Nicole Rash, 2007 Miss Indiana, talks with LaPorte native Tony Raines, driver of the #96 DLP HDTV NASCAR series car, while at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard race Sunday, as he introduces his son, Leland. Pilot Photos/Maggie Nixon

By Maggie Nixon Managing Editor
PLYMOUTH — In the five weeks since Nicole Rash was crowned Miss Indiana, she has been keeping busy. And in the past two months, she unexpectedly found a boyfriend.
Taking part in Fourth of July activities in Marshall County and throughout the state, Nicole has found herself enjoying all that being crowned has offered her.
“I had a fun day in Zionsville,” she said. “I sang the National Anthem and danced the ‘Chicken Dance,’” she said.
And speaking of animals, it was the “Elephant Awareness Week” that Nicole really enjoyed attending at the Indianapolis Zoo. She was able to take part in the dolphin show and fed the fish. “It was really cute,” she said. “I got a kiss from the dolphin.”
She was also able to pet an elephant — something she had never done before.
Another first for Nicole was attending a NASCAR race in the home state where she was crowned. She was the guest of the day for LaPorte-native Tony Raines and his DLP HDTV, Texas Instruments crew and sponsor. She even got to take part in pit road activities, holding a sign out for Raines to see where his pit stop was located.
Prior to the race in Indianapolis, Nicole had another appearance scheduled, so traveling is something she’ll have to get used to, if she isn’t used to it already.
“I plan to get to Riley Hospital for Children more,” she said. “I’m able to use my language skills and get interview skills that I’ll  be able to use for the Miss America pageant.”
While in Indianapolis, Nicole usually visits her sister, Brittany (Rogers) and her children.
Brittany’s mother- and father-in-law have a printing shop in Indy, Rogers’ Marketing and Printing, that is a sponsor for an Indy Racing League team, and they occupy a suite at Turn 2 of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
During one visit — the Indianapolis 500 — Nicole was with Rogers’ family when the driver they sponsor visited the suite.
Phil Giebler was eventually named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, but it was Nicole’s attention he was trying to gain.
“Brittany kept talking to me,” Phil said, “but what I really wanted was to talk to Nicole!”
Nicole, who had never been in Indy to watch a race, was polite to Phil, but not interested thanks to some advice she received from her brother-in-law.
“He said not to date racers because they have dates at every track they race at,” she said.
But, Phil was persistent, inviting Nicole to a charity event for the 500. He called Jeff Rogers (Brittany’s father-in-law) to get in touch with Brittany finally to get Nicole’s phone number.
“All the way to Kokomo,” Cindy Rash, Nicole’s mom said, “I told her to at least call and decline politely. When I woke up, I found out she told him ‘Yes’ she would attend.”
Surprised by this news, Phil said, “You called to tell me ‘No’?”
Nicole admitted she was ready to turn him down, but after his concern for the well-being of her nephew who had fallen ill, she thought he was polite and nice enough that she might give it a try.
And the rest, they say, is history.
“I couldn’t turn him down when he said, ‘Out of everyone else I’ve met, there’s no one I’d rather go with than you.’,” Nicole said.
The charity event turned out to be a good time — and Nicole even got a free pair of jeans out of it.
“He called to ask me what size jeans I wore,” Nicole said. “That was strange, but I got a brand new pair!”
She was also able to wear a $10,000 necklace for the night.
The event was for mechanics or crew members who get injured or are in trouble and the money raised at the event goes to their cause.
Phil started off go-karting in California, where he and his father own “G Phactory Racing” in Huntington Beach. He grew up in Oxnard, Calif.
Because of the travel expected of the driver, who specializes in road courses for Indy Pro, he knows the schedule that has Nicole busy is just as important as his own.
“We get it,” Nicole said. “We don’t get jealous of each other for having to travel or not being able to see each other all the time.”
Phil said, “We understand that we’re both busy and have traveling commitments.”
He added, “We’re similarly passioned about our futures and we’re goal-oriented. We have people looking forward to our schedules and we’ll work in time to see each other.”
As well as accompanying Nicole back to the track they met at, Phil was recently in Plymouth to see her hometown.
“It’s a nice, little town,” he said. “I like the smallness of it; everyone knows each other. It’s nice to be in a place where it’s more of a community.”
Nicole explained one instance that has made meeting Phil so much fun.
“A few days after our first ‘date’ was the Indianapolis 500 parade. I got a call from Phil around 10:30 a.m. saying that he had a press conference and asking if I wanted to join him,” he said. “So, I started to get around at my sister’s in Avon. A few minutes later, I got a text message saying that I needed to be there by 11:30 a.m. to get on the bus. I had no idea why I had to get on a bus for a press conference, but I hurried and started to head over to the Speedway. I got part-way there, but was running late, and he called again saying that I needed to hurry or I was going to miss the parade.”
After thinking she was going to be able to watch a neat parade, Nicole was interrupted with that thought.
“He said, ‘No, I want you to ride in the parade with me.’”
She added, “I was shocked and excited, but I missed the buses, had to follow them to the parade route, lost them along the way and ended up parking a few streets down from Meridian where the parade was, and walking down Meridian asking if the drivers had been by there yet.”
She said she finally saw him and called him on the phone.
“I told him to look to his left, but with all the people he couldn't see me, so he had his driver stop the car and the whole parade!”
Although he couldn’t see her through the crowd, Nicole was determined to get to Phil.
“I basically hurdled over the crowd and ran across the parade route in Monument Circle, hopped on his car and rode in the rest of the parade with him. It was like a moment out of a movie or something. We love that story!”