After the tour, I bought some gifts and food at the museum. The food wasn't too great and neither was customer service in general. They seemed to be in a bad mood except for that one dude in that pit crew exhibit. I think it was because it was Sunday and everyone wanted to be at church. I can tell most of these folks weren't from the south or NASCAR fans. Because in the South this is church, god damn it." I have to say that they knew there NASCAR stuff but as John Riley once told me that in a sports job (broadcast monitoring), you want a guy who loves sports but knows and does his job well. You either get one or the other rarely both.
After some time at Wild Wing Cafe adjacent to the museum (them wings were hot), I took awalk around downtown on a lazy cold day (less wind, thank God). It reminds me of walk that I had with my grandfather in the summer of 1987 before his death a few months later. We were walking around the town of Karaikudi. We may have bought something. One things stands clear: I remember him wearing dress shirt, with a lungee, and a towel over his shoulder. It was hot. I don't remember him saying much except him sayin "don't watch too many movies or television and when he caught me looking inside at every Ambassador taxi cabs on the street, "all Ambassadors are all the same."
Except, I was trying to find the 1975-1979 one. Inside it had a grill background in the middle with glove compartment on the passenger and driver side. Inside the grill, you had a big circular speedometer with these small rectangular cube lights: red and orange on the sides indicating the engine; green beside the red indicating signal; and blue indicating high beam (Something you see at an old 70's RCA TV on their logo with the colors of red, green, and blue something). Next to the lights were small circular fuel gauge and amp. Depending on certain cars, there were would be one with the speedometer and four gauges with the light cubes below them. That made it difficult for the driver to see but it took awhile for the engineers to place the gauges on the driver side with indicators on the sides of the speedometer and have only one glove compartment. It was small to begin with, you literally could only put a glove inside that. Yet, I miss that design.
My grandfather also told me not to say bad words or say Oh my God but came up with a more positive phrase. Before I left, he told me to get stronger was to roll your wrist in a circular(its a crutch, I know) motion either for twenty minutes or twenty times. I don't remember because I never did them since I was seven when a girl mocked me at an Indian outing in Maryland. Maybe, I will. My dad use to tell me stories of grandy running yak races on a wagon cart on a open field in southern India. He also used to carry "illegal rice" but I came to find out it was the Indian version of moonshine where you can extract from rice and coconuts. He use to carry a hand axe and a gun.
When I read the stories about the lives of these drivers, I couldn't help think about my grandfather. I think my grandfather could have been a racer in the 30's-40's when it was a bootleg league. But he never liked cars because animals, he could control. But he did like speed in his day. Maybe, if he grew up in America, his attitude would have been different. As far as the racial climate, he looked a lot like those race car drivers. He certainly acted like a lot of them. I don't know. Junior Johnson. Fireball Roberts. Lee Petty. Just to name a few.
Whatever? A my mind wandered. I saw other places and went back to my hotel on that monorail. Got into a philosophical debate with an Indian guy who ran the Daisy Inn conerning women while watching Forest Gump (Guess? India born women over American). He didn't even know about the movie. He graduated from UNC-Charlotte with an engineering degree in 2000. But he got a wife from back home. He started making generalizations about my character along with my tribal heritage in a fun way. I liiked the guy but he seemed to be a Carrie Underwood's servant. I mean could he get away with dirt running on the shower head over my head and not warn me before hand but afterwards and do it in a joking, patronizing manner? I think not. Then again, I would do the same thing but without the Indian values bull.
The only thing that I will take with me is the race simulator. After my failure in my trials. I got on this track that a resembled a go-cart track with real race cars but simulators above the steering wheel. I would use brakes, accelerators, and the gear on the steering wheel. But before I entered, there was a video presention of Dale Earnhardt Jr. on what to do on the race course. He talked about safety but he also mentioned about this being a race car and that you need to go fast. However unlike the trials guide, he told us when and how to go fast. He said that once you have reached a certain speed: shift to a higher gear but meet the speed and if you need to down shift do so but get back to speed and continue to go faster. I remember that once I got out of the pits and into the track. I always wanted to go slower but remembering Jr.'s advice, I went faster and got the number results that I couldn't get at the trials. Now, there is somebody who loves racing and is good at it.
