So YOU Want to be a Racing Journalist???
Written by Allan Brewer · April 23, 2007
Allan Brewer Blogs the Week Leading Up to the Kansas 300
by Allan Brewer
allan@fastmachines.com
Have you ever wondered about the exotic places and exciting encounters a real racing writer experiences as he trots around the globe covering glamorous drivers and teams, wining and dining at the most fabulous local establishments, chain-smoking and living hard all the way to the checkered flag?
Well, here’s your chance to see how it is through my eyes as I prepare to embark to another Indy Racing League IndyCar event, this time in Kansas City, for the Kansas Lottery 300 next Sunday evening (April 29th) at 4:30 PM EDT.
Today’s installment: Who Made the Reservations???
Okay. Checklist. Place to Stay.
What?
Nobody took care of that yet?
Damned secretary!
Actually, I don’t have a secretary, or an assistant of even a PDA.
Luckily I’ve lived in KC before so I’ve a pretty good idea where the track is and what’s around it. So even if I have to drive back into town (the Kansas Speedway lies on the west side of the metro area) it’s not a big deal. Not like I’m going to get lost there and spend days with a compass and sextant navigating by the North Star.
Usually, travel to these events is pretty routine. It’s not very glamorous, though, if you had thoughts of “Raffles in Bombay” as the place you’ll camp out for the race weekend. Mostly it’s the cheapest internet room available, meaning lots of old Ramada Inns on their last legs and an occasional Days Inn or Motel 6.
I kind of prefer the ones with buffet breakfast as a freebie, because it saves having to move the car and go get breakfast somewhere else.
Oh by the way, the track isn’t going to feed you breakfast. Lunch probably, maybe a snack, but not breakfast. At least none I’ve been to so far.
Internet access is, of course, an absolute necessity. How you gonna’ edit at midnight that article you put up immediately after the race was over that you now finally proof-read and see has three mis-spelled words and the wrong time for the fifth-place finisher?
Details, details, details….sigh.
So don’t ask me where we’ll be staying in KC. I have no idea yet. In fact, if you have a suggestion go ahead and comment away. I just might take you up on it!
PS: Non-smoking, please.
Tomorrow: Eats for Free, Sometimes
Allan Brewer is a motorsports writer for Fastmachines.com, Motorsport.com and two websites of his own: IndyProRacer.com and A1TeamRacer.com on the internet. He’s a sometimes contributor to TrackForum and the IndyStar open-wheel forums…when he’s goofing off and supposed to be working!
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3 Responses to “So YOU Want to be a Racing Journalist???”
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Allan, be careful doing any freelance work for those guys at Fastmachines, I covered the Australian GP in 2006, sent all my numerous wining & dining, flight & accommodation receipts to George who kicked them to Josh, he then filed them in the trash can!!!
BTW, posting trackside from a laptop, whilst under the influence, is more difficult than it appears…………hic.
It sounds like the compensation package at Fast Machines is pretty close to what they give me in The Garage!
Allan, your piece reminds me a lot of how I felt being a reporter for the newspaper during college. After some hard work I got my journalism degree and a few gray hairs to show for it, and found out that copy editing/designing is where it’s at. However, regarding the reporting, you did miss describing the feeling of your stomach knotting up for the next day as you pray that no one sends a nasty note saying a correction needs to be written. Hope this weekend goes better and maybe I’ll see you at the track.