FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
A
United States geography
program based on the
NASCAR
schedule from
February 14th - May 30th, 2010
presented by the
VINDICATOR
February 5, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
Dear VINDICATOR NIE Teacher:
Please preview the weekly “Fastcar Geography” questions caref ully bef ore assigning
them to the students. You may pref er to be selective with the questions assigned to
avoid presenting concepts that are too dif f icult. You want to shun a question, f or the
time being, about the Grand Canyon if a student has no idea where the state of Arizona
is located within the United States.
In “Pigskin Geography” and “Slam -Jam Geography”, the author can manipulate the skill
level by asking easier questions initially and gradually increasing the dif f iculty of the
geography concepts presented. The skills can be developed sequentially because
there is a lot more f lexibility with the schedule. W ith all the teams crisscrossing the
nation many times, you have the opportunity to ask easier questions at f irst and the
more dif f icult questions later in the season.
In f ootball, teams in the same division play each other twice, so you can sa y, “That
concept is too dif f icult at this time, so that question will be asked the next time they
play.” In basketball, some teams play each other three or more times allowing much
f lexibility.
You do not have this f lexibility in “Fastcar Geography”. Al l drivers are going to one
particular city each week and they will not be going back f or several months, so you
have to present the geography concept when the opportunity is there. “Strike when the
iron is hot.”
It is hoped this explains why it is vital that the questions are previewed each week so
the learning process with the VINDICATOR can be f un instead of f rustrating.
Sincerely,
Sue Ann Taylor , NIE
FIVE THEMES IN GEOGRAPHY
Teacher Resource information
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
LOCATION: (Absolute and Relative): Location answers the basic question: Where? Absolute and
relative location are two ways of describing the positions of the Earth's physical and cultural features.
For example, knowing the absolute, or exact, location of Tucson, AZ, showed us where the forest
fires occurred. A grid system representing latitude and longitude is one way of showing absolute
locations. Another way of looking at location has to do with the interaction of places. This is relative
location-the way a city is connected to other places. A map can provide a starting point for gathering
information. IN WHAT MOUNTAIN RANGE IS MT. RAINIER LOCATED? EXACTLY WHER E DID
THE JANUARY EARTHQUAKE HIT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA and the CARIBBEAN?
PLACE: (Physical and Human Characteristics): All places on Earth have special features that
distinguish them from other places. Geographers usually describe places by their physical and
human characteristics. Los Angeles, CA, and its neighboring communities, for example, are known
for such physical characteristics as sandy beaches, abundant sunshine, and a mild climate. Human
characteristics such as the density of population and its ethnic makeup also play an important role in
shaping the image of Los Angeles. WHAT PHYSICAL AND HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS MAKE
THE PLACE YOU LIVE DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER? HOW DO THESE CHARACTERISTICS
AFFECT YOUR LIFE? HOW IS LIFE IN BAYOU COUNTRY DIFFERENT FROM YOUR CITY?
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: (Relationships Within Places): People interact with their
environments and change them in different ways. Large-scale agricultural development of the dry
Texas Panhandle, for instance, did not occur until the invention of circular irrigation systems t hat
distribute water from underground wells. But such change has a price: The region's water supply is
rapidly diminishing. Geographers examine how human-environment interactions develop and what
their consequences are for people and the landscape. LOOK AROUND YOU: HOW HAVE PEOPLE
CHANGED YOUR ENVIRONMENT? WHY HAVE THEY MADE SUCH CHANGES? WHAT ARE THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THESE CHANGES?
MOVEMENT: (Mobility of People, Goods, and Ideas): People everywhere interact. They travel from
place to place, they communicate, and they depend upon other people in distant places for products,
ideas, and information. A good example of movement exists in the highly urbanized northeast corridor
between Boston and Washington, D.C. Here, people can quickly fly from one c ity to another.
Farmers efficiently send products to restaurants and supermarkets by truck and trains. A tiny frog
jumped out of a head of lettuce in Brooklyn that had been grown in California. Let every trip to the
supermarket be a geography lesson! From where does all that produce come? Geography helps us
understand the nature and effects of such movement. HOW DO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DEPEND
UPON PEOPLE IN OTHER PLACES? HOW DOES MOVEMENT AFFECT WHAT YOU CAN BUY IN
STORES IN YOUNGSTOWN?
REGIONS: (How They Form and Change): Regions are areas on the surface of the Earth that are
defined by certain unifying characteristics. These characteristics may be physical, or they may be
human. The peaks and valleys of the Rocky Mountains, for example, form a p hysical region. The
corn belt, on the other hand, forms a human region. Large farms and similar crops unite several
midwestern states into this region, where corn has been the mainstay. Regions provide an organized
way to study Earth's landscapes and peoples. CAN YOU IDENTIFY SOME PHYSICAL AND HUMAN
REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES? DRAW A MAP OF THESE REGIONS. DO ANY OF THEM
OVERLAP?
Spring 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
Daytona Int’l Speedway
Sunday, February 14 th
Daytona Beach, FL
2.5
mile oval
Auto Club Speedway
Sunday, February 21st
Fontana, CA(near LA)
2.
mile oval
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Sunday, February 28th
Las Vegas, NV
1.5
mile oval
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sunday, March 7th
Hampton, GA
1.54 mile quad oval
Open Date
Sunday, March 14 th
No race
Bristol Motor Speedway
Sunday, March 21st
Bristol, TN
.533
mile oval
Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, March 28 th
Martinsville, VA
.526
mile oval
Open Date
Sunday, April 4th
No race-Easter
Phoenix Int’l Raceway
Saturday, April 10th
Avondale, AZ
1.
Texas Motor Speedway
Sunday, April 18th
Ft. W orth, TX
1.5
mile oval
Talladega Superspeedway
Sunday, April 25th
Talladega, AL
2.66
mile tri-oval
Richmond Int’l Speedway
Saturday, May 1st
Richmond, VA
.75 mile oval
Darlington Raceway
Saturday, May 8th
Darlington, SC
1.366 mile oval
Dover Int’l Speedway
Sunday, May 16th
Dover, DE
1.
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, May 22nd
All-Star Challenge
1.5
mile oval
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sunday, May 30th
Concord, NC
1.5
mile oval
mile oval
mile oval
DRIVERS and HOMETOWNS
Student Ref erence Inf ormation
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
No.
43
09
16
36
33
31
2
18
37
46
88
99
21
38
24
7
11
29
77
48
9
17
12
34
71
20
1
5
98
42
78
39
6
00
19
04
78
43
82
14
56
83
66
Name
A.J. Allmendinger
Aric Almirola
Greg Bif f le
Mike Bliss
Clint Bowyer
Jef f Burton
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
Kevin Conway
Terry Cook
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Carl Edwards
Bill Elliott
David Gilliland
Jef f Gordon
Robby Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Kevin Harvick
Sam Hornish, Jr
Jimmie Johnson
Kasey Kahne
Matt Kenseth
Brad Keselowski
Travis Kvapil
Bobby Labonte
Joey Logano
Jamie McMurray
Mark Martin
Paul Menard
Juan Montoya
Joe Nemechek
Ryan Newman
David Ragan
David Reutimann
Elliott Sadler
Brent Sherman
Regan Smith
Reed Sorenson
Scott Speed
Tony Stewart
Martin Truex, Jr.