For this Sunday, I reached for something that I couldn't get before. If that isn't spiritual then I don't know what is? I wonder if my grandfather would get it. I know he would be proud. How and why, I'm not sure nor do I care.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Experience, part II
After that education, I decided to take the race simulator course. Basically, its a video game where you practice learning to drive on a NASCAR course. They had five video game consols with steering, brakes, accelerator, and gear shifts. Unlike in most arcades, you sit on this rail and reach your arms and legs for the controls. You had to wait in line to get into this. Kids loved it. When it was my turn. I couldn't do a thing but crash all the time. You had this guide who tried to show me the controls especially in the steering wheel area of how to use gear shifts, down shifts, and the red buttons to start over in case you crash. I couldn't figure and had to start over. When I came back, I didn't crash but I couldn't shift to the right speed and stayed on 2nd gear the whole race. As a result, my speed time was this ------ on the screen. I asked the guide why? She said, you weren't fast enough.
She said to try it again but in looking at the line. I felt I was ready for the real race simlator course. Next to the preview course was this "test your NASCAR Knowledge" screen. You had to put in your entry card screen which I did but I didn't put my information at the relations booth who let you enter the experience. I seem to remember this lady who was a Derek Jeter fan from Ohio who said that she was having computer problems of entering my information. But I was able to enter the info and continue. However, one glitch that I noticed is when you start typing, it always gives you typo errors. I typed trivfun@gmail.com but it coming as trvfun. Therefore, I didn't get all the information to my email that I was supposed to get. I downloaded some past drivers and contributors from the past and other exhbits on the third floor which was the history floor of legends and the pasts. When you passed an item, you placed your card down to show that you went by that exhibit. It would test your NASCAR knowledge and IQ, failed some and past some. Oh, well.
The typo errors continued when I wanted to type a letter for "legends that have passed" on. Might as well as call it the "Dale Earnhardt, Sr." room if it isn't called that already. The room was dark except for a movie screen of his of Sr.'s life and his last race. They showed other guys who passed on in still photos in police light against the wall. There was this desk where you wrote to a person who passed on. I wrote to Neil Bonnett and downloaded his file. However, I kept trying to type on this computer instead of writing it on pencil. Everytime, I typed the letter b it would show v. I figured it out: type the letter x and you get b. RIP Neil Bonnett. I still think you are alive and ready to do your TV show.
The third floor had the front ends of both Donnie Allison's and Cale Yarborough's car from the 1979 Daytona race with a Bill France statue looking directly at the car. Likewise, you had a TV screen above the car showing that race. The exhbits were amazing with old trophies, racing uniforms from old, bios of lesser known racers, Spirit of 76 tower at Daytona, pamphlets, magazines that took place in the 30's. My favorite one was the garage shop where they had this car which was painted in red called Kiekhafer . There was a phone that was ringing and you picked it up with somebody telling when the race was on. My personal favorite was the Junior Johnson exhibit of his moonshine distillery in a glass case with a diagram of how moonshine is made. Even this dummy knows that NASCAR came from moonshine runners who could out race the cops. That is why the tracks are so far away from the cities in obscure places in the south.
I can't give justice on this floor but let me just say it covered everything from Daytona to lesser races with TV screens filled with historical clip and interviews. But make no mistake about it, this is and was the Founder of NASCAR's production. Bill France and still in the family. You see a plenty of exhibits of him. No problem with that except for one thing. The France family had a lot enemies including the racers. Some the racers who weren't that good got more praise than the ones who didn't like Curtis Turner. When you try to unionize or go against Mr. France, you get your butt kicked. I'm just sayin. This is just an isolated incident, either? It seems that when you cross Mr. France, weird things happens to you some years later, you get killed and its never solved. Forgiviness is not one of his strong traits. Its good to be the King or David Pearson. Maybe, even Tim Flock. I guess that is how you judge good racers. Then maybe not.
