NASCAR: Pocono

Our summer of fun continued a couple weeks back when we went to a NASCAR race at Pocono International Speedway in Pennsylvania.  The night before the race we stopped by Scranton to visit Mike and Jenny. 

Before the race we went around to the different merchandise trailers for each of the drivers.  This is a picture of Bri in front of the trailer for her favorite driver Jimmy Johnson.

Going to a NASCAR race is a different experience then going to a normal sporting event for several different reasons.  At regular sporting events it is preferable to sit as close as possible to the field to see all the action.  In NASCAR it is the opposite.  The tracks are so large that it is more desirable to sit farther up in the stands so that you are able to see a larger portion of the track.

 

We decided to rent headphones that allowed us to listen into the conversations between the drivers and their crews.  It was a pretty neat experience to hear insights on the race from the drivers themselves.  The headphones also helped protect our ears for the roars of the engines.

Bri’s favorite part of being at a NASCAR race is watching all the wrecks.  The Burger King car crashed on the very first lap.

Here is a picture of the #51 car right after it hit the wall.

Our seats were right along pit road, so we were able to watch the pit crews work furiously on their cars.  It’s amazing how fast they can fix the car, change the tires, and fill it with gas.  A normal pit stop usually lasts around 14 seconds.

The #20 Home Depot car driven by Joey Logano won the race.  This is a picture of him doing a burn out for the fans immediately after he won the race.

After the race we waited until the traffic died down and then we headed back to Buffalo.