2011: A Personal Year in Review

2011 started with me being asked back for another year as Official Pit Boss for The National Tailgating League to continue adding Recipes, Tips & Tricks to their Web Site.

February I had some Recipes Nationally Published for the 1^st Time when Char-Broil Grills released the full color “America Grills” Cookbook that included my Peg Leg Chicken Drum Recipe which is one of their web sites most Searched Recipe. I also MC’d and Hosted the Annual Polar Plunge for Charity on the Potomac River at Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant & Crabhouse.

In March with a 1 minute audition video I won the opportunity to travel to Bristol Motor Speedway and be a Fan Reporter. We recorded numerous interview videos with Fans, NASCAR Team Owners, Drivers and Celebrities such as Jack Roush, Len Wood, Trevor Bayne, Rutledge Wood and many others gaining me the title “The Fan’s Reporter”. That same month I started my first NASCAR Blog called “The Fan’s Reporter Trackcast” which continues today.

I got an invitation in April to come down and be a guest of the good people at BUBBA BURGERS at their BUBBA BURGER 250 at Richmond International Raceway. There we shot some great interview videos with Speed TV’s Racing Chef Nicky, my good friend and NASACR Legend Jeff Hammond and Mr. Walter “Bubba” Eaves the Creator of the BUBBA BURGER.

June saw our Pit Pirate BBQ Team donate out Time, Equipment and Money to a great cause for Prince William Yacht Club called “The Patriot Cruise”. We cooked our best Award Winning BBQ for over 400 Wounded Soldiers, Marines and their caregivers from Walter Reed Military Medical Center. We also cooked later that month for the Annual “Back in the Day” Reunion for hundreds of our local friends.

National Premium Beef Jerky maker PERKY JERKY picked up my NASCAR Fan’s Reporter Blog to publish on their site in July.

August saw me going back out to Bristol to do my Fan’s Reporting and I appeared with BMS VP Jerry Caldwell, Director of Fan Relations Ben Trout and others broadcast line Online from the Bristol Motor Speedway website. I was also hired by H,B & M Sports to be Master of Ceremonies for SHARPIE PERMANENT MARKERS for the [2] Day Irwin Night Race Weekend at BMS.

September I MC’d and Hosted the Annual [3] Day Music Festival on the Potomac River held at Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant & Crabhouse for about 10,000 people. That month I was also brought down to Richmond International Raceway by BUBBA BURGER to promote their Brand and Interact with Fans for Social Media.

Where am I going and what should I do in 2012? Lord Only Knows!

Thanks to the hundreds of new and old friends and family that have encouraged me to Live the Dream and be all I can be.

Mike