Let’s take a trip to one of the most iconic race tracks in America, the legendary Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. It was just a quick hop up the road from where I was camping, so I figured let’s go! For the tiny sum of four dollars, I got to see everything. Well, everything a race fan cares about.
This is the view from the parking lot where all the VIPs get to park. They get a nice view, don’t they?
The thing about Bristol is, everybody gets a nice view once you’re inside. It’s a short track, half mile oval, with steep seating that gives everyone a view of the entire track. Seeing the track in real life left me in awe of how in the heck 42 cars race at 130 miles an hour and don’t all just end up in a pile of metal. Say what you will about NASCAR drivers, but to drive on this track require mad skills.
This is the entry to pit road. At that yellow line the drivers have to be down to 35 miles an hour, coming off the curve in the middle of all that traffic. Kind of like the worst rush-hour exit ever!
How much of a bank is there on those curves? Well, take a look. This is the view out the front window of the tour van, in the middle of one of those curves. That’s what 36° banking looks like! And the truck itself is bumpy, so it’s a really challenging ride.
If you’re good — and lucky — and you win the race, you get to lay down some rubber doing donuts at the finish line. (The checkered finish line is missing because they’re working on the track right now.)
The truck is so small there’s not anywhere else to put victory lane except on top of the infield care center; You can see the ramp on the right where the drivers have to maneuver their winning race car to get there.
Seeing a NASCAR race in Bristol is now on my bucket list. I just have to convince my brother it’s worth it. Which is actually the whole point of today’s post 😉
It’s not rubbin’, it’s racin’
You’re on! Incentive for us to plan ahead 🙂
I believe you, I’ve always wanted to go. We will work this into my retirement schedule!