It was a warm Saturday in November, there was a slight hesitation on my part, but I am always up to try something new. We were greeted by the masculine, testosterone laden aroma of petroleum and the heady roar of the engines as the cars made their way around and around the track. My heart skipped, there was an excitement within that I never expected. Had I been in denial of this part of me. The part that was so willing and open to this...my virgin Nascar experience?
Some friends invited me to attend as their guest. We had a really excellent parking pass that put us just yards from their Corporate Suite. The midway was chock full of people, real fans from around the globe. Many were staying in the acres of RVs parked just outside the Raceway. Basha's even had a full service grocery store on site to support the RVers through the weekend.
While I was easily distracted from the cars going in circles, by the people and surroundings, the occasional crash or the anticipation of one would draw me back in regularly.
While I still don't understand the draw of this sport on TV, being there in person I can see the appeal. It was quite the experience and the facilities at PIR are pretty great. I truly wasn't expecting it to be as large and relatively well managed.