I didn’t really want to use a Kelly Clarkson song for the title of this post but it’s all I could come up with, I’m tired, give me a break.

After driver intros everybody went to their cars to wait for the invocation and the national anthem. I took a second to look up at the crowd in the grandstands. It was so surreal to be there. I mean this is NASCAR. This is right before the start of the race and I’m standing just like feet away from cars that are going to be racing in a few minutes. This is it. How the hell did I get here?

I don’t think I’ll ever get over that feeling of wonder. I’m sure if you’re always at the races or work in some capacity for NASCAR it gets old in some ways, but I just can’t imagine losing that feeling of awe. Looking back on it now I can’t believe I was there at all. Although there was one totally big reality-check moment when, after the anthem was over, I started to walk towards the pits through a painted area of the grass and a track official quickly yelled for me to walk around it.

She was totally nice about it but it was then that I knew that yes, this is really me on the track at a NASCAR race messing up the pretty logo painted on the grass.

Good times, good times. 🙂


Pit crews line up for the singing of the national anthem at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (photo credit: The Fast and the Fabulous/Valli Hilaire)

Pit crews line up for the singing of the national anthem at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 2, 2008.