One year out: Looking ahead to Paris

 Two years ago right around this time I was embarking on my first Summer Olympic experience.

The Tokyo Games, postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were a unique experience. We, as media members, were subject to regular COVID testing, there were no fans in the stands and masks were required everywhere we went. After two previous Winter Olympics, the heat of the summer was a new experience for me as well.

The next winter, the Beijing Winter Olympics experience was much the same, with even more COVID testing, limited fans in the stands and masks required everywhere. 

For those reasons, those Olympic experiences were definitely some of the most memorable things I have done in this job.

As this goes to press, we are one year out from the Paris Olympics, opening on July 26, 2024 in the French capital. In preparation for that, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach spoke to the media in a Zoom call last Tuesday afternoon.

“My expectations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 are the expectations of millions around the globe,” Bach said in welcoming media members to the call. “We want to get together again after the pandemic.

“Paris 2024 will serve as a blueprint that will help shape future editions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and inspire other major events,” Bach continued. 

He went on to mention that the Paris Games will be the first Olympics and Paralympics to be planned and delivered in line with the reforms of the Olympic Agenda. This includes being the first ever Olympics with gender parity, with the IOC allocating the same number of quota to male and female athletes.

Paris 2024 organizers have also committed to 100 percent renewable energy in delivering the games and are using almost all existing venues. 

“These will be urban games in the heart of Paris,” Bach said, touting the use of the River Seine for the floating opening ceremonies welcoming athletes to the city. “I have goosebumps already thinking about that.” 

The Marathon Pour Tous, or Marathon For All, will give 40,000 runners the experience to run their race on the same day and same course that the Olympic runners will be running on. Champions Park will see athletes, medalists and fans celebrating the Olympic spirit together.

“The world will come together in Paris 2024 one year from now for a peaceful competition,” Bach stated. “We all will enjoy the rich culture of France and the warm hospitality of the sports-loving French people.

“At Paris 2024, we all will be inspired by the vision of our founder, Pierre de Coubertin, in his city, the city of light, Paris,” Bach added.

Most of the early portion of the question and answer session that followed focused on the inclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus.

“We are determined to do everything to accomplish our mission, which is uniting athletes from around the world in peaceful competition,” Bach said. “We are focused on our mission right now, building bridges not erecting more walls.”

No official decision has been made on how athletes from those two countries will be handled in Paris. In previous Olympics, athletes were allowed to compete, just not under their country’s flag, with the Olympic Anthem played when athletes from those countries won a gold medal.

“Our position is to not punish athletes for acts of their government,” Bach said. “We can’t discriminate against anyone just because of their passport.”

Recent social unrest in the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, which is slated to be a major hub for Olympic action, including the site of the only new venue, the Aquatics Center, was also brought up.

“These riots were not related to the Olympic Games in any respect,” Bach said. “We can feel great support of the French people for these Olympic Games and we’re confident that the Games can and will happen in a peaceful environment.

Paris and the rest of Europe is currently experiencing a heat wave and one question asked how the IOC was preparing in case of that happening again next summer.

“The Olympic Committee has plans and we’re contributing to this,” Bach said. “We have good experience with heat mitigation measures in Tokyo. The heat mitigation measures worked very well and they will be available in Paris next year.”

The Paris Olympics run from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024. 

My first day out of quarantine at the Tokyo Olympics started with a trip to see the triathlon. One year from today is the Opening Ceremony for the Paris Olympics.

Back on the track, still not breaking any records

 By nature of the job, I spend a lot of time in my car, driving to and from the office or around the state to cover games, meets and events of all kinds. It’s safe to say, I drive a lot.

And I always kind of thought I was a pretty good driver. But, after a couple of experiences behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car, I can say without a doubt that I was in no way meant to be a professional driver.

Last year I attended my first Media Racing Challenge, sponsored by the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It is an annual event where members of the media get the chance to get behind the wheel of a stock car and take some laps on the Magic Mile. 

As I wrote at the time, I had been around the track on a couple of different occasions in the pace car, once in an SUV and the other time in a sedan, where I found myself sitting on the passenger seat riding incredibly close to the wall as the professional driver maneuvered the car around the track.

