NASCAR: 15 Coolest Traditions in Motorsports

NASCAR is steeped in history, tradition and ceremony, most of which grew with the sport. Some traditions were born in other series of motorsports or may be unique to them, but all blend together for the enjoyment of the sport's participants and the fans who watch.

Every series of motorsports share some unique characteristics that include speed, the smell of burning rubber, smoke and the fragrance of different fuel combinations.

Motorsports is about competition at high speeds and the danger that is ever-present. The thought of accidents and death is suppressed, but the players know the risks involved.

NASCAR is one of the most fan-friendly genres of major motorsports. The fans are some of the most loyal with their purchases of souvenirs, racing apparel and other merchandise.

NASCAR national series events are held at venues that virtually become small cities which may contain some 180,000 fans. The Indianapolis 500 has massive grandstands on both sides of the track that seat even more people.

Let's get started with a look at some very cool traditions that are repeated week after week during each and every racing season in the major leagues of motorsports.

1. American Pride and the Military

Pre-race ceremonies are replete with displays of our American flag whether it be a massive flag on the infield at a NASCAR event, waving from a pole or tiny flags in the hands of the fans being hoisted in the air.

The American flag is tradition at all motorsport events along with the singing of the national anthem.

Members of the military find special recognition at NASCAR national events either as participants in various ceremonies or as guests of the owners, teams and sponsors.

The military is recognized in other forms of motorsports and some cars are sponsored by different branches of our armed forces.

American pride is evident when cars go racing and the fans are there to watch.

2. Speedweeks at Daytona

NASCAR kicks off its racing season with a two-week extravaganza known as "Speedweeks in Daytona" which culminates with the running of the Daytona 500.

Fans are able to watch a variety of racing from practice sessions for the top series in NASCAR to the Budweiser Shootout, pole qualifying, the twin qualifying races for the 500, the Nationwide race and, of course, the Daytona 500.

The city of Daytona Beach becomes NASCAR central with events including driver appearances scattered about.

The Fan Zone and the variety of displays with vendors provide an endless source of entertainment for the NASCAR fan in addition to pre-race ceremonies.

When you hear "Speedweeks," you think NASCAR and Daytona Beach. It has evolved from the early days when fans gathered on the beach to watch stock cars race.

3. Fan Loyalty

NASCAR fans are a loyal bunch who support and defend their drivers. They wear apparel that reflects that loyalty, adorn vehicles with decals, collect memorabilia and purchase merchandise of many types.

Fans may declare a driver as their favorite, but they are understanding of the passion others feel for drivers they may not be fans of.

Dale Earnhardt was one of the most popular, yet polarizing, figures in NASCAR racing.

On the 10th anniversary of his tragic death at Daytona International Speedway, fans stood in unison with three fingers raised on the third lap of the 2011 Daytona 500.

4. Trophies for the Winner

Certain trophies are treasured in racing like the Borg-Warner trophy that goes to the winner of the Indianapolis 500, the Harley J. Earl trophy presented to the Daytona 500 winner and, of course, the NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy for the series champion.

Post-race ceremonies at a NASCAR race can be entertaining to say the least, but some of the trophies are quite unique.

At Martinsville Speedway the winner receives a Ridgeway grandfather clock. It is perhaps one of the most coveted trophies and some drivers have quite a collection of those grandfather clocks.

5. Tailgating and Camping NASCAR Style

Tailgating is a fan activity that crosses many different sports, but NASCAR fans have honed it to a fine art that converts infields to mini-cities as diverse as one can imagine.

From multi-million dollar motor coaches to converted school buses to the daily driver with a tent, one can fine a plethora of infield designs, some of which would boggle the mind.

Many fans who enjoy racing and tailgating show up days before the race and stay long after the haulers have left the track.

Some become NASCAR nomads who travel from track to track following the sport they love.

A trip through the infield at a NASCAR event can be quite memorable, and not to be out done are those who patronize the camping facilities at tracks like Bristol where they cannot park in the infield.

The campers can put on quite a show, but it is all in good fun and it becomes one big, somewhat dysfunctional family.

6. Champagne for All

The celebratory tradition of the winner spraying champagne on most everyone in Victory Lane crosses over to the podium in IndyCar racing and Formula One.

Sometimes multiple bottles of champagne are used and it is truly a soaking experience, but it's fun to do and fun to watch.

7. Autographs

NASCAR drivers maintain tight schedules with their handlers pretty much telling them where they are scheduled to be during race weekends.

They don't have a lot of time to interact with fans, but NASCAR is perhaps the most fan friendly of all the major motorsports with every attempt made to give fans access to drivers for photos and autographs.

Tracks have FanZones and FanFests that get fans up close and personal with drivers. There are scattered times during racing events when drivers take time to make their way to fans who are nearby.

The NASCAR Preview 2012 presented by Sprint in Charlotte gives fans access to more than 50 drivers with many other NASCAR related activities.

