89 Rag

It's just like any other event that draws crowds, corporate sponsors can effect the "feel" of an event I just can't help the goosebumps I get when I hear the announcer say "good morning from Bristol, Tennesse!"



The formidable years of my life were spent at the racetrack 3 to 5 days out of the week. On many occasions I remember waking up in the minne winne at the track, hours before dawn.



Before the coffee was done brewing you could hear the rattling of wrenches in the distance, shortly before sunrise engines started to come to life, the sweet smell of high octane race fuel wafted passed my nose. At the time I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it because it was back to business, pit cart and timing stand had to be arranged, heat blankets on the rubber, pitch the jolly rodger and begin the checklist for the car, check and double check...later, off to tech inspection, the announcer's voice from the tower echos through the venue warning the first practice session was ending...qualifying..adrenaline starts to pump..last checks on the car, cool suit, fire system, final wipe down...headset goes on..now the strong scent of burnt rubber and race fuel..nearly drunk from the odor...anticipating the days outcome...making our way to the pit area.



It doesn't matter what form of racing I watch, it happens the same everytime, I can smell it, taste it, hear it, adrenaline, all of it.



kinda makes all the other BS just fade away.

banzaitoyota

Trouble is....



There is no longer:



Good Morning from ROCKINGHAM

Only 1 GOOD MORNING from DARLINGTON



NASCAR Corparate is SO quick to sell out to the next promoter waving gobs o cash in their face. We cant employ foam wall barriers, the sponsers wont stand for it....



ITS ALL ABOUT THE $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$



Tint Lund id rolling over in his grave

TYSON

89rag, don't forget you get all those things at a real racetrack, it's not exclusive to toiletbowl racing.



Let's not forget Earnhart killed himself while trying to ram someone else into the wall. Had he been successful in killing that guy instead of himself lets hope they wouldn't still consider him some kind of hero.

89 Rag

Earnhart SR. was a bastard, I loved nothing more than the race when he spun Waltrip out on the last lap, Waltrip comes into the pits, gets new rubber, hauls *** outta the pits and t-bones Earnhart on the front stretch on his victory lap. Totally unscripted, raw energy. It's the memory of things like that, and all the other good times at the races that kept me watching.



I realize the feeling isn't exclusive, like I said, it doesn't matter what form of racing I watch, if i'm there in person or in front of the tube I get the chills.



The other thing I keep in mind is that it won't stay fucked up forever, like anything else, things constantly change; nascar, imsa, formula 1, indy, cart, trans-am etc., on and on always changing. I have faith in the sport and its place in the world, Nascar has come a long way from moonshine runnin, weekend racers to where it is now, I can only hope someone gets back to the helm that remembers, respects and appreciates where the sport came from, what a rich history it has and figure out some ways to preserve those things in the sport for the future.