NASCAR's Daytona 500 With A New York Attitude

New York City and the surrounding tri-state area is not a hot bed of NASCAR fanaticism.  In fact, when the NASCAR Championship Banquet comes to the Big Apple, there is barely a ripple of interest, even when the cars are barreling around Times Square or the Brooklyn Bridge for that matter.

So, what were two intrepid NASCAR fans from New Jersey to do on the day of the Daytona 500?  We did what a few hundred or so other New York/New Jersey fans did and headed to Times Square to watch our heroes launch the season on the really big screens of the ESPN Zone.

We started our race morning by having to explain to the youth in our church confirmation class that it was not, in fact, Halloween and we were just fully adorned in our NASCAR gear (my husband resplendent in his Michael Waltrip cap, shirt and jacket, and me decked out in my rainbow Dupont Chevrolet outfit) to celebrate the start of our beloved 2009 racing season.

We breezed through church festivities and then jumped in our trusty Saturn to head to the Big Apple, hoping to score a seat in the Barcoloungers in front of the big screen. 

This was easier said than done, however, as hundreds of NASCAR fans were already there laying claim to the very best seats in the ESPN Zone house.

In fact, we were close to being shut out of the main viewing area and relegated to the bar area (which isn't all that bad, let's face it).  Thankfully, the manager took pity on us, and after a very generous tip, led us to a great table for two in the heart of the action.

As we were just getting settled, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.  It was a gentleman dressed head to toe in Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gear, and he asked if I remembered him. Although he looked vaguely familiar, I had to admit that I wasn't sure where we had met before.

After guessing a few places, including race tracks around the area, he reminded me that we had met two years ago during Champions' Week.  The drivers in the Chase came to the ESPN Zone, and I had been lucky enough to get a hug from my favorite driver Jeff Gordon in celebration of my 50th birthday.

He also reminded me that we had all been interviewed by several local newspapers about our racing passion.  And he then proceeded to whip out a copy of New York Newsday, one of the local rags, with our pictures in it.

My husband and I were amazed that he had not only remembered but had the wherewithal to bring the picture with him in hopes we would be attending the race viewing party and would see each other. 

NASCAR fans truly are a most unique breed.

As at any race, the camaraderie of racing fans began from the start of the pre-race festivities.  And this experience, watching the Daytona 500 in the middle of New York City, was no different.

The fans sang along with the National Anthem, and we all went nuts when the green flag flew.  We quickly exchanged driver stories, shared pictures and circulated our signed memorabilia around the tables in the room.

We met great folks from all over the area, many of them traveling several miles via subway, train and bus to be with other fans for one of NASCAR's most special races. 

We marveled at a young eight-year-old boy in the crowd who knew the answer to every NASCAR question posed by a local DJ entertaining us during the lulls in the racing action.

We cheered together, razzed each other when our drivers were doing well (or not so well) and groaned as one when the "big one" occurred. 

We gave advice about what was good on the menu, and we traded tips on race tracks and racing experiences in between bites of chicken wings and sips of our favorite beverages.

As a group, we started checking the weather updates for Daytona on our phones and Blackberries as the skies darkened and the clouds rolled in.  And we shared mightily in our disappointment when the red flag came out and the rains poured down.

Although a few fans decided to hang around, all of us quickly paid and scrambled for the exits as Matt Kenseth was declared the winner in the rain-shortened race. 

And of course, we continued out the front doors of the ESPN Zone still debating what on Earth was going on with Dale Jr., what was happening with Jeff Gordon's tire wear and wondering if Joey Logano was alright after his hard hit, etc.

Yes, even in the frigid cold, with a stiff wind blowing between the skyscrapers of the city that never sleeps, NASCAR fans had found a home together in the middle of Times Square. 

We all had enjoyed celebrating together the start of another beloved race season with some New York attitude..