WSET.com - ABC13The Kings Court for February 11, 2011

Learning to Read NASCAR

Growing up in Central Pennsylvania, I loved sports. Basketball, football, baseball, golf, tennis, skateboarding, skiing/snowboarding, and so and on and so forth. Everything but soccer. Or, at least, that's the way I looked at it. You see, I didn't consider NASCAR, or any type of motor sport, ironically enough, a sport. Simply wasn't on my radar.

Then, last Fall I attended my first race, at the Martinsville Speedway. Thankfully, I was only the videographer. Lord knows I wasn't capable of reporting what happened in the race, other than the simple fact that Denny Hamlin won.

I had no clue how the points system worked.
I didn't know how many races were involved in "The Chase," or how many races led to the chase.
I was frustrated when, in every interview, the driver would refer to Jimmie Johnson's car as "the 48" or Jeff Gordon's as "the 24," as opposed to just saying their name.
I was curious as to how, when the caution flag is up, order was maintained.
I was blown away to find out fans could bring their own beer into the stands (!).

Those are the initial brush marks of a much larger painting of how clueless I really was that day.

Smash cut to 2 ½ weeks ago. I'm on my way to Charlotte, for four days of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour. As I drive, with Sports Director Dennis Carter riding shotgun, I'm thankful again I won't be the one reporting. Though after that day in Martinsville I didn't turn the channel or hit the mute button when NASCAR highlights came on ESPN, I wasn't flipping FOX on Sunday afternoons (in my defense, there were only a few races left in the 2010 season, and it's difficult to turn away from the NFL). There was a certain sense of regret, that I hadn't taken the time to better associate myself with the sport in the off-months, combined with a more certain resolute sense of determination to soak up as much as I could in the hours ahead.

Well, if the Sunday in Martinsville punctured the surface of my NASCAR-defiancy, the four days in Charlotte created a rather large sinkhole.

Though still far from an expert on the sport, I DO understand how the new points system works.
I DO know there are 26 pre-Chase races, followed by the 10 Chase races.
I'm NOT so bothered when I hear reference to the car, as opposed to the driver's name. I get the "team" feel to it.
I DO understand the order when the caution flag is up (mostly).
I'm STILL blown away by beer in the stands. (!)
       
I know how much people in our area love the sport, and I'm curious as to why it makes them tick so wildly. Plus, now that I've gathered a basic understanding, I'M curious. I want to know more, I want to understand it better.

So, not only is NASCAR on my radar now, I'm honed in.

Gentlemen, start your engines.