On my way home, again.

I'm typing this on an airplane on my way home to Los Angeles, marveling over where my travels have taken me within the last week:

More than 8000 miles on three airlines (Northwest, American, Frontier), six different airports (Los Angeles 4x, Chicago Midway 2x, Las Vegas McCarren, Denver 2x, Chicago OHare, and Detroit 2x), and a total of eight separate planes (On Friday, I identified each animal emblazoned on the tails of my four Frontier flights; I've since forgotten their cute names, but the animals were a wolf, a rabbit, an elk, and a moose). Needless to say, I'm a little travel weary.

My job as an automotive journalist and blogger has provided many opportunities to travel; auto shows, vehicle product reveals, and educational conferences take me away from home about once a month. This week, I had two short trips bookended around Mother's Day: The first was the "Marketing 2 Women" conference in Chicago, and the second was an overnighter to Detroit to co-star in a short Prestone video in which I offer female friendly advice to help moms get their cars and families ready for summer road trips.

While the opportunities are exciting enough on their own, Monday's flight brought a whole new adventure to traveling.

Man Goes for Joyride in a Tux

When you think of the perils of drunk driving, you’re usually thinking of someone driving a car or truck, aren’t you? So did I, until I saw that a man got a ticket for driving drunk on a lawnmower.

Yes, that’s right. A lawnmower. A New York man decided to take his lawnmower out for a spin. At 1 a.m.  The police got reports of a drunk person and responded to find a tuxedo-clad man on a mower.

They ticketed him for felony driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation. The article didn’t indicate if he was driving in the street, but that must be what prompted the unlicensed operation fine. The DWI is a felony because the man had a previous DWI conviction.

Shopping for a "Green Car"?

Green-minded Los Angeles shoppers searching for an eco-friendly vehicle can save time - and gas - simply by browsing the convenient inventory of cars in San Fernando Valley's Galpin Motors Network.

Thanks to a collection of earth-friendly dealerships representing Ford, Honda, Mercury, Mazda, and Saturn, Galpin offers a complete assortment of high-efficiency, low-emissions vehicle choices, from sporty coupes and midsize sedans to sport/utility vehicles. While the typical Southern-California dealership has just a few hybrid selections available, Galpin's family of dealers can offer nearly a dozen eco-friendly options, including Natural Gas,  Hybrid, and PZEV engines, all centrally located in the San Fernando Valley to simplify shopping.

"Right now, hybrids and zero-emissions gas vehicles are the best possible options for green-minded consumers. Nobody else in Southern California has the ultra-clean selection we offer," says Brad Boeckmann, vice president of Galpin Motors. "Our large network of dealerships can save customers time and gas from having to travel from dealership to dealership to find what they're looking for."

Toyota Promises Three-Year $1.4 Million Sponsorship of MillionTreesNYC

MillionTreesNYC -- a public-private partnership between the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project (NYRP) to plant and care for one million new trees in New York City by 2017 -- recently announced that Toyota has become a supporter in its mission to improve New York City's environment. In a three-year $1.4-million sponsorship with MillionTreesNYC, Toyota will support tree planting, public education and community outreach activities aimed at getting every New Yorker involved in tree planting and stewardship activities. Toyota joined with The Home Depot Foundation as a lead sponsor of the initiative and BNP Paribas as presenting sponsors of MillionTreesNYC Month.

"Toyota has responded loud and clear to the MillionTreesNYC call to action," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Their generous sponsorship to help plant and care for one million new trees in New York City over the next decade will contribute to the tangible 'greening' of our urban landscape in historic proportions. Toyota's generous financial contribution also sets a strong example of how businesses and corporations can help make New York City a healthier place for all to live."

Women in Motorsports Blog Carnival - May 15

Danica Patrick was extremely shaken up after an accident on pit road. The front wing of Patrick's Dallara-Honda clipped Charles Buckman of Dale Coyne Racing on pit lane during Friday afternoon practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Buckman was taken to Methodist Hospital and diagnosed with a traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and a skull fracture.

"I hugged her and she cried a lot more, so I thought that was a bad move on my behalf," Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan said. "I said, 'Let it go. Look, if you're driving down the street and somebody runs and jumps on top of your windshield, what are you going to do?' She was like, 'Well, you know, the guy has a family.'

"I said, 'Listen, it wasn't your fault. It's going to get better. There's not a lot to say. You've got to keep your head straight. Go talk to his team. Maybe give a call to his family.'"

In giving a short statement Friday without taking questions, Patrick said, "it was really, really unfortunate what happened. Thoughts and prayers are with him, with his family, and hopefully he can get back to the track soon and be able to do what he loves."


Autoillustrations is offering a FREE Sponsor Placement layout for any race team featuring a female driver.

These personalized layouts show your team's Primary and Associate sponsor placement, and can be freely copied and distributed with your sponsorship proposal literature. They are delivered to you as print-ready Adobe Acrobat .pdf files.


