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6/2/2010
I am writing this on the plane back to Abilene, Texas, after spending a week with Colin's brother, my youngest son, Travis. He is starting a job with NBC as a story assistant on a new reality TV show, “School Pride." Travis worked for a year to get a position in the entertainment industry. He started with a 3 month internship at ABC World News Tonight in New York City. It has been his dream to be on the creative side of TV and movies and he made it. For our family it is just like the day Colin signed his Roush Fenway Racing contract.
Travis just graduated college with a degree in Journalism and was valedictorian of the entire college. Colin, his girlfriend Melissa and my wife Diane (Colin and Travis’ mom) were at the graduation ceremony in Indianapolis.
I had to miss it, which killed me. I was in Laguna running the Sports Car for Level 5. We won the 6-hour race and lead the championship now. It was cool that the College had a live broadcast of graduation on the internet, and I got to watch Travis accept his awards on my computer from pit lane. I flew to Indy right after the race and we all celebrated Travis's graduation Sunday night.
Travis and I drove his VW GTI (Colin calls it a skateboard with an engine) from Indy to LA where we found an apartment in Burbank only a mile from the NBC studio.
Colin has been testing this week in Road Atlanta with the Nationwide and Cup teams getting ready for the road races at Sonoma and Road America.
I am sure you all know about Eddie Pardue leaving the #16 team and Brian Ickler doing some races in that car. I know Jack Roush and he team are looking to get things back on track now.
Colin had a really good race in Dover with a top-10 and the highest Roush car. Holding off Carl Edwards for two Green-White-Checkers is no small task. It was a shame Colin could not carry that momentum on to Charlotte, but he has 15 more races this year with Con-way and 3M.
Colin is really looking forward to Nashville where he will be practicing and qualifying #98 for Paul Menard. Then the next week back in the Con-way Ford for Kentucky.
Many people asked how Colin is talking not being in the car every week. He hates it! But he has been in this business from age 6 and knows it is never YOUR ride. It belongs to the owner and sponsor. He just gets to use it when they allow him to. So he is always trying to do what ever can keep him in the seat. Working in the body shop, doing appearances for Con-way and the other sponsors, helping Ricky learn road racing like this week at Road Atlanta, or helping the team at the track when he is not driving... whatever it takes.
When you know your kids are doing everything they can to reach the dreams and goals they have set for themselves, you can sleep well at night, knowing "they will be just fine"
Jeff Braun |
