Joe McAdory/Opelika-Auburn News
Posted 02/17 at 02:15 PM
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There’s nothing like attending a NASCAR race in person. You might watch it on TV for years, but it can’t compare to coming out from beneath the grandstands after picking up some snacks and being nearly knocked over by the roar of 43 rumblin’, ragin’ racin’ machines.
But if you want to come, make sure you bring your wallet ... and that you’ve filled it up with cash before you get here. Here are just a few things that might suck the money out of your pockets like the racing fuel out of those powerful engines:
Ticket: $145 on average, although seats can range from $50 to $75 on the backstretch to more than $200 each for prime seats in boxes along the frontstretch
Hot dog: $4
Coke: $4
Souvenir program, which includes a directory of sorts for all the drivers: $15
Hat to show your allegiance to your favorite driver: $25
Parking—it depends ... how far do you want to walk? $25 to $75
Scanner—necessary to hear all the ... um, friendly conversation among the drivers during the race: $50
Sunscreen—$5 (no extra charge to see that crazy guy who only slathered sunscreen on his belly in the shape of his favorite driver’s number, leaving it seared into his skin for the next two weeks)
Lodging: Priceless (for me, anyway—my parents live in Daytona, so I didn’t have to get a hotel)!
By Joe McAdory
Posted 02/17 at 09:45 AM
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PONCE INLET, Fla.—Waves gently crash to the shore. Seagulls squawk, searching for a morning meal. A warm wind blows off of the sun-shimmered Atlantic, filled with the scent of salt.
There is no one here but me.
To my left is the ocean. To my right are sund dunes, A1A and the historic Ponce Inlet Lighthouse in the background. In front of me lie the tire tracks of history, covered in sand.
The racing world will focus today 10 miles northwest of my quiet, little siesta on the beach. Nearly 200,000 will gather and millions will watch on television to see if Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson or someone else will grab the elusive Daytona 500 trophy. The winner will roll into victory lane—confetti flying everywhere—jump on top of their car, hoop, holler and celebrate what has become a made-for-television 200 mph reality show, complete with fireworks, jet fighter fly-overs and national anthem from someone who evidently cut a record.
But before the glitter of what has become today’s corporate-powered NASCAR and an event coined and trademarked by Ken Squier as “The Great American Race,“ there was racing at Daytona.
Lots of it. Right where I’m standing.
Daytona will celebrate the 50th running of the 500 in about four hours. I’ll be there. Can’t wait. But before I fight the crowds and take my seat, I figured I’d pay homage to the hallowed grounds on this stretch of beach. Before me is the exact spot where the final beach race was held, Feb. 23, 1958.
It’s easier to enjoy what we have today when we learn to fully appreciate what we had yesterday.
It’s hard to folks raced on this stretch of sandy Earth. One straightaway of the track was the beach. The other was A1A. Half sand. Half road. Treacherous, deep sandy turns lie in between.
Daytona Beach offers a special, hard-packed sand that allows vehicles to drive on the beach. If it didn’t, Daytona would never have become the Birthplace of Speed.
Quick—who’s the fastest driver in the history of Daytona? Dale Earnhardt? Wrong. Oh yeah, Bill Elliott. Wrong again. Before Awesome Bill from Dawsonville turned a lap of 210 mph over at the speedway, an Englishman named Sir Malcolm Campbell ripped across the sand here at 276 mph back in 1935 in an odd-looking speedster dubbed the Bluebird.
But real, annual beach “racing” didn’t start here until the 1940s. Nothing against Sir Malcolm, a 1900s version of John Force, but he never really traded paint.
Here just south of the north turn—where a restaurant the “North Turn” aptly exists and serves customers seven days a week—there were no speed trials. There was just racing. Hard racing. Bill France recognized its future and molded the sport into gold.
I look to the ground and imagine the tire tracks left behind. I gaze down what used to be the backstretch and picture pioneers—Lee Petty, Tim and Fonty Flock, Red Byron, Buck Baker and Paul Goldsmith battling just feet from the onrushing surf—ghosts of Daytona’s past who paved the way for Daytona’s present and future.
This isolated spot has an eerie calm to it today. There’s something about serenity that makes a place special. Sure, we can celebrate the 50th Daytona 500, but let’s not forget where it started. Right here between the dunes.
Peering back at the ocean before making my trek toward the sea of crazed humanity that has become Daytona International Speedway, I can’t help but notice a pack of pelicans zooming inches from the water—one tucked directly behind the other in a perfect, symmetric line.
Yep, they must be drafting.
By Joe McAdory
Posted 02/17 at 09:38 AM
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PONCE INLET, Fla.—Driving out to the beach Sunday morning I stopped for a second at the North Turn Restaurant, where the old beach course’s north turn once existed. Guess the name fits, huh? A pair of old race cars and a giant shark with a ‘3’ on its side sit outside the place.
One of the race cars, the one pictured above, belonged to old NASCAR champion Red Byron. I’m not sure why the shark, which looks like Jaws, has a 3 on its side. I always thought Jaws was Darrell Waltrip, not Earnhardt. Oh well. I’d like to go inside and sample the food, but it’s still morning and the restaurant hasn’t opened yet. I’m looking forward to going inside for seafood next time I’m down here. Here’s a Web link to the restaurant: http://www.racingsnorthturn.com/
By Joe McAdory
Posted 02/16 at 12:39 PM
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—I learned two things Saturday morning at Daytona International Speedway: race fans love Dale Earnhardt Jr. and do not like Hillary Clinton. I took a stroll among the exhibits outside of the speedway to chat with a number of race fans.
Believe it or not, I even bumped into a pair of Auburn residents. Small world, huh?
