Top Five reasons why NASCAR should be America's favorite sporting event

The stereotypical NASCAR fan gets a bad rap. They get painted as hillbillies and missing-tooth ignoramuses. As the history of NASCAR has it's roots in moonshiners escaping prohibitionists, there's no denying that there's a little hillbilly in it's origins, but it's a fallacy to think that all who attend the races are of this sort. (To digress, I've noticed that some, usually college -aged students, are actually "embracing their inner hillbilly" and dressing up for the occasion- sometimes with full mullets, cut-offs jean shorts, etc.)  This blog is being written to promote the sport to families and first-time race goers who may want to release their inner hillbilly.

So, why is NASCAR better than any other sport on the planet?
1) The whole package
      There's no other sport in our country that people show up with RVs and campers a week before hand and start setting up shop. The race is not a single "event," it's potentially a week long (or week-end long) experience. Unlike other sports like the NFL, basketball, and baseball, you don't merely show up to the event, buy your son a hot dog and find your seat. You can wake with your boys and make breakfast at your campsite a few feet from the speedway, or find a mobile Krispy Kreme or Bojangles (if you are in the South) peppered around the track grounds.
2) Camping
      Yes, CAMPING is an amazing experience. I cannot believe I just wrote those words. If you would have asked me if I liked camping as little as five years ago I would have laughed in your face. I have slowly and surely fell in love with camping. No, we do not have a massive RV. My family enjoys all of the comforts and pleasures of living on a teacher's salary (sarcasm). But we have been blessed with a 1985 toyota Granville that serves our NASCAR camping purposes beautifully without breaking the bank- and with places like Charlotte Motor Speedway charging $100-150 a spot for a week, how can you beat it? I have come to find camping to be fairly restful, but a highly memorable experience. As I will mention later- most of the memories at the Nascar track will not be in the actual event. The pre-race activities and the general time spent with one another at and around the track always promote memory making.
3) NASCAR Swag
     One of my oldest son's favorite past times at the track is collecting Nascar swag. (Click Here for examples!) Every attendee of Nascar pre-race festivities (whether you have a ticket or not) is subjected to hundreds of companies who are trying to promote their businesses. With every coozie, satchel, bead necklace, hat, keychain, and so forth- my son gets happier. There's even often free food from vendors such as Cargill, Jack-in-the-Box, and Glory foods (canned food products in the South). The highlight of our recent race included a free tailgate party from the people at Target. I had low expectations, but to our surprise, it was a full spread with grilled chicken, chicken sausages, potato salad, and even free drinks (yes- even beer). They had raffles for door prizes (usually pit passes!) and games for all.  And for enders, Juan Pablo Montoya showed up to take photos with each attendee! On that note, let's segue into reason #4:
4) Connect to the drivers
      Nascar is one of the few sports where the main players are accessible.  In our last race we had the opportunity to meet over ten drivers from the Sprint and Nationwide series (more on these on future blogs), and we were in arms reach of more than 30 Sprint Cup drivers. If you follow this blog, I will reveal how getting close to the drivers and close to the action is very easy in Nascar.
5) The Races
     You probably have heard that attending a Nascar race consists of merely watching cars go in a circle. I personally think that there's much more to this drama than turning left.  If you've never seen four drivers battle for first place on a last lap or have never seen a 10 car pile-up LIVE, just wait, it will be engrained in your memory and you will be forever hooked.  But honestly, if you are new to the sport, or you are a family man (or woman) who is looking for something new for your family to experience, Nascar is a great choice EVEN if you don't care for the racing!  It may surprise you to know that many times when I run back to the camper to restock supplies in our cooler during the race, I see men and women around the fires at their campsite just enjoying each other's company.  For some people, it's not about the race, and that's OK!

If you liked what you've read, and you want to know more about our family experiences and tips for Nascar Newbs - follow this feed or my twitter account @DeanHardy23