The Claire B. Roll
Regularly sharing life as I know it with you! Share yours with me!
’ll be posting some of my favorite photos new and archive, and I hope to share some of yours as well. Check out more here and on X.
Yup! It’s Fat Bear Week in Alaska! The bracket for Fat Bear Week was released on Monday and voting is underway. The goal is to draw attention to the bears and the importance of them having a place to thrive as they prepare to hibernate for winter. More than 11-million votes have been cast in each of the last three years. You can even watch a livestream of brown bears feeding at Brooks Falls. Using a sports-inspired bracket fans vote on which bear they believe is the fattest of them all until a winner is declared. There is also a Fat Bear Week Jr. in which younger bears compete. According to the NY Times, an Alaska brown bear can reach upwards of 1,200 pounds. Over the summer the bears gain hundreds of pounds. Voting will continue through Sept. 30th. You can make selections between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET each day until the fattest bear is crowned.
Brad Keselowski gives his blood! Someone, who receives it may all of a sudden start driving fast :) RFK Racing is hosting its third annual Week of Service from Monday, September 29 through Friday, October 3. Fans can join in the initiative. Fans, along with RFK Racing crew members, can support numerous local and national charitable organizations as they embrace the spirit of community outreach.I
My “liberate radio” dog tags given to me over two decades ago in 2001 when the NASCAR Radio Channel first went on air and I was a “pit stop”. I found them cleaning out my studio today! Check out the backstory on The Beat!
I know it’s not NASCAR but - it uses a sports bracket like NASCAR :) and I couldn’t not share this with you. It’s Fat Bear Week!!!
The questions are one, have you voted? - and, two, are you ready for winter hibernation yourself? Just checking. :)
I got this picture in a text from Christopher Bell’s crew chief Adam Stevens. The day after he guides his team to a win I always text him congrats and ask if he had sipped from the You Rock cup yet. He typically texts back a picture of the cup that his family and he get out for him to drink from the morning after he wins. Post the team’s Bristol Motor Speedway win he did just that - the You Rock cup photo he texted me is above. You Rock crew chief Adam Stevens.
Scroll down and you’ll see the photo I posted with Taylor Hamlin (Denny and Jordan’s eldest daughter) on pit road at Darlington Raceway. She’s grown up and amazing. I posted below that I had been talking to her in Victory Lane since she was a little girl.
I’ll never forget how moments like this with the Monster Energy girls and some confetti made her so happy. This, of course was at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Go Taylor!!!
And who can forget Kyle Busch in the day - spewing like a fountain after winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway near crew chief Adam Stevens who got a kick out of his stunt! New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a tough track to win at - and when you win there you earned it. Ahhh the M&M days!
Every time I see Keelan Harvick winning races and addressing the media as a pro - I remember how he used to sit on Kevin’s lap and grab my mic as I interviewed his dad when he got the pole. So many photos in the archive that deserve to be shared. Some weeks I’ll post archive photos - some weeks present day photos. That is the reason for the Claire B Roll. I want to see your photos too. Did Keelan really grow up this fast? Here (above), the Harvick’s are walking Keelan into the garage. I am so glad I snapped this on my phone to preserve a really special moment in time - time moves so fast. Gotta treasure the small moments.
Big props to Leah Pruett who will return to pilot the Tony Stewart Racing Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. This is one of my favorite photos. Leah is as nice as she is beautiful and so much respect for her stopping racing for two seasons to have a familly with husband Tony Stewart - having a beautiful son and returning! Amazing!
I think I shoot this photo every time I’ve ever walked into the garage at Bristol Motor Speedway and that is a lot! The Colossus TV is a wonder of the world. As a beat reporter during a race- the wild part is a crash or fight happens and you run out of the media center and try to locate where the car has been taken or where the fight is…by running while looking up at Colossus! I only fell once.
Love the flags!
