The pictures you've been waiting for...

Here they are, pictures from the races, awards ceremonies and the pits.

Coming around the corner...

Life in the pits

The pits from above

Super hot Corvette

Sometimes the cars went too fast and I couldn't take the picture in time.

It's an amazing Viper

I was so close, I probably could have touched the cars.

Going into the hairpin turn...

Hello Ferrari

The D-List Celebrity Race

Winners of the Pro/Celebrity Race, Jamie Little and Mike Skinner.

Close up of Mike Skinner and Jamie Little

American Le Mans Series winners

ALMS gets big trophies

Champ Car Series winners prepare for a Victory Lap


Will Power won the final race in Champ Car history.
In second place was rookie Franck Montagny and in third place was Mario Dominguez.


The winning team poses in the Winners' Circle.

Problems and Results

As promised, here is all the information I have. I had to chance down an official to get it, but I thought you'd like to know.

Wilson dropped out of the race due to a mechanical problem. He said he felt a change in the McDonald's car engine and thinks he lost a cylinder a couple laps before that. From there Wilson said it just got worse.

Annala had to stop racing because of a problem with the brakes in his car. He went off the track in the turn nine run-off area.

And now, for the exciting conclusion of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Finishing in first place, after leading 81 out of 83 laps, Will Power in car No. 8 for Aussie Vineyards-Team Australia, won the final race in Champ Car history.

In second place was rookie Franck Montagny and in third place was Mario Dominguez.

For the Atlantic Championship, Simona De Silvestro took first place. She is the first woman to win an Atlantic Championship race since 2006, when Katherine Legge won in San Jose, Calif.

Alan Sciuto finished in second place, with Kevin Lacroix placing third.

I was lucky enough to get a quick interview with De Silvestro after the race.

Being the first woman to win a race in the Atlantic Championship is a big deal, and De Silvestro was very proud. Especially because she knows losing means she'll just be known as "the girl racer who couldn't win."

De Silvestro said, “It’s so competitive, so I show that I can be upfront and win, so it’s great.”

De Silvestro just seemed so excited to have won, it was really fun having the opportunity to talk to her.

The top five qualifiers of the Atlantic Championship were Jonathan Bomarito, De Silvestro, Carl Skerlong, Sciuto and Lacroix. Four out of the five remained in the top five for most of the race.

Skerlong hit the wall off the start and had to return to the pit to have the nose cones on his car replaced. He returned while the other drivers were on lap three and remained one lap down the entire race, finishing last with only 37 laps.

Bomarito, the top qualifier with a time of 1:15.947, held first place for most of the race. He had a significant lead over the position two qualifier, De Silvestro.

Bomarito went into the run-off in turn one on lap 24, which allowed De Silvestro to move into first place and take the win.

De Silvestro commented on her win over Bomarito.

"Bomarito was very quick ... he has so much experience, it's his third year so I knew he was going to maybe pull off in the beginning," De Silvestro said. "So I thought, 'Oh second place is also great,' so I just kept driving and being consistent. And then he did a mistake so I was very happy he did a mistake so I could pass him, so it's awesome for me to have this win today."

Another one bites the dust...

After entering the pit and staying for between five and 10 minutes, car No. 10 driven by Juno Annala was pushed back to the paddock. You'll get more details when I do.

Wilson out!

After suffering a mechanical problem, Justin Wilson of the Newman Haas Lanigan Racing team sponsored by McDonald's Racing team, is unable to finish the race.

Wilson placed first in the Champ Car qualifiers and took the pole on Saturday.

According to Tiffany Rider, who was reporting from the Champ Car paddock, the McDonald's team had packed up most of their things. The car was covered and the crew looked disappointed.

Race day

OK. I realize I lied about posting more last night, but cut me some slack, I was at school past 1 a.m. working on stories and posting them.

After a three-hour nap, I'm back at the tracks, damaging my ear drums because I enjoy the sounds of the cars as they speed past.

Again, Tiffany and I are in our favorite seats in front of the announcers, between the Imperial Capital Bank bridge and the Toyota bridge. That's the corner of Linden Avenue and Shore Drive for those of you not farmiliar with the track. For those of you unfarmiliar with Long Beach, use a map.

The drivers are speeding around the 1.97 mile track at speeds of about 92 mph.

Before the race, I was able to interview Kevin Lacroix, the 19-year-old who finished fifth in the qualifying session yesterday.

Lacroix seemed optimistic about today's race. He said he finished second this morning during the practice run.

Lacroix started racing at age 6, in go-karts. He's now 19. And yes, that makes me feel old.

Lacroix has been racing well thus far, keeping in the top five.

The race just ended, Simona De Silvestro finished in first, Lacroix finished in third.

I'll post the rest of the results when I get them.

I'm off to the winners' circle, then to get a free lunch.

Life is good when you're in the pits

I still can't believe I'm here. Someone should pinch me.

With the credentials around my neck and ugly blue vest on my back I've been able to go just about everywhere.

I've stood in the pits next to drivers of the Champ Car Series, I've talked to drivers from the American le Mans Series and rubbed elbows with Atlantic Series drivers.

I was within inches of Jamie Little and Mike Skinner, the winners of the Pro/Celebrity race. I just barely missed being sprayed by champagne.

So far, this has been one of the most exciting weekends of my life. I've already taken enough pictures to fill 1gb of memory. The best will be posted here.

On Thursday I had the exciting experience of meeting Parnelli Jones and Mario Andretti.

Friday was thrilling as I stood with a couple feet of concrete and a chain fence between me and cars racing at about 100mph.

It's hard to put into words exactly how I feel. Right now the cars of the American Le Mans series are racing in front of me as I sit in the announcer booth. It's too exciting to really focus on blogging, but I'll be back later tonight with qualifying results and final results.

26th All American Get-Together Photos

Here it is, the promised photo collage of the All American Get-Together. Enjoy it as much as I did, if you can.

I can't imagine showing any other photo first than a Mustang, it's like when you show pictures of your kids, the favorite always goes first, right? So here they are, my loves, the original all American muscle car.

Then and now, the Mama boss...

and the one taking over the family business...

This time, I found a pair of paternal twins. That was neat.

And now, my second favorite, the Bel-Airs.

A Maverick.

One of the cars didn't seem to belong...it tried to hide but I found it.


Hot GTOs.

Specialty cars, these ones are subject to the harsh California sun, but inside a protective building.

See, I'm not the only person who likes cars and the color pink.

Fins are in!

Prepare for takeoff.

Let me see that grill.

Major props on style here.



All in all the all American show was more than alright. It was amazing.

Photos by Colleen Donnelly. That's right, I can take pictures too. Now if only I could cook...