Why would a kid who was born in the later part of the 1990s? When some would argue the sport peaked. Still, be such a die heart fan of a sport like NASCAR? It’s more than just a sport though, it’s a father and son bonding every single race day. It’s the story of that little boy’s dad and grandpa watching the legends responsible for the sport. It doesn’t stop there though its the competitive nature born within us all. Or it’s the pulling for a specific driver so you could just beat your dad at something as a kid. Also though it’s the unknowns for me as well. The endless battle of man versus machine. Everyone has a reason for choosing their favorite sport right? Well here’s why NASCAR. Maybe my explanation will bring you to at least take a look at the sport I love.
The Escape.
Oh great another millennial sob story, right? Wrong actually while I technically would be a “millennial” I’m not here to tell you my life story. My reason for this piece was to show you why I love NASCAR racing. What I can say though is NASCAR provided me with an escape from the real world. Just like the NFL, and MLB does for some kids. You get to watch your heroes do something amazing right? My heroes battled man, machine, and the elements for hours at a time. It was more than that for me though it was the escape. My dad busted his ass, he worked construction his whole life and just recently retired. However, that man would get two days a week to himself and his outlet was NASCAR. He would kick back, drink a beer and get to be himself. I was just lucky enough to get to share that time with him. I got to escape father, and be with my dad for a few hours every weekend. After going to school eight hours a day and him working forty-plus hours sometimes a week. His escape was NASCAR, and he took me along. That’s one of many reasons why NASCAR.
The Legends and Making Choices
Every sport has legends. I know that but when you were a little kid hearing your parents talk about their heroes was something of a legend. My dad’s heroes were NASCAR drivers. Hearing how the sport was built from the backwoods that lay within an hour and a half from your hometown in North Georgia. The names like Petty, Baker, Allison, and Earnhardt all are to thank.
For the battles, my dad and I had against each other with our own drivers. All in fun though right? It started out as an innocent choice choosing a car based on your favorite restaurant (the golden arches) as a kid. Then your dad has his own driver. Watching that ticker every Sunday to see where your driver finishes in relation to your dad’s driver, then bragging because your driver won or beat his. The red number dodge number nine are the years I remember Bill Elliott unfortunately but I still got to see some cool moments in his career. My dad always loved that UPS car. So for a lot of Sunday’s it was all about finishing in front of the eighty-eight. When that happened, the accomplishment of a young competitive kid beating their dad at something is never forgotten. Why NASCAR, because it taught me how to compete and love competition.
The Battles.
Once again just like all of your favorite sports the battles are as fans what we watch for right? I know in just my love for other sports. However, there is something a little different about the battles I’ve grown up watching within NASCAR. My battles were man vs man, one on one. It was about who could take and wheel that car the best to outdo his competitors. The thing though is the drivers aren’t alone either.
There’s another battle constantly going on while the drivers battle each other. Actually a few more fights. You’ve got the battle of man versus machine. Driving a car for hours at speeds over one hundred eighty miles an hour isn’t easy. Machines wear, tear and sometimes break down. So as a driver you’ve got to communicate to the team what you need. Oh, then you’ve got the races where it’s more in the crew chief’s hands. It’s a battle of wits but also trusts. Do you trust your driver to nail his marks, and then can your crew execute flawlessly? That’s it: the never-ending battle constantly for hours. Man battles machine and man battles man. I got to witness all of that growing up and learn more than just winning and losing. It’s about strategy, and knowledge as well as some skill. That’s why NASCAR.
Learning and Growing is Why NASCAR
NASCAR is a competitive sport, just as most of them are but it also taught me. Sometimes when your going fast you’ve got to slow down a bit. You’ve got to learn the track and car just like you do the twist and turns that life throws at you right? You make adjustments and sometimes they make it worse. Sometimes those adjustments make it a tiny better or make it all better. Maybe that’s why NASCAR. I’ve been struggling to find my “personality” as a writer but I think I’ve got it figured out now. Enough of me though Why NASCAR for you? If you made it this far you obviously a fan of sorts I guess. So share your story with me. Why is NASCAR your sport?
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