Visiting NASCAR Tracks: Martinsville Speedway

The little track that doesn't seem to know itself:

There's no towering stands to be seen from the local roads.  Nor is there a massive building housing administration and a shiny gift shop.  Occasionally you'll spy signs by empty fields specifying parking lots.  But really, upon arrival you just don't believe this is the place. 

Indeed, even those working the event are continually surprised that the camping lot is filled with NASCAR fans from the Northeast and Canada.  Why would anybody travel days to find this tiny town and tiny track in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains?  Why?

History holds all the secrets.  The oldest track on the circuit, Martinsville Speedway has hosted Sprint Cup races over more years than any other.  When we speak of Hall of Fame racers, this 1/2 mile paperclip will always feature in their achievements. 

It isn't fast.  Cars qualify under 100 mph.  There are no high banks, wide racing surfaces or even a roomy pit road.  The garage remains a shed incapable of housing all 43 teams. 

And yet, we know we are somewhere special.  The legendary hot dogs is still a reasonable $2.  And yes, they are very snackable.  The track has actually widened the seats for their fans.  There is not a bad seat in the house. Maybe we don't see wrought iron fences, but there is a sense of comfort amidst the teams.  NASCAR likes returning to the paperclip.

And Martinsville clearly has pride in welcoming the circus.  As we wandered the empty facility on Wednesday, everything was being cleaned.  The streets, the seats, the kitchens...everything.  Even the guy driving the maintenance vehicle down the train tracks waved at the few fans wandering around.

In short, we like it here.  Racing is part of the place.  It's a bone deep feeling.  Sort of like a living happy memory.

In a few minutes, we're packing up and heading over for an afternoon of truck racing.  The sun is shining.  The campground is crowded. And I can tell you it's going to be a great day.

Martinsville, a bit of hidden NASCAR history.  A place worth finding.

On the Road Again: Martinsville, VA

We've been to a few tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit in our travels. Martinsville, VA is just the latest stop on the tour. 

Now, we've been to some pretty out of the way places before.  Pocono Raceway is down a long narrow road in between nowhere and nothing. We did our best to find stuff to do during our week in Thunderstorm Alley, beyond duck and cover, but did not succeed too well.  However, I believe Martinsville may have trumped the roval's rural card.

We turned left at Roanoke.  More quickly than you might believe, we left behind most signs of current civilization.  Before you knew it, instead of blue signs claiming we'd find a McDonald's at the next exit, we now passed signs every quarter mile warning us to watch for turning traffic.  220 is a winding, up and down road that climbs hill and hill.  Houses perch on the mountainsides. The remnants of last year's kudzu really does look like it's about to take over the rest the world.

And nothing much more. Except for the roadside signs telling you where you can find this mile's church.  We're definitely in the Bible Belt.

After an hour, at which point you're convinced you haven't been this far removed from an interstate in your life, our GPS told us to take a left and there we are.  A track in the middle of nowhere.  More farms, train tracks, a minor selection of stores nearby, but nothing to indicate the area is capable of supporting the deluge of a Sprint Cup race twice a year.

However, unlike our visit to Bristol last year, Martinsville does not look quite so on the edge of abject poverty.  Most homes are neatly maintained, and the downtown area is clearly benefitting from some local Commerce Chapter.  Yes, there're grain elevators and lots of fields.  But this town is not about to vanish.  You might expect to see snapshots of local scenery on postcards of back road America.

And food?  Well, just do a little research.  We did.  Race fans suggested a place called "The Checkered Pig" for great BBQ.  We found it today.  The parking lot met my criteria of being crowded at lunch hour.  And most of the plates in the lot were local--not indicating the visiting track people were just going there for convenience.  The sign inside said, "Seat Yourself."  Except we couldn't.  Every table was packed with loud, chattering customers.  Another couple stood in front of us waiting for the "seat yourself" opportunity.

Now, up North this would have most likely devolved into a run for it moment.  Strangers elbowing their way to the next vacant spot.  But not here.  Lively and aware wait staff kept an eye at the line at the door and politely directed us to the next empty seat.  We still had to wait for the table to be bussed, but it all happened pretty quickly.

And the food...simple and tasty.  $7 bought me pulled pork, fries, hush puppies, cole slaw and macaroni salad.  We spent a little bit of time taste testing the selection of BBQ sauces left on the table (all house specials) and settled on the Medium.  A thinner sauce with an apple cider vinegar that gives it its sweet and sour base.  We both cleared our plates and ordered desserts.  Mine a blackberry cobbler and Rich a banana pudding "right out of the oven."

