Any AudiogoNers Winston Cup fans?

I'm glad to see so many fans of racing of all kinds here.

Despite my previous post, I do like Tony Stewart. He does seem to have a self-destruct mechanism though. I only made the comment because I have been a Mark Martin fan for a long time and really wanted to see him win it all last year.

This thread could work in the "Guilty Pleasures" thread too. In my profession and in my other hobbies, it sometimes seems uncool to admit to being a Winston Cup fan.

Have been auto race fan since teenager (longer ago than any other member, am pretty sure) and at age 65 participated in the Richard Petty Racing Experience at Charlotte - 80 laps over 1.5 days. My top speed - 154 mph - acceptable for a geezer. Earnhardt's death was a big loss for me as I was a long-time fan. I like Taladega, Daytona, Charlotte, Rockingham, Bristol and dislike the newer tracks; a bit boring (curves less banked to accomodate indy cars). Always enjoyed radio growing up, but no audio level stuff....did not exist.

Hi. I am. I used to work the Daytona 500 when I was on the fire department for 5 years. Quite honestly, I couldn't understand what the big deal was. I finally went to a race with some of my friends to watch it instead of work it and fell in love with the atmosphere and everything about it (went the next 8 years at least). I automatically took to Davie Allison and he became my favorite driver. Although he passed away, I still consider him my favorite driver. I've always stayed with Robert Yates. Since Jarret has come to the team, he's mine and my wife's favorite driver. (However my wife roots for Little E). I took her to her first 500 last year; we didn't get to go this year though; might try to do the 400 though.

Having only previously seen it on TV, I approached the idea of seeing a Winston Cup race with the same enthusiasm I would ordinarily reserve for a trip to the dentist. I envisioned it as being something as exciting as watching clothes go around in the dryer in the laundromat. This spectacle would be witnessed by a crowd, who, after the race, would go burn a cross on someone's lawn. However, when I moved to Florida for graduate school, I was visited by friends who insisted on dragging me to Daytona. "You've only seen it on TV?" one asked. "That's like watching a rock concert on TV." Nonetheless, I was completely unprepared for the delicious noise, incredible speed and the astonishing skill in driving that characterized the event. I have since moved to the great Northwest, hardly a NASCAR hotbed, but I will always have good memories of what I saw at the high bank oval.