I wasn’t so thrilled when Leo told me we were going to be camping in the infield of a racetrack, the last weekend in July. 
I thought he was crazy and that we would surely all die from the heat! 
I insisted on air conditioning and with just one week to go Leo created something that would put a room air conditioner in our rear window if we needed it. So while we came with portable air conditioning, we didn’t need it – the weather was GORGEOUS! 
I also worried that this would not be a rally that I could share with my fur kids and worried about the noise and the heat. The heat was not a factor at all and surprisingly the noise didn’t seem to faze them either. I think the only time they got a bit worried was the evening of the fireworks display. I just shut my windows and that seemed to calm them down.
The raceway provided us with a huge tent that gave us plenty of shade for those who didn’t want to be out in the sun. Joe Fodor’s shelter more than doubled our shade. I know Larry and Lou Woodruff hauled a 12′ x 26′ shelter all the way from Ohio, but we really didn’t need it. There was enough shade for everyone and it was great to know that there was another shelter in reserve, just in case we needed it.
While everyone had the same basic view forward, the hub of our wagon wheel, we all had very different views to the rear. Ours was the grandstand and the road directly behind us is where all the NASCAR team haulers were being washed before they could park in the garage area. With many NASCAR sponsorships costing ~$20 million a year, image is everything and a $125 truck wash is the very first stop after just a 600 mile run up from Charlotte NC.
We had a fantastic fireworks display — one of the best I have ever seen — and it seemed as though it was there just for our little Airstream group. 
We had front row seats for this one. We also had the good fortune to have Joe Fodor join us and as usual he delivered the goods with his omelets in a bag, pancakes and sausages, coffee every morning, an assortment of baked goods AND as a bonus he even brought along a popcorn machine that was perfect for our fireworks and later for our outdoor movie theater. The first movie played was American Graffiti and it sure brought back memories. I unfortunately couldn’t finish watching it because it got too chilly — yes, it was downright chilly at night which made it perfect for sitting by the campfire.
We also had a surprise visit from NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte, a longtime favorite NASCAR driver, with his wife Donnaand daughter Madison. 
They were driving by in a golf cart when I spotted them from inside my trailer. I grabbed my camera and ran outside. Bobby and his family were gracious enough to let us take photos which was pretty cool. Bobby went off with the guys to look at some Airstreams and we girls stayed and chatted at the golf cart.
Later that day we got a nice visit from ARCA Driver Nick Igdalski and his wife Brandy. Nick signed autographs and had photos taken with a long line of AirPocono attendees. A big thank you to Nick, who worked with Leo for a solid year to make this Pocono Raceway/AirPocono rally happen. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did and hope to see you all again next year!
Gail G
Airstream Owner GAR 119
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