Have you often went to your local track, dirt or asphalt, and sat with excitation building up inside your body? In fact, probably all of you have done something of this sort when visiting your favorite Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night venue. The savory aroma of french fries, cheese fries, hamburgers, and hot dogs lures you in as if a rope is attached to your neck. In addition, the extreme sensation of witnessing the brightly-colored stock cars with their sponsors and numbers clearly visible zip around the track at high speeds, fling clay or dirt into the stands, the flexing of the right-rear tire as it goes through a corner, the omnipotence of the announcer as he commentates with great audacity, and the loudness of the cheers and engines throughout are only a few of the things witnessed and felt by the typical spectator.
Moreover, we often find ourselves pondering in deep thought during intermission what exactly it is these racers "do." Even though we understand the fundamentals and diligence put forth throughout the week and night of a race, the fans are often times not thoroughly clear, in my opinion, on what procedures there are to follow. In the grandstands, all that is visible on the pits side of the fence is the cars quickly rushing to the line up area, men hastily withdrawing from the board from which line ups are written, and the drivers, in their finite time, making final adjustments to their car. Whether it's air pressure, stagger, or changing a set of gears, that's for the team to decide.
In fact, it has come to my attention that there's only two areas in which a fan can see on any given night: the grandstand/pit area and the race itself. While the atmosphere is something that cannot be physically touched, we can "feel" the electricity and the excitement build up in the air over our heads as well.
Henceforth, let's discuss what it's like to be a racer in a car during a heat race, consolation race, or feature. While I'm not a racer racing big block modifieds, sprint cars, or simply, the mini stocks, I have had the chance to take a few hot laps in a go-cart. Although my time was limited in the seat and this wasn't a 800hp machine, the feeling associated with going fast, seeing others watch you showcase what talent you had, seeing some cheer, and hear the roar of the engine sent a pulse through my body like no other. I felt so alive; I felt so healthy; I felt so dramatized.
However, it raises the question in my mind. What's it like to you as a driver behind the wheel racing for that prized top position? All we have is video footage, like in-car cameras, our conscience, and our thoughts to tell us what we think of when you're in the car.
Have at it, everybody. Fans or drivers alike, drop your comments below and get that think-tank rolling!
