If everything goes as planned, I'll have my first post of 2017 posted on New Year's Day~ I already have the car picked out, I just have to take some pictures, and edit some stuff, so I should be able to get it all done in time~ So with that out of the way, put your imagination goggles on, and let's dive into my wife Tasha's time in the #89 Slush Puppie Oldsmobile~
The heiress to the Slush Puppie empire~
Our story fictionally begins in 1989, when Tasha was fictionally 17 years old~ Her and her father had moved to Cincinnati Ohio when she was just 2 years old, so that he could help his friend, Will Radcliff, and his sister, Phyllis, with a new business they'd just created~ That business became the Slush Puppie brand, and through it all, Tasha was always there~ She became like one of the family to the Radcliff's, and they always showered her with gifts while she was growing up~
On October 10th, 1989 - Will and Phyllis Radcliff were killed in a private plane crash, on their way back from a food convention in Umatilla, Florida~ In Will's will, he left the entire Slush Puppie business to Tasha~ Her father was left in charge of everything until her 18th birthday, which was 8 months away~ In less than 2 years, she would turn the successful business, into a massive empire~
Tasha on opening day of Slush Puppie World~
Tasha decided to open a Slush Puppie themed amusement park, to help gain brand recognition with children~ The park was opened in the spring of 1992, and was a major success with kids, as well as adults~ The park featured the fastest wooden roller coaster of its time, "TimberSlush", as well as the roller coaster with the steepest drop, known as the "Slush Crusher"~
Tasha and I were married the following year, on June 6th, 1993, and I had been trying to get her to buy a Winston Cup race team, since she was so rich, so that I could race in the Cup series~ She did buy a Cup team, but she chose to drive the car herself, entering the #89 Slush Puppie Oldsmobile in various races for the next 5 seasons, before she chose to retire~
Tasha leading @ Bristol~ Spring 1995~
The new team, which was christened "Slushpup Motorsports", made its debut in the 1994 Goodwrench 500 @ Rockingham, where Tasha qualified 16th in the 42 car field~ While she didn't lead any laps, she was able to finish in 3rd place, the final car on the lead lap~ The race was won by Rusty Wallace, and the Miller Genuine Draft team~
She next ran in the TranSouth Financial 400 @ Darlington, where after starting 9th, she went on to lead for 166 laps, on her way to her first career victory, in only her second career start~ With her first win under her belt, she focused the Food City 500 @ Bristol~ High winds, and cold weather haunted the qualifying session, and Tasha struggled bad, with a 24th place starting spot~ The bad weather worked to Chuck Bown's advantage however, as he picked up his first, and only career Winston Cup pole~
Things cleared up on race day, and Tasha slowly worked her way up towards the leaders~ On lap 317, she passed Geoff Bodine, who was driving the last car Alan Kulwicki had driven before he died, and never looked back, leading the final 183 laps on the way to back to back victories in only her 3rd Winston Cup start~
Tasha's custom Racing Champions card~
Tasha finished out the 1994 season with 1 pole (Tyson Holly Farms 400 - North Wilkesboro), 3 wins (Darlington, Bristol, AC-Delco 500 - Rockingham), 5 top 5's, and 6 top 10's in 10 events~ She ran 6 races in 1995, with 0 poles, 2 wins (Hanes 500 - Martinsville, Goody's 500 - Bristol), 4 top 5's, and 5 top 10's~ Her only non top 10 of the season came in the Food City 500 @ Bristol, where she was crashed by Dale Earnhardt with 22 laps remaining, resulting in a 21st place finish~
In 1996, she ran 11 races, with 1 pole (Pontiac Excitement 400 - Richmond), 4 wins (First Union 400 - North Wilkesboro, Goody's Headache Powder 500 - Bristol, Miller 400 - Richmond, and the NAPA 500 - Atlanta), with 7 top 5's, and 9 top 10's~ She ran less races in 1997, running 7 races, with 0 poles, 2 wins (Coca-Cola 600 - Charlotte, AC Delco 400 - Rockingham), 4 top 5's, and 5 top 10's~
Her final year in NASCAR was the 1998 season, where she ran in 5 races~ She had 2 poles, both at Bristol, 2 wins, also both at Bristol, 4 top 5's, and 5 top 10's in her final season in the series~ Following the season, she sold the team to Robby Gordon, and spent more time at Slush Puppie World, with her family~ She will forever be remembered as the first female to win a Cup race, and in 2016, was the first female ever elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame~
Tasha #89 Slush Puppie Oldsmobile~
I wish this car was really around back then, because I think it's pretty awesome~ I miss the old Slush Puppie machines from when I was young, that had the big Slush Puppie spinning around and around on the top~ I also don't like that Slush Puppie's are premixed now~ My favorite thing to do was mix 1 squirt of lime, and 1 squirt of pina colada, and now I can't do that anymore, because they premix the flavors into the syrup now~
Sometimes, I would use just a little of each flavor, and make some kinda freak Slush Puppie, which may have been part of the reason they'd changed to premixing the flavors~ Sometimes, it would taste really good, if you did it just right~ If you used too much of the flavoring, it just tasted like sour horribleness~ There was an art to making them taste just right, and I was usually pretty good at it making them taste super awesome~
As far as this car goes, I give it an A- on the Racing Champions quality scale, with a little bit of points being taken off because of minor flaws on my part~ I used Tom Peck's #96 Thomas Racing Oldsmobile to make this one~ I just want to state again that nothing in the above story is meant to be taken as truth, well.. other than the fact that Tasha and I are married~ lol~
I hope you all enjoyed this blog post, and thanks for making 2016 a great year for this page~ Below are some random clips, along with a bonus custom Racing Champions car~ Please share this post on any social media sites you are a part of, and I'll see ya' next time here on the NASCAR Racing Champions diecast blog~
**BONUS** Diggity Dave #33 Sprite Chevrolet~
I make this one from Bobby Hillin Jr.'s #31 Ireland Racing Chevrolet~ I love the old Sprite logo, and it just looks like a Christmasy car~ This would have been an awesome car to see at the track back then, and I think Sprite should use this logo again, for at least a few months or so~ I think just that logo alone, on a black can, would look amazing~ I know I'd buy more Sprite if that were the case~
Old Slush Puppie commercial~
Slush Puppie Unwrapped segment~
Diggity Dave - Little Sister - Elvis cover~
8 minutes of 1980's commercials~
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