continued from my journey to becoming a NASCAR fan ...
So the summer was winding down in the northeast and the last weekend of being out on Candlewood Lake would soon be with us. Boats would be being put into storage for the offseason, Connecticut would soon be filled with visitors seeking photos of that perfect foliage New England is known for and I had the NFL and ski trips out west to get me through the winter.
A friend/colleague had a client invite him along w/ 2 friends to the Sylvania 300 NASCAR race in NH on September 17 - so Chad, my brother and I planned a trip to head a little further north. We went out in search of NASCAR gear to wear to the race. As you could imagine, for the most part we were unsuccessful in finding what we were looking for in CT. I did manage to find a Dale Earnhardt Jr hat which I still own to this day. (my wife @140Danielle thinks I have too many hats but this one will be with me for a long time even though the black has now faded to a brownish-gray)
my original NASCAR gear (6 1/2 years later)
We left CT on a Saturday afternoon, stayed over in NH and before I knew it, race day was upon us. Little did I know about what I would soon experience that would lead me to become a lifelong fan...
I had always believed nothing could beat tailgating at a NFL game. Please excuse me as I didn't go to a NCAA Division 1 football school but I would imagine the tailgating to be similar to the NFL. We parked our car and were in no way ready for the tailgating we would soon experience.
(I'll be sure to write a blog just on NASCAR tailgating in the near future)
After thinking the tailgating would be the best part of the day, we slowly made our way into the track. I saw people walking in with coolers filled w/ beer and food thinking, "what the hell is going on, how are they getting in with these things?"
FYI - YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN BEER INTO A NASCAR RACE!!!
After walking to our seats, opening a cold one and enjoying the sunshine, the invocation would soon begin. Prayers, overhead F16 fighter jets and the most patriotic feeling of a National Anthem where EVERYONE in the venue had enough respect to be silent, remove their cap and address the stars and stripes that stand for our freedom - I would get the chills for the first time that day. I have been to many sporting events and have never felt as patriotic as when the National Anthem is blaring before a NASCAR race.
Patriotism @ Richmond International Raceway
The command "Gentlemen start your engines" was given and my mouth just dropped! I would stand for the first 30 minutes blocking everyone's view behind me not giving a care because I was experiencing my first NASCAR race. If you were at that race sitting behind me in turn 4 that day, I apologize. I had the time of my life and the rest is history... ...that you'll soon read about.
my next race 2007 Richmond International Raceway (spring race)
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