I’m not a huge NASCAR fan. I’ll be the first to admit it. I watch occasionally on TV, but I don’t follow religiously. And, yes, this is a religion. People eat sleep and breathe with their favorite teams and drivers. If you’ve never been to a race or don’t know any big NASCAR fans then this fact may not have ever crossed your mind. But, this is it people, the big game, the championship, the finals, the show. Well, OK, it is the first race of the season but the teams are working on this all year. This is their chance to show a new car, and (they hope) establish a formula for winning that will last the whole season. This is the Daytona 500.

Now if you’re a motorsport fan of any kind, and you’ve never been to a NASCAR race, I highly suggest you make the trip. The first time I ever went was a Friday night truck race in Atlanta. I had no idea what to expect. You really cannot prepare yourself, and I probably cannot accurately describe the sound. In fact, it’s really more of a feeling. You can literally feel the cars go by. The engines are so insanely loud that it nearly takes your breath away. But it’s awesome. Then of course there is the scale. The tracks are enormous, there is parking for miles, and there is seating for 160,000 of your closest friends (Daytona can actually hold up to 250,000 people total.)

The experience is truly amazing. The race is only part of the weekend. You can hit the Midway and buy just about any kind of swag for your favorite team. You could swing by any of the many vendors and pick up a snack or a frosty beverage. The celebrities come out in force for a race like this. You can people watch all day (this is one of the most entertaining things to do.) Hitting the infield is pretty cool too. There are multi-million dollar motor coaches, tents, rigs, trucks, and just about anything else you could imagine. So just be prepared. Bring a little spending money. And get ready for an weekend that you will never forget.

Authors note. It’s hard not to make the whole article about the accident at the end of the race on Saturday. My thoughts are with the families that were affected. However, I was asked to write about my experience over the weekend. So, no matter how tragic, I wanted to write about the whole experience, which is what it truly is.