It is this time of year where the football junkies don’t really know what just hit ‘em.  I know the feeling.  The Super Bowl just ended, Major League Baseball doesn’t start until April, and if you are like me, you can take or leave the NBA.  March Madness is awesome but it’s still a few weeks away.  So here’s a suggestion for all you football and baseball-starved sports fans: NASCAR.  The first race of the year is The Daytona 500 this Sunday.

Like a good sports road trip with some buddies? Do you like tailgate parties? Do you like drinking cold beer and other various beverages?  Try going to a NASCAR race.  It will shake you out of the football blues.  Here’s my NASCAR testimonial:

The Logic

For years I’d flip through the channels on a Sunday afternoon, and maybe leave it on a NASCAR race for a minute or two, mumble something about rednecks, then change the channel.  I thought to myself, ‘What is so exciting about a bunch of non-athletes driving cars with ads all over them, making left-hand turns for three hours? These guys aren’t athletes.  This isn’t a sport.’   I just didn’t get it.  But one thing that I did notice during my brief channel stop on the race was the 100,000 to 150,000 people at each race. I couldn’t help but at least be a little curious as to what the lure was.

The Decision

A few years ago, a couple of buddies who were recent NASCAR addicts were planning a trip to Talladega.  Remembering the 150K fans at each race and figuring it was time to see what this was all about, I decided to give it a shot.

The Experience

I found out within 5 minutes of driving up to the parking and camping area that Talladega is the Mother of all Tailgate Parties.  So already I figured it was worth the trip just because of the party.  

One thing many of you may not know about a NASCAR race:  it is BYOB.  No $8.00 beers.  Just bring in your own.  As long as your beverage (or beverages)-of-choice fit into an ice chest the size of a bread basket, you are set.  And some of those soft zip-up ice chests can fit in quite a few cold ones.  Multiply that times three or four buddies, and remember there’s over 150,000 spectators doing pretty much the same thing, and you have a party. 

The Addiction

I can tell you the exact moment that I became a fan of NASCAR.  After three to four ‘warm-up’ laps, which were pretty boring to be honest, the starter waves the green flag.  All 43 cars (all of them about a foot apart from each other) hit the hammer at the same time.  The noise was ear-splitting.  The ground shook.  The grandstands shook.  It was like someone gave me a Pulp Fiction adrenaline shot. 

Give It A Shot

Is NASCAR a real sport?  It doesn’t matter which camp you may fall in for this debate.  Gather some buddies, plan a trip to a race and enjoy the experience.  You might just be surprised at what you’ve been missing.