Charlotte Motor Speedway: NASCAR's Mecca

Okay....full disclosure....we had never experienced a NASCAR race. Not that we didn't want to. It's always been on our bucket list. But we never had the opportunity. Until now!

We spent last weekend experiencing everything that NASCAR had to offer. And we did it at the Mecca. We're talking Charlotte Motor Speedway!

And to top that off, we did it in an RV in the infield. You heard right. We went from being NASCAR virgins to being infield veterans in one weekend.

The weekend started Friday afternoon when we arrived in the infield in our 35' foot Itasca Suncruiser. With three slide-outs, a living room, kitchen, separate bedroom and full bath, it was pretty much nicer than our house. Once we were unpacked, we set out to explore our weekend neighborhood. Surrounded by RVs, campers, tents, buses and thousands of racing fans, we quickly made friends and started exploring the surrounding campgrounds on the outside of the the Speedway. Each one had it's own personality and vibe and several even featured their own campground "mayor".

We then found our way to the Fan Zone which is like an amusement park for racing enthusiasts. We found everything from sponsor exhibits, car displays, racing merchandise and extensive racer paraphernalia. No matter who your favorite driver is, there are T-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, flags, stuffed animals, bumper stickers and clothing of all kinds flaunting their face or number.

Then, it was time to head to the pit to watch the crews get the cars ready for the Nationwide race that night. And if we learned one thing, it's that you really need to pony up for a pit pass. We were allowed access that was amazing. We're talking standing in the garage of Jeff Gordon's car while Tony Stewart walks across the pit to his crew trailer and Richard Petty entertains on the top of his. Sort of like going into the locker room of the Atlanta Braves before the start of the World Series! Although the race is the highlight for most, we found the time in the pit to be truly memorable.

After a quick bite back in our RV, we headed back out to enjoy the race. And here's where we learned our second lesson. Take earplugs. It doesn't matter what kind.....scanners if you want to listen to the action (highly recommended!), over the ear noise canceling headphones or simply ear buds....don't leave home without them. The noise is deafening. But no one seems to mind as the cars zip around the 1.5-mile track at speeds we mere mortals can only dream of experiencing.

Saturday brought more of the same fun stuff, including our first exciting Sprint race. Because Charlotte Motor Speedway has so much going on over such extensive grounds, you need at least two days to experience it. And the folks at CMS really have it all figured out. Everything runs perfectly....there are people everywhere to help direct you, the access is plentiful, and the people are so pleasant.

NASCAR enthusiasts obviously love the race but, as importantly, they love Charlotte Motor Speedway. And they can't wait to share their passion and enthusiasm with others around them. Even these one-time NASCAR virgins!