Are We Normal?

When the subject of racing comes up in the "normal" crowd, one assumes the discussion is NASCAR. The conversation usually goes something like this: "How bout that Junior yesterday?" "Yea, I saw him pass Gordon on lap 752, man that was exciting". It never fails when I tell people my hobby is racing they assume I'm referring to NASCAR. It never fails when I explain I follow dirt track racing rather than NASCAR the conversation comes to a halt quicker than a first timer entering the restroom at Riverside!

There's another world out there and in the scope of things it only involves a small percentage of the population. I, like all of you am proud to belong to this minority of the population. I gave up years ago trying to explain to friends and co-workers why I belong to the dirt track racing "fraternity". I am in no way bashing NASCAR (well, maybe a little because it's so easy) but I will attempt to explain the differences between their fans and fans of dirt track racing.

When "normal" people are heading to the Grizzlies or the Redbirds game or to dinner at The Olive Garden we are heading to the race track. Why do we forgo doing what "normal" people do on Friday and Saturday nights? Why do we choose to sit on wooden bleachers, swatting bugs, eating bad food laced with dust, watching racecars slide around a dirt track? At first I thought the answers to these questions would be simple. I thought this phenomenon was due to our appetite for competition. I assumed we returned every week to cheer for our favorite driver. Well, that's all true but as Paul Harvey says "Now for the rest of the story".

Dirt track fans are different. We are die-hard fanatical for our sport. Don't believe it? Let's draw some comparisons between NASCAR Fans and Dirt Track Fans.

NASCAR Fans seem to be obsessed with a driver, the racing action is secondary.
Dirt Track Fans aren't always completely fanatical about one driver, we just want to see a good race, if our favorite driver wins, that's a bonus.

NASCAR Fans endure long periods of down time during the event. Long cautions, pit stops, long and boring green flag periods, etc. and it doesn't seem to bother them one bit. Most races run more caution laps than an entire dirt race.
Dirt Track Fans have become accustomed to BRIEF breaks in the action. Sometimes we even welcome a break so we can turn to the person at our side and say "did you see what so and so was doing in turn three, man"

NASCAR Fans stand up the entire race.
Dirt Track Fans will hit you in the back with a beer can if you remain standing past the first lap.

NASCAR Fans require psychological therapy should their hero switch from Chevy to Ford.
Dirt Track Fans couldn't care less what brand their hero drives, as long as it's hooked up.

NASCAR Fans throw cans on the track when the race finish's under yellow.
Dirt Track Fans would burn the stands and lynch the flagman should a race finish under yellow.

NASCAR Fans will sell their children for a seat in a luxury suite.
Dirt Track Fans will sell their seat in the suite so they can bring all the children and sit closer to the action.

We dirt track fans are usually much more knowledgeable about racing. I consider most NASCAR fans "casual fans". They don't seem to have a lot of knowledge about the workings of a racecar, setups, strategy, driving styles, etc. Their knowledge is limited to what they see on television. Watched one of those races lately? It's became more drama and fluff about the drivers. The next time you talk to a Jeff Gordon fan ask him about stagger. That'll hang him up!

There's probably no one who understands these differences more than Tony Stewart. The transition from "our" world to the world of NASCAR has been a personal struggle for Stewart. His temper tantrums and emotional outbursts are fueled by a struggle to cope with being thrust from the world of sprint cars to the world of glitz and glamour. Tony was not accustomed to constant scrutiny of fans and media. He just doesn't deal well with the "normal" world. Ever seen a sprint car fan push a child out of the way for a drivers autograph? I do not condone his actions. Tony Stewart must deal with the world he now lives in. It's his option to bail out whenever he wants, which I suspect will happen soon. However, I do understand his struggle. Imagine going from a world where an interviewer ask questions about car setup to a world where an interviewer ask questions about your anger management class.

I have tried unsuccessfully to convert several "normal" race fans. I have had the unpleasant experience of taking friends and co-workers to the dirt track for the first time. Without fail their number one complaint is "too much down time". Well, I think have an explanation for their perception. Sprint cars are brutally exciting to watch. Granted, the other classes can be exciting as well but for now lets assume it's a sprint car race the first timer is attending. A sprint car race gets your adrenaline up the moment they all slam into turn one. A sprint car race can be compared to a teen on prom night; the anticipation of the green flag, the exciting start, the wild action, then being told STOP. OK, I know that's a little extreme but you get my point. The action is so intense that a break in the action is a serious no-no and seems to take forever. I think today's NASCAR races are so boring that no one even notices cautions. In reality, most dirt track cautions take a fraction of the time of a NASCAR caution. So, usually we get a bad rap on the down time thing. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

I guess us dirt trackers could be classified as abnormal. Why else do we sit patiently until the wee hours of the morning waiting for the A main to push off? Why else do we remain in our seat, straining to see through a fog of dust? Why else do we ignore those clumps of dirt in our beer (or are those bugs)? Why don't we just go for a dinner and movie like the rest of the world does? Because we are very normal… to each other!