I have waited all winter for today. Today is the first race day of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. I have been a NASCAR fan since I was about 13, but I remember watching the Daytona 500 with my dad on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" as a little girl. That program hasn't been on TV for a LONG time (Bobby Allison was still alive and racing then to give you a time frame).Watching the race, I couldn't help but think of the races I've been to. From Thompson, Connecticut to Las Vegas, Nevada, all the way out to Ewa Beach, Hawaii - this is such a great sport. NASCAR fans are some of the best people to spend an afternoon or evening with. From barbequing in the pits in Connecticut, to listening to Dale Earnhardt Jr. talk to his spotter on a complete stranger's scanner in Nevada with Ben, to watching the races in Hawaii totally shocked to find a track out there, some of my best memories involve racing.
NASCAR is a family affair for me too, one that I claim credit for starting. My family used to joke with me about spending hours watching cars "go fast and turn left" on Sunday afternoons. Fast forward thirteen years, and now my sister cheers for Dale Earnhardt Jr with me from 3,000 miles away. My brother-in-law is a Matt Kenseth fan (but we won't hold that against him...especially after today's race). My dad is a Jeff Burton fan. Ben cheers for the Caterpillar car. Even my mom gets into it sometimes.
My dad couldn't watch the race today. He was on call, and had to go in to work. I made sure to call him when the green flag fell to start the race. When I found out that he wasn't going to be able to watch it at all, I searched the internet to figure out what radio station he could listen to the race on.
Heck, even my dog gets into it...I have to go watch the end of the race.
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