SANTA CLAUS - NASCAR STYLE!

Well, the holiday craziness has officially begun!  It seems you can't flip on the tv or pick up a newspaper without being assaulted by advertisements for the very best holiday gift bargains ever.  I don't know about you, but those ads are of no help to me.  They pretty much just add to the stress I put on myself to find the absolute most perfect gift for the people on my list.

If you have begun stressing out over what to get for your favorite Nascar fan, I am here to help!

• The most obvious (and therefore, in my opinion, the least exciting and most predictable) is something with their favorite driver on it.  There seems to be no limit to the 'stuff' you can find featuring your driver.  Everything from clothing to home & office supplies (think mouse pads and bottle openers) can be found online.  Just do a Google search with the driver's name to find their official fan page, or go to Nascar.com.  If you want it, you'll find it.  Trust me!
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• Tickets to a race - Now you're talkin'!  The decision on which race will be limited only by your budget.  If you are not looking to spend alot of money, I would suggest  choosing the track closest to home.  Call the ticket office and tell them what you want to spend and I'll bet they have something for you.  I would also recommend that you buy two tickets so that they can invite someone (maybe you!) to go along.  If you really want to score major points and do it up right, choose a destination track farther from home and give them a whole weekend package, including hotel.  If you have never gone along to a race despite your Big Fan asking you to over and over (and over!) make part of the gift your promise to go along.  Now that's a gift!
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• Driving Experience - Some of the tracks offer an opportunity for the public to jump in a race care and drive a few laps on the track.  This is not inexpensive, but oh my goodness is it ever fun!  It will take a little research on your part, but it is well worth the effort.  Some tracks also will let you drive your own car on the track, but this is not nearly as cool as they limit your top speed to less than what alot of people drive on the interstate.  (But I don't advise doing that in Virginia - see Martinsville post) ;-)  You should also know that the times these offers are available are blacked out around race time, so you can't do both on the same trip unless you are staying for an extended period.
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• SIRIUS/XM Radio - If you don't already have this, I would suggest putting this high on your list!  There is a station devoted entirely to Nascar so you can have 24/7 Nascar (if you really want that!).  And even it you already have a subscription for a radio in your car, I'd recommend buying the boom box and portable radio module.  We use this all the time when we are camping.  It is fun to sit around the campfire and listen to the Nascar guys talk racing, and if we don't have the tv station that is broadcasting the race, we can still not miss a minute of race day excitement.  You can find all of this online or at your favorite electronics store (think Best Buy).

Well, there you have it!  I hope you found these suggestions helpful.  The best part of these is that you don't have to leave the comfort of home to do your shopping!  Now get busy!!

THE BIG DAY ....

Well, the Big Day is almost here!!  We have waited an entire year for it.  We have been talking about it for months.  And 'it' is almost here!!

Those of you who are deep in preparation for it may be thinking that I am talking about Thanksgiving.  But NO WAY!!  I am talking about something much more exciting ...

THE SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP RACE!!

Ever since Nascar announced the new format for this year's championship, fans everywhere have been talking about it and expressing their opinions about the change.  But there is no denying that this has been one of the most exciting years of racing.  Ever.

And after Sunday's race, Nascar will have a first-time Champion.  There are alot of fans who were really beginning to get disillusioned with the sport because the same guys kept winning the championships.  But this year - not so!  This year was so exciting and with four fresh faces in the finals, the championship race promises to be an event to remember!

I just heard that there are about 1,000 tickets still available at Miami-Homestead for the Big Day. They also have some campsites available.  I am SOOOOO tempted to be spontaneous and just pack up and go, but since we just winterized the RV on Tuesday and since there is that nasty little matter of jobs .....

We will be watching all the coverage from the comfort of home.  We'll watch everything pre-race, and truth be told, we will probably have the Nascar station playing on the Sirius/XM too! Even during the race we will mute the television and listen to the MRN broadcast.  Those guys are great and there are far less commercials.  I told you, we are really big fans!

And unlike the Super Bowl parties we usually attend, we will be watching this one alone.  No kids. No friends. Nobody.  We're not trying to be anti-social or offend anyone. It's just that, well, we don't want to miss a second of the excitement and they might want to talk and be all sociable ;-)

I'm already planning our menu.  I haven't decided exactly what it will be, but I know this much -- it will be a make-ahead something.  Maybe wings, grilled then kept warm in the sauce in the crockpot. Or maybe pulled pork sandwiches. What I do know is I'm not cooking OR serving after the race starts.  It will be every Nascar fan for themself at this Happy Wife's house!

What are your Championship Race Day plans?  Whatever they are, I hope you have a great time!  And don't call me - I won't be answering the phone that day either!!

MARTINSVILLE -- THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY!

