CONFESSION: OUT OF THE NASCAR CLOSET

CONFESSION: OUT OF THE NASCAR CLOSET
by Sherri Caldwell - The Rebel Housewife®
http://www.rebelhousewife.com


Dale Earnhardt, Jr. coasted into first place (literally, on fumes, during the final lap under Caution) yesterday at Michigan International Speedway, finally breaking a disheartening 76-race winless streak since May 2006 in points races in the Sprint Cup Series.

Wow, aren't I impressive with the NASCAR knowledge? What's up with that?!
I know, because I saw the end of the race; saw it again and again a couple of times on Tivo; and then again (and again, some more) on "Victory Lane," which is the post-race wrap-up show on the SPEED channel, with hosts John Roberts (like him), Jimmy Spencer (annoying and, most of the time, unintelligible -- can't understand a word he says, mumble, mumble) and Kenny Wallace (strident and really annoying - if he'd just put his hands down once in a while, he'd be okay).

I have been paying attention. I've had to, for the last couple of months, since my 42-year-old, non-redneck, techie-geek hubby came out of the NASCAR closet as a late-in-life rabid race fan in...February? March? I never saw this coming, didn't even see it happening, while we were struggling through our housing drama this Spring. While I've been worrying about where we'd live and setting up a new house, settling everybody in, he's been agonizing over the private-community-cable-to-dreaded-Comcast transition and getting all his NASCAR channels back in high-def...which is why I'm sitting around today, waiting for the Comcast guy (third or fourth visit -- don't even get me started).

It's all out in the open now, and I am doing my best to understand, to tolerate and even support his new...interest? hobby? (Actually, when you find yourself dirt camping in a tent outside of Talladega, Alabama to "go see the track" over a long weekend, instead of taking the family to a luxury resort in Florida or the Caribbean...I think that could legitimately be called an obsession.)

It all started in November or December, last year, when some piece of equipment in the wall of LED lights and wires that constitutes our very own altar to the electronics god -- I think it was a Tivo -- broke. For Christmas, he got a new one, upgraded, of course. Before I even got the check out to pay-off the VISA card in January, he was telling me, because of the new Tivo, we now needed a new TV, a big-screen TV, a high-def TV, even though we already had a mammoth TV (only seven years old) in our teeny, tiny little 1700sf condo.

Before I knew it, we had Best Buys guys up in the tower, shoving the behemoth into the kids' bedroom for big-screen video gaming, and we had a brand-new, sleek, bigger-screen, but much more compact, high-definition TV set up in our living room. You could see it from anyplace in the condo, and probably from outside, balcony views from the hi-rise condos two blocks up. It's very nice. I still don't know how to turn it on or anything, but that's okay, because I don't watch TV during the day -- I'm a reader, you know -- and the kids know how to work it.

Apparently, the NASCAR came to hubby's attention as he was searching for high-def TV broadcasts -- high-def meaning you can see the boogers in people's noses and the bird-poop in the oh-so-realistic and clearly-defined, vivid green grass on any given program, as long as it's in high-def. Turns out, NASCAR is broadcast in high-def, and it's amazing to see the cars in action and hear the roar of the engines and the crowd -- you can practically smell the fumes! Add to that, a surprisingly-sophisticated utilization of technology in the NASCAR racing and coverage, with cameras everywhere and in-car communication, monitoring, gauges and point systems -- it made his tech-aficionado pulse race and his heart go pitter-patter. (Okay, maybe not the pitter-patter thing, but it really, really caught his interest.)

He started Tivo'ing the big races each weekend (Sprint Cup), and then he could watch it at his own pace, fast-forwarding through four and five hours of cars going round and round the racetrack to capture the highlights in about twenty minutes. Pretty soon, he was watching more and more of the race; and then he discovered the Nationwide Series and the Truck Series, and how some of the NASCAR drivers (i.e. Kyle Busch - "The Wild Thing") drive in all three races over the weekend. And then, he was fascinated by the different racetracks, the configurations, the history, the strategy...

By this time, I noticed. I mentioned, I don't watch much TV. When he watches, I usually read or fold laundry or do something else nearby, and, at some point, I curl up next to him and fall asleep until it's time to turn it all off and go to bed. I was going to sleep more and more with NASCAR on the TV; because, in addition to the three different race series, he started Tivo'ing all this other NASCAR-related stuff: the pre-race and the post-race; the endless analysis, interviews and features; FOX Sports and SPEED; he even found an old Primetime series about NASCAR on the AppleTV: NASCAR in Primetime: Start Your Engines. He made me watch that one over several nights, and I was interested: some of these guys are hot! There are distinctive personalities and stories and family dynasties; tragedy, gossip, rivalries and history -- it's really pretty fascinating.

