If you think it is exciting watching 43 cars get around an oval track as fast as they can, then you can only imagine how exciting it is to watch ONE car get around a smaller oval track. That's exactly what we did this past week.
Our local track down the road is a small flat oval. Similar to Martinsville, where Nascar will be this weekend. That fact, together with our proximity to Charlotte means that some Nascar teams bring their cars down here to test.
No real big names for the most part.
Then Dale Earnhardt Jr. showed up. They wouldn't let us into the stands, so people lined the outside perimeter fence that is up on a hill. When the fence line got full, people parked on the hill and stood on top of their trucks. Some people shouted at Jr., others held up signs. He didn't respond to either.
There was also a helicopter in the infield.
It was later learned that the helicopter is owned by Tony Stewart, but he wasn't there. You know when you borrow something from a neighbor and keep it in your garage for six months? I wonder if the same thing applies when the item you borrowed is a helicopter. I wouldn't know because my neighbor doesn't own one. Guess those are the problems you deal with as a Nascar celebrity.
Junior is familiar with this track for another reason. His dad and his grandfather both ran races here. In fact, his grandfather's name is on the backstretch wall for winning track championships in the 1960's.It sure was fun standing up on that hill watching Jr. run his laps. Maybe it was just those exhaust fumes getting in my head.
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