Well, we have returned safe and sound from an absolutely gorgeous weekend in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  It was a perfect weather weekend and the fall colors on the mountains were positively electric!  What a perfect time of year to visit this area of our country.  We feel so fortunate to live close enough to be able to take in this spectacle provided to us courtesy of Mother Nature!

There were lots of things I consider GOOD about the weekend.  VERY GOOD, in fact.  At the top of the Good List would of course be the race itself.  Probably the best race of the year so far.  Not a single fan left the track disappointed!

Also GOOD for us was the interesting side trip we took to a little town about two hours north of Martinsville called Lexington.  It is the home of Virginia Military Institute and Washington & Lee University.  It is also the location of Stonewall Jackson's home and gravesite.  The town is a very cool college town, complete with small boutiques and neat little restaurants.  There are also two craft breweries that we just had to check out also!  We brought home several different beers to share with our boys.  I also bought something I have never seen before - a growler of iced coffee tapped over nitro.  It is amazingly delicious, and my girls are going to love it!

Along with all the good, there was also some BAD.  And, sadly, I can't say that I was surprised at what I found to be BAD.  It was the behavior of some of the fans.  I know bad behavior is becoming prevalent in our society as a whole, but c'mon!  Booing the UNC Marching Band when they were introduced to perform the National Anthem?!?!  Because why - you are a Duke fan?  Shame on you!

And then there are those who think that the "no smoking" signs apply to everyone except them.  And those people are usually sitting in front of me.  This weekend was no exception.  Young guys who ran out of money because of all the beer they bought so they bummed cigarettes from others around them.  Really?!

And, lastly, the BAD behavior of those fans who find satisfaction is standing and giving the finger to a driver who is beating their driver.  Newsflash -- HE CAN'T SEE YOU!  But the little kids sitting around you certainly can.  Or the fan who thought he was funny when, after the race, Brad Keselowski was passing by in his golfcart and he had to shout out "You suck!"  Some people are just idiots.

And lastly, the UGLY.  And the UGLY AWARD goes to the Virginia police who hid themselves along Route 581, where the speed limit goes from 70 on a two-lane highway to 55 on a three-lane highway (WHY?!?!?!) and then ticketed every out-of-state driver they saw because they knew it was an easy score.  Thanks.  I feel better now.

How about you?  What were your GOOD, BAD & UGLY moments at Martinsville?

NASCAR - THE TIE THAT BINDS

Here is the thing about Nascar fans - they are everywhere.  You probably just don't know it!  For whatever reason, many people won't admit that they are a fan of the sport.  Maybe it is because of the image most people have of stereotypical race fan - toothless, uneducated, beer drinking hillbilly - you get the idea.  But once you break the ice with that first awkward comment ... "we follow Nascar" or some such other 'bait' statement ... they come out of the woodwork!

We had this very thing happen to us this past weekend while we were fall camping.  On our nightly walk to check out all the gorgeous motorcoaches at the campground, we stopped to chat with a couple who was sitting by their campfire.  About ten minutes into the conversation Hubby said something about a campground we had been to for a race weekend.  Well .... two hours later (!) we finished our walk, but not before they invited us to their campsite to watch the race on their outdoor TV the next evening.  It was a chilly autumn night, but we had a blast with these crazy new friends from New Jersey.

And this very kind of thing happens everywhere we go.  A casual comment made in passing, hanging our track flag banner from the RV, playing the Nascar station from our Sirius XM outdoor speakers.  All of these have brought so many fun and interesting people into our lives.  We have stayed in touch with some, gotten pointers on where to stay and where to park from others.  At Bristol last year we tailgated with a rowdy bunch from California and we still laugh when we tell those stories!

It's another reason why this Nascar Wife loves going to races.  They are about so much more than the race, although that would be reason enough.  We meet the NICEST people and make the best memories!!

As for that crazy couple from New Jersey .... we told them they should come to Martinsville with us next weekend.  So they are!!  Someone should probably warn the track we are coming!

GEARING UP FOR MARTINSVILLE

We began our Nascar season with a trip to Martinsville this spring.  And yes, it snowed the morning of the Cup race!  We drove to the track from our campground with snow covering the side of the interstate!  But we were prepared with layers upon layers of warm clothes, and despite the raging winds that had our bleacher seats humming, we enjoyed a great day of racing!

The track at Martinsville is one of my favorites.  It is referred to as "The Paperclip" because of its shape - long straightaways and sharp corners.  The difference with this track from the others we go to is that this one is flat.  No high banked corners to shoot out of.  Just like a regular road, only with really sharp corners.  As a result the cars do not race at as high a rate of speed as they do at other tracks.  But there is a lot of strategy and braking and bumping, so there is a lot of action!  Here is how the track is documented at the Hall of Fame --

 

I really love going to this track.  I'm not sure exactly why, but this will be our third trip in two years and I can't wait! 

