More than just cars going in circles

Shelby Foster, Photography Editor

 

There are various aspects to the experience of a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend. People who have never taken the time to indulge themselves in the high-speed sport that is NASCAR would say that it’s just cars going in circles, but it’s more than that.

A race weekend isn’t just the big cup race on Sunday (and on the occasional Saturday). There are events leading up to the race, such as technical inspections that the car must pass. There are practices for the team to test the performance of their car and make adjustments as needed, and qualifying where everyone’s best lap time on the track decides the position they will start in for the race.

During the race itself, a race-goer experiences the sights, sounds, and smells that make the sport so unique. Fans see pit stops where the goal is to change all four tires and fill the tank with gas in under 12 seconds. There is the smell of rubber or a pre-race tailgate.  Then, there is the roar of the crowd at the moment of victory or the quiet that falls over the crowd after a wreck.  

NASCAR is a “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” sport. No one can say, “It’s just cars going in circles,” until he or she has experienced what it’s like to be at the track on race day.

View the slideshow the above to see an insider’s look at a team’s race weekend.