12 new chapters and 365 new chances; Happy New Year! I was lying in my bed tonight, finding every excuse not to “have time” for my accounting homework, and a new blog seemed to be the right thing to do. I thought I would make this about the last year I had, hopefully giving you more of an inside about me.
March was the first race I attended in the 2016-year, and quite possibly the most memorable. Normal kids on spring break dream to go somewhere tropical, but as I’ve always known, a vacation isn’t a vacation without racing. I spent my spring break weekend in DuQuoin, Illinois, with my best friends at an indoor race. I got to be a very small part of the inaugural Shamrock Classic race that Bryan Clauson and Lauren Stewart put on. Luckily enough, Lauren is going to do it again next year and asked me to be apart of it. So mark your calendars, March 18, 2017.
In April, my brother, Nathan Mills, made his debut in a 305 Race saver Sprint Car. My 19-year-old brother, who’s just a kid trying to make his dream a reality, saved every dime he possibly could to buy out a Sprint Car team. About a month and a half before race season, he did just that. Nate and my dad make quite the team, and I often question their sanity. That month and a half until race season, they would go to their jobs all day, come home and work in the shop until all hours in the night, and do it all again the next day. It’s my brother, dad, and uncle who make this dream team work, outside of their full time jobs. I can’t even really describe my emotions I felt when he first hit the track, other than extremely proud to be his sister. He has now completed his rookie season and I’m so excited to see what happens next season.
Where do I even begin about the month of August? As I look back, it was the biggest rollercoaster of a month. I attended my first outdoor midget race(s) with BC and Lauren, a short trip to Nebraska & Kansas before the Knoxville Nationals was in full swing. BC had a 360 Knoxville Nationals prelim race to win and I had a job to work, so pulling an all-nighter after BC “Parked it” in Kansas to get back was necessary.
Knoxville Nationals. I have so much to say about those 10 days, but I’ll keep it short. I had been preparing for a charity event since April through the Steve King Foundation for the Thursday of the 410 nationals. So many hours put into this, and I’m proud of how it turned out. I can’t wait to see how much it’ll grow in the next years, so if you attend the Knoxville Nationals, please make time to stop by! While I was overwhelmed with the support I received for this event, I had so much sadness in my heart. The loss of BC was something I couldn’t understand, nor wanted to accept. Also, the death of my dog that week made it even harder. Through all of this, I couldn’t have imagined being anywhere else than camping and attending races with my best friends and family. So thank you to those who made those 10 days a little easier.
Also, I started my senior year at Bondurant- Farrar High School. It included a trip to Charlotte, which so happened to fall on the same weekend as World Finals, to look into a college I was interested in. In December, I committed to continuing my
education at the University of Indianapolis studying Public Relations. I’m so excited for a new chapter and a new home. Go Greyhounds!
2016 was a good year for me, but I’m excited for all the new beginnings in 2017! I apologize for my lack of blogging, life catches up to me, and well, winters are boring. See you at a racetrack in 2017!