NASCAR-tel (by Nic Hudson of Cartel)

We are still drunk, hungover, or a combination of both. I think Kevin said
it best at about 330AM Monday morning "this fuckin rules" before he passed
out in the back of our buddy Dons Explorer. The funny part is he wanted to
stay at the party longer. Some how we ended up at Denny Hamlins mansion
house on Lake Norman. That was just the end of the NASCAR weekend in
Charlotte brought to us by our boy (who worked for Lava Records and tried to
sign our band and now works in racing).

We have always been fans of NASCAR, and really wanted to go and did we ever.
On Saturday we had these passes to go in the garage and pits. Its insane.
Its like a van and trailer on steroids. They have spare engines, parts, and
even a new car stored up above you. Not to mention, tons of food and shit,
plus a huge back lounge in the back of the trailer with TV's, computers, and
everything a team guy would need to DO WORK! We cruised from the garage
down to pit road where we got right in the mix. It was almost like if
someone was talking to us and taking pictures right before we went on stage.
It doesn't even phase these guys. We got to meet Kyle Busch who won later on
that night and Carl Edwards (who has the same lawyer as us and was just a
total bro). We watched a few laps from the pits and that shit is just so
fast and loud. The sound is almost painful. The journey then took us out in
the infield for a bit. These people have the most insane set ups ever.
Campers, tents, lights, TVs, grills, blowup things, pools, and tons of
booze. Its like they save the whole year for the race weekends and go all
out. The crazy thing, the drivers have a more VIP style set up of what the
fans do. They have these huge busses with like four slide outs and TVs on
the OUSTIDE of the thing so friends and family can sit and watch the race if
they are tired of the seats and pits. We got to kick it with Brian outside
his bus after the race Saturday night. Turns out Will has family who square
dances with his Brians family in Thomasville. Small world. He was rad. We
joked about how much cooler his bus was and how we all suck at Rock Band.
The kid has been racing since he was like 8 and gave up things like baseball
because of a few too many incidents to the nuts. Takes more balls to race a
car at 185mph if you ask us?

So that was all cool and we were stoked to get that close, but it doesn't
compare to the rest of the weekend that we spent in the Red Bull Energy
Station. We were kinda nervous because it was presented to us similar to
the Bubble thing we did for MTV and we all know how that went. "Here we go
again. A bubble looking thing sponsored by a carbonated beverage. This could
be a disaster" But hell- its Red Bull so it couldn't be that bad! It was
RIDICULOUS.

Yea sure the bubble had two floors and people could watch us sleep and
whatever and we drank Dr. Pepper for 20 days, but that was nothing compared
to this thing. Two floors, plus outside patio of leather couches, two bars,
food on glass plates, flat screens, some serious sound set up, lights, and
all the free booze/Red Bull you could handle served to you by some of the
hottest girls on the planet. They were just unreal hot and cool as hell.
Some were hired models and some were the Red Bull Wiings team girls. A few
of them knew our band so that was kinda cool. The best part is the view.
You’re closer to the track than anyone else and high enough up that you can
see almost everything. The place shakes when they go by and if you don't
cover your drink, its time for a new one. After the race's were over we
still partied our balls off til like 2am and waited for traffic to clear out
and then it was smooth sailin' to the pillow.

Sunday we pretty much did the same thing as Saturday. The Wiings Team took
us back into the Sprint Cup Garage and we hung out there for a bit and saw
some of the typical "stupid" NASCAR fans who almost shit themselves when a
driver walked by. Got to kick with "B Vick" again in the energy station
before he had to go race. Brian ended up having a tire fall off during the
race, go figure, and that ended his day after leading a bunch of laps. We
were stoked as hell..but it happens. We got too close to the track as well.
Don't think the cops liked that too much.

Don got us on the list to go to Denny Hamlins house for some big ass party,
as if we hadnt done enough of that yet! He drives the Fed Ex car. Anyways on
the way out, Kevin spotted some huge ass woman out of the sunroof of the car
ahead of us and was goin off on her and the skanky fat ass she had. The
State Troopers were in tears watching him. As were the rest of us. Leave it
to Kevin Tom to almost get us in trouble with the law. The house party was
insane. The kids crib is like MAMMOTH. Red Bull was in the house again,
sponsoring it. They had a "club" set up in the basement with full bar in
there and out by the pool...not to mention a few more out in the backyard.
Oh and by the way, his neighbor is Joe Gibbs, his car owner. Will had a
hard on the whole time because some big hoops dude from the Bobcats who
played with NC was there.

At 330 were pulled out and taken home. First in a limo from the house to a
parking lot where we parked. It was pimp.

Thanks to Red Bull- Brian Vickers, the Team (Morgan, Kyle, Jayme), the
Energy Station (Bob, JT, Jason, Autumn, Jess), Dollar General (Monty), Kyle
Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Matty 'Cup, TJ the NASCAR Social
Director, and how could we forget Bud Light, Jack Daniels, Absolut, and
whatever else the hell we drank; but it was A LOT! Its NASCAR, gotta thank
the sponsors right?