The View from Pit Road

One of the great things about having family within the sport and working within it is being able to watch races in the garage and on pit road. The action is ongoing and being in the heart of competition makes you really feel part of it. As cool as that is, it is perhaps the worst place at the track (besides maybe the bathroom) to watch the race.

I have been on the infield at many tracks and while they vary in openness and level of coolness they all share that common difficulty of watching the race. Thankfully these days most pit boxes have TVs on them and some tracks have JumboTrons, but honestly if I wanted to watch the race on TV I would have stayed at home.

Beyond the difficulty of actually watching the race, it really is very cool being down on pit road. You are only feet away from pit stop action, you get to see first hand what is going on in the garage area and when confrontations break out you are right there in the middle of it.

By far one of the coolest tracks to be in the infield at is Martinsville Speedway. Like I said earlier it can get a little crazy with cars going in and out of the garage, but the action is second to none. First and foremost walking into the pit area makes you feel like a true VIP as you have to go through two levels of security. First are the sheriff’s deputies who are overly thorough, and then before you can enter the tunnel another person checks credentials. While you are doing all of this fans line the fenced area trying to catch glimpses of their favorite drivers. Down in the garage area all you can see is about 100 feet of track at any given point, but it is still pretty cool.

It has been a while since I have been in the stands to watch a race, but trust me, it is the best place to see what is going on. However, if you ever get a chance to go on pit road, or do one of the fan walk experiences I would highly recommend it. It is a lot of fun and is really something most don’t get an opportunity to experience.

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