I decided to ask them each three questions: who they thought would win Sunday’s Daytona 500, which NASCAR driver would make the best president, and which presidential candidate would they like to see get behind the wheel of a stock car.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your opinions.
Who do you think will win Sunday’s Daytona 500?
“I’m a Junior fan, so I’ll say Dale Earnhardt. Plus, he’s had a good showing thus far.“—Jenny Kirkendall, Vicksburg, Mich.
“Probably a Hendrick car. I’d say Tony (Stewart) if he were in a Chevy. I think (Jeff) Gordon.“—Mike Brooks, Kalamazoo, Mich.
“Junior, of course. He’s finally got the equipment now, plus 95 percent of the people here are pulling for him.“—Josh Morton, Auburn
“Jeff Gordon. He’s the best driver of any form of racing on earth.“—Joe Morton, Auburn
“Junior. He’s on a roll and he’s out to prove something.“—Sheila Wadding, Pittsburgh
“Jimmie Johnson because Hendrick cars are strong right now.“—Jeff Wadding, Pittsburgh
“Because I’m a big Junior fan, I believe Dale will. He’s already shown us that he’s got a great car and he’s a great driver.“—Nancy Rogers, Des Moines, Iowa
“I think Gordon because he’s hungry for a win and I think he and Jimmie Johnson are running so well.“—Melissa Mayes, New Orleans
“Junior because he’s won two times (Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duel 150) by himself.“—Tammy Walcher, Stevenson, Mich.
“I think Dale Jr. because he’ll have two teammates pushing him across the finish line.“—Russ Haugen, Erskine, Minn.
“I believe Jeff Gordon because this is his track.“—Linda Hanstrom, Denver
“I’m hoping Dale Jr. because he won the Shootout and the Duels. It would keep up the trend.“—Juliane Kosec, Crawfordville, Fla.
Which NASCAR driver would make the best president?
“Michael Waltrip, because he’ll tell it like it is.“—Jenny Kirkendall, Vicksburg, Mich.
“Not Tony Stewart because he’s too hot-headed.“—Jeff Wadding, Pittsburgh
“Ryan Newman because he’s got the brains.“—Juliane Kosec, Crawfordville, Fla.
“Mark Martin. He’s got that work ethic and he’s very respected.“—Russ Haugen, Erskine, Minn.
“Jeff Gordon because he carries himself the best and he has the best diction of all the drivers.“ Meliisa Mayes, New Orleans
“Tony Stewart. He doesn’t hold back any punches.“—Mike Brooks, Kalamazoo, Mich.
“Mark Martin. He’s a gentleman. He’s level-headed and keeps both feet on the ground.“—Joe Morton, Auburn
“Tony Stewart because he wouldn’t put up with any crap.“—Josh Morton, Auburn
“Mark Martin. I think in terms of age and wisdom he brings to NASCAR he would also bring them to the White House.“—Nancy Rogers, Des Moines, Iowa
“Kenny Wallace because he’s funny and down to earth.“—Tammy Walcher, Stevenson, Mich.
Which presidential candidate would you like to see behind the wheel of a stock car?
“I’d say Mike Huckabee. He’s a longshot and I’m for the guy who is a longshot.“—Nancy Rogers, Des Moines, Iowa
“Hillary Clinton. It would scare her into telling the truth.“—Mike Brooks, Kalamazoo, Mich.
“I’d like to see Hillary and Obama go toe-to-toe down the frontstretch.“—Josh Morton, Auburn
“I don’t think the president and NASCAR drivers should be in the same sentence.“—Joe Morton, Auburn
“I think it would be funny to see Hillary get banged around out there.“—Jeff Wadding, Pittsburgh
“Obama because I don’t think he’d make it.“—Tammy Walcher, Stevenson, Mich.
“Hillary. I don’t think she could make it two laps.“—Russ Haugen, Erskine, Minn.
“Hillary. I want her to turn right, right, and right (into the wall).“—Linda Hanstrom, Denver
America has spoken. Well, at least a few members of the NASCAR nation anyway.
Who do I believe will win Sunday’s 500? I was thinking Junior had the best shot considering his track record and new ride, but when I opened my mailbox the other day and found him on the cover of Sports Illustrated (the real issue, not the swimsuit one), I remembered the SI jinx and believed right then he would not win. That said, my thoughts turned to Plan B and Tony Stewart, who is also playing the part of Sasquatch with his new beard.
Five others to watch: Gordon, Johnson, Kyle Busch, Michael Waltrip and Denny Hamlin.
By Joe McAdory
Posted 02/16 at 12:15 PM
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Eight bucks for a stinkin’ coozee? That’s right. Vendors selling NASCAR-related merchandise create somewhat of a racing gear mall outside of speedways each week. Saturday, haulers full of hats, shirts, posters, etc., were ready for business at Daytona—and there was plenty of it to be had.
Obviously, the hauler drawing the most fan attention was Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s. Since the dude changed colors in the offseason, fans had to get the new caps and such. I mean, the No. 8 Budweiser stuff is out of style now, right?
I waited in line for 15 minutes just to get my son a 1/64-scale diecast Earnhardt race car, which I’m sure will be scratched and scraped to heck within a few days. The cost—$10.
Here’s a rundown of other select items:
1/24 diecast car—$70
baseball cap—$25
T-shirts—Anywhere from $25 to $35
Coffee mug—$17
Camoflauge winter jacket—$154
Yep, it’s the NASCAR mall. I can’t help but wonder how much money is spent there on a daily basis. I saw one lady spend $277. That’s a car payment. Thank God little cars cost just 10 bucks.
