racewriter's Blog

Saturday Photo Gallery

On Saturday afternoon, at Daytona International Speedway, I was lucky enough to be in the media trailer that sits in the infield, just outside of turn one. With a window to look out of, I had a great view of the grandstands that curve right around that turn. The track wasn’t visible, as there were TV trucks and big white tents and permanent scaffolding that held the VIP seating areas all between me and the track, but I could see the fans…and that alone was a great view.

I had been keeping an eye on the grandstands for most of the day, watching them slowly fill up, a handful of people at a time.  A small percentage had arrived prior to the Happy Hour practice earlier in the morning, the rest piling in before the pre-race show came to life. During Happy Hour I’d spent most of that time hanging around the Fan Zone. I love watching race fans. For the most part they are all happy, some more than others, depending on how much they had to drink before they got there. But for the most part, happy and excited was the general feeling of the morning.

I noticed right away that the Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans have begun to change their colors. That all too familiar red Bud No. 8 shirt was nowhere to be seen, and has been replaced by green Amp shirts and blue National Guard hats.  Diehard fans of other drivers made their way through the crowds in hopes of getting atop the Fan Zone area for a glimpse of their favorite man. I saw a Tony Stewart fan with orange on from head to foot. Her NASCAR bag was clear, but it was painted with tiny 20’s. Her lanyard, her ticket holder, her drink holder, her scanner, her watch, her bracelet, her necklace, her head band….all carried the No. 20 proudly.  I wondered how long it took her to collect all that stuff and how proud she must have been to display it for all to see. But as any diehard fan knows, it’s not for other fans that we dress when we go to a race…it’s just in case our driver happens to see us, we just have to be all decked out, right?

Fans were lined up along fences, guard rails and any other place they could perch in order to see the cars come and go to the track for practice.  A fellow walked by and saw my press pass, asked me if Dale, Jr. had been on the track yet. I guess it was my job to keep track of him…who knows. But I told him no. And how did I know? Because when Dale, Jr. goes by, I don’t care if he’s walking to the restroom or driving down pit road, the fans scream long before he ever gets there. So I knew he hadn’t ventured out yet, as the screaming hadn’t started.  Of course it wasn’t long before someone hollered, “Jr!” and the rest of the crowd followed in unison…the infamous sound of “JR!!!” resonated throughout the Fan Zone. 

Mixed in the crowd of weather worn folks were the beach beauties that wore just enough to cover all their parts as they pranced around, shoving their chests in the air and slinging their long blond (probably bleached) hair around as if it was a trophy.  This caught the attention of every male within a 50 yard radius, once again proving to be a show in itself. An older couple walked by, decked out in Dale Jarrett garb, and the man caught sight of the semi-covered girl.  His pace slowed and his head turned as he gazed at the beauty…and then he slammed right into another fellow that was doing the same thing…ha! Dang, I wish I’d had my camera zoomed in on that one, that was great.  Of course the wife of the distracted husband turned just as the crashing of bodies happened and not realizing what had been the reason for the mess, she rushed to her husband’s side, consoling him and making sure he was alright.  Yeah, he was fine, just bruised his pride a  bit, especially after I noticed  the prancing hair flipper had heard the commotion and was standing there gawking as the wife was rescuing her husband from his moment of despair.  I’m betting the husband is still mulling over how he could have made a better impression than that. No offense men, but you guys are pretty darn predictable…and highly entertaining.

Fans are a great part of this sport, perhaps they are what makes it so great. Without the thousands in the grandstands and the thousands more in the infield, it would be a pretty quiet place in here except for the engines.  Add in the thousands that chat back and forth on the internet about racing, the thousand that share pictures and quotes and all their special racing moments, and we’ve pretty much got the beginnings of another world, should we ever choose to separate from the one we live in. 

Well, Sunday is going to bring us the race of all races, the Daytona 500. I’ll be here, and I hope you’ll be watching too, from on top of your RV, from your couch, from your seat in the grandstand or spot at the fence. But wherever it may be, I hope it turns out to be one of the best days you’ve ever had!  Until then…dream of speed, think of rubber, and tell your friends not to call you while the race is on. If they don’t get it, oh well…stinks for them…but you’ve got a date with 43 speed demons, and your friends will just have to get over it!