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?