Race-Attending Etiquette

I’ve attended a fair amount of races in my time (granted, I’m only 22), and it has occurred to me that many people are… inconsiderate.

*It should be noted that I considered using a much less delicate word in place of inconsiderate.

I know this may seem like I’m being overly sensitive to what others do, and you may even think I’m the one being rude for pointing this out.

But the things I’ve seen people do at races, both NASCAR and NHRA, have blown my mind.

In June, my mom and I sat behind some of the rudest people I have ever been near at an event.

Because of this, it lead me to believe that some people could use a resource for proper race-attending “etiquette.”

So, here it goes:

This is not okay.

1. Do not stand during the race. For a NASCAR race, it’s perfectly fine to stand during the first and last few laps. Cheer on your driver! That’s partially why you’re there, after all. Even stand during cautions. Try to find out what’s going on. Stretch, go to the bathroom, walk around—not much is happening during cautions laps. But when the race is in full action, sit your butt down. If you’re standing, the people behind you have to stand. The people behind them have to stand… and so on. And if those behind you decide not to stand (I’m that type of person because I don’t want to stand for the whole race—that’s why I purchased tickets for a seat), then that means they probably can’t see. I like to be able to see what I paid for, and I didn’t pay to see your back and butt. For a NHRA event, the same rule applies. Sit down. All it takes is a couple of people at the finish line to stand, then pretty much everyone needs to stand. Life would be so much easier if everyone just sat down!
   
   
2. Keep your trash to yourself. Too many times now, my favorite driver has been screwed over from winning a race because trash was on the grill of his car. I know accidents happen and things can get away from you, but I see way too much trash flying around. Yeah, yeah… it may be funny to cause a caution or to wreck someone’s chance at winning. But it’s really not. I don’t see trash flying around as often at NHRA events, but keep your trash to yourself there, too. If it gets on the track, the Safety Safari will have to pick it up, and it slows down the flow of the event.
   
   
3. Do not smoke in the stands. My father smokes, so I am used to it. I’m used to people doing the whole “fake cough” thing because they don’t like smoke getting blown in their face. I can see how it is rude to smoke in a grandstand full of people, especially if there are young children around. I fully understand that it is your right to smoke, but I suggest you just go down under the stands to smoke. You won’t miss much of the racing action.
   
   But keep in mind that the “fake cough” is rude, too.
   
   
4. Be patient in the parking lot. There are a lot of people at a racing event, but it might not always seem like that until you are actually trying to leave. When my mom and I went to Pocono Raceway, we waited nearly 30 minutes to get out of our parking spot just to get into the line to leave the track. Practice the rule of letting one person into the line. I know, I know. If you don’t let anyone in line, you may get out sooner. Trust me—you’re going to be waiting for a long time anyway, so you might as well be polite.
   
   On the flip side of this, also don’t be rude if you are the one trying to get into the line. If you see someone let a person into line, don’t make them let you out, too. I point this out because, sometimes when I let people into line, a lot of people try to take advantage of that opportunity.
   
   Long story short, everyone just wait your turn. You will get out of there eventually!
   
   
5. Be mindful of little kids. I mean several things with this statement. If you are the one with children, keep track of them. It’s difficult for those around you to enjoy the race when kids are running all over the place. I know they have a lot of energy, so take them underneath the stands and let them play for a little bit so they aren’t distracting everyone.
   
   If you don’t have kids but there are kids sitting behind you, try to make it so they can see. As mentioned previously, it’s not fun to have your only view be the back of a person’s head. When we were at Pocono, there were kids next to me. A man in front of these kids stood nearly the entire time. Those poor kids could not see, and that is not going to be a memorable experience for them.
   
   And finally, let kids go in front of you when you are in line for an autograph. This isn’t always necessary if it’s an organized autograph session (with wristbands or something). But if the driver(s) kind of seem to be in a rush, make sure the kids are able to meet them. This goes back to making the experience memorable for the kids. :)

That’s all I have!

Moral of the story—just remember to be courteous and thoughtful when you are at the track. I know it’s important to have fun (tons and tons of fun!), but that doesn’t mean you have to be rude to those around you. After all, they want to have fun, too!

What tips do you have for those going to an upcoming racing event?

Track Tips: Charlotte Motor Speedway

I attended the History 300 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend. If you plan to attend these races next year, or the races at the track in October, I have a few tips for you based on my experience.

*However, keep in mind that these tips are based off of Memorial Day weekend; therefore, there may be changes if you attend the NASCAR races in October!

