If you leave your dogs at home when you head out for a weekend NASA racing, Time Trial and HPDE, you know they are going to give you the warmest welcome when you come home. Your spouse and children will be genuinely glad to see that you’re home safe, and give you a peck on the cheek, but your dogs will be ecstatic that you’ve returned.
Every time I come home from a weekend with my NASA family, my dogs are the first to greet me. The scene always reminds me of a quote from astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
“Every time you come back from wherever you went, your dog is happy, and it’s jumpy, and it wants to lick you in the face. Even if you just went to get the mail from the mailbox, they delight in your return,” Tyson said in the video. “If you want to take them out on a car ride, they are the first one in the car. They don’t care where it’s going, but they’re going somewhere. They are some of the most joyous creatures that live among us.”
It’s not difficult to imagine that the joyous nature of dogs is why we bring them to the track. When we come back in from a session on track, a dog is there to greet you as cheerfully as DeGrasse Tyson described.
Of course, bringing your dog to the track comes with rules. In fact, pets are addressed four times in the NASA CCR, in sections 5.1, 5.2 and 24.1 and 24.2.
In section 24.2, the CCR says, “Some tracks prohibit pets (including dogs) and/or have special rules regarding pets. It is recommended that all pets be left at home. However, should a pet be brought to a track that allows pets, the following conditions apply: The owner is solely responsible for the actions of his/her pets. This means cleaning up after them and being held legally liable if their pets bite another pet or a human. Additionally, all pets must be kept on a leash, in a cage, or in a vehicle at all times. No pets are allowed in the pit lane at any time.”
Some tracks, like Carolina Motorsports Park, have built enclosed areas for dogs to play.
Section 5.1 says, “Parents shall not allow their children to play around any pets that may be at the facility unless that pet belongs to that parent.”
Those sections in the CCR reflect a common-sense approach to bringing our dogs to the track, which, when done appropriately and according to the rules, should be a good thing. Not cleaning up after your dog or not keeping him or her properly leashed is irresponsible, and could lead to needless conflict. Like the rest of the rules in the CCR, they’re written and published for everyone to play by.
We reached out to NASA membership in late January looking for photos and descriptions of the dogs we bring with us to the track, and the response was even better than the last time we ran a story on the hounds of NASA.
“Every single day a dog lives is equivalent to a week of your life. If they only get one day for every week you’re alive, they make every day count,” DeGrasse Tyson added. “When I look at a dog, I use that as a reminder of how I should live every day of my life, because I get to live seven times as long as the dog.”
Dogs and racing help us get the most out of life. So, without further adieu, here they are, the 2024 hounds of NASA.
Dog’s Name: Sonoma
Breed: Pit Bull
Age: 3
Owner(s): Natalie and Aaron Meyers
NASA Region: NASA Texas
Years in NASA: 2
Dog’s Name: Kimi (after Kimi Raikkonen)
Breed: Pit Bull mix
Age: 4
Owner(s): Alex Melone
NASA Region: NASA NorCal
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Nelson (after Nelson Piquet)
Breed: Pit Bull mix
Age: 3
Owner(s): Alex Melone
NASA Region: NASA NorCal
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Vader
Breed: Poodle
Age: 3.5
Owner(s): Alexandra Kostakis and Takis Skaltsas
NASA Region: NASA Northeast
Years in NASA: 5
Dog’s Name: Ford and Ranger, Ajay and Braxx (in order of appearance)
Breed: Mixed breed, Belgian Malinois
Age: 14, 7, 2 and 6 mos.
Owner(s): Alex and Anna Schwartzenberger
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 2
Ranger unfortunately passed away, but his spirit lives on in Alex and Anna Schwartzenberger.
Dog’s Name: Bonzo
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 9
Owner(s): Bill/Emily Ecker
NASA Region: NASA NorCal
Years in NASA: 2
Dog’s Name: Bailey
Breed: Australian Shepherd
Age: 3
Owner(s): Brendan Shattles
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 12
Dog’s Name: Leah
Breed: Pit Bull/Border Collie mix
Age: 2
Owner(s): Casey Mashore
NASA Region: NASA NorCal
Years in NASA: 3
Dog’s Name: Toohey
Breed: Australian Cattle Dog
Age: 19
Owner(s): Chris Sopelak
NASA Region: NASA Northeast
Years in NASA: 7
Toohey unfortunately passed away in January 2024, but she loved traveling to the track. Her energy level had dropped, but she loved being plopped in the little wagon.
