derrickw3 (US)

 I just got back from a trip to Indianapolis to watch the Brickyard 400. I had never really given too much attention to NASCAR and didn't know all that much about it,so naturally I used to make fun of it. Nothin' but a bunch a rednecks rootin' for a car goin' round in a circle, right!, but I got a chance to go so I went. I am an account representative for a firearms distributor here in MN and Remington invited me and some co-workers to attend the race. As most real NASCAR fans know Remington has been a big part in racing. They used to have there own car, but switched to straight sponsorship. They sponsor both Dale Jr. and Kasey Kahne. I had the opportunity to go down through the garages and look at the whole operation and really got a feel for the sport, and man was I impressed. The thing that I really noticed is how true the sport has stayed to the way it has always been, yeah the cars are faster and the money is bigger, but they are still true blue in the way they do things. This is one thing that the NFL, NBA, MLB have definately lost over the years. These guys are on the track because that is what they do and its not just all about the money. Tony Stewart, love him or hate him, won the race that day and I later saw an interview where he said he didn't care about the money he won, but the fact that he got to carry the trophy home under his arm. I also had the chance to meet Kasey Kahne and I was impressed in the way this 24 year old multi, multi millionaire just acted just like a regular Joe. I just wanted to sit down and play video games with him. He is in it because that is what he loves to do. He just wants to drive a car and compete with the rest of em'. You could tell that about him, and from what I saw the other drivers were the same way. I guess the reason for this story is that if you are tired with the way pro-sports have gone then I would give NASCAR a chance because this is THE All-American sport and the players of this game are still competitors, not accountants.

I will post some pics as soon as I can get a chance.......Hope the fishin' has been good!!!!