A Little Bit Country?

Now before you judge, I happen to love country music, horseback riding, Nascar, country line dancing and the like.  I know how that looks, so I’m ready for all the jokes.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to put on cowboy boots everyday with a big belt buckle and cowboy hat, or talk with a severe Southern drawl, but a girl can like the country things in life without totally being a complete redneck right?  I can hear you disagreeing from here.

So I’ve seen horse jumping competitions, the Professional Bull Riders tour, and I’ve done country line dancing a time or two or three or a hundred, but I’d never been to a Nascar race.  Well, cross it off the list folks because this year I went to the Daytona 500.  I had the most amazing time ever.  I can see why over 150,000 people attend this thing every year.  The rush of adrenaline still hasn’t faded (okay well maybe a little), but seriously, I’ve never seen anything like it.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of stereotypical rednecks attending this race.  Almost everyone I saw looked a bit normal, like me and my group of friends.  Of course there was the occasional camo and this guy, but all in all, it seemed like a stand up crowd.  I was also blown away by the sheer amount of people.  The sea of humanity never ended, as far as the eye could see, and of course, they all parked and entered/exited in the exact same place.

Beyond all the people, the race itself was absolutely exhiliarating.  TV just does not do it justice – in terms of the speed, the noise and the strategy involved.  We were sitting in the front row along the front stretch, just behind the start/finish line, and the feeling of the huge mass of air that followed behind the cars was unreal.  We were sitting so close that specks of tire rubber landed on us every lap because the cars were going so fast.

I think everyone should put a Nascar race on their bucket list.  It’s completely worth it to see just once in your life, so you can really comprehend how fast these drivers go.  Make sure you go all out and rent a scanner too, so you can listen to the drivers talk to their spotters and crew chiefs.  It just adds another level of entertainmnent, and something to do for all those people out there that just think the cars go round and round in a circle.

I would say the worst part of the entire experience was getting there and leaving.  I’m sure its no easy task for law enforcement to manage the flow of cars, but there’s gotta be a better way.  I’ve decided that next year, because there will be a next year, maybe it would be a better idea to rent an RV and spend the weekend.  While this girl may be a little bit (okay a lot a bit) country, she is definitely not into spending the night in the great outdoors.  Give me a working bathroom and the creature comforts of home, and I’m in.

So in the words of all the grand marshalls for all the races and until next year….gentlemen….start….your….engines!