Going round and round in circles

Today I'm celebrating the anniversary of NASCAR being founded

On this date in 1947, it's been told that the National Association for Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) was formed when mechanic William France, Sr began talks with other influential racers and promoters at the Ebony Bar at the Streamline Hotel at Daytona Beach, Florida. The original plans and points system was written on a bar room napkin. NASCAR, now the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the US, was incorporated in February 1948.

I've been a racing fan most of my life, having enjoyed watching it with my Dad, who was known for some of his informal racing around the county in his younger days. He also owned a 1961 Ford Galaxy 500, a Daytona special, that is still sitting on the old place back home and needs to be restored. Except for this year (Go Carl Edwards!), I've not particularly cheered for a single driver. I typically have several favorites. Although I really prefer open-wheel racing, I especially feel connected to Nascar. As a chaperone on one of the youth choir tours to Daytona, I led a group to the racetrack for a tour. They actually gave our group a private tour and let the bus driver drive that huge bus around the track. Of course, we stopped for photos along the way. I especially feel connected to the Texas Motor Speedway and the Earnhardt racing team these days. My little brother was the lead detective responsible for the recovery of the stolen Earnhardt racing uniform. It was his first case too! I'm so proud of him. I'm especially glad that he invited me to go with him to Fandango earlier this year (complete with police escort to park directly at the stadium gate entrance) for the recognition of the police department and his efforts for that achievement.

Non-fans are generally curious about what interests me in racing, since to them it just looks like a bunch of cars going in circles, round and round for hundreds of miles. First, there's the pure speed. We think driving 70 mph is tough at times. Consider what it would be like to get where you want to go, at ~200 miles mph while trying to get there before everyone else going to the same place! In addition, there's a lot of money for you if you beat all the others across the line. Overall relationships, cooperation and collaboration are key both within and among teams. Wouldn't it be nice to drive into the local gas station and get a full load of fuel, a quick drink, a clean windshield, and change all 4 tires in <20 seconds? Watch pit crew teams prepare and compete on YouTube. Also, just try getting >20 drivers to parallel park while going up to 50 mph down alongside a single lane street at pit row! There's a lot of strategy within the race. Sometimes the racing strategies collide and racing teams end up crashing on the track. Imagine depending on the voice in your ear of your spotter giving you instructions on how to avoid crashing into other cars as you race through the clouds of smoke while trying to avoid the spinning and flying cars during a Big One on the track! Occasionally you will see those drivers get into some heated discussions or pushing matches (Allison vs. Yarbrough, Edwards and Kenseth, Edwards and Dale Jr, Harvick and Biffle, and Montoya vs. Harvick ) afterwards in the intensity of the moment. There's a lot of science also to consider (e.g., drafting, slingshot passes, timing fuel refills, impact to tires, g-force), for those of us who have scientific or technical interests. If you haven't been introduced to racing, here's a Nascar Trivia site and Nascar.com's site for basics, history, and videos.

Some think that racing fans are just interested and obsessed with the crashes. I'm always a bit nervous about some tire flying into the grandstands when I'm at the race and do not look forward to those at all. However, it is always amazing to me that drivers can walk away from horrific crashes where their cars go flying upside down into the air, rolling across the track, or sometimes in a ball of fire! It's also amazing after a huge crash, sometimes involving dozens of drivers, how those pit crew teams can get those cars running and quickly back on the track again. In earlier years it was quite interesting to see the unique uses for duct tape at the racetrack! There are lots of videos of crashes posted on YouTube by racing fans. For those who are interested in the crashes or want to witness the wonder of Nascar safety despite those crashes, here are two videos you might want to watch: Largest crash in NASCAR history and NASCAR biggest crash in Modern Era.

Many think that racing fans are just a bunch of drunken rednecks. I'm sure that if you hang around the track during race week that you will meet a lot of friendly, fun-loving, people from the South (many of which might be considered rednecks). I'm sure that you're likely to meet many who enjoy the spirits as well. However, Nascar racing is one of the biggest sports in the USA and its fan-base is very diverse. Some of us are not rednecks and also don't drink. :) As I was told this week by a neat Tony Stewart fan, when you're at the track, all the fans are equal, one big family of people who have a single, common interest -- racing. It really doesn't matter whether you dig ditches, you're a research scientist, or you're a CEO for a large company, everyone is generally passionate about the sport.

One of the most memorable days of my life was spent with some of my guy friends on my first visit to the Texas Motor Speedway for the Nascar race. I had a lot of fun cheering my friend Tim on as he won many prizes and beat the records for the competitions. It was great watching the eyes light up as those engines cranked and the cars roared around the track for those who were just introduced to the sport. Those guys now regularly attend the races.

However, because it's the holidays and because so many people automatically think of rednecks with racing, I've posted below the funny music video of Jeff Foxworthy's redneck version of 12 Days of Christmas.

As posted on YouTube

At times, I have been known to beg my friends to give racing a chance. I bet after one day at the track with me, you'd be a fan for life! Today, my wish is personal: I wish that I'll get to go to the Nascar and IRL races at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2008! But, I'd gladly share it with my friends!