Daytona 500

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

That's what happens when NASCAR turns right

[Blacdout96]

Originally Posted by Anti_Rice_Guy

That's what happens when NASCAR turns right

[mtg6486]

I've been down here in daytona since friday experiencing this pretty memorable 500. I was at the track all day Sunday waiting in the rain. The place looked like a refugee camp with everyone huddled under anything they could to stay dry. The food and merchandise vendors sold out of just about everything they had from people buying out of boredom. Then they ended up calling the race and had us come back Monday for the late restart. I was pretty cool seeing the first ever postponed 500 under the lights. Had seats eight rows back across from the Pitts in the Roberts section. Was so close that you could feel the wind of the cars as they went by. It had enough power that it was making hats fly off the fans heads. The killer of the night was that 2 hour delay from the blower fire. I could see the track but to did see the flames rising pretty high along with all that smoke. All in all it was an awesome experience being down here for all these firsts.

[coolmanvette75]

Blacdout, Glad to see I'm not the only Mark Martin fan still left out there. Saw him win at dover that last time he won there. Sucks he is driving a toyota now though...

[Blacdout96]

Originally Posted by coolmanvette75

Blacdout, Glad to see I'm not the only Mark Martin fan still left out there. Saw him win at dover that last time he won there. Sucks he is driving a toyota now though...

I became a NASCAR fan by accident. I was at Sam's club with my parents, and on the floor they had haulers with two cars. I chose Marks cause red,white and blue was flashy to me ( The other was Rusty Wallace,and I think Richard Petty) I come to find out its part of a racing series, watched it a couple times, saw Mark win, and the rest was history. Knowing that Mark set the standard of working out, I began to work out as a kid, never wanting to sit down, hoping to be a driver like him someday. I never did a drug in my life, and kept drinking to a minimum, even to this day, because I never wanted to hurt my chances at making it some day, and hurting my body as well. In a sense he was my hero growing up, so I think it saddens me that he's got a few more competative years in him before he fads away, my idle I've watched since being 7 years old.

I feel my father tried his best to make sure I had a role model, or hell even a sport to be a fan of. I was a reclusive kid, not paying much attention to sports until NASCAR, so any chance he had to get some sort of merchandise from his company, or if a driver was around, he would take me there to meet them. I then became a fan of the Flyers, and began playing hockey, and my father didn't push the envelope as much, but when there was an opportunity, he would make sure I stayed in the right direction, instead of being a victim of peer pressure, since my attempts to be more social growing up were frail.

[baddest434]

Originally Posted by coolmanvette75

Been to Dover a few times and love watching races there...

i've been to dover 4 times and must say there really isn't a bad seat. and had a great time every time. that was 20 years ago though. my friend worked for budget gourmet and and budget gourmet sponsored a car in the busch series. he hooked us up with tickets to the race, hospitality suites, we got to go on the infield and mingle with all the drivers after the race. we got to stand in the walkway that goes above the track after turn 2 and watch the cars underneath us. that was really cool!!
We got to go out to dinner with the driver and the whole pit crew after the race to some airport restaurant on rt.13. got autographed pictures of me with the driver, got his matchbox car (still unopened), golf balls with his logo, nice jackets and shirts etc.. we were treated like kings! to bad the driver never really made that big of a name for himself. his name is jason keller car #57

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Originally Posted by baddest434

i've been to dover 4 times and must say there really isn't a bad seat. and had a great time every time.

Did his car have a horse pulling it way back then?

[Blacdout96]

Originally Posted by Anti_Rice_Guy

Did his car have a horse pulling it way back then?

That and the helmets were olive branches around the top of their heads

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by Blacdout96

Went to my first race in 1994. .....and even Ray Everham, which a few days later he announced he was done with Hendricks ( Gordon was doing terrible)

'94 was only the second year Evernham was Gordon's crew chief. They won the championship together in '95, '97, and '98, and Evernham left near the end of the '99 season.

Ray is still a pretty down to earth guy. I have talked to him in recent years in the pits at New Egypt Speedway when he has been there to race or hang out with old friends.

- Justin

[greenformula92]

Originally Posted by Featherburner

Pocono is a lousy place to watch a race. The smaller tracks up to the 1.5 mile are the races to see!

I agree. I used to be a much bigger NASCAR fan but in recent years it has gotten very boring to me. Maybe i'll get to a race in Dover sometime but the tickets are just too damn expensive for a decent seat

[Blacdout96]

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

'94 was only the second year Evernham was Gordon's crew chief. They won the championship together in '95, '97, and '98, and Evernham left near the end of the '99 season.

Ray is still a pretty down to earth guy. I have talked to him in recent years in the pits at New Egypt Speedway when he has been there to race or hang out with old friends.

- Justin

Throughout the years i met them, not just one year. Terry Labonte while it was raining, Sterling in the parking lot was the 95 race, I think Morgan in 96 or 97, Ray was 99 and Kenseth was like 2000 or something, plus Joe Gibbs, who's famous for handing out already autographed religious pamphlets ( I have two of them for each time i seen him lol) Geoff Bodine, and others.