This weekend the HaggisFam attended the Can-Am 500 at the ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Den led the flyover over the racetrack during the national anthem. It was such an honor for him to be able to represent the state of Arizona and the A-10 community at such a huge event. As a bonus, Saturday was his birthday!
Dennis flew up to Phoenix on Friday to take care of all the last minute details for the flyover and the girls and I joined him on Saturday. We got there in time to walk around the Infield and catch the Whelen 200. A big congrats to Christopher Bell for his win!
We had the chance to tour the garages where the crews were working hard to get the cars ready for Sunday's race.
Once the race got going, we spent some time out on pit row and got to see the Ross Chasten and the #4 car's pit crew in action up close and personal. Paige loved that it happened to be sponsored by Flex Seal. They even had the boat they cut in half out in the expo area.
It was definitely warm out, so we finished off the day with Kona Ice in the shade.
Sunday was race day! Dennis left the hotel to head over to Luke AFB to prep for the flyover and the girls and I headed to the track with the family of Den's wingman. We explored the infield a little more and then headed out on to the track for a concert.
The girls borrowed a marker and signed the Start/Finish line
At 11:40 we met a representative from Team Penske who took us out to meet the drivers and get a close up look at the cars.
Well, hello there, Ryan Blaney!
After being out in the sun for a while, we went in search of some water for the kiddos. Trevor Bayne's crew invited us in for some snacks and showed us around the trailer. The kids were super-excited to see that there was a whole other race car in the compartment above their heads.
Doesn't everyone keep a spare engine in their kitchen cabinet?
Thanks to Roush-Fenway and Trevor Bayne Racing for the hospitality!
Finally it was time for the big event! After the invocation and as the last strains of a beautiful rendition of our national anthem echoed through the raceway, over the mountains came a shining example of American airpower! A dissimilar formation representing Arizona made up of Davis Monthan A-10's and Luke F-16's, with Dennis in the lead. There may have been a tear or two in my eye. The last time I saw him fly, he was leaving for Afghanistan, so this was SO much better!
The girlies were super proud!
The rest of the day was spent enjoying the race trackside. It was such a great weekend spent together as a family. We are so grateful to NASCAR, Team Penske, Roush-Fenway Racing, and everyone else who made us feel so welcome.
