My Charlotte Experience-May 2006

Well I know this is a bit late to post but after getting back from the weekend at Charlotte and missing a few days at work, I have been playing big time catch up and really neglecting my blog so here we go...

First off, if you have never been to Charlotte for a race, you are missing out. I have been there several times both for the 600 in May and the Fall race in October, both of which are under the lights. Night racing, there is no comparison. Those cars under the lights, truly breath taking.

Lowe's Motor Speedway is a track that is one to see in person. This 1.5 mile Quad is truly made for racing and Humpy has done an outstanding job with his track and the upgrades. Seeing and hearing these 43 machines roaring by you at over 190 miles per hour can not be describled in words unless you have experienced it yourself. To feel those cars go by and the gust of wind that follows, all I can say is WOW!!!

The crowds, oh my god. Over 150,000 people in the stands and even more outside of the track. I would guesstimate over 300.000 people in the area during the race but you know what, who the heck cares. You are there experiencing one of the most exciting races and of course the longest race of the season...600 miles of pure speed and adrenaline.

Raceday is not the only thing making the trip worthwhile. I flew down the Friday before the race and I was not off the plane more then 20 minutes and I am on the road in my rental car heading to Dale Jarrett's Ford Dealership for an autograph seesion. Now mind you, I arrived in Charlotte at 11:50am and his signing was set for 12-2pm. Talk about breaking a few laws on the highway to get there in time but I made it there safe and sound in time to get my Green Bay Packers diecast that DJ drove for Brett Favre signed and as a bonus, Elliott Sadler was there also signing things and I just happened to have a Jarrett hat that had been signed by DJ and Robert Yates two years ago and Elliott autographed it so now I have the entire team on this one hat and it makes it even more special due to this is the last year for all of them on the same team with DJ heading over to Toyota.

Once the signing was over, I headed over to my hotel, got checked in and unpacked. All of my friends were getting in either later that night or early Saturday morning. So, I went and did some sight seeing, had dinner over at the Cheesecake Factory and then went downtown to Speed Street to meet up with my friends. We walked around and the crowd was unbelievable, excuse the term but it was assholes to elbows. We saw Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards, and Jeff Burton that night for a Question and Answer period. Prior to that, Trackside was on and that is when Elliott Sadler decided to dive into the crowd and go splat on the pavement but alas he was okay...thank goodness. All in all, a great night.

Saturday was a day of just cruising around town and then going back downtown to see DJ and Kyle Petty on the main stage for their Q&A. Prior to DJ coming out on stage, Allen Bestwick came out to introduce Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) who came out and said a few words, very well spoken. Then out came DJ and Kyle. What was really great about these two is that after their Q&A, they went off stage and came around to the side and signed autographs and took pictures...not many drivers do that and we were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

Ahh, then comes raceday. Our posse arrived at the track at 9am and set up camp. Just some advice to everyone...even though the race is not till 5:40pm, it is a very good idea to arrive that early to avoid the parking and traffic headaches...just set up your camp and enjoy the surroundings of the other fans. Now, it is late May in Charlotte, that means HEAT & HUMIDITY. Get yourself one of those pop tents that can cover and area about 20 feet by 20 feet, it is well worth the money in the long run. Have your breakfast and sit around and talk amongst each other, there is usually some good stories to tell or just look around at the other fans sitting around acting crazy and having a good old time, these fans down there really know how to tailgate. If you want to know anything and everything about tailgating, go visit my friends site at www.laidbackracing.com JoAnne really knows how to prepare for a race and her article is now a weekly feature on Nascar.com.

We Nascar fans are notorious for drinking beer but remember to bring plenty of water with you to stay dehydrated, you don't want to get heat stroke before the race and miss out on the excitement.

The 600 is truly a unique race, the longest of the season. Trust me, you will not regret going to this track and race and once you do, you will be hooked. I know I am.

Well that is enough for now, if I think of anything else, I will make sure to fill you all in. I do have pictures posted to share the experience with you.