She said to try it again but in looking at the line. I felt I was ready for the real race simlator course. Next to the preview course was this "test your NASCAR Knowledge" screen. You had to put in your entry card screen which I did but I didn't put my information at the relations booth who let you enter the experience. I seem to remember this lady who was a Derek Jeter fan from Ohio who said that she was having computer problems of entering my information. But I was able to enter the info and continue. However, one glitch that I noticed is when you start typing, it always gives you typo errors. I typed trivfun@gmail.com but it coming as trvfun. Therefore, I didn't get all the information to my email that I was supposed to get. I downloaded some past drivers and contributors from the past and other exhbits on the third floor which was the history floor of legends and the pasts. When you passed an item, you placed your card down to show that you went by that exhibit. It would test your NASCAR knowledge and IQ, failed some and past some. Oh, well.
The typo errors continued when I wanted to type a letter for "legends that have passed" on. Might as well as call it the "Dale Earnhardt, Sr." room if it isn't called that already. The room was dark except for a movie screen of his of Sr.'s life and his last race. They showed other guys who passed on in still photos in police light against the wall. There was this desk where you wrote to a person who passed on. I wrote to Neil Bonnett and downloaded his file. However, I kept trying to type on this computer instead of writing it on pencil. Everytime, I typed the letter b it would show v. I figured it out: type the letter x and you get b. RIP Neil Bonnett. I still think you are alive and ready to do your TV show.
The third floor had the front ends of both Donnie Allison's and Cale Yarborough's car from the 1979 Daytona race with a Bill France statue looking directly at the car. Likewise, you had a TV screen above the car showing that race. The exhbits were amazing with old trophies, racing uniforms from old, bios of lesser known racers, Spirit of 76 tower at Daytona, pamphlets, magazines that took place in the 30's. My favorite one was the garage shop where they had this car which was painted in red called Kiekhafer . There was a phone that was ringing and you picked it up with somebody telling when the race was on. My personal favorite was the Junior Johnson exhibit of his moonshine distillery in a glass case with a diagram of how moonshine is made. Even this dummy knows that NASCAR came from moonshine runners who could out race the cops. That is why the tracks are so far away from the cities in obscure places in the south.
I can't give justice on this floor but let me just say it covered everything from Daytona to lesser races with TV screens filled with historical clip and interviews. But make no mistake about it, this is and was the Founder of NASCAR's production. Bill France and still in the family. You see a plenty of exhibits of him. No problem with that except for one thing. The France family had a lot enemies including the racers. Some the racers who weren't that good got more praise than the ones who didn't like Curtis Turner. When you try to unionize or go against Mr. France, you get your butt kicked. I'm just sayin. This is just an isolated incident, either? It seems that when you cross Mr. France, weird things happens to you some years later, you get killed and its never solved. Forgiviness is not one of his strong traits. Its good to be the King or David Pearson. Maybe, even Tim Flock. I guess that is how you judge good racers. Then maybe not.
The Nascar Experience
Once I got inside the museum, it wasn't much of a intimidating presence like it was from the outside but it was a circular presence, going three stories high. They would put exhibits close to the walls or on the walls like pictures, old billboards, glass cased model cars, and old live cars like Darryl Waltrip's 1981 Mountain Dew Buick. On the first floor, you had this oval paved track, lined with old cars and a floor to walkand for wheelchair access (not by your self to roll). The track would go up and sideways. The track didn't cover the whole just about a quarter of the space but it felt huge. I kept looking at the big ceiling. Likewise, I got to feel what its like to be on a real racetrack. It felt off-balanced due to the veering from the right upwards to my left. But there was a safety rail and shoe box step to get back down. Finally, you had written markers some about waist high and others about eye-level next to each exhibit detailing the items and their significance.