Good homestyle food.  We've a bottle of the sauce to experiment with back home.

Now, on to weather.  We're 700 miles south of home.  It's April.  I have seen a few spring blooms in the area.  But at this very minute?  It is snowing.  Yep.  We drove south so we could experience more snow.  Lucky us.  The weathermen insist that come Saturday, we'll be down to t-shirts and using sunblock.  Uh huh.  We'll see.

Tomorrow, I'll be back with some observations on the actual track.  Although I'm hoping I won't have time to write, because the sun will be shining.  I am hoping.

Until next time... :)

Hey! I did it...

Sometimes there are good days.  This was a good day.

Occasionally you set yourself goals.  Some are short term, like getting all the laundry done today.  Others are more long term, like learning a new task.  And some are more grandiose--meeting that one person who has really brought some joy to your life over almost 20 years. 

For the past few years I've enjoyed watching Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen.  I suppose I truly enjoy this reality show because we are talking about real talent, not just who can out-last or whatever.  And it seems that one of the perennial dishes on Ramsey's menu tends to be Beef or Lamb Wellington.

Due to a certain amount of curiosity--having heard of this dish on and off throughout life--I looked up the recipe and determined this is one of those things I should endeavor to make.  Afterall, you cannot possibly screw up beef tenderloin, can you?

I did it!  It came out of the oven even looking like recipe pictures, and it was pronounced a good thing by my husband :D  Personally, not being a fan of mustard, I think I'd tweak it in the future, if I ever decide to take two days to cook a main dish again.  I might cook it on a broiling pan, too, as the drippings made the bottom pastry soggy.  Or was that because the pastry wasn't entirely sealed? hrmmm I wonder.  I might add that the Wellingtons were created in an RV.

Now, Good Thing Number 2. 

While the whole day at the track was pretty damn good (my husband earned Cold Passes through supporting the Best Buy Racing program at work) one moment stands out for me above all.

We were wandering through the Sprint Cup garage while the cars went through inspection before qualifying.  We spotted John Darby, Mike Helton, some major NASCAR reporters, Regan Smith, AJ Allmendinger, Carl Edwards, T.J. Bell, and a few other faces.  I was picking up driver cards from each team hauler.  I looked behind me and noticed we were standing in front of the No. 24 Dupont hauler and reached for a Jeff Gordon card.  Cool! That made it like 25 cards I could add to the ever growing collection of NASCAR memorabilia.  Then we noticed a guy walking backwards shooting photos...of who?

Hey! It was Jeff Gordon!  I am no autograph hound, but when fate offers you opportunity, don't pass it up.  I called out, "Hi Jeff!"  He answered, "Hi."  Kept signing a couple other things, but made sure to turn back and reach for his driver card I was holding and sign it before entering his hauler.

My driver.  The one I have cheered for since his first Cup appearance waaay back in 1992. 

You know, there were piles of tires, engines revving, team members running from one place to another, underfunded teams and the highest paid athletes in all of sports.  We had rain, a race and qualifying made all the more entertaining by the fans who have had enough of moisture in New Hampshire this year.

But nothing can dim my enjoyment of that moment of serendipity for me. 

So, a dinner that we would have paid much $$ for at a fancy restaurant and an autograph that means quite a lot to me all in one day.  Not too bad for day which was supposed to be nothing but rain, rain, rain.

Age and Fandom: A Little Philosophy

Appearing in today's Frontstretch, my Sittin' in the Stands: A Fan's View column I pondered my mortality and the apparent lack of in a young athlete...namely Austin Dillon.  I think I'm falling for this kid.  Hope you enjoy!

"Wishing For Just a Bit of Austin Dillon's Youth"

And after the party is over...

Okay, so the image at left is not New Hampshire, but the sentiment is appropriate.

The sun has set, the engines are silent and all that is left is the purr of the generators in the camping lots, and oddly enough the haunting voice of Tammy Wynnette echoing among the RV's.  A bit surreal, if you ask me.  But soothing, in its own way.

We walked down to the track about 8pm, a mere 3 1/2 hours after the checkers dropped and...

The Sprint display was already loaded into its four haulers, the SPEED stage haulers were idling with lights on and...I admit to being impressed.  We walked up to the track and admired the piles of trash already neatly bagged up at the bottom of the stands.  It seems that those of us enjoying a late supper and chatting idly while the rest of the world rushes off to its own destinations are perhaps taking the lazy departure a bit too far.