I was excited to get the chance last year and when the opportunity arose this year to do it again, I took up the NHMS media relations staff on their invitation and after making a bunch of donuts on Friday morning, June 23, I headed south to Loudon and signed all the appropriate paperwork in the media center. They had the fire suits we needed to wear right there and I stepped into the suit and sat down for the orientation video.

This year the event was run by a different company. Last year it was a company associated with Rusty Wallace, while this year it was a company associated with The King, Richard Petty. Last year’s presentation was mostly done in person by a member of the racing experience company, but this year it was all done on video.

After the video we made our way out to Victory Lane, where we got a couple of welcome speeches and then were introduced by NHMS staff member Scott Spradling. I was not alone in returning to the track, but there were also a good number of rookies getting behind the wheel.

After getting a helmet and the HANS safety device attached, every participant took a ride-along before getting behind the wheel and the driver showed us how to handle the car as we made our way around the track. Once we had the ride-along in the books, it was time for us to give it a try.

Last year, as a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr., I was excited to drive the number eight Budweiser car. This year there were two options, including an 88 Dale Junior car and an 18 Kyle Busch car. We didn’t get a choice, but rather took the car that came in when it was our turn to climb behind the wheel.

The window entrance to the NASCAR vehicles is not meant for people with, shall we say, larger stomachs. However, I was able to squeeze in the passenger side of the ride-along vehicle and then into the 18 car for my turn. After staff members made sure all the safety devices were secured and the steering wheel was on, my spotter came into the radio and told me I was good to go.

I made my way down pit road, shifting up to fourth gear as I got to the apron in turn one. They had us stay in the apron around the first two turns before getting up to speed on the backstretch. There were cones on the side of the track that told us when we should be letting up on the gas and then hammering it to the floor again.

Like last year, I felt like I was going a lot faster than I actually did, which was incredibly frustrating. I did feel like I was moving faster this year than last year, but the way that they measured us was different this year. Last year it was our average speed, which saw me fall near the bottom with a rather disappointing time. This year, it was our top speed, which again saw me near the bottom of the pack. 

According to the official stats, my top speed was 127.88 miles per hour. The top recorded speed for the day was just a bit over 140 mph. I felt that I did better than my average speed last year, but there was no way to tell for sure. Most of the participants who were there this year agreed that the cars this year seemed to be a bit slower than the ones we raced in last year, but with a year under my belt, I felt a little more confident.

That being said, the results certainly don’t bear that out. It’s safe to say I will not be subbing in for Chase Elliott any time soon.

However, it was still a blast to get another chance to sit in the driver’s seat and I am looking forward to NASCAR returning to New Hampshire in July. 

New England’s only NASCAR weekend is July 14-16 at NHMS. On-track action kicks off Friday with practice and qualifying sessions for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) plus Friday Night Dirt Duels at The Flat Track. The action continues with NCS qualifying, the Ambetter Health 200 NXS race and Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race on Doubleheader Saturday and culminates with the NCS taking on “The Magic Mile” Sunday for the Crayon 301. Don’t miss all of the exciting off-track action including Race Day Live with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts, The Groove fan hangout, concerts from Dirty Deeds and Shot of Poison, family movie night featuring “Top Gun: Maverick,” driver appearances, a variety of live performances, fireworks and much more.

For a NASCAR weekend schedule, visit NHMS.com/Events/NASCAR-Cup-Series/Schedule/.

Log on to NHMS.com for tickets and more information on the weekend’s lineup of action-packed racing.

Thumbs up for the camera before the steering wheel is attached and I make my way out on to the track during the Media Racing Challenge last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (RC Greenwood)

Getting in and out of the cars is not meant for people with larger stomachs, but I didn’t get stuck, so there’s that. (RC Greenwood)

Waving to the adoring crowd, or something like that, during pre-race introductions last Friday. (RC Greenwood)

Members of the media listen to the pre-race speeches before taking to the track in the Media Racing Challenge. (RC Greenwood)

Thumbs up means I survived my laps around New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Friday afternoon. (RC Greenwood)