The American Experience: NASCAR at RIR

"Gentlemen, start your engines...!!!"

On Friday I posited that it doesn't get much more stereotypically-American than experiencing a NASCAR race in all its glory and I still stand by that statement!  You'll get your fill of down-home, blue-blooded, patriotically cheerful people and atmosphere at a NASCAR race.  We came, we saw, we conquered - and then we spent all day Sunday recovering from the sunburn, walking, and headache from the roar of the cars.  But it was worth the price of admission.

Party hearty, folks!
(C) Thrifty Gypsy

When we arrived at 8:40a at Richmond International Raceway, I was shocked to see how many people were already there!  NASCAR fans are hard-core pros when it comes to their tailgating.  Come early, hit it hard, and stay late.  And their site set-ups were impressive: canopies, chairs, shirts, and corn-hole gear were all decked-out in their favorite driver's numbers and colors.  Although you will see representatives of all types at a race, you'll primarily see the good ol' boys and girls of the Southern stereotype, and country music is the anthem of the day.

The atmosphere is exciting; I mean, who wouldn't want to camp out in a huge field all day with 6,000 of your new best friends to soak up the sunshine and wash down some brats with a cold brew?!

The Master Chef
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

For being such relative newbs to the NASCAR tailgating scene, I was impressed that our group came together and had all the comforts required.  We even started out our day by cooking a deluxe eggs and bacon breakfast!  So long as you remember the five basics of tailgating (Beer, Burgers, Chairs, Canopy, and Radio) you'll be good to go.  Sunscreen and hearing protection are good additions, too!

I can't say that Saturday turned me into a die-hard NASCAR fan, but attending a race is much more enjoyable than watching it on tv.  And I can't rule out another NASCAR race in the future!  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:

Tailgatin' ...like a boss!
(C) Thrifty Gypsy

The Ladies
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

Jeff Gordon's ride
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

Don't tell Jimmie Johnson, but this is MY new ride now...
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

I suddenly developed a craving for M&Ms...
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

Making a Grand Old Flag kind of entrance
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

The flyover
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

"I wanna go FAST!!!" (c) Thrifty Gypsy

(c) Thrifty Gypsy

(c) Thrifty Gypsy

The Grand Finale
(c) Thrifty Gypsy

So have I convinced you yet?  What do you think about NASCAR?  Do you have a favorite driver?

~ Just a Thrifty Gypsy

A NASCAR Newb No More

Doesn't that just scream "America"?! (Source)

Apple pie.  Baseball.  Popping off tin cans with a rifle on a Sunday afternoon.  Riding in a jacked-up truck with country music blasting from the speakers.  These are quintessential American experiences often referenced, "humorized" and stereotyped through movies and pop culture here in the U.S. and abroad.  But just as American, particularly southern American, is the experience of attending a NASCAR Sprint Cup race!

Although I've spent the last twenty years living in Virginia, the gateway to America's southern states, I have yet to attend a NASCAR race.  I love sports, but I've never been taken by NASCAR.  There's only so many times you can watch a car run around a huge circle before you tire of it (pun fully intended).  I can agree with my mom's fond testament that "some of my best naps were experienced with a NASCAR race running on tv for background noise."

Even so, I've always wanted to experience a NASCAR race as it's such a big part of culture in my neck of the woods.  The fun of the tailgating, getting pit passes to meet the drivers, and the thunder and shaking of the ground as the cars speed by.

So, I'll be attending my first (and probably only!) NASCAR Sprint Cup as they race under the lights at Richmond International Raceway tomorrow night!

Source

We're doing the whole shebang, arriving early in the morning to tailgate, people-watch, and take in the atmosphere of a race.  A friend's boss generously provided pit passes to meet some drivers, view the cars, walk the track, and enjoy some free food and drinks, which is even more awesome!

I'll write more about it after the weekend is over - how to attend a race, what to bring, what to do, etc.  Thankfully we're going with a couple who has already done this, so it's sure to be a great experience!

But just to make sure I'm up to speed and in the mindset for tomorrow, I will be watching "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" tonight to brush up on my NASCAR lingo.  I wanna go fast!!!

Have you attended a NASCAR or other automobile race before?

~ Just a Thrifty Gypsy