This is the other end of the arc.  First there was last Sunday, with a few SCCA cars whizzing around the road course and but a few early RV's setting up in the lots.  A sprinkling arrived Thursday with FanFest and the arrival of the racing haulers.  A determined downpour of people started Friday night, culminating in the final furious storm that is Race Day in Sprint Cup world.  You can even call the race itself the eye of the storm, as just about everybody stills to watch the cars go in circles. 

But there is always the backside of the storm...when everybody runs for their cars and home.  We just take shelter and listen to whatever our neighbors are playing...at the moment some mexican guitar solo...it's intriguing.

Tomorrow morning, we'll take the last of the weather with us...more wailing mexican music...

Well, until we make it back to civilization, enjoy your week.  May it be not quite as overwhelming as a trip to the track :)

The Sweet Sense of Anticipation

It's with great dread and anticipation that I look at the upcoming week. 

First there is the fun!  Richard dropped off the RV at NHMS this morning and tomorrow we'll drive up with a few more things and...just so we can wander around the track a bit.  Watch the incoming RV's.  Think about the great empty grounds that will be seething with humanity come next Saturday morning.  I've said it many times, the NASCAR circus is an amazing feat of organizing and promotion.  Seriously, Barnum & Bailey's train has nothing on the hauler parade that criss-crosses America continually for much of the year.  This is spectacle on the grandest scale.

Now, the not so fun...well, not entirely true.  Thursday night, come midnight, the final Harry Potter movie will open to thousands of dressed up muggles.  About 1,500 of them will be at my theatre.  In about one hour I will need to feed and seat these 1,500 patrons.  It is enough to make one shiver in their shoes.

It is in itself something of a spectacle, these midnight screenings of the latest and greatest film.  We will have capes, hats, wands, tattoos on foreheads, owls (fake) perching on arms and long, striped scarves wrapped around necks that would otherwise be bare in the summer heat.  By and large, everybody laughs, is very patient and mostly cooperates with those moving the cattle in and out of the holding pens.  And all the craziness will be over when the projector turns on and does its magic (yep--praying that the projector gremlins don't play any games on us).

So, you see, it's a big week.  But before there is the Harry Potter insanity followed by the sudden appearance of a major city in the midst of the New Hampshire forest, there is tomorrow:  Sunshine and 84, so says the Weather Channel.  We'll wander around the track and enjoy the rumble of various vehicles as track personnel scurry to ready for their own version of a movie opening. 

And I won't have to stress about a thing.

That's tomorrow.  I'll worry about the rest when it gets here.

See you at the races!

Honoring the Medal of Honor Recipients: 2011

Last year during the Coke Zero 400, there was a tiny blip where cameras panned over a collection of men mentioned as Congressional Medal of Honor recipients...but no information given.  Just a, "Hey, isn't that nice!"  Then I felt compelled to share their stories of service and sacrifice.

Well, same thing happened again this year.  So, I wrote another column :)  If you ever wondered where all the stories from Hollywood came from...this is the real deal.  Please enjoy, and thank those around you that serve and have served our great country!

http://www.frontstretch.com/sdgrady/34507/

Consistently Changing the Rules: An Obsession NASCAR Needs to Stop

If you didn't read your Frontstretch Newsletter this morning, feel free to enjoy my column by clicking on the link:

http://www.frontstretch.com/sdgrady/32587/

And a big thank you to Mellissa Monk for reading :) 

The Frontstretch Returns Full Time for 2011

The 2011 NASCAR season is getting ready to go green!  And my other obsession besides writing romance has returned for another year of news and commentary about my favorite sport:

The Frontstretch

Today we're examining the changes made to the Chase and the Points System.

Also, if you like NASCAR coming to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter:

Frontstretch Newsletter Sign Up

Tomorrow my weekly commentary, Sittin' In the Stands, will appear in the newsletter.

Until then, have a great day.

Qualifying at Indy

Juan Pablo Montoya's No. 42 Target Toyota took the pole this morning. Really a beautiful facility. Enjoyed the vantage point from our seats for Sunday's Race.

Trucks at ORP

Another track checked off the list...the truck race last night at O'Reilly Race Park was really good for a number of things. Ron Hornaday won, fending off an eager Kyle Busch and took Timothy Peters to school on "the slide job." Just plain great.

