For the first 16 years of my life, I lived within an hour of a NASCAR track. When I turned 15, I bought a 1970 Olds 4-4-2 that I could document as a pace car at that race track. However, I have never been to a NASCAR race until now. How did it happen? I don’t know – maybe I was more inclined to get my dad to take me to Carlisle and Atco instead. My first NASCAR ride? The United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
When I was a kid and watched anything with four wheels on TV, NASCAR featured names like Yarborough, Earnhardt, Waltrip and Allison. As I got older, I learned that moonlight seemed to give way to men with cars, which contributed to the last American hero was Junior Johnson (Yes!). I also learned that there are three kings of this world: Elvis, Budweiser and Richard Petty.
At the time, stock cars seemed to resemble production cars (hence the namesake). A lot has changed in NASCAR since the 1980s, including the Japanese manufacturer involved (although there is no word that Toyota ran through the hills of Fujiyoshida). Some might say that Bill France is rolling in his grave, though considering he was born in Washington, he’s practically a Yankee anyway.
While France founded NASCAR at Daytona Beach, and as auto racing dominates the southeastern United States, auto racing is still considered a southern sport, although modern times have brought an international fan base.
I pulled into a dusty parking lot that was packed, though I was surprised at the attendees carelessly parking their cars without maximizing the space, or tailgating two parking spaces worth of picnic gear. Where’s the southern manners? Being the resourceful guy that I am with a good dose of Jersey blood, I cleared the way and parked without a problem – problem solved.
The walk from here Item 3 it was long, but in the middle of the pack between items. There were shuttles for those who didn’t want to get to the stadium. Unfortunately, all the shuttles to the stadium were full, so my only hope was to catch a shuttle to further areas and loop back. I decided to make the distance a part of my NASCAR rituals, no different than standing in line at Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven or waiting an hour at my health insurance company. It was a smart decision because along the way a guy was passing out Monster Energy The Beast Unleashed spiked seltzer – and he didn’t card me! (Please keep this on the DL because my boss doesn’t need to know about this…)
When I entered the complex, the competition had just begun. Within the confines of the stadium, I only saw food stands (they all seemed to have the same graphic designer), t-shirt trailers, and some racing courtesy of the NASCAR Experience and NASCAR Kid Zone. But then I was suddenly overwhelmed by the noise coming from inside the edge of the stadium. “Woooooom!” the mechanical chatter went away, only coming back every 20 seconds or so. They suggested I bring earplugs and I immediately understood why.
T-shirt vendors are an interesting phenomenon compared to athletic and musical events. They sold their wares out of trailers, but didn’t seem to be competing with each other because they each focused on one rider or team (and I’m assuming the rider and/or team run the operation). There was even a motorsports clothing company that focused exclusively on women. Hey girls!
Upon further investigation, I found the usual promotional displays from, for example, a new age chewing tobacco company (like everything these days, “a new, new approach to nicotine”) and Toyota (which I still consider sacrilegious, although I don’t know there’s no hatred in my heart). There was even a trailer made for those who wanted to get vaccinated, although I have to say that the queue for the bathroom was longer than for the vaccination.
I finally climbed the stairs to the stadium. I peeked into the arena to catch a glimpse of the competition, then walked around and took in the scene. It looked like a typical sporting event or concert, with the usual vendors serving the usual beer and spirits and carb and sugary foods. It’s worth mentioning that the most notable thing I noticed was that people were well-behaved – public drunkenness and loud behavior was non-existent in my experience, unlike what I’ve experienced at every baseball game I’ve ever attended. This was quite remarkable considering the level of sponsorship from crime brands.
After collecting all of this, I began my adventure to thank the officials who granted me access to my first NASCAR race. I entered Guest Services and asked for directions to the media center. The lady didn’t know, so she suggested I go to another part and go down the stairs to the elevator. After walking about 400 meters, I couldn’t find the elevator, but I found a lady guarding something that we earthlings were not allowed to access. He told me to go upstairs to (another) guest services office and the lady there directed me back to where the guard was. He let me through without a problem, although I felt that I was heading for no man’s land, except for the privileged. After the arrival of the 5th floor where the seats were, I was quickly met by a gatekeeper who told me the media center was on the track.
So the next question was, can I go to the field? I had no idea, so I told the guy at the tunnel entrance that I was looking for the media center and I had to go there. someone. He let me in as I thought to myself as I walked down the track how nice everyone was or maybe I was just too slick for my own good? And then, like on the other side of the rainbow, I had a revelation.
The course was not what I expected. I imagined that the teams and their RVs were stationed there, but the reality is that the infield was THE happy place for many NASCAR fans who were willing to pay to get a glimpse of what was going on. Of course, those in the stands could see the race from a bird’s eye view, but in the indoor area it was possible to drink in the designated areas (no other than in an open-air restaurant), watch the race on the monitor, and let the children play. , see all the competitors’ workplaces/garages and watch the crews from afar.
And also visit the media center.
The majority of those present did not deal with this. I suspect they found it more interesting to play video games in the Esports Gamer Garage.
The superfan can do it rent a scanner so you can tune in to your favorite driver and team during the campaign. However, it’s probably best to keep this away from your kids so they don’t find out what the contestants can be like.
It was ever so right that my pass allowed me to cross the gate and get close to the action. Every team was reserved, the crew was always ready and everyone seemed to be having a good time – the epitome of what we expect from a winning team.
Most of the action off the racetrack was when cars came into the pits. The pressure increases with the pit stops!
Despite the action, there are moments when team members can unfold while the rest of the working elements do their thing.
There are many other ways to view the competition that may not be obvious to an outsider. One of the Ridgeline, “a whole new approach to camping.” This is an area reserved for motorhomes, which opens up from a bird’s eye view when raised above the backrest. For better effect, you can sit on top of the motorhome.
Another is watching NASCAR Mountainside. The ticket allows you to go up the hill next to the first turn. The inside looks like a bunch of meddlers who didn’t want to pay a ticket.
“Victory Lane” gives guests the opportunity to be featured on social media. Yours truly is camera shy, although I suspect Millennials would embrace this moment on Instagram.
A little wandering around will give you a good idea of how extensive an operation it is to run a team. An experienced driver is only part of the equation.
While there can only be one winner, those behind the scenes know that, like a quarterback or goalie, success comes from teamwork, not just who crosses the finish line first. So, maybe you can witness it yourself William Byron won the race, but the winners whose shoulders support Byron and Car 24.
So am I a NASCAR convert? Since I’m not much of an athlete, probably not. However, I do enjoy the occasional game, so I think I’ll be back with my family to show them an experience they haven’t had yet.
But not without attention Talladega Nights first, since it’s been 17 years since its release, I’m pretty down.