Brian Vickers
Michael W altrip
Hometown
R
R
Los Gatos, CA
Tampa, FL
Vancouver, W A
Milwaukie, OR
Emporia, KS
South Boston, VA
Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, NV
Cornelius, NC
Sylvania, OH
Kannapolis, NC
Columbia, MO
Dawsonville, GA
Riverside, CA
Vallejo, CA
Bellf lower, CA
Chesterf ield, VA
Bakersf ield, CA
Bryan, OH
El Cajon, CA(near Diego)
Enumclaw, W A
Rockdale, W I(Cambridge)
Rochester Hills, MI
Janesville, W I
Corpus Christi, TX
Middletown, CT
Joplin, MO
Batesville, AR
Eau Claire, W I
Bogota, Columbia
Lakeland, FL
South Bend, IN
Unadilla, GA
Zephyrhills, FL
Emporia, VA
St. Paul, MN
Cato, NY
Peachtree City, GA
Manteca, CA
Rushville, IN
Mayetta, NJ
Thomasville, NC
Owensboro, KY
Two-Letter State Abbreviations
Student Reference Information
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
Alabama
AL "Heart of Dixie"
Montana
MT "Treasure State"
Alaska
AK "Last Frontier"
Nebraska
NE "Cornhusker State"
Arizona
AZ "Grand Canyon State"
Nevada
NV "Silver State"
Arkansas
AR "Land of Opportunity"
New Hampshire
NH "Granite State"
California
CA "Golden State"
New Jersey
NJ "Garden State"
Colorado
CO "Centennial State"
New Mexico
NM "Land of Enchantment
Connecticut
CT "Constitution State"
New York
NY "Empire State"
Delaware
DE "First State"
North Carolina
NC "Tar Heel State"
Florida
FL "Sunshine State"
North Dakota
ND "Flickertail State"
Georgia
GA "Peach State"
Ohio
OH "Buckeye State"
Hawaii
HI "Aloha State"
Oklahoma
OK "Sooner State"
Idaho
ID "Gem State"
Oregon
OR "Beaver State"
Illinois
IL "Prairie State"
Pennsylvania
PA "Keystone State"
Indiana
IN "Hoosier State"
Rhode Island
RI "Little Rhody"
Iowa
IA "Hawkeye State"
South Carolina
SC "Palmetto State"
Kansas
KS "Sunflower State"
South Dakota
SD "Rushmore State"
Kentucky
KY "Bluegrass State"
Tennessee
TN "Volunteer State"
Louisiana
LA "Pelican State"
Texas
TX "Lone Star State"
Maine
ME "Pine Tree State"
Utah
UT "Beehive State"
Maryland
MD "Old Line State"
Vermont
VT “Green Mountain State”
Massachusetts
MA "Bay State"
Virginia
VA "Old Dominion State"
Michigan
MI "Wolverine State"
Washington
WA "Evergreen State"
Minnesota
MN "Gopher State"
West Virginia
WV "Mountain State"
Mississippi
MS "Magnolia State"
Wisconsin
WI "Badger State"
Missouri
MO "Show Me State"
Wyoming
WY "Equality State"
Daytona International R aceway
Daytona Beach, FL -Feb. 14, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
10-second pit stop! W hat does the NASCAR acronym stand f or?
N _ _ _ _ _ _ A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ f or S _ _ _ _ C _ _ A _ _ _ R _ _ _ _ _
How many acronym s can you f ind in the VINDICATOR by Friday?
2.
American history! Kasey Kahne will f ly over Chimney Rock in western Nebraska
going to Daytona. This was a f amous landmark on the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
3.
Next Monday, February 1 5th, you will recognize Presidents’ Day. En route to
Daytona, Travis Kvapil of Janesville , W I, will f ly over President Lincoln’s
birthplace in the state of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. However, President Lincoln is more
closely associated with the state of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
4.
17-second pit stop! Regan Smith of Cato, NY, will f ly over Ft. Sumter at
Charleston, SC, going to the race. W hat historic event occurred at Ft. Sumter on
April 12, 1861? _______________________ _______________________________
W hat event occurred at Ft. Sumter on February 17, 18 65? __________________
___________________________________________________________________
5.
Jef f Gordon of Vallejo, CA, & Scott Speed of Manteca, CA, will cross the Four
Corners region of the United States. W hat states f orm the Four Corners region ?
________________, _________________, _______________, _______________
6.
American history and a 13 -second pit stop! W hich of the above states became
the 48 t h state of the Union on February 14, 1912? ________________
7.
W hat is the name of the well known sw amp on the Georgia-Florida border many
drivers will wing over en route to the race? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Swamp
8.
En route to Daytona, the Busch brothers of Las Vegas, NV, will f ly over two state
capitals. They are: _______________, _ ___; __________________, ____
9.
Greg Bif f le of Vancouver, W A, will f ly near two state capitals going to Daytona.
They are: _______________, ____; __________________, ____
10.
You have now mentioned one of the f our state capitals named af ter a pr esident.
Name the f our state capitals named af ter presidents.
____________________, ____; _______________________, ____;
____________________, ____; _______________________, ____
11.
Florida is surrounded by water on three sides.
as a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
12.
Martin Truex, Jr. of Mayetta, NJ, will parallel the Atlantic coast of the Delmarva
Peninsula. The states that f orm this peninsula are:
____________, ____________, ___________
continued
This kind of landform is known
Daytona International Raceway
Daytona Beach, FL -Feb. 14, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
13.
Greg Bif f le and Kasey Kahne will tell you the peninsula on the northwest corner
of their state of W ashington is the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Peninsula.
14.
No driver crossing it, but the CAPE COD TIMES and THE STANDARD -TIMES NIE
students would want you to know the well known peninsula on the southeastern
side of Massachusetts is the _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Peninsula.
15.
Brad Keselowski wants you to know his state is actually two peninsulas. This
state is
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
16.
Jimmie Johnson of El Cajon, CA, has probably been to Tijuana a f ew times.
Name the well known Mexican peninsula south of San Diego.
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Peninsula
17.
“Lettuce” locate and identif y the valley in extreme southern Calif ornia that Jimmie
Johnson will f ly over. This is the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Valley.
18.
10-second pit stop! W e’re talking oranges & oranges now, so squeeze gently.
Seven drivers are f rom Calif ornia , 2nd only to Florida in the growing of oranges.
Most of the oranges f rom the state of _______________ are squeezed f or juice.
Most of the oranges f rom the state of _______________ are eaten as table f ruit.
19.
10-second pit stop! W e’re talking apples & oranges now. Identif y the two
drivers f rom the leading apple growing state that will be going to Daytona.
_____________________, ______________________
20.
20-second pit stop! Now you know about apples and oranges. Match these
products with their states the drivers f rom W ashington will be crossing.
____ Arkansas
1. apples
____ Florida
2. catf ish
____ Idaho
3. citrus
____ Kansas
4. coal
____ Mississippi
5. potatoes
____ W ashington
6. rice, ducks & diamonds
____ W yoming
7. wheat
21.
13-second pit stop w ith help from the produce man at your grocery store!
