My Own Personal Experiences with NASCAR

I first started watching NASCAR back when the division was called the Winston Cup Series, so you can how odd it was for me to start calling it the Nextel/Sprint Cup Series when NASCAR changed sponsors. From what my mother tells me, I was around three years old when I first started watching NASCAR. I remember being fascinated with the different drivers and their cars. Before long, I was able to memorize drivers and their corresponding numbers along with the sponsor on each car.

I was around six years old or so when I attended my first NASCAR race at the New Hampshire International Speedway, now known as the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The track is actually only about fifteen minutes or so from my home, so I could actually hear the cars practicing and racing in my own backyard when they were up here. I remember sitting in the grandstands watching all the drivers and their cars compete for the win, and for some reason, Jeff Gordon's number 24 stood out to me more from the rest, most likely due to his rather colorful paint scheme. Since then I've been a loyal Gordon fan, and I still continue to watch him race every season whenever I can.

Anyways, as the years went by and I grew older, I didn't get to attend any actual races because my parents hated the traffic. Instead, my dad every year managed to get tickets to the qualifying sessions of each race, where I could watch from the box seats each driver compete for the pole position. It wasn't the same as seeing as an actual race, but it was fun just the same.

It wasn't until the start of my freshman year in high school in 2004 when I actually got to see a live race once again at NHIS. What made this occasion even more special, however, is the fact that my dad somehow managed to obtain pit passes. I was so excited when they let me tour the pits despite the fact that I was still only 14 years old, and I was able to explore the garage area out back. I saw the crews hard at work preparing for the race that day, working on preparing the cars and gathering equipment for the pit stalls.

When I saw a group of fans standing outside a familiar looking Dupont number 24 trailer, I asked my mother if we could wait around to see if we could get a glimpse of Jeff Gordon. She agreed, and we waited with some other fans and talked NASCAR. That day I had brought my copy of Gordon's autobiography Racing Back to the Front-My Memoir with me just in case, so I decided that if I got the chance I would try to get Gordon's autograph in it. When he approached the trailer, I was amazed at how much shorter he appeared in real life. I desperately tried to get my book signed, and with a little bit of help from my mother, he actually signed my book! I was so excited that I was practically leaping for joy as we made our way back towards the grandstands for the start of the race.

The race itself was loud and exciting, almost exactly as I remembered it back when I was a kid. There were a few wrecks and cautions, but most of the action happened between the drivers themselves while racing for the lead. I was disappointed that Gordon only came in 17th after having handling issues with his car, but it was still great to see the action live for once instead of simply on a TV screen.

Since then I've only been back to the track two times for summer concession jobs, but I wouldn't mind going back to see the action live once again if I got the chance. In a way, I guess you could say that I grew up around NASCAR, and I plan on attending more races at different tracks when I get the chance. If you are a true NASCAR fan, I recommend that you attend at least one race in your lifetime. It's a unique and exciting experience you'll surely never forget for as long as you live; I know I won't anytime soon!