It is on ly 7:30 am and the parking lot is starting to fill up as race fans arrive at the park and ride. It is a chilly November morning in Phoenix but that hasn’t discouraged fans. They wait excitedly to catch the shuttle bus out to the Phoenix International Raceway, also known as the Desert Mile. All the NASCAR tracks have nicknames; the track at Dover is known as the Monster Mile, Talladega is “the track that is too tough to tame”, Indy is the Brickyard. Attending a NASCAR cup race at any track is truly an experience that any NASCAR fan dreams about.
The Phoenix track, located in Avondale just west of Phoenix, has been hosting stockcar races on and off since it opened in 1964. A mile long (1.6 km) D shaped tri-oval track that can hold over 76,000 fans, the desert mile hosts two NASCAR Sprint Cup races every season, one in April and the other in November. These races sell out. Race fans come from all over the country and abroad to partake in the NASCAR experience.
Many of the fans using the park and ride early in the morning have pit passes which gives them access to the pit area prior to the race. They can see where their favorite drivers are going to pit and get a behind the scenes feel of the race. Judging by the number of people wearing t-shirts declaring their favorite driver, it is apparent that several drivers have large dedicated fan bases. T-shirts, jackets, and other race memorabilia can be purchased at one of the many booths that surround the track.
SPEED television broadcasts live from the track and the pre race show is as popular as the actual race. Fans huddle around the booth holding signs that hopefully will get them their 15 seconds of fame on TV. The broadcasters are ex-drivers and have their own fan base. It is interesting to hear what they have to say about today’s race.
The pits close and people start making their way to their seats in preparation for the 1:45 pm start time. The cars are weighted and checked and then pushed onto their positions in the pit area. The pre race pit area resembles a busy bee hive where crew, owners, sponsors, drivers and their families buzz around waiting for the start of the race. The drives crawl into their cars and a blessing is said by a local clergy. The national anthem is sung by a celebrity guest and a fly-by of air force jets thunders through the sky at the end of the anthem. The crowd goes wild.
Then the most famous words in racing ”Gentlemen start your engines” results in the race cars exploding to life. The race is about to start. The cars make their way onto the track behind the pace car and do a few laps to get ready for the race.
The green flag is waved and the race begins. For the next couple of hours the cars will vibrate the grandstands as they roar past. The sound is deafening. Most experienced fans wear ear plugs or headphones. Many have radios tuned to the race station to hear the commentary. Today’s race is relatively caution free. There are a few minor crashes, some cautions for debris on the track and a red flag for a brief flash rain storm, which is very unusual in Phoenix. But other than that, it is green flag racing for most of the afternoon.
One car leads the pack for most of the race, the 48 driven by Jimmie Johnson who is poised to win this year’s Sprint Cup championship. As the final laps approach the crowd is on its feet watching and holding their breath. Will the second place driver in the chase (Carl Edwards in the 99 car) pass the leader? As Johnson takes the checkered flag the crowd goes crazy. This is the second last Race to the Chase and Johnson is almost guaranteed to take the championship with his win here today.
Nothing compares to watching a NASCAR race live. The enthusiastic fans, the roar of the cars, the excitement of the chase, and the ambiance of the race track make a day at the track a day to remember for fans of all ages.
