I attended my first Nascar racing in August of 2002 at Michigan International Speedway. My Dad & brother went along with me (I think they were worried about me among 60,000+ race fans).
It was a "high" - an experience I will never forget. For those who have only watched a race on TV, nothing compares to it in person. Some people will tell you that attending a race is a hassle, (and it can be), but there are so many things that you can't experience by watching them on TV.
First, watching a race with several tens of thousands of others is amazing. It is hard to grasp how many people are there at the race with you. I've attended sold out football games and basketball games, but the crowds there only reached 42,000. The race crowd can be double that. Add to that the fact that there are 43 teams instead of 2 to split the crowd. Race fans are loyal, but once their guy is out - they may pick another favorite to cheer on, or they'll pick their villian to cheer against.
Second, your senses are assailed by the sounds, smells and colors of the event. The roar of 43 engines is ear-splitting. The smells of tires, fuel, and hot metal overpower the odors of the track's food stands. The color schemes on the cars are spectular in person - TV does not do them justice.
Watching a race in person takes patience, and an ability to keep track of several things at once. When at a race, you can actually tell who is running a better line around the track, who has made good (or bad) adjustments on the pit stop by the way the car runs afterward, and who has started the latest rivalry today.
Combine these things together, and I get an unbelievable rush.
After my first time, I thought I could learn to watch races on TV with the same effects. I quickly learned I was wrong...
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