I swear, I have yet to find a group of fans, or people for that matter, that know how to party and express themselves better then NASCAR fans.  One only needs to take a walk through a camping area at a Cup race to discover this for themselves.  I can promise you it will be an entertaining, and probably educational experience.

A common way to camp out at a race, that I discovered a while back, is the old converted school bus method.  With a little money, an old school bus, some ingenuity, and a little creativity, any race fan can create a personalized party bus to serve as their temporary home while at the track.  I’ve seen everything from roof top decks with palm trees, to elaborate paint schemes adorning these once lumbering haulers of children.  One bus that stands out in my mind was one I noticed while driving into Bristol earlier this season.  At one of the roadside campgrounds was a bus painted up like a black Dale Jr. #88 car.  Not a bad representation, but what stood out was the “Teresa Sucks” emblazoned across the back door.  The bus showed this particular person’s allegiance and made a statement.  Absolutely classic.

I will get to the infamous Talladega infield shortly, but I first wanted to mention the infield at Michigan International Speedway.  I went wandering around the infield after a race there a while back with some friends and not only ran across some crazy partiers but also met some really cool people.  This one group had a bar set up in their camping area complete with a flat screen TV and bar stools, not to mention beer on tap and a full selection of other adult beverages.  Now that is how to do it right.

While Michigan may run a close second, no infield rivals the one found at the big track in Alabama.  There is only one word that comes to mind in regards to the craziness you’ll find at Talladega; wow.  You will meet some very cool, very passionate fans in the infield at ‘Dega, but get ready for an education.  I’ve seen and heard about things there that would make even the most experienced fan blush.  It becomes a veritable Spring Break for adults.  These folks will party hard and cheer for the favorite driver harder.

Without the estimated 75 million Americans that consider themselves NASCAR fans, none of us would have a job.  And in comparison to fans of any other major sport, I wouldn’t trade them for anything.  A lot can be said about college football fans and NFL fans, but you tell me in what other sport do fans start tailgaiting an entire week before the event?  None that I know of.

So the next time you are planning to attend a race, and are looking to have a good time, I would suggest checking out the camping option.  You can party it up, watch a little racin’, and probably make a whole bunch of new friends.

Related posts:

• Oh, It’s The ‘Camping World Truck Series’
• Race Track Fan Walks