I've got a new home

If you've been a somewhat regular reader of anything racing, you may recognize me (at least I hope you do) from my "Through the Gear Box" column/blog that I had published in print and online at The Spectrum & Daily News, a Gannett paper that serves St. George and Cedar City in the southwestern corner of Utah.
From 2006 to 2013, I was the reporter who wrote about NASCAR Sprint Cup and Busch/Nationwide/XFINITY races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I also covered the NHRA events every April and October at the Strip at LVMS.
In 2014 and 2015, I continued to cover the racing in Vegas, but on my own time and dime, mainly because the powers that be thought no one read what I wrote.
So what's a good writer to do? Move to where he can show off what he's been passionate about every year since he started covering dirt track races at Kings Speedway in Hanford, California, in 1997. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the debut entry of "Through The Gear Box" on Google.
Things progressed to my first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma in 2002. It was a day that changed my life and career direction.
I didn't have grand expectations, but I was excited for the assignment. It required me getting up well before dawn to travel to the track so I could beat the crowds. If you've never been to Sonoma, the road course is smack in the intersection of Highways 37 and 121, both two-lane roads that get heavy traffic throughout the race weekends that have happened since 1989.
On June 23, 2002, I witnessed some amazing stuff. With three laps remaining in the Toyota/SaveMart 350, Jerry Nadeau looked like he was going to cruise to the win.
Then something terrible happened for him. The rear gear box on Nadeau's car gave up the ghost, forcing him off the track.
Ricky Rudd was the first trailing driver behind Nadeau, and he went on to get his 23rd career victory. Little did we know at the time, but it would be the last Sprint Cup race Rudd would ever win. He had some close calls at Kansas (lost to Joe Nemecheck) and Sonoma (Tony Stewart beat him) before hanging up the fire suit for good after the 2007 season.
I moved on from there and covered my first races at Las Vegas in 2005. I've been going there every year since, as well as returned to Sonoma off and on to cover the race weekend in one of the best spots on God's green earth.
The stories have always been there, on and off the race track. I've seen how drivers like Kyle Busch make time for race fans -- by doing more racing. I've seen Busch Series rookies take on a cooking challenge at a Las Vegas hotel in front of more fans.
I've broken bread with people like Michael Waltrip, Larry McReynolds, Clint Bowyer and others at the pre-race press luncheon in San Francisco to help set up the race weekend on the first of NASCAR's two Sprint Cup road course races.
And there's been the evolution of the facilities at LVMS. From the birth of the Neon Garage prior to the 2008 race weekend, the track has taken the Sunday pre-race driver's meeting outside to huge crowds, starting a definite trend that's spread to other tracks on the circuit.
I've been a part of it for a long time. I want to continue to be a part of it until I can't work anymore. That's why I'm bringing this blog to the Google/Blogger universe. Thanks for reading and I hope you will share.