Tony Stewart will f ly nea r Vidalia in southeastern Georgia. W hat well known
herb-vegetable comes f rom this area of Georgia? ___________________
22.
W ho won the Super Bowl? ____________ ____ by a score of __ __ to __ __.
23.
13-second pit stop! David Gilliland will f ly near Roswell where the New Mexico
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Culture W eek is going on. W hat do the local
people say happened in Roswell on July 8, 1947? _________________________
Auto Club Speedway
Fontana, CA-Feb. 21, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
Kurt Busch could drive f rom Las Vegas to Fontana on Interstate _ _ .
2.
If driving, Bobby Labonte would driv e up to San Antonio on I - _ _ , then all the
way to Fontana on I - _ _ .
3.
W hat is the river f orming the natural boundary between Arizona and Calif ornia
that Mr. Labonte will cross? _________________ River
4.
Paul Menard of Eau Claire, W I, will soar over Lake Mead in southern Nevada.
Tell your teacher something unique about Lake Mead. ______________________
_____________________________________________ is Lake Mead eau claire?
5.
Identif y the state capitals Martin Truex, Jr. of Mayetta, NJ, will f ly over or near
en route to the race.
______________, ___ ; _______________, ___ ; _______________, ___
6.
Mr. Labonte will cross the _______ ____________ River on the Texas -Mexico
border how many times going to Fontana? _________ times .
7.
Locate Big Bend National Park that Mr. Labonte will see going to the race. How
do you think this park was named? ______________________________________
8.
Locate Great Bend, KS, that Carl Edwards of Columbia, MO, will f ly over en route
to the race. Examine the map caref ully and write how you think this city was
named. ___________________________________________________________
9.
20-second pit stop! Matt Kenseth of Rockdale, W I, will f ly over the Grand
Canyon going to Fontana. The Gra nd Canyon National Park was created on
February 26, 19 _ _ . W hat river eroded the Grand Canyon? ________________
10.
20-second pit stop! Ryan Newman will see the Royal Gorge. Research and tell
your teacher what’s unique about the bridge over Royal G orge.
___________________________________________________________________
W hat river carved the Royal Gorge? ________________ River
11.
20-second pit stop! Jamie McMurray, Joplin, MO, might like to experience
some nostalgia by driving old Route 6 6, the “Mother Road”, to Fontana. How
many states will he pass through if he does this? ____
12.
The Busch brothers of Las Vegas will f ly over the _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert of Calif .
13.
20-second pit stop! Bobby Labonte of Corpus Christi, TX, will f ly over the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert around Marathon, TX, and the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert in
southern Arizona.
continued
Auto Club Speedway
Fontana, CA-Feb. 21, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
14.
Kasey Kahne could go to Tacoma and drive almost all the way to Fontana on
I - _ , and this route would take him through the state capitals of
________________, __ ; _________________, __ ; _________________, __
15.
20-second pit stop! Mr. Kahne will be f lying within sight of f our of the highest
peaks in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. Match these
mountains with their heights. THE W ORLD ALMAN AC-2010, page 692 .
A.
Mt. Hood
_____ 8,366 f t.
B.
Mt. Rainier
_____ 11,235 f t.
C.
Mt. St. Helens
_____ 14,410 f t.
D.
Mt. W hitney
_____ 14,494 f t.
16.
17-second pit stop! Mr. Kahne will see Mt. Whitney and Death Valley as he
f lies near by. How many f eet dif f erence is there between the bottom of Death
Valley and the top of Mt. W hitney? _ _ , _ _ _ f eet.
www.nps.gov/deva
17.
13-second pit stop! Mr. Kahne will see some giant trees growing on the
western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. These huge trees are
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ trees. Tell your teacher about the General Sherman
18
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. of Kannapolis, NC, will cross the southeast corner of
Missouri that has an odd shape. W hat is this area called? “The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _”
19.
Identif y the panhandle states Mr. Earnhardt will f ly over going to Fontana.
____________________, _____________________
20.
Identif y the state capitals Mr. Earnhardt will f ly near en route to the race.
___________________, ___ ; ____________________, ___
21.
17-second pit stop! Jef f Gordon could drive to Fontana, and his trip will take
him parallel to the San Andreas Fault and through the f ertile San Joaquin
Valley. W hat is the San Andreas Fault? _________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
How is the San Joaquin Valley so important to the whole United States?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
22.
Number these rivers in the order Martin Truex, Jr. will cross them going to the
race. __ Arkansas, __ Colorado, __ Illinois, __ Mississippi, __ Missouri, __ Ohio
23.
Travis Kvapil will soar over Grand Island, NE, where the “W ings over the Platte
Migration” is going on f rom Feb. 14 – April 12. W hat kind of birds are stopping in
Grand Island? ______________ ___________ www.visitgrandisland.com
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV-Feb. 28, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
Scott Speed of Manteca, CA, will see Mt. Whitney going to the race.
Mt. W hitney is in the ______________ ______________ Mountain range.
2.
13-second pit stop! Mark Martin will soar over the Interior Uplands of
Arkansas and Missouri that geographers call the _ _ _ _ _ Plateau, but local
people ref er to this area a s just being the _ _ _ _ _ _ .
3.
13-second pit stop! Dale Earnhardt, Jr., of Kanna polis, NC, will f ly over Mt.
Mitchell in western North Carolina near Asheville. W hat is unique about Mt.
Mitchell? ___________________________________________________ ________
4.
Mt. Mitchell is in what mountain chain? _______________________ Mountains
5.
Over what state will Matt Kenseth of Rockdale, W I, be when he crosses the
Rocky Mountains ? ____________________
6.
Greg Bif f le of Vancouver, W A, will f ly over the heart of Nevada. This region is
called the G _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ .
www.nps.gov/grba
7.
Terry Cook of Sylvania , OH, will cross the “Breadbasket of the Nation” or a
region of the United States really called the G _ _ _ _ P _ _ _ _ _ .
8.
Because of violent spring thunderstorms that spawn many “twisters”, this central
part of the country is also called “_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _.”
9.
Ascending f rom Sea -Tac Airport, Kasey Kahne will see beautif ul Mt. Rainier
which is located in the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Mountains. Mt. Rainier National Park was
established on March 2, 18 _ _ .
10.
The 18-wheel car haulers are now headed to Las Vegas. W hat Interstate
highway will they take to get f rom Fontana to Las Vegas? I - _ _
11.
Using MapQuest or some other Internet site, approximately how many miles is it
f rom Fontana to Las Vegas? _________ miles
12.
Identif y the desert in the N.W . corner of Nevada Mr. Bif f le will f ly over going to
Las Vegas. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Desert
13.
Locate the caverns in southeastern New Mexico Bobby Labonte will f ly just south
of en route to “Sin City”. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Caverns
www.nps.gov/cave/
14.
17-second pit stop! Mr. Labonte will f ly over the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert of
southwestern Te xas. (Think small dog. Look at the bordering state in Mexico)
continued
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV-Feb. 28, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
15.
No race in Phoenix until April 18 t h , but you should know Phoenix is in the
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert.
Consult THE W ORLD ALMANAC -2010, page 3 03.
