How to watch a NASCAR race

Trevor Bayne, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, leads a pack of cars through the tri-oval during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, 2012 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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Trevor Bayne, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, leads a pack of cars through the tri-oval during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, 2012 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

As Kasey Kahne celebrated his first win of the season and his first with Hendrick Motorsports, Sunday at Charlotte with a smoky burnout on the frontstretch, I headed from the press box down through the crowd to the flagstand to await the opening of the gate. As is my habit post race I leave the press box right after the checkered flag and head to wherever the media center of the track we happen to be at is. This isn’t an easy process since the crowd is usually heading in the opposite direction.  I’ve learned over the years though, that if I can get behind one of the many spotters who are also heading in my direction I usually can find a clear path.

Still it’s still a slow progression and Sunday night at Charlotte was no different. One advantage however, is listening to fans as they file out. One thing struck me Sunday as I listened.  I heard one fan say as she shuffled by ‘That was boring,’ the man with her said ‘Yeah, it was.’ Behind them another lady said ‘There were no wrecks or nothing.’ I wanted to stop them and ask if they had watched the same race I had.

Then I realized, maybe these people, and many others, simply don’t know how to watch a NASCAR race. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.