As I walked up to the second floor, I realized the first floor was the appetizer buta lot more fun. The second floor had exhibits but similators to experience what is like drive, broadcast, and fix a race car. I can say this: the pit-crew has my respect. In this one exhibit, I tried to lift this rear passenger side (not the whole car) against this wall, get the wheel locks out of a tire and put the wheel locks back on, put gas, and then bring the car down. Took me 11 seconds. Whew. They had weight tests which I barely lifted for the gas can, tires, and others. Finally, they had this foam version of an engine for kids to break it down and put it back together. That was easy but learned more from that.
A revelation came to me when I tried to broadcast the race. I can't hear or I can't talk. They had a radio and television broadcast with microphones and headsets with a videotape involving a crash between Dale Jr. and Kurt Busch from two years ago. Radio side first, the video would show how the commentators said it and it would last 4 minutes. Then it was my turn to broadcast but when they played back the tape, I couldn't hear myself except when they crashed and this was with bird ears. I tried the television side and same thing. I thought I was screaming the whole time but you could barely hear a chirp. Then I realized, its only 11 a.m. but I did have breakfast.
After that, I went to them exhibits concerning break parts, gear shafts, and shocks. I tell you this one is for the engineers. The engineering students from India will be impressed. If they don't have jobs, try for NASCAR. I had keep asking someone what these means and do. These American dudes looked at me strange and one told me to read the maker. The confusion lied in this: I can't tell what is considered cheating and what is not when I don't even know what each part does. I know about brakes, alternators, carburetors, and engines but I don't know how to make one much less how to make it work. Likewise, how can you cheat? Well after going back to the exhibits and reading them again and again my ADD mind figured this out, the officials understand that speed is the game and you use tools to make them faster but you want to be fair to the competition.
My favorite test that officials use is the magnetic test on items like shocks. There is a aluminum and metal one both the same feel. If you put the magnetic on the metal you see attraction but on the aluminum, no attraction which means it is lighter and can go faster with less power and more force. They'd give you test on other items of legal and illegal parts. I failed them all but I learned something: racing can be fair and balanced at times. However, I seem to remember that Richard Petty won a race in Charlotte in 1983, yet he was fined 50 grand for illegal engine and parts but got to keep the trophy. Rules don't apply to a king but he did get into a lot of accidents using engines from WWII planes. Maybe it does on a spiritual sense?
As I walked up to the second floor, I realized the first floor was the appetizer buta lot more fun. The second floor had exhibits but similators to experience what is like drive, broadcast, and fix a race car. I can say this: the pit-crew has my respect. In this one exhibit, I tried to lift this rear passenger side (not the whole car) against this wall, get the wheel locks out of a tire and put the wheel locks back on, put gas, and then bring the car down. Took me 11 seconds. Whew. They had weight tests which I barely lifted for the gas can, tires, and others. Finally, they had this foam version of an engine for kids to break it down and put it back together. That was easy but learned more from that.
A revelation came to me when I tried to broadcast the race. I can't hear or I can't talk. They had a radio and television broadcast with microphones and headsets with a videotape involving a crash between Dale Jr. and Kurt Busch from two years ago. Radio side first, the video would show how the commentators said it and it would last 4 minutes. Then it was my turn to broadcast but when they played back the tape, I couldn't hear myself except when they crashed and this was with bird ears. I tried the television side and same thing. I thought I was screaming the whole time but you could barely hear a chirp. Then I realized, its only 11 a.m. but I did have breakfast.
After that, I went to them exhibits concerning break parts, gear shafts, and shocks. I tell you this one is for the engineers. The engineering students from India will be impressed. If they don't have jobs, try for NASCAR. I had keep asking someone what these means and do. These American dudes looked at me strange and one told me to read the maker. The confusion lied in this: I can't tell what is considered cheating and what is not when I don't even know what each part does. I know about brakes, alternators, carburetors, and engines but I don't know how to make one much less how to make it work. Likewise, how can you cheat? Well after going back to the exhibits and reading them again and again my ADD mind figured this out, the officials understand that speed is the game and you use tools to make them faster but you want to be fair to the competition.
