Danica Patrick Rookie Stripes Relic Card - Federated Auto Parts 400

I mentioned in my last NASCAR post that I can't afford to buy all the cards I want to get, so I try to hold out for unique relics and low print runs. One card that's been on my radar for a while popped up recently, and I was able to win it. 

The card is a Danica Patrick Rookie Stripes Relic Card from 2013 Press Pass FanFare. The Rookie Stripe is a strip of yellow tape on the back bumper of the race car of a driver who is a rookie and/or has not raced at a particular racetrack before. So this relic is a bit of the yellow tape that adorned Danica Patrick's car during the 2013 NASCAR season. It's a pretty cool relic that is tied to a specific timeframe, and the card is limited as well, with mine being copy # 24 / 25. I thought it was a nice touch for Press Pass to include a photo of the back of the car on the card, showing the Rookie Stripe in action. 

Since the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia was yesterday, this post kind of got preempted by my UFC discussion. Danica had a pretty good showing in the race, keeping clear of all the wrecks to move from a 29th-place start to a 15th-place finish. Her averages at the track are now a start of 24.9 and a finish of 24.0, so she finished well ahead of her career average. In spite of the Top 20 finish, she dropped a spot in the driver standings to 24th, which I think happened because of the rankings shuffle that goes on when the Chase for the Sprint Cup starts. Chris Buescher and Tony Stewart got boosted up into the Top 16 in the standings due to winning races this year, so the drivers they passed up all lost spots in the rankings. Although Danica didn't make the Chase, I hope she will continue to show progress and maybe grab a couple more finishes in the Top 20.

Today was the 15th Anniversary of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. I don't know that I have a lot to say about them, but the attacks and the aftershocks have deeply affected my life. My Army National Guard drill was this weekend, and some of our training focused on people who use terror to attack the innocent and weak. There are some very dark evils in this world, and we have to do our part to stop them. The military and police are a part of that, but I think we could prevent some of the darkness in our own communities by paying attention and showing love and compassion to people around us. I think it's important to remember the tragedies of the past, but also to use them as motivation to take action and make things around us better.