Comments on: Do You Remember Why You Love NASCAR?

By: BPG

BPG — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:06:50 +0000

Brian France ruined what was a wonderful event for the family. The almighty dollar has sucked another great American passion into its vortex of death and destruction.

By: Journo

Journo — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:12:00 +0000

Bob-a-lou- Wow, talk about a brain lapse on my part. Thanks for adding that!

By: Bob-a-lou

Bob-a-lou — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:33:56 +0000

Don’t forget about Joey Lagano in the first-time winners list.

I remember Cale Yarborough turning into the “fastest half-mile dirt track in the south” pulling a race car behind the statiion wagon that had kids sleeping in the back. That was “round track” racing to me.

By: Doug in CA

Doug in CA — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:58:50 +0000

Riverside 1977: sitting high in the grandstand in turn 6, watching 43 cars come snaking up through the esses, first on the pace lap, then at speed. I was hooked. Those cars had no business on a road course, and watching those guys sling those cars through the turns was a great sight.

Ontario 1980: Cale vs Dale

The noise, the smell, the colors …

By: red

red — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:22:59 +0000

that’s easy for me: competition. pure competition. driver against driver, pit crew against pit crew, owner against owner. it’s all about who’s the best that week at that track at that time. and that deep-chest feeling when the engines all start ain’t so bad, either! and it’s not just nascar b/c my local dirt track brings that out as well.

i’m a sports junkie but recently, all the other “stuff” that has leeched into professional sports has cooled my enthusiasm. it’s not just the steroids and various drugs, either. it’s the behaviors and posturings of the comeptitors away from their sport, the utter lack of sportsmanship and the focus on self. the few teams i follow now still demonstrate that drive to win, that desire to be the best out there at that moment. some of it’s hometown-driven — altho’ the phillies are awesome, no matter what! — but most of it is just an apprecaition for a job well done and a respect for the sport.

i am a fan of nascar because once those engines start, everything else falls away and i get to watch true professionals doing their best for a few hours. sometimes, they fall very short and i can see the disappointment in the eyes and hear it in the voice and that speaks to me as well. i respect all of the men and women involved in racing each weekend, not just the driver — he doesn’t operate alone out there and when he says “these guys were great! i couldn’t have done it without them,” i remember that team feeling from when i competed and the honesty in that statement.

it’s far from what it was and on the way to whatever it will be but the bottom line is that someone will still strap into a race car and go 180+mph and his/her team will bust their respective (and respectable!) butts to get that car across the line first at the finish. and i respect that, i admire that and i honor that.

By: Toney

Toney — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:16:08 +0000

Easy question! The Black 3 car………….

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:36:32 +0000

I agree with Zieke. The cars now are so unrecognizable. Other than the actual cars of the 50’s- early 80’s,a car use to resemble the showroom counterparts without using much imagination.

Now you really need to stretch your imagination to “See” the resemblance

By: KRBama

KRBama — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:39:47 +0000

Well, I started watching 3 years ago, went to my first race 2 years ago, now I know all the car numbers/sponsers/owners/crew chiefs. I’m not your typical Nascar fan (15 year old girl, lol). However, my dad has been a fan for a long time. Prior to my becoming a fan in my own right, I have 2 distinct memories of Nascar. One was being 5 years old and hearing my dad jump up and down when Sr. won the 500. The other was seeing my dad cry as Mike Helton announced that they had lost Dale Earnhardt. After that, dad stopped following as closely, only watching the standards every year. Then, I became absolutely addicted to Alabama football. Watched every game, knew every number, hometown of the players, etc. I also began following the NFL closely, more to study the plays and the schemes than a specific team. After the Super Bowl, I found that there was a ridiculously large hole in my life left by the absence of football. I latched on to Nascar. Now, I must be around a television every week. I can’t relate to the people who say the old days were better, I wasn’t around. I do know that I enjoy it now. The Dega races are now a must go for me. I love the speed, the roar of the cars, the sights/smells/sounds of the great big party that is a racetrack, and the closeness of the competition. I love how such a small adjustment can make such a big difference. I love the passion that people have for each driver, although I can’t say it matches the passion people have for football in Alabama. (Sorry, but you just can’t beat Tuscaloosa on a Sat. in the Fall) I love the personalities of the drivers, even though they don’t punch each other like they used to. I love coming home from a race smelling like sunscreen, smoke, and the beer from the guy next to me who I high fived everytime Jr. went by. lol That’s my story, anyway. I love Nascar.

By: allan

allan — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:10:00 +0000

why ,a jr fan,an when he is not running good i woen,t go to a race this year , an sometimes turn the channel when he is running bad,cant help it,cant figure why 3 teams do good an one struggles, same car as last year ,top hendrick car for most of the year, go figure,i cant

By: Deb

Deb — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:00:09 +0000

For me it was the sound of all those engines starting when the command”Gentleman start your engines” was given! I will never forget it. It was in the 60’s at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The sounds,feeling the ground vibrate fm the roaring of those engines..WOW Cale Yaborough became my favorite driver that day. I will always remember and be thankful for my sweet uncle for taking to my 1st race. It was awesome.