TAN Driver Blog-Karen Stalba-TAD

I am getting pretty excited to start the 2012 season. The guys have been working hard to get the car ready and I've been gathering up all the parts for them. We were at the Division 1 Banquet a few weekends ago to get our hardware, and it was a pretty great view from the podium! After many years trying, to go out and win the division with my dad as crew chief is something pretty special. Most of us race with our families, so I know many people have felt the way I do. I have great people beside me. My husband Tommy is going to start his season off in Orlando for the points race, then he is racing Gainesville, so the week in between, we are going where all Champions go -- DISNEY WORLD! Tommy's parents are going with us and it should be a great time...first time taking the kids on an airplane...just me and my mother-in-law. I'll be loaded up with my iPad and Emily's Mobigo to keep the kids busy on the place, and a little Angry Birds on my cell phone should keep them occupied for a bit!

In the off season, we keep pretty busy. With all of Tommy's race cars, he always has something going on, and we've had some house issues, and the business is always pretty busy. Our son, Paul, is playing Ice Hockey two days a week and it is so stinking cute to see those little 5 and 6 year olds skating around. He loves it. He starts kindergarten next year...feels like just yesterday that I was taking a year off of racing to have him.

I need to get back to the track so I can start walking again to get rid of the extra pounds I gained over the winter! Only good thing about extra weight is that my firesuit pants won't fall down so easily! There is always a ton of cooking and eating going on in my house...all I've done since we stopped racing is cook. Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year's-Poker Game...yes, we had a basement full of 40 guys playing cards in front of a wall of Wallys and we had a feast of food. I love to cook, so I don't mind much and it is always a good time. Even Stat Guy Lewis Bloom made it out for the evening. I make Sweet Potato Ravioli that Tommy goes nuts over...I had to find something to do with the cases of sweet potatoes that the local farm friends bring us! Tommy says I need to sell them to help fund the race car. If I tried that, I don't think I'd ever make it out of the kitchen to actually race! Well, off to sleep...gotta snooze while the kids do so that I can get over this bad cold I have. Until next time!

Karen Stalba is the driver of the AA Auto Salvage/Stalba Motorsports A/Fuel Dragster. Find Stalba Motorsports on Facebook, follow Karen on Twitter at @KarenStalba and check out http://www.karenstalba.com/