The Nascar Experience
Once I got inside the museum, it wasn't much of a intimidating presence like it was from the outside but it was a circular presence, going three stories high. They would put exhibits close to the walls or on the walls like pictures, old billboards, glass cased model cars, and old live cars like Darryl Waltrip's 1981 Mountain Dew Buick. On the first floor, you had this oval paved track, lined with old cars and a floor to walkand for wheelchair access (not by your self to roll). The track would go up and sideways. The track didn't cover the whole just about a quarter of the space but it felt huge. I kept looking at the big ceiling. Likewise, I got to feel what its like to be on a real racetrack. It felt off-balanced due to the veering from the right upwards to my left. But there was a safety rail and shoe box step to get back down. Finally, you had written markers some about waist high and others about eye-level next to each exhibit detailing the items and their significance.
As I walked up to the second floor, I realized the first floor was the appetizer buta lot more fun. The second floor had exhibits but similators to experience what is like drive, broadcast, and fix a race car. I can say this: the pit-crew has my respect. In this one exhibit, I tried to lift this rear passenger side (not the whole car) against this wall, get the wheel locks out of a tire and put the wheel locks back on, put gas, and then bring the car down. Took me 11 seconds. Whew. They had weight tests which I barely lifted for the gas can, tires, and others. Finally, they had this foam version of an engine for kids to break it down and put it back together. That was easy but learned more from that.
A revelation came to me when I tried to broadcast the race. I can't hear or I can't talk. They had a radio and television broadcast with microphones and headsets with a videotape involving a crash between Dale Jr. and Kurt Busch from two years ago. Radio side first, the video would show how the commentators said it and it would last 4 minutes. Then it was my turn to broadcast but when they played back the tape, I couldn't hear myself except when they crashed and this was with bird ears. I tried the television side and same thing. I thought I was screaming the whole time but you could barely hear a chirp. Then I realized, its only 11 a.m. but I did have breakfast.
After that, I went to them exhibits concerning break parts, gear shafts, and shocks. I tell you this one is for the engineers. The engineering students from India will be impressed. If they don't have jobs, try for NASCAR. I had keep asking someone what these means and do. These American dudes looked at me strange and one told me to read the maker. The confusion lied in this: I can't tell what is considered cheating and what is not when I don't even know what each part does. I know about brakes, alternators, carburetors, and engines but I don't know how to make one much less how to make it work. Likewise, how can you cheat? Well after going back to the exhibits and reading them again and again my ADD mind figured this out, the officials understand that speed is the game and you use tools to make them faster but you want to be fair to the competition.
My favorite test that officials use is the magnetic test on items like shocks. There is a aluminum and metal one both the same feel. If you put the magnetic on the metal you see attraction but on the aluminum, no attraction which means it is lighter and can go faster with less power and more force. They'd give you test on other items of legal and illegal parts. I failed them all but I learned something: racing can be fair and balanced at times. However, I seem to remember that Richard Petty won a race in Charlotte in 1983, yet he was fined 50 grand for illegal engine and parts but got to keep the trophy. Rules don't apply to a king but he did get into a lot of accidents using engines from WWII planes. Maybe it does on a spiritual sense?
As I walked up to the second floor, I realized the first floor was the appetizer buta lot more fun. The second floor had exhibits but similators to experience what is like drive, broadcast, and fix a race car. I can say this: the pit-crew has my respect. In this one exhibit, I tried to lift this rear passenger side (not the whole car) against this wall, get the wheel locks out of a tire and put the wheel locks back on, put gas, and then bring the car down. Took me 11 seconds. Whew. They had weight tests which I barely lifted for the gas can, tires, and others. Finally, they had this foam version of an engine for kids to break it down and put it back together. That was easy but learned more from that.
