While other forms of motorsport continue to grow in popularity, there’s still something unique about being at a NASCAR race. Whether you love the sound of thunderous engines or thrive on chaos and confusion, you’ll find something to love about a NASCAR race.
For one, NASCAR is all about teamwork. Whether it’s on the track or in the garages, your fellow patrons and employees will need your help. And yes, you’ll need their help too. There are certain procedures that need to be followed when working on cars as there are at a doctor’s surgery. You’ll find that everyone, from the most senior staff member to the person sitting in the front row, is willing to help out a fellow driver or fan.
Furthermore, NASCAR is family friendly. While you might find yourself in an uncomfortable situation at a nightclub or restaurant, you’ll never feel out of place at a NASCAR event. Even the most ardent drivers regularly socialize with and engage with the fans around them. This is never more evident than at a grandstand party or driver meet-and-greet. You’ll often find that the sport’s biggest heroes are its most humble and approachable individuals. This is probably because their children will often come to the aid of their good manners. When speaking with the media after a race, you’ll often hear phrases like, “I’m just a regular Joe,” or “This is my family’s first time at a race.” This is the type of behavior that will surely make you want to embrace them as a family, add them to your Facebook friends, and invite them over for dinner.
The History
The first NASCAR race was held in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1946. Inspired by the success of automobile races at places like Indianapolis and Daytona, local business owners realized that they could make money by drawing big crowds and broadcasting the action live. Thanks to a small war-time industry boost, automobile racing became popular once again. Since then, the sport has taken over the U.S. racing scene. Today, NASCAR races are held not only in Florida but also in other parts of the country. The most famous tracks include Phoenix, California; Talladega, Alabama; and Daytona, Florida. Outside of North America, NASCAR races are held in Europe and Asia. Although the series doesn’t sanction races in other parts of the world, it does give tracks there permission to host the cars and have the events streamed live.
The Teams & Their Gear
When attending any type of motorsport event, the most important thing to keep in mind is the teams and their gear. Here are some of the items you’ll need to know:
- Crew chief
- Helmet
- Jumpsuit
- Wear goggles (even if it’s just for photos)
- Full-body suit (more for females than males)
- Bike helmet
- Racing shoes
- Locker room
- Candy
- Water bottle
- Goggles (for photos)
- Flashlight (for drivers & crew members)
- Tool kit
- First aid kit
- License plate holder
- Brake handle
- Jacket
- Backpack (if carrying a camera, recording equipment, or other bulky items)
- Garbage bag
- Good sport
- Journal
- Tissues (highly recommended)
Tricky Business
One of the things you’ll quickly learn about NASCAR is that it’s a lot more than just racing. There are actually a lot of steps that need to be followed to prepare for a race weekend, and things can go terribly wrong without proper preparation. Here are some of the things that can happen:
- Poor track selection (if you do your homework and know the right tracks to avoid)
- Poor weather (if you’re not used to racing in bad weather conditions)
- Power surge (caused by heavy rains or flooding)
- Mechanical issues (with cars or equipment)
- Accident on the track (if there’s an accident during one of your races, it will likely be replayed over and over again during the following days)
- Over-rotation (if you’re driving on a track that isn’t suitable for your car)
- Fire (if your car catches on fire during one of your races)
- Track closures (if the track is closed for any reason during one of your races)
- Racing under caution (caused by injuries or accidents on the track)
- Incorrect scoring (if there’s an error in the way the races are scored)
- Rules errors (if a rule is broken during one of your races)
- Illegal block cutting (if a car is modified in any way that breaks the rules – you’ll receive a warning before the race even begins)
- Award ceremonies (if you’re attending one of NASCAR‘s award ceremonies)
- Bumper-to-bumper sessions (if you’re interested in cars, you’ll want to attend as many of these as possible)
- Lap chaining (if you’re driving in a circle during one of your races – you’ll receive a warning before the race even begins)
- Bike polishing (if you’re participating in an early morning bike session before the race even begins)
- Racing with a busted up engine (if your car’s engine blows up during one of your races)
If you’re lucky enough to survive all of that, you’ll want to stock up on the essentials for the following days. Here are some of the things you’ll need to have in your car for the race (unless you have them at home):
- Jacket
- Pants
- T-shirt
- Sunglasses (just in case)
- Sporting gloves
- Water bottle
- First aid kit
- Tool kit
- Racing hat
- Solid rear bumper (just in case)
- Good sport
What To Watch
Although you’ll likely be glued to the TV during the actual racing, there are a few other things you might want to keep an eye out for:
- Interviews with the drivers before and after the race
- Feature races (short races that separate the field into different groups) – these are often times when the championship is decided
- Typos/spelling errors in the official results (they are often published well after the race has ended)
- Racewalks (if you’re driving a different car during a different session on the same day)
- Vettes (if you’re a car snob and love vintage vehicles)
- Retirements (if there are any during the race)
- Car crashes (if there are any during the race)
- Flag incidents (if there are any during the race)
- Medical emergencies (if any occur during the race)
- Dogs & Catches (just in case)
- Biker parties (just in case)
- Rock concerts (just in case)
- Horse races (just in case)
- And much more!
As you can see, there’s a lot to keep track of, and you’ll likely want to make a checklist of everything you need before arriving at the race track. Don’t worry, I’ll give you some tips on how to make things easier. For instance, you can create a weekly checklist to ensure you check off all the items before the next race. This will make you more organized and help you avoid any stress at the race track.