well, not the actual car, another one with a door that opens, so the general public can get their photos taken at the Toyota display area. My sitting in “Kyles” car is not an endorsement, but it was the only car people could get into for a photo....
2 - inside the track near the area where pit Lane begins. In the background is most of Pit Lane, the dogleg part of the Tri-Oval, and a view of a lot of the grandstand.
3 - I later made it up into the upper stands, getting several photos like this.
4 - A shot as close as you can get to the action, without a Pit Pass. Tony Stewart (#14) leading at the time, coming out of turn 4. He was one I was pulling for. The race was won by Clint Bowyer.
5 - A photo from the April races, from onboard the bus.
- George Gassaway
He hired me to help him with one of the buses last April, and I did the same this past weekend. The “job” part is going to various hotels in the Birmingham area to pick up passengers, making sure people who paid get onboard, and being a sort of “host” and concessionaire (selling refreshments of various types) during the drive to the track and back.
The benefits of that are a reasonable base pay, tips, and getting to see a lot of the races (got to see Sunday’s race from start to finish). I’ve been a NASCAR fan since I was a kid, and watch nearly all the races on TV, but had never been to a race in person until October of 2008, when a few friends and I went to the AMP energy 500 in Talladega that year. Now, working with Tom, I get to go to them and make some money too.
Saturday, there was only one bus to the track, for the Camping World Truck race and Sprint cup Qualifying. There are not nearly as many people who go for the Saturday racing as Sunday’s. Tom hired me to work that bus while he stayed in Birmingham to take calls from last-minute customers. Sunday, for the Sprint Cup race, we had two buses and were filled to capacity (if not for a no-show, I’d have had to ride the front jumpseat along the steps)
The racing was good both days. My favorites didn’t win, but it was good anyway, and safe, no big wrecks either.
BTW - I made a website for Tom’s business, Southern Sports. But, another company has that name for a website so for the website the url is:
https://southernsportstours.com
Tom also wanted it to emphasize the Talladega race shuttle buses, so the site also has this url:
https://talladegaraceshuttle.com
photos:
1 - A photo of myself at the wheel of the #18 car that Kyle Busch drives. Well, not the actual car, another one with a door that opens, so the general public can get their photos taken at the Toyota display area. My sitting in “Kyles” car is not an endorsement, but it was the only car people could get into for a photo....
2 - inside the track near the area where pit Lane begins. In the background is most of Pit Lane, the dogleg part of the Tri-Oval, and a view of a lot of the grandstand.
3 - I later made it up into the upper stands, getting several photos like this.
4 - A shot as close as you can get to the action, without a Pit Pass. Tony Stewart (#14) leading at the time, coming out of turn 4. He was one I was pulling for. The race was won by Clint Bowyer.
5 - A photo from the April races, from onboard the bus.
- George Gassaway
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