A revelation came to me when I tried to broadcast the race. I can't hear or I can't talk. They had a radio and television broadcast with microphones and headsets with a videotape involving a crash between Dale Jr. and Kurt Busch from two years ago. Radio side first, the video would show how the commentators said it and it would last 4 minutes. Then it was my turn to broadcast but when they played back the tape, I couldn't hear myself except when they crashed and this was with bird ears. I tried the television side and same thing. I thought I was screaming the whole time but you could barely hear a chirp. Then I realized, its only 11 a.m. but I did have breakfast.
After that, I went to them exhibits concerning break parts, gear shafts, and shocks. I tell you this one is for the engineers. The engineering students from India will be impressed. If they don't have jobs, try for NASCAR. I had keep asking someone what these means and do. These American dudes looked at me strange and one told me to read the maker. The confusion lied in this: I can't tell what is considered cheating and what is not when I don't even know what each part does. I know about brakes, alternators, carburetors, and engines but I don't know how to make one much less how to make it work. Likewise, how can you cheat? Well after going back to the exhibits and reading them again and again my ADD mind figured this out, the officials understand that speed is the game and you use tools to make them faster but you want to be fair to the competition.
My favorite test that officials use is the magnetic test on items like shocks. There is a aluminum and metal one both the same feel. If you put the magnetic on the metal you see attraction but on the aluminum, no attraction which means it is lighter and can go faster with less power and more force. They'd give you test on other items of legal and illegal parts. I failed them all but I learned something: racing can be fair and balanced at times. However, I seem to remember that Richard Petty won a race in Charlotte in 1983, yet he was fined 50 grand for illegal engine and parts but got to keep the trophy. Rules don't apply to a king but he did get into a lot of accidents using engines from WWII planes. Maybe it does on a spiritual sense?
NASCAR, The True Religion
I read about a preacher who lost his son to another congregation because that preacher was a NASCAR fan and the father wasn't. I don't care what anybody says, if you hate the NASCAR presence, you will not last long in Charlotte or in the Carolinas. Many will try to avoid the subject or keep themselves out of southern folklore distance. The ones who can, are the naives ones from out of town or non-English folks. Once you have taken a point of view of a southerner( whether its about race, religion or politics), you better embrace the sport. Parks Helms as Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Commissioner was despised by many conservatives in Charlotte because he always raised taxes and isn't shamed to admit because in his words, "if you don't like it then leave." But nobody left when the public money went to the museum during the recession. (By the way, he is still a deacon at Park Road Baptist church).
In this part of the area to be competitive, you either take the Vanderbilt view or the Redneck view if you are honest about it. If you aren't competitive, you go on the "you love everyone" tick or the drug tip. Very few, will be all embracing in everything. Here to get a balance on the environment and themselves, most will be on the avoider trip or take the southern-gentlemen kick in hard and fair play. Football is the main sport for these southern gents and arts& lit for the avoiders that includes academia.
As for me, it was Sunday. Something real spiritual happens to me when I'm here. Even though I'm not religious. In Atlanta, I love to work on Sunday's but not when I lived in Charlotte. I asked the hotel attendant if there were churches or temples nearby and she gave me a list as well as a mapquest for those placess(thank you). I saw one Hindu Temple which was off Independence Boulevard, too far from Woodlawn to drive. There were a lot of church listings but decided against driving to them. Instead, I decided to walk to a nearby mono-rail which I noticed when driving from the Carrie Undewood concert.
I figured, I would notice a church from the train and get off. I saw this chuch right next to the station in a office warehouse but it was closed until 11 a.m. and it was 9:30 a.m. When I got on the train, I notced how easy it was. A small car but you can get on street level like a trolley. Inside, they had an area for wheelchair bound folks with a hook that can latch on their chair for safety. Security seemed lax because there was none at the Woodlawn stop but I paid money on the coin dispenser. Good thing coz on the next stop, a couple of Charlotte Mecklenburg police showed up asking for tickets.
