M
MCanyon
Guest
This is just a portion of an artilcle writen by Andy Belmonts wife, Jennifer, from Andy's website. The article is very interesting, and it gives a little insight into the life of a "field filler". http://www.andybelmont.com/column.dws
I recently came home and in my mailbox was a magazine (and I'll bet you thought I was going to say a check from NASCAR) and on the cover was a well known racing couple with a caption about women who marry racers or something along those lines. I had to read it, and as I did it sounded nothing like me or most of the wives of racers I know. I felt compelled to write this so that you could see what its like to be married to a not so cookie cutter race car driver...............
...........Andy and I both work at the shop. During the week in the office I try to figure out who will get the "Lucky dog" that week and get a payment on account. Some weeks its Hutch some it's BSR, some weeks its no-one.
I do all the quarterly IFTA tax reports for the hauler, inventory in the hauler and shop, file all the receipts and do the tax paperwork. Handle the insurance for the vehicles as well as the toy car and T-shirt sales. Arrange travel carpools for our volunteer guys.
Sometimes I work in the shop itself. I help Jimmy put the decals on the cars, install the radio harness', roll bar padding, help put motors in take them out, work on anything on the car that needs to get done. With any luck I just get away with cleaning the cars.
I am on the run a lot as well, parts picked up, gears dropped off and picked up. Sams to get the food for the race weekend, Staples to get the office supplies. When I am home, I am laundering the crew uniforms, I have gone through 2 washing machines in 6 years. I load the motor home. Yeah it was a 6 figure motor home. It also came with 3 payment books to keep for the next 15 years for all you inquiring minds who need to know.
A couple of the guys that work for us live at our house, one in the basement and one in Brett's room. If Brandon is there he is in the top bunk of Andrew's bed. If Kirk is there he gets the couch.
My crew stay's in our motor home when we are at the races. Andy and I drive it to and from the racetrack. I enjoy driving the motor home, and don't mind cleaning or restocking it either. Lifestyles of the not at all rich and certainly not famous.
At the track, I tell Andy the lap times, I direct the crew, handle the radios, answer questions about where a certain part is on the truck, and help with figuring out what adjustments we need to do to the car. On my 30th birthday I got the privilege to change the oil pump on a Ford motor while it was in our car. A man designed it, not thinking of how difficult it is to take out. That answer's the question "where do I get my nails done."
A manicure on my consists of brake clean and gear oil..............
...................My life is a lot like most of you, I have the same issues to deal with, what to make for dinner, who's got practice, my ice maker wont make ice, clipping coupons, a never ending mound of laundry, from school uniforms to crew uniforms but I take it all with a grain of salt. I love what I do and wouldn't change it. For all of you who cast stones you should remember this, treat someone the way you would want to be treated & you should walk a mile in someone's shoes before you pass judgment. If your job performance was broadcast on network TV each week and people could comment on it, you might think twice about what you say
This past year has been the most challenging for Andy and I, but through our belief in God, the power of prayer and family and friends we have gotten through it.
The entire NASCAR "fieldfillers" experience has taught me a lot also. Some people are just mean spirited and try to knock people down for whatever reason, some don't even have a reason they do it because they can.
I recently came home and in my mailbox was a magazine (and I'll bet you thought I was going to say a check from NASCAR) and on the cover was a well known racing couple with a caption about women who marry racers or something along those lines. I had to read it, and as I did it sounded nothing like me or most of the wives of racers I know. I felt compelled to write this so that you could see what its like to be married to a not so cookie cutter race car driver...............
...........Andy and I both work at the shop. During the week in the office I try to figure out who will get the "Lucky dog" that week and get a payment on account. Some weeks its Hutch some it's BSR, some weeks its no-one.
I do all the quarterly IFTA tax reports for the hauler, inventory in the hauler and shop, file all the receipts and do the tax paperwork. Handle the insurance for the vehicles as well as the toy car and T-shirt sales. Arrange travel carpools for our volunteer guys.
Sometimes I work in the shop itself. I help Jimmy put the decals on the cars, install the radio harness', roll bar padding, help put motors in take them out, work on anything on the car that needs to get done. With any luck I just get away with cleaning the cars.
I am on the run a lot as well, parts picked up, gears dropped off and picked up. Sams to get the food for the race weekend, Staples to get the office supplies. When I am home, I am laundering the crew uniforms, I have gone through 2 washing machines in 6 years. I load the motor home. Yeah it was a 6 figure motor home. It also came with 3 payment books to keep for the next 15 years for all you inquiring minds who need to know.
A couple of the guys that work for us live at our house, one in the basement and one in Brett's room. If Brandon is there he is in the top bunk of Andrew's bed. If Kirk is there he gets the couch.
My crew stay's in our motor home when we are at the races. Andy and I drive it to and from the racetrack. I enjoy driving the motor home, and don't mind cleaning or restocking it either. Lifestyles of the not at all rich and certainly not famous.
At the track, I tell Andy the lap times, I direct the crew, handle the radios, answer questions about where a certain part is on the truck, and help with figuring out what adjustments we need to do to the car. On my 30th birthday I got the privilege to change the oil pump on a Ford motor while it was in our car. A man designed it, not thinking of how difficult it is to take out. That answer's the question "where do I get my nails done."
A manicure on my consists of brake clean and gear oil..............
...................My life is a lot like most of you, I have the same issues to deal with, what to make for dinner, who's got practice, my ice maker wont make ice, clipping coupons, a never ending mound of laundry, from school uniforms to crew uniforms but I take it all with a grain of salt. I love what I do and wouldn't change it. For all of you who cast stones you should remember this, treat someone the way you would want to be treated & you should walk a mile in someone's shoes before you pass judgment. If your job performance was broadcast on network TV each week and people could comment on it, you might think twice about what you say
This past year has been the most challenging for Andy and I, but through our belief in God, the power of prayer and family and friends we have gotten through it.
The entire NASCAR "fieldfillers" experience has taught me a lot also. Some people are just mean spirited and try to knock people down for whatever reason, some don't even have a reason they do it because they can.
Good thread.