How many inches of precipitation does Phoenix receive annually? _ . _ _
16.
David Reutimann of Zephyrhills, FL, will f ly over Mobile , AL, the city in the United
States that receives the most rainf all. How many inches f all on Mobile? _ _. _ _
17.
Kevin Harvick of Bakersf ield, CA, will f ly over the _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert en route to
Las Vegas. You might want to look at: www.livingdesert.org
18.
Number these rivers in the sequence Martin Truex, Jr. of Mayetta, NJ, will cross
them en route to Las Vegas. ___ Arkansas, ___ Colorado, ___ Illinois,
___ Mississippi, ___ Missouri, ___ Ohio
19.
13-second pit stop! Mr. Truex will f ly over St. Joseph, MO, and he might want
to “k ick up his heels” and “horse around” a little in this town which was the
departure point f or the historic _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
20.
Brent Sherman of St. Paul, MN, will f ly over Chimney Rock National Monument.
Chimney Rock was an important landmark f o r pioneers on the _ _ _ _ _ _ Trail.
21.
Matt Kenseth of Rockdale, W I, will f ly near or over the capital cities of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ plus the city of Leadville.
Leadville is near the source of what major American river? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ R.
At 10,430 f t., Leadville claims to be the highest city in the United States. How
much higher is it than its state capital, the “Mile High City”?
10,430 - _ , _ _ _ = _ , _ _ _
www.leadvilleusa.com
22.
Edgar Springs, MO, 23 miles south of Rolla, is near the population center of the
United States. W ill Jef f Burton of South Boston, VA , or Michael W altrip ,
Owensboro, KY, f ly closer to Edgar Springs going to the race? _______________
23.
Identif y the tourist attraction and physical feature between Lake Ontario and
Lake Erie that Regan Smith of Cato, NY, will f ly over en route to Las Vegas.
_______________ __________
24.
Determine the state capitals Mr. Smith will f ly over going to the race.
_______________, _ _ ; ______ _____________, _ _
25.
David Reutimann will observe some of the most beautif ul beaches in the world
zooming between the panhandle cities of Pensacola and Panama City, FL.
W hat adjective would you use to describe the c olor of the sand? ___ _________
26.
13-second pit stop! NASCAR drivers can relax Sunday night under a f ull moon.
W hat is the name of the February f ull moon? ____________ Moon
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, GA - March 7, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
17-second pit stop! Time to expose the myth! So many things in Atlanta are
named Peachtree, and Reed Sorenson is f rom Peachtree City. Georgia is called
“The Peach State”. But Georgia is not the leading peach producing state.
W here does it rank in the nation? _________
2.
17-second pit stop! Atlanta’s Hartsf ield -Jackson Airport has a unique
distinction among airports in the world. W hat is this distin ction? THE W ORLD
ALMANAC 2010-page 94. ____________________________________________
3.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. of Kannapolis, NC, could drive to Atlanta on I - _ _ .
4.
Mr. Earnhardt will see the Peachoid as he drives by Gaf f ney, SC. W hat is the
Peachoid? ____ ______________________ Find out with an Internet search.
5.
10-second pit stop! Martin Truex will f ly over Appomattox, VA, going to the
race. W hat historic event took place at Appomattox Court House on April 9,
1865? _____________________________________________________________
6.
13-second pit stop! Jimmie Johnson will f ly over Phoenix going to Atlanta . The
of f icial seal f or the City of Atlanta contains a phoenix. W hy is this symbol
appropriate f or Atlanta? ______________________________________________
7.
10-second pit stop! Stone Mountain State P ark is located 16 miles east of
Atlanta. W hat would you f ind in the park that is unique and gave it the name?
___________________________________________________________________
8.
13-second pit stop! As a memorial to the Conf ederacy, who are the ge ntlemen
carved on the side of the stone moun tain in gigantic equestrian reli ef ?
President _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , General _ _ _ _ _ _ _. _ _ _ , and
General _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
www.stonemountainpark.com
9.
17-second pit stop! Stone Mountain has been called the “Mt. Rushmore of the
South”. W ho was the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore? __________________________
W ho began but did not f inish the carving on Stone Mountain? ________________
10.
W hat well known sof t drink was in vented in Atlanta?
___ Coca Cola, ___ Dr Pepper, ___ Pepsi Cola
11.
Theodor Geisel was born on March 2, 1904. You know him as _ _. _ _ _ _ _ .
“Traf f ic jams and bumper slams, I am, I am.”
12.
Gerhardus Mercator was born on March 5, 1512. In hono r of his work, where
would you be if you were on the line of 34 degrees N. latitude and 84 degrees
W. longitude? I would be near ______________, _ _
continued
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, GA - March 7, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
13.
Atlanta is near the end of the f amous Appalachian Trail . This trail covers 14
states as it runs f rom
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , GA, to
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , ME.
www.appalachiantrail.org
14.
Name the states Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw, W A, will f ly over en route to the
“Peach State”.
+_______+_______+_______+_______+_______+
+_______+_______+_______+_______+_______+_______
15.
W hich states
name?
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
that Mr. Kahne will f ly over would you associate with the pr oduct or
Leading apples growing state
Leading coal producing state
Race horses. “And they’re of f !”
Leading lead mining state & Gateway Arch
Leading pecan and peanut growing state
Leading potat o growing state
Leading rice growing state
“Rocket City U.S.A.”
Sand Hills & Chimney Rock
TVA & Grand Ole Opry
Leading wheat growing state
16.
20-second pit stop! Pinpoint the spot where Mr. Kahne will cross the line of 114
degrees W . longitude that intersects the Idaho -Montana border. You are on the
Continental Divide at Lost Trail Pass! Trace the Continental Divide f rom this
point up through Glacier National Park to the Canadian border. Maybe this is
where the eastern border of Idaho was supposed to have been.
17.
Name the state capital Kevin Harvick of Bakersf ield, CA, will see going to
Atlanta. __________________ _______, _ _
17-second pit stop! W hat
unusual mechanical device would you see on the capitol grounds that make these
grounds unique? ____________________________________________________
For the answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_State_Capitol
18.
Atlanta and Phoenix are the cities with the highest elevations where NASCAR
races are held. How much higher is Phoenix than Atlanta ? THE W ORLD
ALMANAC 2010 -pages 700-701.
_ , _ _ _ - _ , _ _ _ = _ _ f eet.
19.
Name the states David Gilliland of Riverside, CA, will f ly over en route to Atlanta.
_____+______+______+______+______+_______+______+______+______
20.
Atlanta Motor Speedway is really in Hampton, GA, located on Interstate _ _ .
21.
13-second pit stop! Students might want to visit the “W ren’s Nest” while in the
Atlanta area. At this home, you would hear “Tales of _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _”.
www.wrensnestonline.com
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, TN-March 21, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
17-second pit stop! The main thoroughf are of Bristol is not unique, but it is
unusual. W hat unusual distinction does this street hold? www.bristoltn.org
___________________________________________________________________
Are you aware of others cities with a main street like this? _____________ _____
2.
The United States Standard Time Act was adopted on March 19, 1918. If the
race begins at 2:30 in Bristol, what time will it be f or the f ans in San Diego?