Drivers spend many hours autographing memorabilia that they receive along with the mandatory items they are required to sign.

Though today's drivers are more isolated from the public than in decades past, they still take time to show appreciation for the fans.

Drivers in IndyCar, Formula One and NHRA all sign autographs, but overall fan access may not be quite at the level of NASCAR.

8. NASCAR Hall of Fame

There are many different Halls of Fame across not only motorsports, but other sports venues as well.

NASCAR has their Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a long time coming, but the doors opened in 2010 with the first class of inductees.

The HOF is owned by the city of Charlotte and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. It has not been the source of revenue it was expected to be, but the HOF is a stop that should be on the bucket list of every NASCAR fan.

It is a place where the history of NASCAR is displayed from vintage racecars to every conceivable bit of memorabilia that represents the drivers who have built the sport. It is a spectacular display.

Each year five people who have made a significant impact on the sport are inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The third class will be inducted in January of 2012.

9. Kissing the Bricks

NASCAR began the tradition of kneeling to kiss the yard of bricks when Dale Jarrett won the 1996 Brickyard 400.

He and his crew chief, Todd Parrott, decided to kiss the bricks and it has been part of the post-race activities ever since.

The tradition has been continued with IndyCar winners as well.

10. Hauler Parades

The NASCAR haulers are the mainstays of the sport that makes racing possible at tracks across the country as they move the racecars and high dollar equipment to each venue.

Near various tracks, the haulers meet up at some point and form a parade down one of the main routes to the track in what is called a hauler parade.

The most spectacular hauler parade takes place in Las Vegas amidst the glitz and glitter. Fans line the street for photo ops of the colorful transporters on Las Vegas Boulevard.

11. Burnouts

Burnouts originated with drag racing as a method to raise tire temperature and lay down a layer of rubber for better traction just before making a pass.

NASCAR drivers have honed the art of burnouts, which is basically spinning the tires to create clouds of smoke without moving the car too much.

It has become a ritual with most all drivers who win a race and the cheers of the fans seem to correspond to the billowing smoke and black patterns on the track from lighting up the tires.

12. Gentlemen Start Your Engines

"Gentlemen start your engines" are the famous words uttered, usually by a designated celebrity, at the culmination of pre-race ceremonies.

Drivers are then told by their teams to fire up the engines and prepare to follow the pace car out on to the track for warm-up laps prior to the green flag flying.

Due to the number of women who are now part of motorsports, the words are often changed to "Drivers start your engines."

It is tradition to use this key phrase before a race in most all major races that involve a field of cars on an oval or road-course track.

13. Pace Cars

Pace cars date back to the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911. The purpose of the pace car is to limit the speed of the cars as they line up for the green flag start.

Pace cars are also referred to as safety cars because they pull out on to the track when an incident triggers a caution or yellow flag condition and the cars need to be slowed and properly positioned.

Pace cars have normally been high-performance American street cars for NASCAR national events.

The pace car for the Daytona 500 in 2012 will be a performance version of the Toyota Camry SE. The Toyota has been produced in the United States for 25 years and has been a popular seller with the public.

Toyota entered the NASCAR domain dominated by Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge in 2007.

14. Drinking Milk at Indy

After winning the 1936 Indianapolis 500, Louis Meyer gulped down buttermilk. Being in the Midwest, the innovative farmers and a dairy executive decided to capitalize on what they had seen.

The winner of the Indy 500 chugs down ice cold milk during the post-race festivities every year. As seen in the picture, the team owner, Chip Ganassi, has his own bottle of milk to deal with alongside winner Dario Franchitti.

In 1993, Emerson Fittipaldi decided to promote the orange juice industry being that he is an owner of large groves in Brazil. He snubbed the milk for a glass of OJ.

He was heavily criticized for the move and it is said he took a sip of milk after the cameras stopped rolling.

15. Champions Week

Once upon a time the NASCAR Cup series champion was honored at a somewhat bland banquet in Daytona Beach during Speedweeks.

The year was 1981 and NASCAR decided to make the move to the headquarters of corporate America, New York City. It was a bit of an odd relationship in the beginning but grew into a big deal.

The Waldorf Astoria became the sight of the celebration until three years ago when Las Vegas beckoned and NASCAR accepted the offer of celebrating in the city that never sleeps.

"Champions Week" has taken hold and Las Vegas has done a fine job of celebrating the champion and the Chase drivers with events not only at the strip but throughout the city.

Fans have opportunities to attend events where drivers interact, to parades and burnouts on the "Strip," awards ceremonies and even the actual Awards Banquet that is the finale to the week of fun.

The week that celebrates the NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and those who were Chase contenders for the title get to relax, enjoy the Las Vegas atmosphere and watch the champion collect a really big check.

It is a great tradition that grows annually and looks to be rooted in Las Vegas for some time to come.