Dog’s Name: Bailey
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 4
Owner(s): Chris and Mikayla Sullivan
NASA Region: NASA Northeast
Years in NASA: 9
Dog’s Name: Violet
Breed: Pitty/Lab mix
Age: 2
Owner(s): Daniela and George Tomkins
NASA Region: NASA NorCal
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Molly
Breed: Chocolate Labrador Retriever
Age: NA
Owner(s): David Smith
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 17
Dog’s Name: Rowan (Ro)
Breed: Doberman Pinscher
Age: 6
Owner(s): Eric Magnussen
NASA Region: NASA Northeast
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Ash
Breed: French Bulldog
Age: 4
Owner(s): Greg Augenstein
NASA Region: NASA NorCal
Years in NASA: 12
Dog’s Name: Lucy
Breed: Mixed
Age: 4
Owner(s): Jason Stocker
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 8
Dog’s Name: Maz
Breed: Lab mix
Age: 3
Owner(s): Jesse Meagher
NASA Region: NASA Texas
Years in NASA: 4
Dog’s Name: Tucker
Breed: Doberman Pinscher
Age: 1
Owner(s): Jessica Moore, Broderick Bauguess
NASA Region: NASA Mid-Atlantic
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Griffin
Breed: Doberman Pinscher
Age: 2
Owner(s): Jessica Moore, Broderick Bauguess
NASA Region: NASA Mid-Atlantic
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Luna Bean Kush
Breed: Boxer
Age: Currently 6, pictured at 6 months
Owner(s): Joe and Tammy Kush
NASA Region: NASA Northeast
Years in NASA: 9
Dog’s Name: Chase
Breed: Retired racing Greyhound
Age: 8
Owner(s): Jonathan Davis
NASA Region: NASA Great Lakes
Years in NASA: 18
Dog’s Name: Bernie
Breed: Husky mix
Age: 6
Owner(s): Karl and Rebecca Kondor
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 20
Dog’s Name: Nyla
Breed: Blue Heeler/Corgi Mix
Age: 11
Owner(s): Lee Winters
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 3
Dog’s Name: Echo
Breed: Mixed
Age: 16
Owner(s): Michael Kramer
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 5
Dog’s Name: Bean
Breed: Mixed
Age: 2.5
Owner(s): Mike Martinez
NASA Region: NASA Rocky Mountain
Years in NASA: 7
Dog’s Name: Augie
Breed: Poodle
Age: 12
Owner(s): Mike Tempel and family
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 14
Dog’s Name: Molly Moo
Breed: Mini Australian Shepherd
Age: 3-ish
Owner(s): Melissa Davis
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 14
Dog’s Name: Bean
Breed: Australian Shepherd/Border Collie
Age: 5
Owner(s): Melissa Davis
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 14
Dog’s Name: Mila and Wilhem
Breed: Toy Scnhauzer
Age: 5 and 7
Owner(s): Peter and Lauren Jones
NASA Region: NASA NorCal
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Renzo
Breed: Golden Retriever
Age: 2
Owner(s): Phil Ulrich and Beth Caplan
NASA Region: NASA Utah
Years in NASA: 15
Dog’s Name: Dexter and Nala
Breed: Maltese/Poodle and Maltese/Shih Tzu
Age: 7 and 10
Owner(s): Richard and Judy Bennett
NASA Region: NASA Florida
Years in NASA: 1
Dog’s Name: Luna
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 9 mos.
Owner(s): Rob Turczany
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 4
Dog’s Name: Mac
Breed: Bouvier des Flandres
Age: 5
Owner(s): Ryan Flaherty
NASA Region: NASA SoCal
Years in NASA: 23
Dog’s Name: Sako
Breed: Treeing Walker Coonhound
Age: 14
Owner(s): Shane and Melissa Lovely
NASA Region: NASA Southeast
Years in NASA: 20
Dog’s Name: Lemon
Breed: German Shepherd and Chow Chow mix
Age: 4-ish
Owner(s): Taylor Johnson
NASA Region: NASA Northeast
Years in NASA: 6
Dog’s Name: Josephine
Breed: Long-Haired Mini Dachshund
Age: 1
Owner(s): Ted and Kim Schafer
NASA Region: NASA Great Lakes
Years in NASA: 4
Dog’s Name: Lola
Breed: Collie
Age: 4-ish
Owner(s): Tom and Marlis Byrns
NASA Region: NASA Great Lakes
Years in NASA: 10
