Tracey Everts drove almost 400 miles just for the opportunity to
add four more miles to her Toyota on Friday afternoon, and all for
a good cause.
Louis Brewster
Tracey Everts drove almost 400 miles just for the opportunity to add four more miles to her Toyota on Friday afternoon, and all for a good cause.
“It was fun; I just live it,” she said after taking a pair of laps around the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana as part of the charitable “Jaylen’s Car Wash,” part of the national NASCAR Day festivities. “I like the top of the track, although I noticed I was the only one up there.
“But then, I’m pretty adventurous.”
Everts, wearing Matt Kenseth’s shirt in honor of her favorite driver, drove down from Hollister for the second such event at the track. Unlike 2010, she was behind the wheel with Rialto’s Jerry McGee along for the ride.
“It’s for a good cause,” she said.
Indeed, proceeds from the pit road car wash in honor of the 6-year-old heart patient will go to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and the NASCAR Foundation. This year, more than 20 racing facilities across the country held similar events.
“Jaylen’s goal was to wash a ‘zillion’ cars. I don’t know exactly how many cars are a ‘zillion,’ but I think we came pretty close,” said Auto Club Speedway president Gillian Zucker, who led a crew that numbered more than 50 throughout the day on pit road. “I’m so proud to be part of an amazing community that came out to support Jaylen’s Car Wash.
“I can’t wait to wash a bazillion cars next year.”
Expect Everts to be back. She’s attended NASCAR Sprint Cup races at the track since 2004 but enjoyed the perspective from the driver’s seat rather than a grandstand seat.
“I didn’t expect as much banking as there is along the front stretch,” she said. “I thought it was flatter. I only went 70 (mph) tops, I would have liked to have gone faster.”
McGee, who has attended Cup races on the West Coast, was the instigator of spending $40 ($20 for the car wash and lap) for the extra time on the track.
“I love it, I’ll do it again next year if they have it,” he said. “You just don’t do one lap, you always have to do two.”
Numerous cars, including one sporting a Jeff Gordon No. 24 DuPont color scheme, took more than one lap around the track.
“It’s a fun day,” said Joanna Deleon, one of the LLUCH volunteers at the event. “We have a great partnership with ACS. Gillian Zucker and her staff are great for the hospital in the things they do; the team is awesome.
“It’s a good day when you’re washing cars for kids. They’re the most important part.”
Other volunteers represented Best Buy, Kohl’s and NASCAR.
“It was really a lot of fun,” said Gena Sizoo of Chino Hills, whose husband Dave treated her to a Richard Petty Experience around the speedway for her 50th birthday. “I let him drive.”
Sizoo had a more analytical view of his second ride on the track.
“It’s a lot different than it looks,” he said. “It’s a much different perspective from inside the car. I only went 80, so I’m a little disappointed. But I understand the restrictions.”