In between trips to race tracks - back and forth from giving love to my elderly parents in Wisconsin - and stops for friends and at race shops in Charlotte, NC where home base is- I have been able to sneak in a few walleye fishing outings in Northern MN. You know the walleye bite in the fall when the full moon comes out right? So blessed. During the week is the best time - it’s cold tho!
This is an old photo but I was clearing photos from my computer the other day and saw it again. It never ceases to make me laugh. I have used this photo to tell the young generation that nothing is as serious or final or upsetting as it would seem at the time when you are young. I used to get in sooo much trouble (me with the perfect grades, always in on time etc.) for this (above). Eye rolling. Yup. I could shut my mouth by biting the tongue and even that was hard but the eye roll would happen automatically. In more mature years I continue to this day to splash out an eye roll when I least want to - it just happens. Forgive me.
Do we have any other eye rollers in the group? I need some photos of folks other than me eye rolling. If you don’t you are lucky. It’s a crazy world and it. just. happens! Now, after all these years, I don’t sweat it - I laugh. My parents laugh about it. I keep trying to control it. I’ll continue to try to find a solution. :}
Thanks Brian Richards for posting a photo of the Dialed In license plate on X. Appreciate you sharing this - appreciate you!
Two of my favs behind scenes - Monica Palumbo and Daryl Motte - fab b’cast team!
Drivers meet at Darlington. Tyler Reddick cooling shirt. Race morning. Helluva mullet Tyler! Damn!
An icon - always-will-be crew chief Rodney Childers and the two boys he helped build - twins Brody and Gavin! Great to catch up at Darlington Raceway!
Darlington pre race. Closer look at Tyler Reddick cool shirt! Drivers do meet and greets in the a.m. and are slammed. By pre-race meeting they are so hungry and often handed a plate ..Reddick is starving!
My hero! DJ (Devarjaye) Daniel. You’ve seen him on TV battling brain and spinal cancer since 2018. I called out to him in garage at Darlington. DJ was with a sherriff’s posse and came right over. He was sworn into secret service by President during a 2025 congressional address. He is an honorary member of thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country and is truly an amazing young man!
Was on the photo stand as the Darlington race started (spectacular view) and no sooner did the drivers pull off than Josh Berry crashed. Drinking words “what the &%$% just happened?”
The sport is massive but the garage of drivers is small - an elite group. Darlington pre race - everyone relatively chill and friendly… ahh until the race goes green!
I don’t usually say much about what I do away from the sport but that will change with the Dialed In Journal. I spend time at race tracks, travel to WI to hang with friends and my elderly parents - and here - the piece of heaven glacier fishing lake cabin summer home we also escape to in MN - to walleye fish and write my book (you’ll hear more about that coming up).
I have been catching up with Denny Hamlin (and fiancee Taylor Fish’s ) amazing 12-year-old daughter Taylor since she was a toddler, in Victory Lanes across the country and on pit roads along the circuit. I loved seeing her at Darlington- she’s such an awesome sweet girl who just makes me smile and always lends a hug and a good story about her latest adventures.
Recently while on a lake visit to MN I randomly stopped at A-Pine family restaurant in Pequot Lakes, MN! I spoke to the owner because I noticed he was wearing a Chevy Racing Sweatshirt. His name is Rick Beyer and I felt like I knew him forever as he was a long-time listener and a big race fan! Amazing food and great conversation! New subscriber and a new breakfast place on the list!
Can you ever not take a picture of Carson Hocevar as he leaves the driver’s meeting (this one at Darlington)? That uniform :) and flanked by the rest of the field exiting.
Behind the pre race driver intro stage. Can’t believe how grown up Brexton Busch and lil’ Lennix are? These two are so well behaved and check out the boots! My kind of girl. Well actually Samantha Busch’s fit credit - but I love when little girls wear the boots! You?
A close up look (at Darlington) of Tyler Reddick’s cool shirt and that incredible mullet. Sometimes mullets look corny - I think it looks bad ass on Reddick.
You?