 

We will take the RV, but we do not camp at the track.  As a general rule we don't camp at a track until we have the chance to check it out in person.  We stay at a campground in Natural Bridge, Virginia, and drive the 1+ hours to the track on race day.  It is all interstate driving and it is easy to do.  We park at the track grass lots - they are free - and there is always plenty of room.  It is very hilly so I would not recommend doing this if you have any issues with footing or walking on uneven surfaces.  There are lots of parking areas along the main highway where you can pay to park if you prefer.  But there really is no reason for us to do that.

 

Now, about the area.  On our drive in to the track we passed one abandoned commercial building after another.  It was apparently once a booming area, but no longer.  Evidently the main industry was once a Hanes factory, but those jobs went to China.  And the rest is history.  It appears to me that if Martinsville ever loses the Nascar races there would be no more Martinsville.  So even more reason for America-loving Nascar fans to do their patriotic duty and go to the race at Martinsville!

 

And for that very reason I would not recommend planning to camp at the track until you check it out for yourself.  We were actually advised by a Nascar insider not to camp anywhere in Martinsville except at the track where they provide security.  Apparently the town is not the safest place to be after dark. I have no first-hand knowledge, but I pass this on to you merely as a matter of information. 

 

This track is quaint.  This race is old-school.  And this Nascar Wife is going!

 

 

(We'll talk about those Martinsville hot dogs next time!)



A REAL HAPPY NASCAR WIFE!

Well, we are back from our weekend at Dover and I just couldn't wait to tell you about this adorable couple we met while we were touring the garages prior to Sunday's race!

As we were walking around, Hubby spotted these two wearing their "Just Married" t-shirts.  I asked if I could take their picture for my blog and they obliged.  We chatted with them for awhile and they were so darned cute!  Melvin and Sara - married on Saturday and the Dover race was their honeymoon!  They were headed back to work on Monday morning.  What a sweet couple!  Melvin is a big Jr. fan and was hoping to score a tire or some other piece of memorabilia from the 88 as a souvenir.  I didn't get to see them after the race, but I'd love to know about their experience at the race!

I wish them many, many happy years together!  "Nascar Wife, Happy Life!!"

PACKING FOR THE TRACK

I'm starting to think about what I want to pack to take to Dover next weekend, and I thought I'd share some pointers on what and how I pack my bag to take along to the race.

First of all, and most importantly, check the track's website to see their restrictions on what you can take in to your seat on race day.  Every track has different rules and there is always that guy who is completely unaware that you can't take certain items inside the track.  As he 'converses' with the security guy the line behind him grows longer and longer and fans become more and more aggravated!  Doing a little research before you go saves all of us a lot of headaches.

I highly recommend packing your personal items in a clear totebag.  If you don't already have one (I actually got one when I purchased a set of sheets!) you can purchase one at the NASCAR trailer in the Fan Zone.  They are relatively inexpensive and well worth the investment for the time it will save you going thru the gates.

Here is a list of items I always pack:

• 2 trash bags - Sounds silly, I know, but they come in really handy if your metal bleacher seat is wet or if it starts to rain during the race.  You can put them over your lap to keep your legs from getting wet or tear a whole in the top and use as a makeshift raincoat.
• Blanket - Makes those metal bleachers a little softer and a little warmer but also helps to define "your space" so that you don't lose valuable inches when your neighbor tries to put his cooler in your seat.  You're welcome! 
• Scanner and headsets - If you don't want to use these, be sure to take something for ear protection.  You can't imagine how loud it is trackside!  A quick trip to the hardware store and you can find inexpensive earplugs.  These are an absolute must.
• Extra batteries for your scanner
• Sunscreen, no matter what the weather is.  Just a little bit of sun bouncing off those shiny aluminum bleachers and you can get a sunburn more quickly than if you were at the beach!
• Snacks - I am not one of those people who can't go for more than an hour without eating.  I also don't really enjoy trying to eat a greasy burger or sloppy sub in my seat.  So I take a bunch of easy-to-eat snacks - things like peanut butter crackers, nuts, carrots, apples, etc.  I also like to bring a bag of hard candy/mints and gum and a bottle of water.
• Aspirin - I can pretty much always count on getting a headache some time during the day, so I always want to be able to catch it before it gets really awful and spoils my fun.
• Hat & Sunglasses - I am not a baseball hat kind of girl, but I always wear one at a race.  Count on the sun being in your eyes at some point during the day.
• TICKETS - Goes without saying, but be sure to double check that someone has them!
• Money - I always throw a couple of dollars in my bag just in case.

Just remember that whatever you take with you needs to fit at your feet!  Please be considerate of the others around you. I see people dragging these huge coolers on wheels and tons of junk for their kids and I feel sorry for the people who sit around them!  There is no way all that stuff fits in the space you are allotted, so that means you are cheating from your neighbors.  Not fair, not considerate, and not a fun way for anyone to spend the day. 

With just a little advance planning and thought you'll have everything you need to spend a great day cheering for your favorite driver!