On the way, I saw a lot of warehouses, trendy apartments with trees and benches, restaurants, and offices but no church. I did see the Time Warner Arena right next to the rail. Wasted money for that adventure from the night before. Asked the cops where the museum was and they told me. I walked about a couple of blocks and found the building on East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
The exterior had an oval, metallic exterior that resembles the remodeled version of Soldier Field in Chicago. Very majestic with a billboard TV showing old races as well as the Wild Wing Cafe restaurant. I got to the ticket booth, prices were relatively cheap. 12 bucks for kids, 17 bucks for seniors and military, and 19 for adults. I chose the Hall of Fame one for 24 plus the 19 just because it was new. Little did I know what the decision would do for me.
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| Speedy Thompson (2nd left) winning the 1960 National 400. |
As for me, it was Sunday. Something real spiritual happens to me when I'm here. Even though I'm not religious. In Atlanta, I love to work on Sunday's but not when I lived in Charlotte. I asked the hotel attendant if there were churches or temples nearby and she gave me a list as well as a mapquest for those placess(thank you). I saw one Hindu Temple which was off Independence Boulevard, too far from Woodlawn to drive. There were a lot of church listings but decided against driving to them. Instead, I decided to walk to a nearby mono-rail which I noticed when driving from the Carrie Undewood concert.
I figured, I would notice a church from the train and get off. I saw this chuch right next to the station in a office warehouse but it was closed until 11 a.m. and it was 9:30 a.m. When I got on the train, I notced how easy it was. A small car but you can get on street level like a trolley. Inside, they had an area for wheelchair bound folks with a hook that can latch on their chair for safety. Security seemed lax because there was none at the Woodlawn stop but I paid money on the coin dispenser. Good thing coz on the next stop, a couple of Charlotte Mecklenburg police showed up asking for tickets.
On the way, I saw a lot of warehouses, trendy apartments with trees and benches, restaurants, and offices but no church. I did see the Time Warner Arena right next to the rail. Wasted money for that adventure from the night before. Asked the cops where the museum was and they told me. I walked about a couple of blocks and found the building on East Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
The exterior had an oval, metallic exterior that resembles the remodeled version of Soldier Field in Chicago. Very majestic with a billboard TV showing old races as well as the Wild Wing Cafe restaurant. I got to the ticket booth, prices were relatively cheap. 12 bucks for kids, 17 bucks for seniors and military, and 19 for adults. I chose the Hall of Fame one for 24 plus the 19 just because it was new. Little did I know what the decision would do for me.
The Carrie Underwood Show
I love Charlotte. That is my home visitation place. The fun for me is going to places that I didn't plan for. Charlotte is that town. Other places, you have to put in advance, organize, and plan accordingly. My issue with that is when something goes wrong (something small), it ruins the vacation. However, disorganization costs a lot of money if you are cost conscientious. But since I don't care, I went exploring.
Driving through I-85 is fun on a Saturday afternoon. It was warm without the slushy rainfall. Bit chilly at night but no cold mist or wind. I was just driving around in downtown when I noticed cars filled up at Time Warner Arena. I parked my car at a this lot. I first tried to put cash in this dispenser but it took all my money without giving me a receipt. I had to use my credit card for a 10 dollar parking lot.
After some debating, I decided to stay and go inside the arena. It was Halloween, you saw some kids going to clubs with a Halloween theme. They seemed to have fun. I preferred a basketball game since the Bobcats play there or so I thought. As I went to the arena, the ticket boxes were closed so I had to go find a ticket scalper as well as an ATM machine. Oh, I found both real quickly as well as a homeless guy talking about how he was done in.
