I’m not exactly sure what or when the first race I ever went to was. It was unfortunately not something that registered in my head as a significant event. Or I was too young to remember. Whatever the case, my earliest memories of stock car racing were at race tracks in my own backyard.

In my experience these series offer some of the best racing around. The guys racing in these series are often racing this week so they can race next. They are willing to bump and bang on each other (of course without doing too much damage) and put on good shows for the fans. It also provides the opportunity to see the stars of tomorrow today. I know that is kind of cliche but it is absolutely the truth. 

We always used to attend the races for one of the now defunct NASCAR Autozone Elite divisions. They are some of the best memories I have from my childhood. I was able to see some great drivers throughout the years. Now, not many of them went on to do much else, but they were great personalities that the fans loved to love and loved to hate. The tracks and series also provide great access to the pits and in turn the drivers following the races.

In my opinion NASCAR made a big mistake in 2006 when they disbanded the Autozone Elite Divisions after 20 years in operation. They provided a much less costly way for young drivers to gain experience. While they do still operate the Camping World East and West series the money that must be put into these series is very large. This is not a feasible option for many low-budget operations. Their travel is so widespread they really don’t differ any from ARCA or Hooters Pro-Cup.

Long story short, the value of local racing is immense. If you haven’t been to your local track recently you should go. The experiences you have will last a lifetime and frankly it is a lot cheaper than any big three NASCAR event you would go to. Do you remember your first race? Tell us about it in the comment section.

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