The adventure began at 10 a.m. I tossed on an ESPN sweatshirt, tucked what's left of defiant gray hair under a raggedy Home Depot hat, and headed north to the Samsung 500, the first of two annual NASCAR events at the 1.5 mile quad-oval Texas Motor Speedway.
On that April 14 day, officials overseeing this reasonably controlled mayhem on asphalt were again expecting a crowd of more than 150,000.With the green flag scheduled to drop at 6:30 p.m., the early departure time defied anything close to reasonable as defined by my spouse. What could an attendee possibly do for six-plus hours before the start of the festivities? Wouldn't an hour or two of pre-race strolling be sufficient to conduct "research" to confirm or refute widely held stereotypes of the NASCAR fan?This was my third year at this extravaganza of high-speed racing, where the noise from the high-powered machines reaches three-digit decibel levels. Just being there to assess the spectators was as enjoyable as viewing three wide left-turn dramatics.The first hour involved walking among the racing enthusiasts parked outside the track in their varied forms of transportation. The sea of temporary living arrangements can best be described as a monumental Occupy South Denton County, absent the political gestures or verbal confrontations with law enforcement. "Occupiers" included lovers of the banked track battles who traveled from adjoining counties and states to enjoy the camaraderie. Huge flags and other driver-support indicators flew over meat-grilling contraptions more numerous than the corporate sponsors on a typical Sprint Cup car.Raceway Ministries had a variety of family-friendly activities amid the gatherings, including religious services and discussions that put a spiritual perspective on matters."The interactions with race fans are never condemning or in-your-face confrontations," said ministries Executive Director Roger Marsh.Next on the trek was 90 minutes along the quarter-mile corridor of vendors selling driver novelties. From seat cushions to scanners to monitor pit crew and driver exchanges, NASCAR commerce is a well-oiled machine. The distinctive smells of Sunoco racing fuel and barely cooked turkey legs filled the air by midday.The remainder of the pre-race time was spent wandering around the infield and pit area. Through the invite from a friend, I've been fortunate each year to get a complimentary infield pass.Making demographic generalizations about NASCAR devotees is difficult. Mine are based on conversations with fans over the years and observations from being among them:We're not talking the infamous "1 percenters" here, except for some of those who helicopter in and can afford to be hoisted into the rarified air of privilege.A significant portion of the fandom gulps a variety of adult beverages, typically beer, throughout the day. The consumption affects accuracy in the washer tossing game but rarely results in disturbances with others.Topics of overheard conversation included the likelihood of further psychological spin-outs by "bad boy" drivers Kurt and Kyle Busch, how President Obama "screwed up the economy" and what various conversers had under the hood of their personal vehicles.Contrary to stereotypical images, no sightings were made of anyone with spots of dried buck blood on their Dickies overalls, or those worthy of a bit part in a Deliverance sequel.Happy shifting!David Friant of Fort Worth is a member of the 2012 Star-Telegram Community Columnist Panel. dave.friant@att.net