The scalper saw me first and asked me to buy 40 dollars. I said I would think about. Then, he went 30 dollars and told him that I would go by the ATM machine to get my machine. When he noticed that I was talking with those homeless guy after I got my cash from the ATM, he went down 20 dollars. Bought the ticket and gave homeless man, 20 dollars. You should have seen the scalper's face. Oh, man.
The arena was pretty cool but I had to sit way up there next this curtain that was covering up the upper deck seats. Everybody was warm and fuzzy with their special someone. Looking down was okay except it wasn't a basketball game but a Carrie Underwood concert. Oh, great. Carrie just got married to a hockey player.
I have to say though, I enjoyed the show. Say, what you will, Carrie brings it. Sitting on the bed of a pickup truck being suspended in mid-air over the crowd by 40 feet high with this metal rail, moving the truck around in a circular motion. You should have seen the fans, moving away from the truck because it that sucker fell .... Oh, well. I like the the three layer, circular, jacuzzi-looking tile stage that she stood on. The middle circle would go down with Carrie and then, you would see her in a new costume every few minutes. She once popped up in a piano (she actually played it), and to start the show, in a love seat. But never in a jacuzzi. Damn!
I took pictures of her in my phone but too far up. Sat in my seat till everybody left and security told me to go home. Traffic wasn't too bad which is very unusual for Charlotte. Drove around and found this hotel that I discussed with the Rest Area person when I got into NC earlier that day. This lady was very nice and found me a coupon at this Days Inn in Woodlawn Road. Cost me 47 dollars per a day for two days. The place was good with a Mexican restaurant in the site. Nice bed and TV. Next day, NASCAR Hall.
Driving through I-85 is fun on a Saturday afternoon. It was warm without the slushy rainfall. Bit chilly at night but no cold mist or wind. I was just driving around in downtown when I noticed cars filled up at Time Warner Arena. I parked my car at a this lot. I first tried to put cash in this dispenser but it took all my money without giving me a receipt. I had to use my credit card for a 10 dollar parking lot.
After some debating, I decided to stay and go inside the arena. It was Halloween, you saw some kids going to clubs with a Halloween theme. They seemed to have fun. I preferred a basketball game since the Bobcats play there or so I thought. As I went to the arena, the ticket boxes were closed so I had to go find a ticket scalper as well as an ATM machine. Oh, I found both real quickly as well as a homeless guy talking about how he was done in.
The scalper saw me first and asked me to buy 40 dollars. I said I would think about. Then, he went 30 dollars and told him that I would go by the ATM machine to get my machine. When he noticed that I was talking with those homeless guy after I got my cash from the ATM, he went down 20 dollars. Bought the ticket and gave homeless man, 20 dollars. You should have seen the scalper's face. Oh, man.
The arena was pretty cool but I had to sit way up there next this curtain that was covering up the upper deck seats. Everybody was warm and fuzzy with their special someone. Looking down was okay except it wasn't a basketball game but a Carrie Underwood concert. Oh, great. Carrie just got married to a hockey player.
I have to say though, I enjoyed the show. Say, what you will, Carrie brings it. Sitting on the bed of a pickup truck being suspended in mid-air over the crowd by 40 feet high with this metal rail, moving the truck around in a circular motion. You should have seen the fans, moving away from the truck because it that sucker fell .... Oh, well. I like the the three layer, circular, jacuzzi-looking tile stage that she stood on. The middle circle would go down with Carrie and then, you would see her in a new costume every few minutes. She once popped up in a piano (she actually played it), and to start the show, in a love seat. But never in a jacuzzi. Damn!
I took pictures of her in my phone but too far up. Sat in my seat till everybody left and security told me to go home. Traffic wasn't too bad which is very unusual for Charlotte. Drove around and found this hotel that I discussed with the Rest Area person when I got into NC earlier that day. This lady was very nice and found me a coupon at this Days Inn in Woodlawn Road. Cost me 47 dollars per a day for two days. The place was good with a Mexican restaurant in the site. Nice bed and TV. Next day, NASCAR Hall.
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