_______ Phor the phans in Phoenix? _______ For f ans in St. Louis? _______
3.
March 19, is St. Joseph’s Day, the day the swallows return to Mission San Juan
Capistrano. Any articles in the VINDICATOR about the event? Can anyone bring
a copy of the song about the swallows returning?
4.
13-second pit stop! Bobby Labonte, Corpus Christi, TX, will f ly near the city
where John Luther “Casey” Jones died in a train wreck in 1900. This city
is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ . A “Casey” Jones Museum is here.
5.
Name the sea in Southern Calif ornia Jimmie Johnson will cross ascending f rom
San Diego. ____________ Sea. The mountains just east of this sea are the
___________________ Mountains. How sweet it is!!!
6.
W hat is the Kentucky cave system national park Clint Bowyer will f ly over?
_____________________________ W hat is unique about this system? _______
___________________________________________________________________
7.
13-second pit stop! Ryan Newman, South Bend, IN , will f ly over an
economically depressed area of the United States called Appalachia. W here is
Appalachia?
_________________________
8.
Does the VINDICATOR carry a comic strip that might be set in Appalachia? If
so, what is the name of it? __________________________
9.
W hat is the name of the well known swamp on the Florida -Georgia border that
David Reutimann will zip over going to Bristol? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Swamp
10.
Herpetologists’ delight! The road is now closed, but pinpoint the spot where
Kurt Busch will cross the Mississippi River going to Bristol. Caref ul with that pin!
You may st ab a snake in migration.
The city you have pinpointed is _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _.
W ould you walk this road if you had ophidiophobia?
11.
yes / no
Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, W A, will f ly over Three Forks, MT,(on I -90, south of
Helena) en rout e to Bristol. Three Forks is the source of which great U.S. river?
continued
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, TN-March 21, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ River.
www.threef orksmontana.com
12.
The mouth of the above river is just north of what major city?
_ _. _ _ _ _ _, _ _ .
13.
Jef f Gordon will f ly over Leadville, CO. Do you remember that Leadville is near
the source of what major American river? _______________ River
14.
Jamie McMurray, Joplin, MO, w ill f ly over Cairo at the southern tip of Illinois.
Cairo is at the confluence of two rivers and is the mouth of the _______ River.
15.
Mr. McMurray will also f ly over an area in Kentucky called “Land Between the
Lakes”.
This land is between what l akes? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Lake and Lake _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
W hat rivers were dammed to f orm these lakes?
the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ River.
The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ River and
16.
Number these rivers in the sequence Greg Bif f le of Vancouver, W A, will cross
them g oing to Bristol.
___ Columbia, ___ Illinois, ___ Mississippi, ___ Missouri, ___ Ohio, ___ Snake
17.
W hich one of the above rivers when crossed is NOT f orming a natural boundary
between states? _______________
18.
W hat major Ohio city will Matt Ken seth, Rockdale, W I, be over when he zooms
across the Ohio River? _____________________
19.
W hat major Kentucky city will Kasey Kahne be over when he soars across the
Ohio River?
_____________________
20.
20-second pit stop! An old airline ad state d: "For bats, bets, boats, bourbon,
burley, or f or whatever reason you may be going to Louisville, we get you there
best." Can you do some research and determine how all these “b” things relate
to Louisville?
21.
Number these rivers in the order Jimm ie Johnson of El Cajon, CA, will cross
them going to Bristol.
___ Arkansas, ___ Colorado, ___ Mississippi, ___ Rio Grande, ___ Tennessee
22.
Terry Cook will f ly near his own state capital en route to the race. This state
capital is ___________________, _ _
23.
Have a class discussion on the f act that W est Virginia is a state with two
panhandles. A northern and an eastern panhandle.
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, VA -March 28, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
March 25th is the birthday of Gutzon Borglum, and Greg Bif f le of Vancouver, W A,
will f ly near Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands going to the race. Name the
presidents on the mountain.
________________; ________________; ________________; _______________
Research and discuss that these presidents were chosen f or a particular reason. .
2.
Mr. Bif f le will f ly over Hells Canyon and what national park in the northwest
corner of W yoming ? _______________________ Nationa l Park.
3.
Research and tell your teacher some interesting f acts about Hells Canyon.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4.
Jamie McMurray of Joplin, MO, will soar over Metropolis, IL, on the Ohio River.
W hy do you think Metropolis is called “Superman City”? ____________________
___________________________________________________________________
5.
W hat are the two state capitals with the “polis” suf f ix in their name?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ polis, _ _ ;
_ _ _ _ polis, _ _
6.
10-second pit stop! W hich of the above state capitals is the home of the
U.S. Naval Academy?
______________________ , _ _
7.
13-second pit stop! David Reutimann will zoom over the city where Eli Whitney
invented the cotton gin in April of 1793. This city is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ .
No, Girl Scouts never had to pick any of the cotton.
8.
10-second pit stop! W hich driver is f rom the leading cotton producing state,
and will f ly across the heart of the Cotton Belt en route to Martinsville?
(Hint: The Cotton Bowl game is in this state.) _____________________
9.
17-second pit stop! En route to the race, Greg Bif f le of Vancouver, W A, will
f ly over f our states that are the heart of the Corn Belt.
They are: _____________, _____________, _____________, _____________
W hich of these f our states is the leading corn grower? ________________
10.
13-second pit stop! Jef f Gordon will f ly across the Great Basin, and over the
leading w heat growing state while crossing the Great Plains. This state is
____________. Do they plant spring or winter wheat in this state? ___________
11.
17-second pit stop! Martinsville is the shortest track on the NASCAR circuit at
.526 mile. The second shortest is Bristol at .533 mile. Martinsville is how many
f eet shorter than Bristol? _ _ . _ _
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ - April 10, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
Identif y the state capital these drivers will f ly over en route to Phoenix.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Clint Bowyer
Matt Kenseth
over
over
over
 ______________________ , _ _ 
 ______________________ , _ _ 
 ______________________ , _ _ 
2.
13-second pit stop! Phoenix is located in t he _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert. In this
desert you will see many huge _ _ _ _ _ _ _ cactuses or you may pref er cacti.
3.
Identif y the desert in southeastern Calif ornia that Jef f Gordon, Vallejo, CA, will
see as he heads to the “Valley of the Sun”. _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert.
4.
Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, W A, will spend a lot of time looking down into the
G _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ as he zooms over the entire state of Nevada.
5.
17-second pit stop! Name the desert in southwestern Texas Bobby Labonte
will cross en ro ute to Phoenix. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Desert.
6.
Name the lake on the Nevada-Arizona border Mr. Kahne will observe as he
heads to Phoenix. Lake _ _ _ _ which is f ormed by _ _ _ _ _ _ Dam.
7.
W hat is the prodigious mountain Mr. Kahne can surely see f rom his home, but
certainly as soon as his airplane is airborne? Mt. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8.
13-second pit stop! The peak in question #7 is located in the _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mountain Range, and Mt. W hitney is in the _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Mt. Range.
9.
20-second pit stop! Mr. Kahne will see several mountains f lying to Phoenix.
Match the mountains with their heights. THE W ORLD ALMANAC -2010, page 692.
