Trouble in Turn2

This week’s blogger is Tim Zaegel of Do You Nascar?. Well of course we do.

How long have you blogged?
Not very long, actually. Do You NASCAR is actually the first blog that I’ve written, and I just started back in October of 2007.

Why do you blog? Or what made you start blogging?
I really don’t know. My brother hooked up with b5 Media to start writing about fishing (www.gettingreel.com) and told me that they had an entire sports channel over there. I had always wanted to write about sports, so I e-mailed the editors and asked for their NASCAR opening.

Where do you blog from?
From my home. I just recently moved from St. Louis, MO to Virginia.

How long have you been a NASCAR fan?
Since sometime in the early 90’s.

Do you attend races, and which ones?
I typically go to the Nationwide races at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, and we also get out to a Cup race in Richmond once a year. Other than that, I just sort of pick ‘em out at random.

What do you enjoy about your blog and the NASCAR blogging community?
It’s a much more tightly knit community than I could have ever imagined. It’s amazing how much support you tend to get from people that the average reader would see as your “competitor.” It’s really not the case at all.

You recently started a series called “Loose in Turn 3″. What is that all about?
Honestly, I just wanted to do something different. I envisioned something a lot like nascar.com’s “Track Smack”, and I think we’re achieving that to a certain degree, but I also think that it’s maybe a bit more attractive because as bloggers, we’re not worried about offending anybody in NASCAR, so we really have a level of grammatical freedom that those writers don’t.

Is there anything you don’t enjoy about blogging, or the NASCAR online community?
Maintaining the blog can be overwhelming at times. Sometimes I’m not entirely sure whether to deliver the news, or keep it strictly to my opinions, or what. Overall, though, it’s something that I really enjoy doing with my spare time.

How much time per day do you spend blogging?
It depends, really. Sometimes I can write a bunch of blogs to have them post throughout the week, and other nights I find myself cramming at the computer until I realize it’s time to hit the rack. On average, I’d say probably somewhere around an hour and a half per day.

How did you get involved with B5 media?
Back in October they were really expanding their sports channel and were in need of quite a few writers. Like I said, I just e-mailed the editors and provided them with an example of my writing, and here I am today.

Do you have a favorite driver?
Tony Stewart

Is there one thing that was key to your blog’s success?
Well, hell … I didn’t know it was a success yet! lol … Seriously, though, I’m still a long way off from where I want this blog to be, but as for the success that I have garnered, I’d have to give you the ever-so-generic hard work answer.

Name something cool that has come as a result of your blog.
I think the coolest thing is probably just seeing your pageviews in the morning and realizing how many people just typed in www.doyounascar.com to read what I had to say.

Do you have any strange or funny stories about your blog (funny or outrageous comments or emails from people, etc.)?
Honestly, not really.

Which is your favorite NASCAR track?
Bristol, without a doubt.

If you could change one thing about NASCAR what would it be?
Oh, boy. Well, let there’s an entire laundry list out there, that’s for sure. But, if I had to narrow it down, I’d have to say that I’d make some drastic changes to the Nationwide Series. I’d limit drivers that compete in “x” amount of Cup races to only be able to drive in like 3 Nationwide races. NASCAR just hasn’t afforded these guys in the Nationwide Series that ability to succeed in the upper echelons of racing, and it’s evidenced every year by the lackluster performances from these rookie classes.

What is something your readers wouldn’t otherwise know about you or your blog?
I served four years of active duty military service with the United States Marine Corps, to include service in Iraq. Additionally, I still provide operational support to our services.

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