There’s nothing in the world like going to your first NASCAR race.
The love of racing runs four generations in my family, so I’ve been to my fair share of races, but I still remember my first, or what I thought was my first.
The actual first NASCAR race I attended was the 2013 AAA 400 at the then-Dover International Speedway, which was won by Tony Stewart. Seeing as I was four years old at the time, I don’t remember much, but I have seen photos from the trip.
The first NASCAR race that I remember going to was the 2017 Apache Warrior 400, again at Dover, and the one thing I remember from the race was when Jeffrey Earnhardt spun and hit the protective pit-road sand barrels on lap 82, causing a lengthy cleanup, right in front of where my family was sitting.
That day, it was a sunny, 70-75 degree October day in Dover, but where we were sitting was in direct sunlight. I was eight years old, tired, hot, sweaty, and I wanted to go home, so we left before the end, but Kyle Busch would end up winning that race.
Me and my dad have been going to races since 2013, and we’ve gone to a total of 28 across NASCAR’s four national series.
My favorite race I’ve been to is a hard choice, but I’d say the 2023 Würth 400 at Dover was my favorite. I got to see my favorite driver, Martin Truex Jr. hold off a hard-charging duo of Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain, both on new tires, in a 12-lap dash to the finish due to a late caution. I’m sure in the video I took of the finish you could hear my screams as Truex Jr. crossed the line. Looking back at it, the way me and my dad, both Truex fans, looked at each other in the grandstands, that feeling of pure joy, ecstasy, it’s indescribable.
That’s why I love going to NASCAR races, not just the father-son bonding, but the fact that you truly never know what will happen.
Each racetrack is different in NASCAR, no two tracks are alike. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit seven different tracks, Bristol, Daytona, Dover, Charlotte ROVAL, Indianapolis, Phoenix, and Pocono.
The best track I’ve been to from a racing-standpoint hands-down is Daytona. 200MPH+ side-by-side racing for three continuous hours, there’s nothing like it.
I’m unsure as to what races I’ll attend this year, but I know for sure that no matter which races I do attend, I’ll have a great time, as I have for every race I’ve gone to.
Attached below are photos from various races that I’ve attended.
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