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It seems that everywhere you go in Mooresville, or really the entire Charlotte area for that matter, you always seem to run into somebody who works in racing. Those of you who read this blog that live in and around Charlotte will know what I’m talking about. And maybe it is something that shouldn’t surprise me with as big of a community as NASCAR is and how concentrated the area is with racing people, but it always does.
I was out with my significant other recently, and as we walked into the restaurant for a nice dinner, I spotted a very well known Cup Series crew chief. He was out with his family and blending in quite nicely. Shockingly enough , he wasn’t decked out head to toe in his race gear (we do have normal clothes too), so I doubt anybody even recognized who he was. I wonder though, if certain folks were out and about in other cities if they would be recognized.
After thinking about this, and wondering about these guys being recognized, I’ve come to believe there are probably two types of people in Charlotte. There are those who are into racing, recognize people, but leave them alone and let them be normal people. And the rest aren’t into racing and are clueless to those around them. I guess maybe there is a third group who do approach these guys, but I’m guessing it’s small.
In Mooresville specifically, it seems that you run into or see somebody all the time. From seeing NASCAR officials in the Target store, to filling up at the gas station next to a driver, or running into another crew buddy at a bar. Even when we are away from the track, we can’t stay away from one another!
I would imagine that being in certain places in Los Angeles would warrant similar sightings for actors, as would hanging out in Nashville for country singers. If you want to be in or around NASCAR, Charlotte is the center of the Universe.
So if you don’t live here, and happen to make it once to attend a race or visit some shops, here is some advice. When you are out and about, keep your eyes peeled, because you never know who you might see or run into! Just remember to be respectful.
I apologize for the delay in getting this post up. We had some Internet connectivity issues last night that prevented me from posting. Thanks!
There are some drivers out there, who no matter what they drive, always seem to not get enough racing. A name that comes to mind is a guy like Ken Schrader. He would race in the Cup Series on a Saturday night, fly somewhere and maybe race an ARCA race on Sunday, fly somewhere else and race a dirt latemodel race on Monday. It doesn’t matter what it is, Schrader just wants to race.
We saw a few more examples of drivers like Schrader this weekend. The 42nd Annual Snowball Derby took place at Five Flags Speedway down in Pensacola, FL. The Derby is a four day long event which concludes with a 300 lap super latemodel race on Sunday that draws drivers and cars from all over. This year’s entry list for the Sunday race was around 60 cars.
And if you watched any NASCAR coverage this year, you’ll recognize some of the entrants: Kyle Busch, Brian Ickler, David Stremme, Steve Wallace, Ryan Seig, Shane Sieg, Brian Scott, Cale Gale, and James Buescher.
The racing also featured some young up and comers like Johanna Long, Ross Kenseth, and Chase Elliott.
In the end, Kyle Busch triumphed for his first Snowball win, but from what I understand it wasn’t easy. The entire field was only separated by a few tenths in qualifying and some bigger names, like James Buescher, went home.
With the NASCAR schedule being so grueling, from February to November, you’d think most drivers would want a break from being at the race track. But not these guys. Less then two weeks have passed since the end of the season, and these guys have already found their way to a race track.
Regardless of what you think of a driver, you almost have to automatically have respect for guys like this. To them, it isn’t about the money, the big sponsors, or the TV time. All they want to do is get in a car and go door to door with the best in the country. It’s about the racing and being able to compete.
And I think, as long as there are always guys like this in the top tiers of NASCAR, the future will be very bright.
*For more coverage on the 42nd Snowball Derby, stop by Speed51.com
nyfalcon1 posted a photo:
I love racing. And when I say that, I mean I LOVE racing. There aren’t too many things that make me as happy as I am when I’m at the track. I look forward all week to the weekends and getting back to competition. And I know how lucky I am to be able to do something I truly enjoy. But something I’ve learned along the way that I think is an important lesson, is I can’t devote 100% of my time to racing.
Between the weekly commitment it takes from me to be a tire changer and the demands of running this blog, I spend a lot of time with NASCAR on the brain. I sometimes feel like all I do is talk about it, read about it, write about it, and live it. But, as with anything else, too much of a good thing is bad. It becomes very important that I don’t let myself get caught up in the sport on a 24 hour basis. If I did, I would certainly become burned out in a hurry.
I will give you a few examples of some outlets and breaks from racing I personally have.
First, I’ve always been an athletic person. I may not necessarily be a skilled athlete, but I enjoy being active and competing. So one break is to participate in other sports. Since I graduated high school I’ve rarely turned down opportunities to jump into a pickup game with friends or join a rec league.
On top of that, racing isn’t the only sport I’m a fan of. Not only do I like to compete in other sports, but I also enjoy being a spectator. I’ve been to everything from NFL games to Thirsty Thursdays at Kannapolis Intimidators games. I also try and catch as much sports on TV as my time allows.
A third outlet is just enjoying some time with friends and family. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a BBQ or bar hopping. It’s always good to spend time just relaxing and maybe enjoying a few adult beverages with some good company.
The last thing I will mention might be shocking or sound bad to some of you, but it is vitally important to the health and future of this website. Once it’s the weekend, I rarely spend time on the blog. I normally don’t check my email or even open the site up until at least Sunday night (if it’s my turn to post). If Journo is busy, I may jump in and moderate comments, but that is about it. Doing this allows me to not only re-energize, but also focus on the racing.
The NASCAR season is one of the longest in sports. It’s a grueling trip that starts in February and can go on for weeks at a time without many breaks, until November. It’s easy to get caught up in it and forget that sometimes we need to step away and just take a little break.