NASCAR at Kentucky Speedway

The group - Lets go Racing!!!

So last year at this time, I was couch bound on bed rest growing a baby.  Scott's birthday was fast approaching and I wanted to do something special for him, so I sent him to Atlanta with his dad to race in an actual NASCAR race car.  Scott was stoked and loved it.  So as his birthday started creeping around this year, I thought "What could be better than driving a race car?"  The answer...going to a night race at Kentucky Speedway!!

A little background...I am not a NASCAR fan.  However, since my husband is a fan, that makes me a fan by association, right?  So that is how NASCAR entered my life.  I had never been to a race, but I figured it would be fun, or at least entertaining.  After mentioning to Scott that I was planning a NASCAR birthday getaway, he mentioned that his brother and sister-in-law were also going to the race.  That made planning a lot easier as we decided to stay in the same hotel as them and ride down with them.  (Thanks Sean & Amy for letting us jump in on your weekend!)

He didn't want his Momma to leave..

Saturday morning we dropped P off at his Nana and Papaw's.  I hated leaving that little guy.  I gave him so many kisses that he actually pushed me in the car and told me to go (OK not really, but it felt like it).  And off we drove.  The track was a couple hours away which wasn't bad.  Plus when you have 6 people in a car, there is plenty to talk about.

As we neared the track, we were happy to see that traffic was not an issue at all.  Last year traffic was so horrendous that some people never even made it off the highway and into the track.  We pulled right in and parked.  After making some sandwiches and lathering up in sunscreen, we headed towards the track.  A bus came right along and picked us up and drove us right up to the entrance.  It was so nice not having to walk in the hot sun.

Braving the heat

Scott and I rented headsets so we could listen to the car radios of our favorite drivers (Jeff Gordon for Scott, JR. for me).  We also picked up Fan Zone tickets which allowed us to walk in the pits, stand in Victory Lane, walk the track, and enjoy a concert by Chris Young.  While we were in the pits, Casey Mear's crew let Amy and I go up in the booth where the crew chief sits. 

Walking on the track was pretty neat because I had no idea the grade of the track was so steep!  We sat on the track for the Chris Young concert and to watch driver introductions.  Richard (The King) Petty also made an appearance.  I admit, even though I am not a NASCAR fan, it was pretty exciting seeing some of the drivers. 

Amy and I giving orders to the GEICO pit crew

Surprisingly, despite being outside in the hottest temperatures ever recorded in our lifetime, it was not nearly as bad as we anticipated!  Scott and I went through about 20 bottles of water, we had bandanna's tied around our neck which we continually ran under cold water, and we wore shady hats.  Not to mention, I can scout out shade from a mile away and managed to sit/stand in the shade for most of the entire day.  We were allowed to carry in one small cooler, which was incredibly nice as we packed it full of ice cold water.  Who wants to pay $8 for a bottle of water when you can bring your own?

The actual race was a night race, so by the time we took our seats in the stands, the sun had ventured behind the horizon.  The cars look and sound way faster in person than they do on TV.  I did voice my concern to Scott that we were so close I was worried a tire may hit us should an accident occur (luckily, it was a relatively safe race with only 3-4 cautions). 

The Birthday Boy!

The crowd was interesting to say the least.  I saw a man in a linen suit with crocodile cowboy boots standing next to a woman in full NASCAR apparel.  There are many people that take this NASCAR stuff VERY seriously!! 

A few funny thoughts from my first NASCAR race;
- Homemade tattoos NEVER look good
- It's never too hot for a NASCAR fan to smoke a pack of Camels
- Mullets.....well that's all I'm going to say about that
- Cut off denim short shorts on guys are a No-No
- Camouflage gear and NASCAR apparently go hand in hand
-As the race cars would drive in front of us, I noticed numerous fans would wave/point down the track as if the drivers didn't know which way they should be going.  I wasn't sure if these fans thought the drivers were looking at them for direction or if the fans just really enjoyed pointing down the track??


My biggest complaint about the entire event....they sold out of corn dogs before I got one!

Sunday morning we left fairly early and made it home before noon.  P was pretty happy to see us and vice versa.  I was so glad we went and that Scott had a Happy Birthday!!

Until our next race...

I'm already looking forward to our next NASCAR adventure!

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