How I Became a NASCAR Fan (part two)
Posted: Wednesday, March 11, 2009
by Nila Smith
Fact and Fiction
Dressing the part
I am not a "girly-girl", never have been. I was raised in a farming community, and grew up with a strong knowledge of cattle, chickens, hogs, and horses. I knew as much as anyone about tractors, combines, farm trucks, and hay balers.
I spent much of my high-school year summers working on the farm, and in the fall when school resumed I touted one of the best "farmer" tans of anyone there.
I am also not fashion savvy. My greatest fashion statement in my younger years was that when wearing sneakers, my socks had to match my shirt. The pants part didn't matter any because most of the time they were blue jeans, and the only "style" one could add to those was the shirt you wore with them.
I did have a couple of basic rules, dos and don'ts if you will. Do wear hose with skirts and dresses, keep accessories to a minimum, and never wear t-shirts, especially t-shirts with writing on them.
I am also not an ignorant person. I have a fairly high IQ, scored well on my SAT's, attended a two year technical college, while holding down a full time job, and worked earning my own money from the time I was a teenager, until the day my hubs and I started our life together.
Knowing I was a relatively intelligent person was a part of my frustration over the car racing business. I was embarrassed that there was something out in the world that I knew nothing about.
Adding to my frustration was the idea that I thought my hubs was a really intelligent person as well, and this idea of watching people drive cars around in circles just sounded like the dumbest thing I'd ever heard of.
But I was determined to keep an open mind about this until I had seen it all for myself.
The drive to the track that night was a quite one. I was mulling around what to expect when we got there, and I think hubs was mulling around the idea that maybe he should have told me about his interests a little earlier in our relationship.
On occasion, as we rolled across the country side, he would point out a farm house and tell me the name of his customer who lived there. I would access my mental encyclopedia and comment "Oh that's the family with three sets of twins, all under the age of 8", or "that's the man whose wife is seriously ill'.
He would confirm my comment, and I would silently gloat that I was showing him first hand, that I NEVER forget what he tells me.
When we arrived at the race track, I was a bit overcome by the beauty of the surroundings. We pulled into a nicely paved parking lot, joined to a nicely paved walkway that meandered through trees and flora. I was impressed to say the least.
When we baled out of the car though, I was immediately accosted with the noise. It was obvious that this loud roar coming from deep in the woods was only going to get louder as we drew closer to the source.
Hubs informed me that the hot laps were already starting, as we made our way to the gate house to pay our entry.
By the time we got to the gate house, I could see the grandstand where we would ultimately find our seat and become spectators for the evening.
As we climbed the steps and chose a spot high in the stands, I immediately realized the reasoning behind the seating choice. The higher you were in the stands, the greater the ability to see the full track.
I also noticed a few other things. Mainly, I noticed the other women in the crowd. My hubs had assured me that I looked like a real race fan, not!
There was nothing about me that fit this stereotype. From my neatly done hair, to the small earrings I wore, to the cotton blouse, and yes, oh yes, the cute little huarache sandals, everything about my appearance made me stand out like a sore thumb!
Many of these women were, well let's just say well endowed. They wore skin tight t-shirts that either boasted their favorite car, or their favorite brew. Many wore large gold hoop earrings that got tangled in their long, unkempt locks.
They were mostly wearing denim, but it was items more to the liking of Daisy Duke, not Happy Holly Homemaker!! Through the belt loops of these less than short shorts many wore leather belts with their names tattooed on them. Their feet, mainly were graced with flip-flops, a shoe product that I absolutely abhor!
As I examined the crowd further, I did notice that there were some more modest women there, so I eventually felt less alone in the crowd, but I also surmised that those who looked more like me than the Daisy Dukes, were probably also like me, a novice at this…this what? Is this a game, a sport, a show, I can't help but wonder, if I were looking for an account of this evenings activities, what section of the paper would I need to look in?
There were a couple things I knew for certain though. I would not find this in the society pages or the Fashion Section, and as far as I knew, there was not one newspaper in the country that had a section referred to as "The Redneck Review".
I did make a few mental notes though. The next time, IF there WAS a next time, I would cast off the huaraches for sneakers, and I would compromise on the t-shirt thing, swapping out my cotton blouse for a modest polo.
So as not to offend many of my now race fan friends, I want to close this segment by saying that after attending several races at this track, we learned that there was more than one section in this particular grandstand. When we found and began sitting in the family section, I became much more comfortable with the surroundings, the people, and my wardrobe!
Nila,Great job. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, learning much about you in the process. Thank you for sharing this one.Now I have to find Part I.Nancy
Thanks Nancy!I hope you also enjoy parts one and three. I had a great time writing these pieces, remembering how silly I was way back then.Today I think I am more engrossed in NASCAR than the hubs. You might say he created a monster!Thanks again,Nila
I quite like seeing live NASCAR. But I find NASCAR on the TV is rather dull.Great article. Well done.Thank you for your comments.I have been to Talledaga. It was 1997 if I remember correctly, and it was a wonderful experience that I will never forget, but, what I loved most was not the race but the atmosphere.There was so much to do and so much to see, it was a wonderful experience that I may write about someday.For me though, I do like the TV version simply becuase on the television, the camera technology is so terrific that we see everything, and the replays are sometimes very worthwhile. (But sometimes I think I'd be better off turning the sound down, as some of the announcers I think are not as smart as the people listening to them.)At an actual race if you watching the leader in turn two, and something else is happening in turn four, you miss it.JMHO both live and TV versions are terrific in their own right, for their own reasons.Thanks againNila
Nice job inexplaining multiple facets of racing. I don;lt know if I could sit and watch the cars seem to go by so fast yet maybe it isn't all about the cars? I think that is most likely correct. Juts a fun day out.For myself the sport is more about the knowledge, ability, and stamina of the drivers. Especially in NASCAR when races can last last several hours, I admire the drivers ability to stay in the seat, and keep a clear head.Reflexes are key in the big races, and when I see a crash and all the drivers whose quick reflex action brings them through it unscathed, I admire that talent.
