Hot air balloon 'Last Lap' pays tribute to legendary NASCAR drivers

Deb and Ron Nollen of the village of Merton are not only hot air balloonists but also NASCAR enthusiasts.

This racing passion is on full display in the skies with their hot air balloon.

The Nollen family developed this strong interest in NASCAR while living in Florida for five years and attended many races. The past two hot air balloons were the standard patterns. But in 2000, the couple designed their own balloon with a NASCAR theme.

"It is unique and there is nothing like it," she said.

They call their balloon "Last Lap" and gives a tribute to legendary NASCAR drivers. The drivers' names, racing number, and birth and death dates are displayed on the balloon. Ron's favorite driver was Davey Allison, who died in 1993.

"You can't be in the sport of racing and not respect Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Alan Kulwicki," Deb said. "They are on the balloon."

The balloon also names Adam Petty, Neil Bonnett and Kenny Irwin.

The Nollens follow current racers too, like Joey Gase, one of their current favorites.

"He is from Iowa near where we grew up," Deb said. "We were excited to give him a balloon ride a couple years ago and have enjoyed visiting him at the track and watching him as he races."

Looking out into the world

Lake Country is popular for hot air balloons.

"It is a beautiful area to fly," Deb said. "You can fly over a lake and big open spaces away from airports."

The couple has been married for 36 years and flying for 31 years. Ron is a Federal Aviation Administration certified pilot. While some people fly hot air balloons as a job, Deb said they do it for fun.

Ironically, Ron is afraid of heights. The chances of catching him on a Ferris wheel are pretty slim.



Deb said that being in a hot air balloon is not like being on a Ferris wheel. In a hot air balloon, it is like walking up a high hill and looking out. It's more like floating than flying.

As a pilot, Ron just thinks about the flight (controlling the balloon). Deb said when you are in the air you are looking out, not down. She described that it's like looking out the second story window of a home. You enjoy the view, not how far off the ground you are.

"We have taken up many people who are afraid of heights and once up they enjoy it very much because they realize it is nothing like they expected," Deb said.

Their interest in hot air balloons started when Deb's co-worker asked the Nollens to be on his crew. After helping with a competitive event, Deb and Ron fell in love with the races.

There are many different competitive events, including the National Balloon Classic, which is in Iowa, and the nearby Waterford Balloonfest.

Hot air balloon races don't judge speed. In balloon races, pilots are scored on how close they can get to a target. The pilot is given coordinates for a target, and they drop small bean bag-type markers onto the target. Whoever is closest, wins.

Up, up and away

Deb contrasted being in a hot air balloon to what's seen in the "Wizard of Oz" or other romantic comedies.

"You never see the pilot, just the two lovers getting into a basket," Deb said. "The balloon then slowly lifts off into the air and miraculously floats away."

There needs to be a pilot to burn the propane in order to create the heat that makes the balloon lift.

"Just a person saying 'let's go' doesn't actually make the balloon go up into the air," she said.

When you have a balloon standing up with the envelope fully inflated, a crew is needed to hang onto the basket to make sure it doesn't lift off the ground before you are ready.

Deb doesn't fly in the hot air balloon with her husband. Her job as crew chief is to stay on the ground. She follows along with the balloon to make sure she is ready once he lands. Their daughter and son-in-law are also on the crew.

Hot air balloons fly year-round. The biggest challenge is not the cold. In fact, less fuel is needed during the winter. It is important to fly when there is not too much wind and not to fly when a storm is approaching, Deb said. She added a balloonist has to be careful where to land because the crew has to go get the balloon.

Once when she flew with Ron, they got into some high winds while in the air.

"We were really booking across quickly," she said. "We had to find a place to land and found a big field with cattle in it. We nearly landed face first into cattle doo-doo."

Despite the near miss from cow pies, the couple cherishes the time spent flying in "Last Lap."

"Every flight is different so it is always a new experience," Deb said. "Ron especially enjoys taking up someone who has never flown before. With a first-time rider, you are sharing something you enjoy with them."