And that was it. As soon as he noticed I was watching (staying awake), and I knew some of the drivers and could instantly recall who #88 was (Dale Earnhart, Jr - tragic, but ruggedly-handsome), and #20 (Tony Stewart, for Home Depot - he looks and sounds like our friend, Paul), and #9 (oh, that Kasey Kahne (Cane) - he's adorable!)...that seemed to give him a feeling of NASCAR carte blanche and suddenly we were all-NASCAR, all the time.

Now the kids are in on it, too. Our favorite DVD is Talladega Nights - The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. We've got a Dale Jr. fan, a Tony Stewart fan and a Danica Patrick wanna-be -- Danica is not yet in the NASCAR, but we ended up watching some of the Indy 500, too. I finally had to put my foot down, and figure out how to turn the TV off, at that point.

As far as racecar drivers, I'm not sure I have a favorite; it seems to change with every new interview: of course, Dale Jr.; and Kasey Kahne (although he's a baby at twenty-something, so it's not so much a hot thing with him); Elliott Sadler, who is so funny in his Sunoco commercial, and when he guest-commentates on SPEED; the exotic appeal of Juan Pablo Montoya (just love saying his name!), who came over to NASCAR from Indy ("Formula Un" as Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), says in Talladega Nights - one of our favorite characters, favorite movie quotes); oh, and Patrick Carpentier, also a foreign-born transition to NASCAR from Indy. He hasn't been doing so well on the track lately, but I've been watching him since he promised his fans he would run naked down pit road if they voted him into the All-Star race in May. I voted for him. Unfortunately, the fans chose Kasey Kahne -- for the race, not the streaking. I'm keeping my eye on Patrick (he's a cutie with an accent!), just in case--

I bought hubby a magazine I spotted at the grocery store, kind of as a joke: Athlon Sports RACING 2008 NASCAR PREVIEW - 10 Things to Watch: The Stories of 2008. It's now a well-thumbed fixture by the toilet in our "reading room." He came home a day or two later with the coup de grace he found at the bookstore (no joke):
Rand McNally THE ULTIMATE NASCAR ROAD TRIP GUIDE:
The road tripper's guide to all 31 NASCAR-sanctioned tracks --
Updated for the 2008 Racing Season!

Shortly thereafter, I found myself dirt camping, with the family, in a tent outside of Talladega, Alabama. And that's a whole 'nother story...

Comments

[Melinda]

do NOT be ashamed - you are not alone in your NASCAR obsession. we are long-time fans, though I can't say that we've gone *quite* to the extreme of TIVOing everything NASCAR. When she was little, our daughter was a fan of "Bobby LaBobby" and could say "No. 18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac" quicker than a tire change on pit road. She is now a Tony Stewart fan. Husband still likes Mark Martin and is non-committal now that Martin's retired. I'm a Mikey (Waltrip) fan, though he hardly ever wins and is having a lot of trouble with his new Toyota team (what with the cheating and performance issues). Did I mention that we are going to the race at AMS this fall as our anniversary present to each other? We have a friend who has access to special passes, and we get to go on pit road, see some drivers, MAYbe talk to them, etc. Romantic! you probably don't want to mention that to your hubby, or you will get race tickets for YOUR anniversary!

[Sherri Caldwell - The Rebel Housewife]

Melinda, this is HYSTERICAL!! Who would have known?! You are OUT now, too, since I have known you for several years and I never would have guessed!;-)

Michael Waltrip is so cute, in that stalker commercial he does for NAPA...he's signing a hat and the guy says, "...from your rookie season all the way to Daytona, I was there...even when you were struggling, I was there...and then last night, when you put gas in your truck at 8:15, fifty-two dollars' worth, premium, I was there..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVkTRZ9hf8Q

Anyway, SHHHHH -- don't tell my hubby about AMS, although, dang, I am a little jealous! Our 20th Anniversary is coming up, August 6th, and it had better NOT have anything to do with NASCAR! I might truly be a NASCAR widow, at that point...

[DoeWDW]

My husband starting watching NASCAR years ago so he would have something in common with his brothers (all big fans). Once he got hooked, I knew I had a choice: learn about the drivers and cars or be a Sunday race widow. We don't follow it quite as much these days, but every race is recorded so we can at least check out the highlights. Enjoy, and know that you're not the only wife who has been sucked into the NASCAR obsession. :D
-Doreen in PA