1. Mt. Adams
_____11,239
2. Mt. Hood
_____12,277
3. Mt. Rainier
_____14,410
4. Mt. W hitney
_____14,494
10.
Identif y the fertile valley in southern Calif ornia Jimmie Johnson, El Cajon, CA,
will f ly over going to his destination. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Valley.
11.
Name the large lake and state capital in Louisiana Aric Almirola, Tampa, FL,
will f ly near going to the “Valley of the Sun”. Lake _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
The state capital is _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ .
Step up and represent your state! The 48 steps of the capitol of the above
capital are named in the order of each state’s a dmission to the Union. To
represent your state, on which step would you be standing? _____
continued
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ - April 18, 2009
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
12.
10-second pit stop! Arizona was the last of the contiguous 48 states to be
admitted. W hen was it admitted? ______________ ___ , 19 _ _.
Don’t you just love it!
13.
13-second pit stop! Mr. Almirola will zoom over I -20 at Colorado City, Texas.
This west Texas area is the leading _ _ _ and _ _ _ producing region of the
United States.
14.
Number these rivers in the order Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Kannapolis, NC , will cross
them. _____ Arkansas, _____ Mississippi, _____ Rio Grande, _____ Tennessee
15.
20-second pit stop! Part of Bobby Labonte’s f light will take him over Brew ster
County, Texas. W hat is unusual about Brewster County? ___________________
___________________________________________________________________
16.
Matt Kenseth, Rockdale, W I, will soar over the geographic center of the 48
contiguous states in north central Kansas at the Kansas -Nebraska border.
Name a city near this site. ________________________
17.
17-second pit stop! En route to Phoenix, Ryan Newman, South Bend, IN, will
f ly over f our stat es that are the heart of the Corn Belt. These states are:
________________, _______________, _______________, _______________
18.
13-second pit stop! Mr. Newman will f ly over St. Joseph, MO , and he might
want to “kick up his heels” and “horse around” a little in the town which was the
departure point f or the historic _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _.
19.
Of course, by being in a desert, Phoenix is arid. Consult THE W ORLD
ALMANAC 2010, page 303 , and advise us as to how much average rainfall
Phoenix receives in a year. _ . _ _ inches.
20.
Consult the VINDICATOR and determine how many inches above or below
normal in rainf all you are f or the year as of this week. _ _ . _ _ above/below
21.
It wouldn’t be practical, but would it be possible to build the speedway stadium
out of adobe brick in Phoenix? Circle
yes / no
22.
Brent Sherman will see the Royal Gorge. W hat river carved the Royal Gorge?
________________ River. Do remember about the bridge over the gorge?
23.
Jef f Gordon will f ly over the f ertile San _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Valley going to the race.
It has been said, “The United States can f eed the world, and the above valley
can f eed the United States.”.
Texas Motor Speedway
Ft. W orth, TX -April 18, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
10-second pit stop & American literature! The “Grapes of W rath” was
published on April 14, 1939 . Clint Bowyer could drive on I -35 through the state
of the mass emigration this book chronicles. This is the state of _____________.
2.
David Stremme will f ly near Branson, MO, and a hilly region called the Interior
Uplands on the Missouri-Arkansas border that most people ca ll the _ _ _ _ _ _.
W hat is the predominant type of music would you expect to hear in Branson?
________________ and ________________ music.
3.
17-second pit stop! Dale Earnhardt, Jr. f inished 25 t h in points in the 2009
season. He hopes to do better in 2010 . As he f lies over Tuscumbia, AL, he
might stop f or inspiration at the site of Helen Keller’s “Miracle” . On April 5,
1887, Ms. Keller responded to the word _ _ _ _ _ .
4.
13-second pit stop! Do you believe in UFOs? Did a UFO crash in Roswell ?
Locate Roswell in southeast New Mexico . Jimmie Johnson and David Gilliland
will f ly near Roswell and might stop and visit the UFO museum en route to the
race. In what year did a UFO “crash” in Roswell __________
www.RoswellCVB.com www.ozarkuf o.com
5.
W hat cardinal direction will Bobby Labonte, Corpus Christi, T X, f ly en route
to Ft. W orth, “Cowtown” TX? ____________
6.
Corpus Christi and Ft. W orth are on which line of longitude? ____ degrees west.
7.
Ft. W orth is on which line of latitude? ____ degrees north.
8.
W hich driver is f rom a city located on the 45 degree line of latitude? __________
9.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kannapolis, NC, will f ly over a city straddling the Texas Arkansas border like Bristol, TN/VA, which we have studied. W hat is the name of
this city? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , AR/TX.
10.
13-second pit stop! Greg Bif f le, Vancouver, W A, will f ly over the historic site
where the Golden Spike was driven on the Transcontinental Railroad . This
site is located at __________________ , _ _ . In what year was the Golden
Spike driven? 18 _ _
11.
Identif y the driver that will f ly near the population center of the United States.
___________________ Do not consider any Missouri driver.
12.
Jef f Burton, South Boston, VA, will f ly near Stuttgart, AR, which is known as the
“ _ _ _ _ Hunting Capit al of the W orld”. Look at the back of an Arkansas quarter.
continued
Texas Motor Speedway
Ft. W orth, TX -April 18, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
13.
17-second pit stop! Kasey Kahne will f ly over an area that is the leading
helium producing region in the United States. Name the f ive states that
are a part of this region. ________, ________, ________, _________, ________
Macy’s parade would be kind of boring without all this helium.
14.
W hat cardinal direction will Jimmie Johnson travel getting to the race? ________
15.
20-second pit stop! Ft. W orth was a major stop on the Chisholm Trail . Bobby
Labonte will f ly parallel to the trail going to “Cowtown”. W hat was the Chisholm
Trail? _________________________ ____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
16.
13-second pit stop! En route to the race, Martin Truex, Jr. will soar near
Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murf reesboro, AR. W hat could you do here
that’s unique to the United States? __________________________________
________________________________________________________________
17.
Kasey Kahne will f ly over Crater of the Moon National Monument in Idaho going
to Ft. W orth. Research and tell you teachers something about this area. ______
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
18.
13-second pit stop! Craters of the Moon were f ormed by lava rock. Is lava
metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary rock? ______________________ rock.
19.
13-second pit stop! Most of the rock that f orms the walls of the Grand Canyon
is metamorphic, igneous or sedimentary? ____________________ rock
20.
20-second pit stop! The Grand Canyon is one of the f ew places in the world
where you can see virga rain. W hat is virga? ____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
21.
13-second pit stop! W hen looking f or d iamonds in Crater of Diamonds State
Park, are you looking f or metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary rock?
Diamonds are ____________________ rock.
22.
20-second pit stop! Mr. Kahne will see Hells Canyon and Royal Gorge.
Research--Tell your teacher what’ s unique about the bridge over Royal Gorge.
___________________________________________________________________
23.
Identif y the drivers who could drive to the race this weekend by traveling on
I – 35. ______________________, ______________________
24.
Name the state capitals Brent Sherman would pass through if driving to the race.
_______ ____________, _ _ ; ________________ ________, _ _
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, AL - April 25, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
Identif y the state capital these drivers will f ly over en route to Talladega
.
