Rain Doesn’t Dampen the NASCAR Spirit

Many years ago my then boyfriend, now husband, introduced me to NASCAR. I had no choice – he worked in the sport. At the time I honestly didn’t get it. Now, many years later and living and working in the heart of NASCAR country in the tourism industry – I get it.  I spend my days now focusing on NASCAR, the business of traveling and counting up the ways to build our economy.

The Bank of America 500 is this weekend and as the haulers, campers, souvenir trailers, fan adorned cars and “Welcome Race Fans” banners moved into Cabarrus County, so to did the rain.

This won’t be the first time rain has descended on the fans…and won’t be the last. While the idea of racing at 200 mph in the pouring rain and the melee that would occur is certainly an entertaining thought. One that does bring a smile to many, it probably isn’t the safest way to race. So, the racing activities are delayed and the rain pours down.

Last night I made my way down the newly named Bruton Smith Boulevard to Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  It was drizzling and had been raining on and off since Wednesday.  At the stop light right in front of the speedway I waited for two race fans, quite possibly a husband and wife team, cross the traffic lanes on their bikes.  My first impression was to feel horribly for them, “bless their hearts” as my new southern friends have taught me and contemplate for the briefest of seconds if their bikes would fit in the back of my Aspen.  The obvious first impression when you see someone on a bike in the rain is to feel sorry for them and think they have to be miserable.  That’s exactly how I felt as I watched them peddle across and make their way down highway 29.  Presumably peddling their blessed little hearts back to their campsite.  Then I realized they were actually turning onto the gravel lot of souvenir alley.  It was then I noticed the bag swinging from the handle bars of the woman’s bike.  They weren’t peddling back to the campsite. Nor were they miserable. Wet – yes but miserable – no.  They were shopping! These bike riding NASCAR fans were making their way to a souvenir hauler.  Rain or not, they had a mission that may have been planned out weeks before arriving in our county and they were following through.

As I stood in our suite last night and watched the rain mist up the windows and the stands sit empty I felt bad. Not for the money lost on ticket sales, money lost on concessions or the countless other losses us business minded people think of when an event is canceled.  I felt bad for the father that was bringing his son out to qualifying for the first time, the fan who drove down from Pennsylvania on a three day weekend who was looking forward to this for months and the teams who were still working away in the garages who wouldn’t have the chance to take the track that night.

Looking out over the stands I thought about the two I had seen earlier on their bikes, souvenir bag swinging away from the bike handle and thought – if there was some way NASCAR could figure out how to drive in the rain…these stands would be full.