September 17th, 2008 
T.C. Before I proceed, I should warn you that this post may come off as a little cheesy. But I don’t care, I’m going to write it anyway. Its been on my list of topics for a while, and I felt like now was as good a time as any to write it.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to be in the situation I’m in. I have discovered what truly makes me happy, and I’ve found a way to make money doing it. At some point several years ago, after having been around various forms of motorsports, it dawned on me that I never had a bad time when I was at the race track. Since then, it seems like I’ve made it my mission to make a career out of racing. And along the way I’ve amassed a lot of experiences in and around races. I thought it would be cool to share some of these experiences, especially since many will never get the chance.
Now before I start, let me say that some of these can be had by any fan with enough money for a race ticket. Others require a hard card.
The experience that gave me the idea for this post happened earlier this season. We had just arrived at the track and it was very early in the morning. The sun hadn’t quite come up yet, and as we were walking through the infield to the garage, it hit me. There is nothing like a race track early in the morning. Before the fans come in and the noise begins, its almost religious. You can feel the excitement and the anticipation building for race day and you suddenly remember why you are here.
If you are headed to Dover this weekend, and you are lucky enough to have a pit pass, wait to walk over the bridge until after practice has started. Dover’s cross over bridge is all glass and is right out of turn two. Standing in there while the cars thunder by is insane. The drivers are hard on the “loud pedal” as they accelerate out onto the backstretch and it literally shakes the walkway beneath you.
Through my career I have spent a lot of time at some great race tracks. But two in particular stand out in my mind as something to see. And you might be surprised that even though Bristol is my favorite track, its not one of them. If you get the chance, you need to visit Daytona and Darlington. Daytona, especially at the 500, is the ultimate NASCAR track. Its big, fast, loud, and the history of the track is the history of sport. Being at Darlington is amazing because it brings you back to the roots of stock car racing. It is old school racing at its finest even today, and you can really feel the history and the ghosts of NASCAR’s past there (don’t worry, they are good ghosts).
One event I’ll never forget is my first ever pit stop. It was in an ARCA race and I was nervous as hell. I was so pumped up with adrenaline when I hit the ground, I don’t remember seeing anything around me, except lugnuts. It was over really fast, and I must have done a decent job because I didn’t get fired and I’m still a tire changer today.
The last experience I’ll add is the feeling of triumph after your team busts off a badass pit stop. I’ve always been really competitive, and I’m not afraid to show a little emotion. Probably a bad combination. Late in a race a while back, our driver had just overcome some adversity to get back to the top five. A caution flew and we hit pit road with the leaders. We’d had a decent day on pit road, but it was nothing to write home about. As we stepped onto the wall, I think we all knew the race was going to come down to this stop. It was that moment we all want to be in, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, here’s the pitch… And we knocked it out of the park. Four tires, fuel, and an adjustment and we were gone. I knew it was good the second I set my gun down. After a little push to get the driver on his way, I let loose. So loose in fact, a friend later told me I was maybe a little too excited. Oh well, that’s racing.
So now that I’ve shared some of mine, what are some of your favorite racing experiences or moments?
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As I have posted in the past I have been a huge motorsports fan since the 60′s. Living in the Northeast never offered the experience T.C. posted.
My first real experience presented itself in 1991. I was in Daytona after a 22 hr road trip from Boston. As I was driving down valusia Blvd I happened upon DIS. I could not believe it! Unfortunately it was August.However,it was still Daytona International Speedway!
I took the tour of the track, that was magical to a guy from Boston!
My last experince was last October at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That was awesome being in the infield. It was so bright due to the lights.
Just a point of view from someone that was deprived of the experience all those years.
My last experience was last weekend at Loudon. I am lucky enough to have friend who works on a Cup team and was able to get my father and I cold passes for the garage area for the weekend.
We were in the garage on Saturday and Sunday. The best experience was on Saturday during the Modified and Truck races when were able to get out on to pit road. I was able to stand on the pit wall in one of the modified’s pit stall during the race, and again during the truck race while we were waiting for the modified race to resume. We were right next to Todd Bodine’s pit stall when he came in after getting wrecked on the track. We also talked to the guys after their after race activities.
