So Saturday was finally RACE DAY!!! We left Camp Bond early that morning so that we could beat all the traffic going into the Texas Motor Speedway. We had a couple of pit stops of our own. The first, at the very least, was breathtaking. A very nervous Jen Crawford infused Brad.

Not only was she successful but it was also her FIRST time!! Our second pit stop was at a cowboy store. After trying on many hats, Brad purchased a hat and a belt to personalize it and so did I. We dropped off our belongings at the hotel, and headed over to the speedway. On the way, we knocked down a couple cones because they weren’t lined up to accommodate our Team Hemophilia bus. We were able to sneak the bus into the inner field, which is where the pits are located in the center of the racetrack. We then headed to the Andretti Green Hospitality Suite. There we went on a tour of the garage where the cars were still being put together, and got to speak to Danica Patrick’s spotter. Each driver has a spotter who is responsible for being the verbal peripheral vision for that driver, since the driver’s head is pretty much bolted into one position for their own safety.

At the beginning of the race their was a lot of excitement, because Robbie Knievel was going to attempt to jump over 21 HUMMERS!! After a couple of laps around the race he mounted the ramp on his motorcycle, and lifted off the ground. Flames went up as soon as he had passed each “checkpoint.”

Before the race, as usual, the Star-Spangled Banner was ceremoniously sung. I have gone to other events that began this way, but at this one on the last line, five jets flew right over the track!! It was ASTONISHING!!!

The whole race was such a thrilling experience. Marco started the race in the 14th spot, but he was so great he was able to make it all the way to the top 3 spots! We tried timing the pit stops and comparing the Andretti pit crew to the ones of other drivers. They were fantastic!

With five laps to go, Marco was in second place, when a terrible accident happened–he was crashed into and was slammed against the wall. We were all so distraught! Our first question was whether or not he was well. When we learned he was fine, we began to put ourselves in his shoes. He’s around our age, and just lost a race he was going to win. So we were not disappointed in him but distraught! He had taken his Blockbuster car and maneuvered it from the 14th place to the 1st, and that says it all!

The race ended with a yellow flag signaling a caution to the cars, due to the crash. Everyone packed up, and we headed out to find our bus. As we were walking toward it, we saw it pull out and start heading out. With fear of it driving away, we began to sprint to try to catch it.

Brad made it back first, and then we relayed all the details of the race to Ramiro and headed back to the hotel. He dropped us off and we said our goodbyes! Ramiro was honestly a wonderful person, and so appropriate for our mission. He asked questions about our bleeding disorders, and how he could help us.

Take Care!

-Leg #2 Bloggers: Brad Allain, Lilliam Bervis, Alex Ell, and Barlen Matias: To Infinity and Beyond!!!