Nineteen year old Midget driving star Brea Lopez and her Brea Lopez Motorsports Team returned to South Sound Speedway last Saturday night for the second scheduled race of the 2008 WMRA series. Less than favorable weather conditions rode with the racing teams in attendance, but the large crowd on hand was undaunted by the unpredictable weather and enjoyed a great night of hot racing action.

For Lopez, she suffered through an unbelievable night of mechanical problems with her Dan Press wrenched racer, but still managed to bring the car home for a fine fourth place when the checkered flag fell on the event.



For the second year in a row, GoDaddy.com will be the presenting sponsor for the Indianapolis 500 television broadcast on ABC.

The sponsorship deepens the Web hosting and domain name provider's relationship with auto racing fans. As part of the deal, GoDaddy.com will have its iconic branding on everything from broadcast segments to aerial and in-car views.

This year's Indy 500 is shaping up to be a tremendous showdown with 'Go Daddy Girl' Danica Patrick on the track and in contention. Analysts have listed her as one to watch and the media have been on a coverage-frenzy since Danica's historic IndyCar win last month, a first-ever for a woman.

"I feel very confident at Indy," Danica said. "I'm especially proud Go Daddy is back again to sponsor the Indy 500 broadcast. They're a company that knows how to do things right and Bob Parsons has been a tremendous supporter from the start."



Formula Atlantic driver Mishael Abbott of Indianapolis returned to Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for the Oak Tree Double National, a two-race weekend hosted by the North Carolina Region Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

"It was a real challenge and experience to drive this car in the rain,� said Mishael afterward. �I accomplished my goal of surviving and vastly improved my lap times by the end of the race where I felt very comfortable driving a high-powered car in these conditions for the first time."



This writer muses about women in NASCAR.

"NASCAR could use more lip gloss and eye shadow.

It needs a whiff of Chanel No. 5 wafting through the garage, mingling with the fragrances of gas fumes and motor oil.

It needs more dangerous curves, and no, we’re not talking road courses.
NASCAR needs a Danica.

If you thought Danica Patrick’s recent Indy Racing League victory in Japan was a blockbuster, imagine its impact in NASCAR, with its gadzillion more fans and media exposure."

Megan Reitenour moving up in racing ranks

Megan Reitenour is a sixteen-year-old, third generation racer.

Racing first grabbed her interest at the age of two when she used to “race” in her pink Barbie Corvette.  Her Dad placed pillows behind and underneath Megan, so she could reach the pedals of the car. At age four, she advanced to a Quad Runner, and eventually to a Quarter Midget at age five.

She stayed in the Quarter Midget Series for seven years, and was able to obtain three consecutive track championships and over 150 top-three feature finishes. She spent two years in the Bandolero Series, where she won the 2004/2005 Bandolero State Championship, the Great Lakes Nationals in Flint, Michigan, and the Buckeye Nationals in Xenia , Ohio .

In 2006, she graduated to the Legend Series, where Megan finished in the top-ten in 24 out of the 26 races that she raced. In addition, she won the 2006 Young Lions State of Ohio Championship, ranking in the top 20% in the nation of the Semi-Pro Division.

Megan stepped into the Super Cup Stock Car Series and the ARCA Lincoln Welder Truck Series in 2007. 2008 will mark the first year that she will participate as a development driver for Nesbitt Racing Enterprises, Inc. Also in 2008,  Megan will participate in the ARCA Lincoln Welder Truck Series.

Safety Tips for Women Driving Alone

According to Shell oil, two violent crimes are committed in the U.S. every minute of every day. Women driving alone can be particularly vulnerable, though there are many things you can do to keep yourself safer, both inside your car and out.

We found an informative brochure from Shell Oil with many helpful tips to guide women towards safer behaviors when alone behind the wheel. Written in conjunction with the National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) and the National Crime Prevention Council (www.weprevent.org), many of the free booklet's tips are simply common-sense reminders to help you be more aware of potentially dangerous situations.

First off: An especially good habit is always to be sure you have your keys in your hand before you approach your car.

Motoring Gear for Kids

If you are looking for a gift for your little aspiring auto aficionado, then check out  Mini's MotoringGear kids section. They have several car-oriented gifts that could be right up your alley.

Take a look at their Mini Baby Racer (II). It features unique details, like a ‘chrome’ front grille and light housings, alloy-look wheels, and realistic head- and tail-light lenses. The special plastic tires are reportedly quiet and leave floors unmarked. It’s tough enough for your 1 - 3 year old. Enjoy watching your little one push around in this car. Retails at $85.

And for the 3- to 5-year-old set, take a look at their Mini Convertible Pedal Car. It’ s single-seater reproduction of the MINI convertible. The seat is adjustable, too. Your future racer will enjoy pedaling around in this great car.