1. Try to stay off 77 -- There were many times when traffic would come to a complete stop for no reason. Everyone would just bunch up for a couple of miles. A trip from our hotel to the track that was supposed to take thirty minutes actually took over an hour. I was told this was not because of track traffic -- it's like this all the time! This is why I suggest finding a way to the track that avoids 77. We found a way around it (I shall not give away our secrets!); therefore, it is possible! It made the trip easier and quicker.

2. Parking -- Park in a free lot! Charlotte Motor Speedway offers a lot of parking space, which is great. For Thursday night qualifying, all of the parking lots were free so you could park relatively close to the gates. On Saturday and Sunday, the lots closer to the gates were not free. However, there were free parking lots that were a bit further away. It's not *too* far of a walk; plus, there were shuttles that took you closer to the gates. Supposedly, the shuttles run after the races, as well (I say supposedly because I only saw shuttles taking fans back to the campgrounds -- not the parking lots -- but it is possible we just missed the shuttles that were taking people back to their cars). But like I said, it isn't too long of a walk (especially if you get there early)!

3. Walk the track -- On Friday, Charlotte Motor Speedway offered a track walk to individuals who had purchased a ticket to the Coca-Cola 600, as well as the opportunity to play games, spend time with fellow fans, and drink ice-cold Coca-Cola before and after the walk (or during, if you decided not to walk the track). In addition to walking the 1.5-mile long track, fans were visited by drivers sponsored by Coca-Cola, including Danica Patrick, Elliott Sadler, Bubba Wallace, and Tony Stewart. Now, I'm not the type of person who walks 1.5 miles every day so I was a bit weary. If you aren't that type of person either, I promise you that it is not strenuous! You walk slowly, and you even stop every now and then. It was a lot of fun!

A photo from the track walk at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

4. Arrive early on Sunday -- As mentioned, arriving early is great for getting a reasonable parking spot in the free lots. When we looked at our schedule, we saw that the gates didn't open until 12:30 p.m.; however, the Fan Zone opened at 10:00 a.m. I strongly suggest arriving early to spend time in the Fan Zone. Holy cow -- there's so much to do. Vendors, games, driver appearances -- not to mention the infamous, race-day tweetup. Plus, once the gates opened, Charlotte Motor Speedway even had the Indy 500 playing on the big screen (I appreciated that)!

5. Go to The Dirt Track at Charlotte (and bring goggles!) -- We decided to include tickets to The Dirt Track races in our ticket package, and I'm sure glad we did. There's not much that beats dirt track racing. You don't really need to bring goggles, but it's not a bad idea. This was my first time at a dirt track, and I was not expecting it bother my eyes as much as it did. (Maybe I'm just wimpy!) Either way, it's definitely worth including.

The Dirt Track at Charlotte

Thank you, Charlotte Motor Speedway, for a wonderful time!

Five Tips on How to Meet NASCAR Drivers

If you are a new fan of NASCAR, or even a long-time fan who hasn't been able to attend a race yet, you might want to learn how to meet some of your favorite drivers when you get to your first race. Attending the Indiana 250 and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year, I picked up a few tricks that I would like to share with you.

1. Follow @DriverAppear (Dana Horne) on Twitter. This is how I knew about Joey Logano's autograph session and was able to meet him. She will tweet links that direct to her website where she will tell you where the drivers will be and when they will be there. You can even sign up to be on her mailing list (for free)! If you sign up, you will receive an email every Thursday morning that will give you a detailed list of the drivers' appearances and autograph sessions. And if that isn't enough, you can also simply send her a tweet and ask her if your favorite driver has an autograph session scheduled for the weekend of the race you're attending.
   
   This is an email I recently received from @DriverAppear because I am signed up for her mailing list!
2. "Like" your favorite driver on Facebook and/or follow them on Twitter. Often times, the drivers (or their PR Representatives) will let fans know where and when you can meet them.
3. I'd be surprised if your favorite driver doesn't have a Facebook page or Twitter account, but if they don't, they probably have a website. Be sure to bookmark it because you should be able to find a list of appearances there.
4. Visit their merchandise trailers. I learned about Joey Logano's autograph session because of  @DriverAppear, but there was also a sign about it at Joey's trailer.
5. When all else fails, wait by the garage area. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait for as long as you are willing to wait. I waited for four hours to meet Brad Keselowski at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (I know, I may be a little bit too dedicated, but it was well worth it.) Brad wasn't the only one wandering around. I saw Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Carl Edwards. Be patient, and wait. You never know who you might see!
    
   Carl Edwards walking over to sign autographs for fans.
   
   
   Keep in mind that so far I have only been to one NASCAR event, so there may be more tips/secrets out there.
   Have you met a lot of NASCAR drivers? Do you have any tips? Share your words of wisdom for other fans!