That was until this past weekend, and I have to thank the State of Florida for that.
About a week ago, I got an invitation to attend a NASCAR media event at the Circuit on race day, August 18, that was hosted by www.VISITFLORIDA.com, the state's official website that promotes Florida tourism, and the attractions, restaurants, hotels and events that the Sunshine State has to offer throughout the year. Being a frequent visitor to South and Central Florida on a regular basis (and enjoyed every visit), and curious to experience the phenomenon that is NASCAR racing both on the track and in the paddock, I enthusiastically my RSVPed my attendance for my very first NASCAR race.
And what is www.VISITFLORIDA.com's connection to one of the most popular spectator sports in America? Well, besides the fact that two Florida locales host NASCAR races (Daytona and Miami), the website also sponsors two Mazda cars that race on NASCAR's Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series (one of them is pictured below). They are part of the Dempsey Racing team, which is run by actor Patrick Dempsey (best known as Dr. McDreamy from the popular ABC series "Grey's Anatomy"), who is himself a NASCAR driver for five years running. Unfortunately, Dempsey himself wasn't able to attend the Grand-Am race here at the Napa Auto Parts 200 series, because he was behind the wheel at the Road America race.
So I made my way early Saturday morning to the Circuit with many of the NASCAR faithful from across North America. I somehow felt out of place, because I was one of the few attendees not decked out in a NASCAR team jersey, t-shirt or pit cap. As I made my way to the Mazda Hospitality Area at the www.VISITFLORIDA.com paddock, I was immediately immersed into the world of NASCAR. There were crews surrounding both cars, doing last minute repairs, maintenance and testing to these complex, mechanically sophisticated souped up driving machines for the race that would begin at 11:15 that morning. The paddock of each team was represented by a long, rectangular metal trailer displaying their respective colors and sponsors, with a vertical banner waving in the breeze in front of each paddock trumpeting how many racing championships the team in question has won. And there were no shortage of fans wandering around, enthusiastically taking photos of the Grand-Am cars as they were being wheeled out of the paddock on their way to the track, or with themselves and the drivers.
The representatives from www.VISITFLORIDA.com treated myself and the other members of the media who were present at the hospitality area with open arms, as they introduced us to the two sets of NASCAR crews who would be racing their cars at the upcoming Grand-Am. The drivers -- Tom Long, Scott Maxwell, Charles Putman and Charles Espenlaub -- were very cordial and were equally passionate about their careers as NASCAR drivers. The common denominators that each driver said to us were how special the Montreal fans are, and how unique the track at the Circuit is, which is unlike the type of track they are used to racing on the NASCAR circuit.
"This is one of the most educated crowds we have seen and they make the race special for us. We love coming here," said Maxwell, a native of Toronto. "And we like the track here because it involves a lot of heavy braking and passing."
And on the subject of autos and Florida, the www.VISITFLORIDA.com reps told us about a recently opened museum dedicated to classic cars. The Dezer Collection Automobile Musuem in North Miami features a diverse collection of 1,200 classic cars of all makes from all eras, including cars of Hollywood stars, rare cars and vintage autos from the U.S. and Europe. And for all of you James Bond fans -- in time for the release of the upcoming Bond thriller "Skyfall" -- the museum also has an exhibit that features some of the best known cars, planes and boats that were driven by 007 throughout 50 years of his screen adventures.
By 11 a.m., our gracious hosts escorted us to our seats in the stands by one of those perilous turns on the Circuit (and second row from the safety barriers) to witness the two sponsored Mazda autos participate in the Rolex Grand-Am Series race. First order of business as we got to our seats was to put on the ear plugs that were provided in the media swag bags that were given to us (which I am doing pictured below). I had an idea that the engines on a NASCAR auto were quite loud (which was quite evident during engine tests that were conducted at the paddock before the race), but I never knew how eardrum-popping loud it could get when these cars were making their way around the track at a terrifying, furious speed. And believe me, those ear plugs were an essential tool for a two-hour, 74-lap race. Although Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas of Chip Ganassi crossed the checkered flag to take the Grand-Am race this year, the two www.VISITFLORIDA.com cars helped provide an exciting race that certainly got my adrenaline pumping and fulfilled that need for speed.
I have to admit that my first NASCAR racing experience was everything that I it expected to be. And what I found so amazing was how many people this race attracts every year in Montreal, and how its drivers and pit crews are so accessible to its many fans. That was evident when I decided to stick around after the race and check out the carnival atmosphere around the Circuit, which doubled as a fan fair. There were BMX motorcycle demonstrations, autograph sessions, photo ops and plenty of souvenir kiosks, where fans where eagerly snatching up all sorts of NASCAR team merchandise (the most popular were that of drivers Patrick Carpentier, Andrew Ranger and Danica Patrick, in her godaddy.com Chevy). I left just before the main Nationwide Series race was about to begin. But before making the trek back to the Metro, I caught the introduction of the drivers who were paraded around the track in Dodge pickup trucks. The driver who got the loudest and most enthusiastic response? You guessed it ... Danica Patrick!
It was quite a full day for this NASCAR rookie. Next year, I will be back at the Circuit. This time, wearing my www.VISITFLORIDA.com racing colors.
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