The whole weekend was great and such a thrill to be so close to the action. I told my wife she is very lucky we just bought a house in the Northeast and are now tied down because after that experience I wanted to move down south and see what would happen from there.
Here are a couple of my great racing experiences altho not during an actual race. (1) While in the Charlotte area I went to the Baker school in Rockingham. We had to take a skid pad test & mine was with Buck Baker as my passenger. When I finished Buck said “perfect”. What a memory. (2) Went looking for Junior Johnson’s house in Wilksboro. Pulled up in my rental car- here sat the Maxwell House and Budweiser haulers side by side. Junior came out, I introduced myself & Junior said “pleased to meet you, sir”. I spent the day walking anywhere I wanted, including the engine shop & dyno room right next to the employees. That’ll never happen again. What a trip that was!!
I’ve had so many over the past 15 years it’s hard to choose which would be my favorite.
I’ll never forget attending my first race at Pocono. Standing in the bleachers just behind the start-finish line. Couldn’t see a dang thing. But you could feel the power of those cars with the bleachers vibrating under your feet and the roar of those engines as they headed down the front stretch. I turned to my husband and told him this wasn’t our last race.
Or that memorable fall race in Charlotte. It was the Dale and Dale Show. Earnhardt and Jarrett are racing side by side, nose to nose in the final laps. First Earnhardt sticks his nose out along the back stretch and Jarrett gets him in the turns. There wasn’t a person sitting down, and the noise from the crowds as each took their turn out front drowned out the engines. My late husband was a DJ fan. (“my” driver is, and always will be Michael Waltrip) But at that moment I was an Earnhardt fan through and through. BTW, Earnhardt won that race.
Or taking my grandson to the first race he could understand what was going on and watching the excitment on his face and that ear to ear smile, he was 2. Actually, John went to his very first race at the ripe old age of one week and we haven’t missed the fall race in Atlanta for all of his 8 years.
Or when I was a volunteer flagger at Watkins Glen.
Enough, or I won’t stop.
I didn’t think this was a cheesy post at all….and thanks for the tip about dover. I won’t be there…but if I ever find my way there I will NOT do that because it’d probably scare the hell out of me (I think the fear of heights thing I have would totally kick in- I can usually control it but that might just be sensory overload).
And I love watching the pit crews all pumped up after a great pit stop…and don’t think there is anything wrong with that either.
But now to answer your question- I have TWO favorite race experiences. One was my first race ever and the other was my first NASCAR race.
My first race ever was an INDY car race at a track not far from where I lived. My dad surprised me with passes that included garage passes…plus he knew a bunch of the track workers so we basically could go where we wanted. We got there really really early and walked around the garage area- that was the cool to watch the crews setting things up and working on the cars and stuff. And the smells…I loved the smells. Its a road course so you didn’t really get the impact of the track itself as much…and frankly that is the race that enamored me to pit crews and pit stops (our seats were right in front of the pits). It was an amazing experience I will never forget ever.
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My first NASCAR race was just this year (even though I have been a NASCAR fan for years and years) at Las Vegas. And when we walked from the parkinglot towards the track? I just felt…wow I am home…seeing the track…messing around in the NEON Garage…the whole experience had me grinning from ear to ear. And the best part is I was at the track with my best friend and she has just in the year previous to the race picked up NASCAR and being a fan…so it was her first experience too…and I could tell that not only did she like nascar…she LOVED it. The best part was when she asked me as we were leaving the track “Maybe we should consider going to Fontana too!” (and we did! plus we are in the process of getting our tickets from Vegas NEXT Year).
i am a huge mark martin fan sence 1990 my first race i went to was dover in 97-98 siting in the middle of turn 3 and 4 up high to go to that race and watch your driver sit on the pole and lead most of that race and win was incredible i will never forget watching those cars screaming down the the front streach thinking they will never make it thru turn one amazing nothing like it in the world siting there and seeing rusty dale bill ricky dj dw and gordon the 90′s were a great times to be a race fan