A bit about the facility:

They charge for parking--I don't really get this. They're obviously jacking the prices for the NASCAR week anyway...$47 for just the trucks and $52 for the Nationwide. This is for a spot on a backless bench, which is much too narrow to share with the rest of humanity. So the extra $10-$15 for a parking spot seems just gratuitous.

With all the extra income from Speedfest...I would ask ORP to fix their score board. They use "7" for the digit "1" and "9" for the digit "4"...which is all very confusing when you're checking what lap you're on. Things just don't seem to be counting up or down. I won't hold the four position board, that's what most regional tracks manage to maintain.

Restrooms...well maintained and plenty. Thank you!

No tunnel...but as I said before. As a local track, that's fine.

The dragstrip is a thing of beauty! Makes me wanna try out some NHRA action. You can see this is where ORP gets the $$$, as they've even got some suites for the strip.

Getting there from Indy...so simple. Especially where we ignored the DOT signs and just followed Crawfordsville Road. Literally only 15 minutes. Leaving was just as sweet, once somebody wth more sense than us opened the gates for the strip, allowing us to leave the way we arrived. Otherwise it was everybody going nowhere as nobody knew which way to go--humans are creatures of habit. Don't give us a rat maze all of a sudden. We knew how this worked when the sun was up.

The racing: Awesome. Two real racing grooves with just enough room to squeeze a third when you had to. Tires gave up after 60 laps, putting a lot of wheel back in the driver's hands. And seats are down close to the action and can still see all the turns. That's the hallmarks of a great little facility.

And a note about the Trucks: Look, when the Top 10 trucks are running a totally separate race from the rest of the field, you don't really have parity. You have 26 trucks in the way of the frontrunners. NASCAR even lowered the threshold for minimum speed, the difference between first and last speed was so disparate. In this case, there is no possibility for the wanna-be's to win. All they can hope for is to stay out of the way of Hornaday & Busch's front bumper.

To me, this is a clear indication that the Truck Series is in far more trouble than the lack of sponsors tells us. Not this year...probably not next. But unless things turn around in the higher series, the Camping World Truck Series will not be long for this world.

Later! (More heat today...ughness)

A Morning Walking at Indy

With the forecast for 100+ again, we agreed to walk over to the track around 10am for a couple hours before the heat really took over. I'm glad was did--although, the walk to the track is possibly the shortest we've ever enjoyed. I'll give it about 1/3 of a mile from the camper.

Having never been to Indy, I was curious just where all the t-shirt haulers and such were located, since they aren't outside the gates and there's about 20 feet from the gate to the stairs to head up to your seats. There's a tunnel! For the pedestrians! That goes to the infield...and where there's all sorts of good things to do.

Oh, we walked up to Victory Lane for some pics, enjoyed the sight of some Camaro's taking some laps around the track, studied the stands and then walked down to the garages where there are areas provided for the fans to watch all the inspections and such--with no Cold Pass required. First time I've run into this at any track I've visited--even the local tracks.

And yes, lots and lots of shopping available. I now have the requisite AJ Allmendinger t-shirt I promised Dinger I would have for the next race I was at. Also, picked up a signed Brad Keselowski 1/24th No. 12--really had to debate 12 vs. 22. Especially after last week's drama. Richard said I could have the car as long as he could set up a scene with Edward's car wrecking him...I then had to point out he would have to buy the Edward's car...

Anyway, this is a beautiful facility that has really engineered its vast infield for the benefit of the fans. Since the streets outside the track could use some beautifying, I have to applaud the management for making an actually boring grandstand and track surface have something more to offer...

Oh! Listen to that! We're on the track. I'll probably cheat and watch from the comfort of the camper for practice...but I really love sitting outside and hearing that noise go by.

Til Later! When I have some updates from ORP! I love trucks...

I'm Melting!

We made it! We're parked just outside the frontstretch of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The famous pagoda is visible from our campsite. The top is illuminated with blue lights, and should somebody be running on the track, there is a massive leader board wrapping around the roof.

We are in a city. This is a unique experience for racing. At the corner of Turn One, there is a gas station, a liquor store and the kind of three-way intersection that makes most urban residents of our nation cringe. The campground is surrounded by pleasant one-level homes built in the 50's. Most of them have RV's renting space on the front lawn. The American Legion Speedway Post is within a stone's throw, and promises a $7 breakfast buffet on Sat. & Sun morning. Also, of note, they claim to have a biker club...only in America.

