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[disnut8]

Ah, the sweet, sweet mailbox.  Where this afternoon, I found our tickets for the October weekend of racing at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Quals on Friday night, truck race and IROC race on Saturday, and the MBNA 500 on Sunday.  Sweet, sweet, sweet.

We are taking elmono's grandparents and I still don't think they realize what they are getting themselves in for.  You should have seen the look on my mother-in-law's face when I warned her that if she gets anything to drink at the race, she better make sure it has a cover on it or she'll be drinking tire rubber all day.

Actually, this is very good news since the tornado that hit down there gave us some doubts if this race was even going to happen.  Thankfully, the track is almost back in shape.  The executive boxes have to be completely rebuilt but everything else turned out OK.  The track itself was not damaged in any way.  I'm hoping they replace their position poles with something a little better.

And maybe we'll finally be able to get a Carl Edwards cap for elmono.

[Supermercado]

Race days are good fun. I'd very much enjoy going to another race at some point. My uncle got some tickets for the spring race in Darlington a few years ago. Good times.

[disnut8]

Heck, you don't even have to get the tickets.  Just go for the souvenir trailers and the tailgating.  I don't know about any of the other tracks but unreserved parking (which is more than plentiful) at AMS is free.

[Supermercado]

Ya, but you still have to get into the track to watch the race.

[disnut8]

Take a radio and listen to it in the parking lot.  About 2/3 of the people at AMS don't even go into the track.  Same thing at the Falcons games.  People just go for the whole atmosphere.

[Supermercado]

People do the same thing at Clemson football games. I assume it's pretty much true anywhere. But if I'm going to a sporting event, I'm going to a sporting event. If I was just going to listen on the radio, I'd rather stay home and watch it on TV.

[elmono311]

I'd still rather watch a race on TV... unless it's Bristol or Richmond

[LostArtofRolando]

word.  i can keep my drinks open containered, and i can recline in my Lazyboy, and i don't have to worry about a funky sunburn or having to smell the weird toothless people in front of me.  WHOOPS, just made a bad NASCAR stereotype.  Id just rather be able to see it on TV that way i can turn the volume as loud or quiet as i want and still check the planetsuper forums (Plug) while watching the race.

[Vengeance]

I'm not sure what I'd think of a race in person. I've never been to one. I know that I loved watching qualifying. The cars were so much louder than I ever thought.

But I do like being able to watch the interviews and see the wrecks in slo mo and all that good stuff.

[disnut8]

That's why we took elmono's advice and tape the races we go to.

And Rolando, you definitely would be able to have your drinks open contained at AMS.  Coolers are allowed and there's not too many people walking around that don't have a drink in their hand.  Georgia overlooks that law at sporting events big time.

And the toothless people are just part of the whole experience.  Loved the guy in March in front of us.  Every time Junior would go by, he'd stand up and do a beer salute with his right hand and scream "JUUUUUUNNNIOOOOORRRR!!!!!"  Junior was three laps down.

[elmono311]

Yeah, you guys were wondering why you would need to tape it...

Hmmm, I wonder what that guy is going to do now... his driver is out of the Chase. Will he still yelled "Junior!" when he sees him driving around with a new front end because of a previous crash?

[disnut8]

Yeah, that guy will still be yelling for Junior.  The last race, we were in the row behind the Junior fan and in the row in front of Jeffy fans.  It was, err, quite interesting.

Just found out elmono's other set of grandparents will be at the last race of the year at Homestead.  And it looks like they might join us at AMS for the spring race now that they are in northern Florida.

Damn you Vengeance!!!!!!!!!!!

[elmono311]

We're pretty close to Indy. Maybe we can get Brickyard tickets

[RichN]

Going to a race is for more than the race itself.  In the seats we have for the Cup race, we don't really see much of the action.  BUT, walking around the grounds before the race is awesome.  Loud music, free samples, the haulers....ahhhhh.  And seating for quals is open seating on the front stretch.  Really a different experience than what you get on TV.  Kind of like watching a line change in hockey for the first time.  Only louder.

[Vengeance]

What's a line change?

[Supermercado]

Hockey teams play with several lines. A line consists of a left wing, center, and a right wing. There are also defenseman pairs, but I don't think there's as many of those as there are lines. There's like 4 lines with 3 guys on each line and 2 or 3, I think, defenseman pairs. Hockey doesn't stop like football or baseball to allow substitutions, so when players get tired from skating around and banging the crap out of each other, they have to change. So what happens is whatever line has been chosen to be changed, the players on the ice come to the bench and the players that are replacing them hop over the wall and then they make up the 5 players for that team.

[disnut8]

First of all, Vengeance, we have to get you watching some hockey.  Too bad Peter Puck isn't around.  He taught me all I know about hockey but was afraid to ask.

Second of all, I just found out that my new boss is not only a football fan but a NASCAR fan.  He saw my little Jeffy, Jeremy, and Junior cars and he said he was thinking about taking his kids to the AMS race in October.  Two days later, he's on the phone and getting tickets based on my recommendations.  Something tells me I'm going to like working with this man.

[elmono311]

I used to have to do line changes when I played indoor soccer.