RaceBuddy road blog (cont'd)

Day 30 -- Saturday, July 4

• Race day at Daytona has a palpable vibe; fans' voices have a different tone, the drivers have a different cadence. Everyone knows Daytona is special. Toss in the Fourth of July holiday (and the promise of late-night fireworks!) and you have a party!

• Sticking with my main man Kyle Busch to take the checkered flag.

• Been looking for Jeremy Mayfield. No signs of the crew cut.

• Grand-Am racing is pretty cool. Hell, racing Pinewood Derby cars is pretty cool. What I'm saying is this is a great weekend to catch some wheeling.

Day 29 -- Friday, July 3

• Back at the beach and, of course, it rained just a enough to knock the on-track schedule off kilter just a bit.

• And, of course, someone mentioned rain tires. ... Such a tired argument. Bottom line: Rain tires are not built for ovals and the right-front punishment.

• It's been 25 years since Richard Petty won his 200th race. I think it's good that the memory of Kasey Kahne's victory at Sonoma is still fresh in everyone's mind. Petty is a living legend and it's nice that he's still relevant.

• The Hall of Fame nominees are getting a lion's share of the buzz, including Richie Evans, a Modified driver. My take: Induction into the NASCAR HOF should be reserved for those who competed in the national touring series. ... I can't see Ken Guettler, Joe Bauman or Steve Bilko residing in Cooperstown.

• Nationwide Series quals at 1 p.m., Cup Series at 4 p.m. See y'all at The Deck about 7 p.m.

Day 28 -- Thursday, July 2

• Up and at 'em early this a.m. The sunrise over the Atlantic is an awesome sight. Thing is, looking across that much water you realize what a speck you are on earth.

• Bumper sticker on a VW van in the hotel parking lot: "Play is a four-letter verb." As a writer, I don't know I feel about that.

• Getting off the beaten path that is I-95 today for a few hours to walk along the beach at St. Simons Island. I haven't been here since I was in school, when our church youth group made a summer trip to the coast. I figure you never know when you'll be back ...

• Maybe it's the holiday but for whatever reason, driving down the east coast is a great slice of Americana. Maybe we lose sight of that -- enjoying this country -- within the day-to-day living.

• Marcy Scott is my hero. If you've ever dealt with PR at Atlanta Motor Speedway, she's yours, too.

Day 27 -- Wednesday, July 1

• Rolling toward Savannah, Ga., today to graze on Paula Deen's vittles! Forget the ghost tours, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, antebellum homes -- we've had this circled on the calendar since Day 1.

• Rolled over to Durham and Chapel Hill on Tuesday; saw a lot of blue. Brick-for-brick, Cameron Indoor Stadium tops the Dean Dome.

• Raleigh is an underrated town. We had a blast cruising campus and The Pit is must-eats if you're in the neighborhood.

• Stopping at South of the Border, S.C. The billboards are abundant -- and amusing.

• Spent most of the day walking the Savannah Historic District. If you're a history buff, it's worth dealing with the heat and humidity. And we did take in a ghost tour; hey, we're tourists, too.

• And yeah, Paula Deen's (put some South in your mouth) was worth the wait! Also snagged an Uncle Bubba cap, black.

Day 26 -- Tuesday, June 30

• OK, movie-dorkdom takes center stage. Georgetown is the setting for one of my all-time favorite movies, St. Elmo's Fire. So what to do in D.C. but find the bar? Turns out the exterior shots were filmed at The Third Edition while the interior was based on a bar called The Tombs.

• All-in-all, it was a good day. Washington is a pretty neat city, though I still have trouble getting around the "taxation without representation" angle.

• Traffic is another matter. Atlanta blows chunks, but D.C. may be the worst on the planet. Does anyone know where they're going or how to get there?

• It's easy to see the allure of Washington. This place has the feel of power. But a coat and tie in this weather -- c'mon! It brings me to my argument over sportscasters in a jacket and noose; it's stupid. I want to shake the hand of the executive producer who has the cojones to say, "Guys, nix the coat and tie at the track; wear a Polo or button-down, roll up the sleeves and let's talk NASCAR like a fan." It's sports -- not politics.

• Rolling toward Raleigh, N.C., today. Long live Jimmy V. ...

Day 25 -- Monday, June 29

• And we're off -- Boston to Washington, D.C. today, about a nine-hour trip with a stop in New York (Lombardi's pizza joint on Spring).

• The Yankees are off today so we're outta luck on seeing a game at the new stadium. Still going to swing by to see if a shop is open to get a cap with the new stadium logo on the back.

• Sorry guys, didn't get to Kitty O'Shea's in time on Sunday; maybe next trip.

• Today will be the longest hike of the week -- D.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Daytona. After last week, the shorter the trip, the better!

• Wonder what Cal Ripken's up to? His baseball facility in Aberdeen, Md., is on the way to Washington; let's see what's shaking at Cal Sr. Field. (And O's fans, stick with Dave Trembley; he's good people. The team is young and needs a guy like Dave to show the way.) (Continued)