It's time for RVs and earplugs as NASCAR fans roll into town to check out two huge events: Saturday's Sprint All-Star Challenge race and next week's Coca-Cola 600.
In honor of these sacred days, I've decided to devote two columns to the all things racin'. Next week, I'll be reporting back on my experiences at the All-Star race -- my first ever.
For today, I caught up with Ann Schrader, a west Concord resident and wife of racing legend Kenny Schrader, to find out what keeps her and her family in overdrive.
Their story begins 25 years ago, after Ken's rookie season, when they returned from their honeymoon and he was given the opportunity to drive on what was then known as the Winston Cup Series.
With his career -- which has proven to be lengthy and incredibly successful -- taking off, the newlyweds moved from their home in St. Louis to Cabarrus County.
"We lived on Windy Road, in a 984-square-foot trailer that Oakwood provided, and our first guest was Dale (Earnhardt) Senior," Ann remembered.
From the beginning, the pair was enamored with the area.
"The instant we moved down here, we were never without friends," she said. "Everyone was very kind, and it was like we had lived here forever."
The schedule for drivers on the circuit is not for the faint of heart, but Ann waved it off.
"You know what the schedule is going in, and you plan around it," she said. "We don't look at it as what we have to give up; we just adapt."
"If the kids have a birthday party to go to, I'll stay and go to the race Sunday morning. We've always pushed for our kids to have normal lives, because they're our priority."
The Schraders seem to have just that: normal lives. Their daughter Dorothy will graduate from Robinson High School in a few weeks, then head for New York University in the fall. Son Sheldon is at Harris Road Middle.
When I first spoke to Ann, she was headed into a School Improvement Team meeting at the high school. "We go to PTO meetings. The kids get on the school bus. We trick-or-treat in the neighborhood. We truly are normal, everyday people," she told me.
Well, yes, Ann does seem incredibly grounded, but she has had a few privileges many of us have not, such as meeting a couple of U.S. presidents. She called George Bush the elder "very sweet, very gracious," and sat next to George W. Bush at chapel, while taking a tour of the White House.
She chatted with Tom Cruise about her pregnancy when he was in town to film "Days of Thunder," and thought Paul Newman was great -- not at all cranky.
For all her worldliness, Ann recognizes the blessings that have been bestowed upon her and works hard to give back to the very community we live in.
An advocate for Cabarrus County Schools, she was instrumental in organizing a grass-roots committee a few years back to get a crucial school bond issue approved in a referendum.
"Our kids' education is our future," she said. "Let's not be knee-jerk; let's be proactive. How can you not get involved when your kids are involved?"
Other causes near and dear to her heart include such charities as the Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports (for which she served as president for four years), the N.C. Motorsports Foundation (she's excited because the purchase of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 license plate will reap huge revenues for scholarships), and the Cannon Memorial YMCA, where she's kicking off the Strong Kids campaign and helping to raise money to send children to a Y camp.
What keeps Ann Schrader going is an appreciation for all she has.
"In the end, it's not about what you can acquire, but how you can make a difference," she said.
She has certainly made a difference here in the community we call home.