Terry Cook
over
______________________, _ _
Kevin Harvick
over
______________________, _ _
Brent Sherman
over
______________________, _ _
Matt Kenseth
over
______________________, _ _
Regan Smith
over
______________________, _ _
2.
W hat cardinal direction will Jimmie Johnson f ly going to Talladega? ________
W hat cardinal direction will Ryan Newman soar going to Talladega? ________
3.
Phoenix and Talladega are both near the line of _ _ degrees N. latitude.
South Bend and Talladega are both near the line of _ _ degrees W . longitude.
4.
Jimmie Johnson will zoom over the mouth of the Arkansas River en route to the
race. The mouth of the Arkansas is in what state? ______________
5.
Many rivers f orm natural boundaries between states. Trace the Arkansas River
f rom its source near Leadville, CO, to its mouth. It f orms a natural boundary
between how many states? ___________
6.
The border between Alabama and Georgia is half political and half natural.
David Reutimann will zoom over the natural half . This natural boundary between
Alabama and Georgia is f ormed by the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ River.
7.
Talladega is locate d in the Piedmont Region of the Appalachian Mountains.
W hat does the term “Piedmont” mean? __________________________________
8.
Martin Truex will parallel the Appalachians all the way to Talladega. Dif f erent
parts of the Appalachians have other na mes. Associate these names and states.
A. Allegheny Mts.
B. Blue Ridge Mts.
C. Catskill Mts.
D. Green Mts.
E. Mt. Mitchell
F. Pocono Mts.
G. Smoky Mts.
H. W hite Mts.
9.
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
New Hampshire
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
W est Virginia
In going to Talladega, Kasey Kahne will f ly over the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Range; Jef f
Gordon will zip over the _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Mts.; Kurt Busch will cross the
_ _ _ _ _ Mts.
continued
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, AL - April 26, 2009
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
10.
Kevin Lepage lives on the east coast of Lake Champlain. The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mountains are on the west coast of Lake Champlain. Have any of those chairs?
11.
13-second pit stop! David Reutimann , Zephyrhills FL, will f ly over Homosassa
Spring, FL. W hat kind of sea creature would he expect to see if he visited in the
Homosassa Spring and Crystal River area? ___________________
12.
Talladega, at 2.66 miles, is the largest speedway of all. Guess that’s why it’s
the Superspeedway. How many feet longer is it than the 2.5 mile Indianapolis
track where the Brickyard 400 is run? _______________
13.
Identif y the state capitals Kurt Busch, Las Vegas, NV, will f ly near en route to
Talladega. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _;
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _
14.
In the above question you identif ied a state capital that had “City” as part of its
name. Determine three other state capitals that have “city” as part of their name.
__ __ __ __ __ __ City, __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ City, __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ City, __ __
15.
W hich state capital will Martin Truex, Jr. f ly over going to the race?
_ _ _ _ _ , _ _
16.
David Gilliland, Riverside, CA, will parallel the river that f orms the natural
boundary between the states of Texas & Oklahoma . This is the _ _ _ River.
17.
Identif y the states Greg Bif f le, Vancouver, W A , will soar over going to Talladega.
_____+______+______+______+______+_______+______+______+______+
_____+______+______
18.
Identif y the states Martin Truex, Jr., of Mayetta, NJ, will zip over going to
Talladega. _____ +______+______+______+______+_______+______
19.
In the November 2009 race at Talladega, the holes in the restrictor plates were
changed f rom 57/64th of an inch to 7/8 of an inch. By how much were the holes
reduced?
__/___ inch.
On which lap do you predict the BIG ONE wil l happen?
On which lap did a BIGGER ONE happen?
On which lap did the BIGGEST ONE happen?
Some people joke that Talladega is an Indian word that means:
“Buckle up and hang on.”
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, VA-May 1, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
“Y” do you ask? Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman will f ly near Zanesville, OH, to
see something unique. W hat is it? www.visitzanesville.com/
Look f or something about a bridge built in 1814. __________________________
2.
20-second pit stop! May 3rd is the birthday of Niccolo Machiavelli. Several
NASCAR drivers are accused of having a Machiavellian philosophy of driving.
Do you think a f ew of them do? Explain. _________________ ________________
___________________________________________________________________
3.
Identif y the states Jimmie Johnson of El Cajon, CA, will traverse going to
Richmond. ______+______+______+______+______+
______+______+______+______+______+______
4.
10-second pit stop! Aric Almirola, Tampa FL, will see Ft. Sumter at
Charleston, SC, going to the race. W hat historic event occurred at Ft. Sumter on
April 12, 1861? ______________________________________________________
5.
10-second pit stop for American history! This week Alabama, Florida, Georgia
and Mississippi celebrate Conf ederate Memorial Day. W hat is the connection
between Richmond an d the Conf ederacy? ________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6.
17-second pit stop! Mr. Almirola will f ly near Raleigh, NC, en route to
Richmond. Both capitals are “Fall Line” cities. W hat is a f all line? __________
___________________________________________________________________
7.
Number these rivers in the order Mr. Bif f le will cross them going to Richmond.
__ Columbia, __ Illinois, __ Mississippi, __ Missouri, __ Ohio, __ Yellowstone
8.
Carl Edwards could drive to St. Louis on I -70, then drive to Richmond on I-_ _.
Identif y the states he will go through. ____+_____+_____+_____+_____+_____
9.
If driving, name the state capitals Mr. Edwards would pass near or through going
to Richmond. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ ;
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _.
10.
W hen Jef f Gordon crosses the coordinates of 39 degrees N. latitude and 117
degrees W . longitude, he will almost be in the middle of the state of _ _ _ _ _ _.
11.
Kasey Kahne will be between which two states when he crosses the line of 114
degrees W . longitude at Lost T rail Pass? _______________, _______________
12.
13-second pit stop! Brent Sherman of St. Paul, MN, will f ly over Holland, MI,
where a f lower f estival is going on this weekend. W hat kind of f lower f estival do
you think would be going on in Holland? _ _________ Festival
13.
How many miles will Mr. Sherman travel getting to Richmond? ________ miles.
Darlington Raceway
Darlington, SC-May 8, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
The “Track Too Tough To Tame,” an alliterative nickna me of Darlington Raceway.
Discuss an alliteration. How many can you f ind in the VINDICATOR by Friday?
FastFact Trivia. W hy is the track an egg -shaped oval? Visit Joe W eatherly’s
NASCAR Museum. __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2.
The South Carolina capital is located on which line of longitude? Line of ______
degrees W . longitude.
3.
Determine the state capitals that are all about the same distance north of the line
of 30 degrees N. latitude.
_ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ ; _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ ; _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _
4.
Identif y the state capitals Bobby Labonte, Corpus Christi, TX, will f ly over
or near en route to Darlington. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _;
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _;
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _
5.
13-second pit stop! Step up and represent your state. The 48 steps of the
Louisiana capitol are named in the order of each state’s admission to the Union.
To represent your state, on which step would you be standing? _____
6.
Number these rivers in the order Greg Bif f le will cross them going to Darlington.
___ Columbia, ___ Cumberland, ___ Illinois, ___ Mississippi, ___ Missouri,
___ Ohio, ___ Platte, ___ Snake
7.
W hat is the Kentucky cave system national park Michael W altrip will f ly over?
