While listening to the local AM sports talk jocks the other day, I was
knocked off my chair to learn that these two guys are going on a bus trip to
the Daytona 500!
This may not seem too far fetched if you don't know Scott and Jake. These
stick and ball experts can tell you anything about anyone when it comes to
"real" sports, but mention Nascar and you might as well ask them about
quantum physics. [ which Scott probably knows more about.] But they let me
get on Friday afternoons during race season and try to impart some knowledge
of the weekends events and who I pick to win so I figured I'd better give
them some insight into going to the 500.
After spending Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans, they will be sure they
have seen the biggest crowds in the world. Surprise! The only way to
comprehend over 200,000 people in one venue is to be in the middle of it.
They talked of staying in Orlando Saturday night and driving to Daytona
Sunday for the race. Good plan. Last year when I drove over, I got through
Orlando by 4:15 am and hit race traffic before the friendly sign tells you
that Daytona is only 54 miles up the road. Two hours later we filed into the
closest available parking lot, Speedway Dodge, about ten blocks down form the
Hooters crossover, and forked over the 50 buck fee. I know, they'll be in a
bus so they won't have to worry about all that. But if the roads are full,
they're full. Can that bus fly? GET THERE EARLY!!!!
Assuming someone other than the clueless twosome is in charge and they
get to the track and parked well before the on track festivities begin,
they'll have time to visit vendor row and begin to realize how many people
are here. One thing that will become evident after years of football and
baseball is that Daytona Speedway is BIG.
Vendors row is outside turns3 and 4 so if your seats are down toward turn1,
you have a hike.
So now we find Scotty and Jake, who know little about racing and care
even less,sitting in their seats, wondering why they were told these were
great seats when they're way up in the tower and all those people down there
are right next to the track on the fifty yard line! Someone please remember
the yellow tape for the back of their caps! When the driver intros get under
way, I hope they root for all of them, because they won't know any of them.
And now, to my buddies Scott and Jake, as well as anybody else who is at
a race for the first time, let me get a little emotional. When the drivers
start their engines, I hope you get a little lump in your throat. When they
roll out onto the track you'll stand and see the best of the best come
rolling by. After about three times around behind the pacecar, the green flag
will drop and you'll hear the acceleration. The cars will head on out to the
backstretch and you'll be standing with 200'000 people waiting for them to
get back. During these moments, I hope you realize that you are about to
experience something for the first time and no matter how many times you
experience it again, it will never be the first time again. If it sounds like
I'm talking about something else here, then you have grasped the importance
of this moment. Don't try to take pictures. [My brother did this at Michigan
years ago and watched the entire spectacular first lap crash right in front
of him through the viewfinder of his Canon. Never shot the first picture!]
Just watch and enjoy. If you have a scanner or head phones or earplugs, you
can start using them now. At least you got through your first time without
protection.
Will Scott and Jake's big adventure lead to more race talk in the slow
summer afternoons? Time [and the program director] will tell. At the very
least, they will have been there, seen that, and got the t-shirt.
Happy
racin,
Danny Zeeff
Contact
dannyz@insidethepitbox.com for comments!
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