The weather....100 degree heat index with very high humidity. We shopped for food (A/C), went to the museum (A/C) and took a brief tour of the track (more A/C) then figured out how to fool the RV into allowing the Honda generator to run the A/C without blowing a circuit for a short time. They say more of the same to come for the weekend...it will be a battle between watching racing maintaining our sanity.

What is unique about Indy vs. the other racing venues we've visited is the history. This is where automotive history has been made over and over. It's not all about NASCAR. In fact, their museum deigned to make enough room for two whole stock cars in the collection...that says something. We looked at Daemler carriages from the late 1800's--metal, wood, leather and all moving parts visible. Speedometers run off gears from the front wheel. Suspension parts made out of woven straps. Basic rudder systems for steering. Dashboards? What are those?

It's proof that we've been going as fast as possible since the beginning of time, and we've spent the last century figuring out how to do it with an engine and four wheels. Sometimes with understated elegance, and at other times stripped to the bare essentials. There was one car from the 20's that was pock-marked with an effort to strip weight off the behemoth to meet a race entry requirement--unsuccessfully.

Otherwise...the track is much the same as any other. Grandstands stand empty waiting for the pomp and ceremony of Sunday to arrive. That's when the magic happens.

Until then... :)

Memories and Mayhem

The Midwest...or at least approaching it. According to the endless cornfields, I'm gonna call Indiana at least something akin to my early memories as a child in Nebraska. Although, there are changes...

Farms no longer sport a windmill next to the barn. The few that appear here and there are decrepit reminders of a time when electric pumps weren't the cheapest and most reliable form of obtaining water. Instead, cell towers dot the landscpapes. Clapboard farmhouse of indeterminate years, garage with a few random four-wheeled creatures in front of it, a larger shed for the big equipment and then either a billboard or a cell tower. The cows are the same. You don't see the corn cob hills that figured so large in my "Don't play on that" childhood or the few chickens scratching in the yard, either. Farming is bigger, and the fields less...cared for.

Other triggers that brought me back...the smell of a summer thunderstorm. We passed through one near the end of the trip today. It's...intense. Back in the East, we do talk about the smell of rain, but this is different. It hits you hard. Something significant just happened. And it makes you smile. The sound...of the grasshoppers. This is not such a pleasant memory, but still...it's there. If you've never heard about the "year of the grasshoppers" story, I'll have to tell you sometime. Expect me to wiggle and frown. It was not nice. And finally, the lilt of the accent. I didn't find that until we checked in at the campground. Not so pronounced in the swing of the vowels as the south, but it's still much softer than the east with a healthy complement of r's in all the correct places :P Wonder what I sound like to them these days...

And finally, my two cents about the current NASCAR controversy:

Last Saturday, Carl Edwards spun Brad Keselowski in the final stretch of the Nationwide race. It resulted in a scary wreck you've probably seen twenty times on the news by now. Well, NASCAR decided enough was enough in the "have at it boys" world and docked Edward's No. 60 team 60 driver and owner's points, fined Counsin Carl $25,000 and placed him on probation until the end of the season.

I don't know if I like this. I wonder...is NASCAR permitting the fans to dictate their actions? The world had Carl painted as an assassin after the race. He was racing hard. He spun Keselowski. We've seen these kind of finishes before...remember Earnhardt Sr. & T. Labonte back when? It was hard racing then...what's different now? The intent between competitors isn't any different. Is it us? hrmmm... You could tell me the sanctioning body has changed, that's truth. But not what makes this sport go round, so to speak.

If (yes, we're playing the "if" game) nobody else had hit Keselowski's No. 22 at Gateway, I am fairly certain that NASCAR would've looked the other way. It wouldn't have made international headlines. Fans would've still hated Edwards and still said Keselowski got what he had coming...but it changed when that No. 22 was nailed again and went spinning across the finish line. It blew the intention and the actions of the competitors out of perspective.

What do I hope for in the near future? Now I want to see another pair of competitors (let's say Harvick and Logano) go at it for the second time this season. I want to see the same actions by those specific competitors without the entire field piling into the wreck after and then I want to see what the NASCAR Gods decide to do...it'll be a joke. Guaranteed. Because they just took the "have at it boys" logo off the big screen and now nobody knows what to do.

Catch ya'll later from outside the frontstretch of Indianapolis Motor Speedway!