Last Saturday morning we headed down to Daytona to set up camp and go to the Busch series race on Saturday afternoon. Chris' friend Sean (a fellow Navy Chief) showed up just before the race on his cool vintage Harley, so the three of us went together. The weather was just unbelievable (lower 80s and sunny) and it wasn't very crowded at the race, so it was a really enjoyable and relaxing day, even with cars screaming by at 190 miles per hour. The last time I went to the Daytona 500 I knew nothing about NASCAR and this time I didn't know a heck of a lot more. I certainly enjoy the whole experience of going, but for whatever reason, NASCAR has never really grabbed my interest. But this time was a little different. I prepared a bit and found a driver I really like: Carl Edwards in the #99 Office Depot Ford. Carl is a cool guy who is going to be a superstar in the sport. I like him because aside from being a really good driver at a young age, he's very humble, enthusiastic, and very much a gentleman. It occurred to me that being a fan of a particular driver is a pretty major component of being a NASCAR fan, which seems obvious now. If you aren't already a football fan, for example, you can't just decide you're going to like football one season and get all into it without being a fan of a particular team. It doesn't work that way. Aside from needing a driver or team to root for, you also need friends who are into the sport to make it more interesting. This year my friend Kieran will be watching some races with me and I'll be able to call Chris G. to talk shit and drop names whenever a huge wreck happens or a Ford Fusion crosses the finish line first.

Saturday night we met up with a bunch of other Navy Chiefs and got a little drunk. Stumbling around a camp site drinking Wild Turkey with a good sunburn on my face definitely got me psyched for summer. We crashed out in the camper and the temperature really dropped. By morning I thought I was back in Maryland. Pretty much all day the weather was shitty and misty and cold. But we walked to the track and enjoyed a good race. The thing that made Sunday's race so interesting was listening to the drivers on a scanner. It added a whole new dimension to the race and it was fascinating to listen to the different drivers talking to their spotters while driving. Unfortunately my driver, Carl, got knocked out of the race around lap 80 and smashed his car up pretty good, but fortunately he wasn't injured. Listening to the scanner got really fun when some of the drivers got pissed and the drama ensued. It seemed like Tony Stewart was always involved in the drama and I've pretty much concluded he's a dick. At one point the normally reserved Dale Jarrett told his spotter to tell Jeff Green (the #66 Best Buy car) that if he didn't get the fuck away from his car he was going to kick his ass after the race. Shit talking happens a lot in sports, but this was a pretty strong reaction from a very respected and successful driver.

So I think the Daytona 500 might become an annual event. I'm really looking forward to watching more races and learning more about NASCAR this season. I always love having new things to get into.