_________________________ W hat is unique about this system? ____________
___________________________________________________________________
8.
If the race begins at 2:00 in Darlingto n, what time will Jamie McMurray’s f riends
in Joplin, MO, be seeing the green f lag drop? ___________
9.
W hen in South Carolina, you need to understand the “lingo” of Up Country and
Low Country. Is Low Country in the eastern or western part of the st ate? ______
W hat statements are being made in the newspaper about excessive tire wear?
10.
10-second pit stop! Kevin Harvick , Bakersf ield, CA, will f ly over the northwest
corner of Arkansas, which is one of the booming, f astest growing regions in the
United States. Talk with your parents and f riends to see if you can f igure out
why. Class discussion!
11.
Jef f Gordon, Vallejo, CA, will see Royal Gorge. W hat river erode d the gorge?
_______________ How many time will he cross this river over Kansas ? _______
Dover International Speedway
Dover, DE - May 16, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
Dover is located on the Delmarva Peninsula. Look closely at a map and indicate
how the peninsula was named. ______________________________ __________
2.
Identif y the Great Lakes Paul Menard will soar over en route to the race venue.
Lake ________________, Lake ________________
3.
One of the lakes mentioned above is dif f erent f rom the other f our. How is it
dif f erent? _______________ ___________________________________________
4.
Name the state capital Mr. Menard will f ly over. _________________, _ _
5.
The state of Michigan is bordered by f our Great Lakes. Name these lakes.
Lake ________________, Lake _________ _______,
Lake ________________, Lake ________________
6.
Identif y the mountain chain Bobby Labonte, Corpus Christi, will f ly parallel to en
route to Dover. ________________________ Mountains
7.
13-second pit stop for American history! Jef f Gordon of Valle jo, CA, will f ly
over the state where the Golden Spike was driven on May 10, 1869. This spike
was driven at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _, _ _
8.
13-second pit stop for American literature! The Calaveras County Fair is
going on this week, and Scott Speed will zoom over the county where they
will reenact Mark Twain’s “Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”
Calaveras County is in the state of ______________________.
9.
17-second pit stop for American history! A. J. Allmendinger will f l y near
Nauvoo, IL, going to Dover. Nauvoo had a historic role in American history
related to what relig ion? ______________________________________________
10.
If Mark Martin, Batesville, AR, were a spelunker, what is the Kentucky cave
system nationa l park he will f ly over and might want to visit returning f rom the
race? ________________________ ________ W hat is unique about this system?
___________________________________________________________________
11.
Name the state capital Mark Martin will f ly over traveling to Dover.
____________________, _ _ W hich United States military academy is located in
the state capital? The United States ____________ Academy
12.
13-second pit stop! David Gilliland will cross _______________ , the leading
wheat producing state, but that is w inter w heat. Kasey Kahne will soar over
parts of MN, ND, SD and MT, the leading spring w heat growing states. W hat is
the dif f erence in the types of wheat?
W inter wheat is planted ________________ _______________________________
Spring wheat is planted _______________________________________________
Lowe’s-Charlotte Motor Speedway
All-Star Challenge
Concord, NC - May 22, 2010
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
W here in North Carolina did the W right Brothers make the f irst airplane f light?
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ , NC. In what year? __________
2.
Gaston County, just west of Charlotte, contains 95% of the magnolia trees f ound
in North Carolina. Scientist s do not know why, so don’t you try to f in d out.
3.
North Carolina is divided into three geographic regions--the coastal plain, the
piedmont and the Appalachian Mountain region. In which of these regions is the
city of Charlotte? __________________
4.
The Charlotte area led the nation i n the mining of gold until what year? ________
First nugget of gold in American was f ound in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ County.
5.
The hornets’ nest is a symbol f or the city of Charlotte. W hat f amous general
made a statement about Charlotte being a hornets’ n est?
Lord _______________________ May 20th is Mecklenburg Day in Charlotte.
6.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is called “The Graveyard of Ships”. W hat
f amous Civil W ar ironclad sank somewhere of f the Outer Banks?
The ____________________
7.
North Carolina leads the nation in the growing of a product we associate with
Thanksgiving. W hat does your research tell you this product would be?
______________________________
8.
The Cape Hatteras lighthouse is the tallest in the nation. How t all is it? _____ f t.
9.
Mt. Mitchell in western North Carolina is the tallest mountain east of the
Mississippi River. How high is Mt. Mitchell? _ , _ _ _ f eet
10.
W illiam Sydney Porter is a native of North Carolina, but you don’t know him by
his name. You know him by his pen name of _________________ .
11.
The only place in the world where Venus f lytraps grow wild is within a 75 -mile
radius of which North Carolina city? _______________ www.f lytrapf arm.com
12.
Edward Teach was born in England, but he stole f rom many ships of f the North
Carolina coast. You would know Mr. Teach as “____________________”.
13.
W hat tribe of Indians live in western North Carolina near Great Smoky Mountain
National Park? ____________________ There is a town ther e by that name?
14.
North Carolina is the “Tar Heel” state. How did this become the nickname f or the
state? ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Lowe’s-Charlotte Motor Speedway
Concord, NC - May 30, 2010
W hite Flag Edition
FASTCAR GEOGRAPHY®
1.
20-second pit stop! North Carolina is the NASCAR capital of the U .S.
Complete at least two of the f our blanks. NC leads the nation in the
growing of ____________, production of __________, manuf acturing of
____________, and growing of __________ _____________.
2.
How many miles will Ryan Newman, South Bend, IN, f ly to get to the “Queen
City”? _______________
3.
Matt Kenseth of Rockdale, W I, will soar over Cincinnati, OH, en route to the
race. Cincinnati is called the “Queen City of the W est”, and Charlotte is called
the “Queen City”. How was Charlotte given this nickname? _________________
___________________________________________________________________
4.
20-second pit stop! Two weeks of NASCAR f estivities in Charlotte, but many
in Charlotte celebrated Mecklenburg Day on May 20th, as a day of independence.
Independence f rom whom? ____________________________________________
5.
Determine the state capital these drivers will soar over en route to Charlotte.
B. Labonte over ____________, _ _; J. McMurray over ____________, _ _
J. Johnson over ____________, _ _; K u. Busch over
_____________, _ _
6.
Mark Martin’s car is sponsored by Kellogg’s f rom Battle Creek, MI, of ten called
“Cereal City." Name the kind of grains f rom which your f avorite cereals are
made. ___________, _________, ___________, __________, ___________
7.
20-second pit stop! Name the state that leads in the production of each grain
mentioned.
The
The
The
The
The
leading
leading
leading
leading
leading
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
producing
producing
producing
producing
producing
state
state
state
state
state
is
is
is
is
is
________________.
__________ ______.
________________.
________________.
________________.
8.
Kurt Busch will be traveling f rom Las Vegas, w hich is near the line of _______
degrees N. latitude, and will be going to Charlotte which is near the line of
_______ degrees W . longitude.
9.
20-second pit stop! Jamie McMurray, Joplin, MO, will f ly over New Madrid, MO,
en route to the race. W hat disaster occurred in New Madrid in 1811? _________
___________________________________________________________________
You have taken the Checkered Flag!