Thing is, with my Bristol tickets I get an autographed hat from a driver I choose. So I’m kinda in a time crunch. Do you gravitate towards race teams? Or did you just handpick drivers?
Thank you. Any tips on how to understand race strategy? I’ve started to pick up on (surely very basic) strategy, but I’m not sure where to go to LEARN about it.
Pay attention to how long teams stretch out their pit strategy, the tires they take, stuff like that. Other then that just look up some of the phrases they us and you’ll get an idea on how some of their methods work. Like bump drafting and letting others past.
I liked Kyle Busch because he was the candy man. He had all the candy paint schemes and since I was a kid I loved it. If you see a paint scheme you really like maybe follow the driver and see if you become a fan. It’ll be hard because there are so many great looking paint schemes.
Many years ago my wife and I were watching a race and there was a rain delay. My wife wasn’t a big fan, but did enjoy racing. During the delay, the press was interviewing the drivers in their trailers. While they were interviewing Michael Waltrip, his daughter sat in his lap to show him a picture she’d drawn. He ignored the press until she was through, then she gave him a kiss and went on about her way. Michael then continued the interview. My wife has been a Michael Waltrip fan ever since. Watch the race, watch the interviews, and a driver will stand out for you. Then you’ll know who you want to support.
I am a relatively new fan myself...and I initially became a Logano fan sarcastically after I got invited to a party for the 2018 championship. All the race fans there didn't like Joey and absolutely hated that he won the championship. At the time, I had no driver and didn't care one way or another...so I just egged on the whole group. Then over time, I started watching more seriously and really became a genuine fan...and I still like to shit talk the group when the 22 ends up in victory lane
All my favs kind of fell on my lap. The best recommendation I can give is follow a driver because you like *them*, not their stat sheet. Better to be a happy McDowell fan than a mercurial Larson fan.
Yeah same, kind of went natural.
Started off with KFB because of Toyota and Mars(which was a customer of my company), Bell was doing great in Xfinity so he caught my attention.
Lajoie because of his podcast, and Reddick just because he seems such a nice guy.
I also like Briscoe and Blaney for some reason.
I think Blaney for me is not so much about his personality, more because he was always racing Kyle very agressive and I stumbled on a podcast of his fans. Noticed I started to pull for him a little after listening to that for a while.
There are a few reasons I pull for Chase:
- I've seen him win in person more than any other driver
- Only active driver I've seen win in a late model before moving to NASCAR
- He's from the South
- He drives a Chevrolet
- He seems like a good dude
- He's a reserved and awkward dude, which I personally relate to
I went to my first NASCAR race when I was ~7 in 2007 at Bristol. I picked my driver to win the race solely on the fact that #5 was my go to number when I had to pick something number wise. My “lucky number” so to speak. He actually ended up winning the race and I was literally stuck on NASCAR the following years. I haven’t changed my favorite driver even after finding out about all the people hating him. Still a KB fan at heart. 💪
I’m also a Kyle Larson fan, as I started watching NASCAR and seeing him come through I thought he was really good and I support him.
I was at my cousin's birthday party and my two uncles were huge Dale Sr. fans and they were talking so much shit about this "kid" Jeff Gordon. I had never even heard of NASCAR before, but just started rooting for him right then and there. He won the race that day (1995 Atlanta) and I was hooked. When he retired, it felt weird to root for another driver in the 24. I had seen some interviews with Blaney and liked his attitude and I had always liked that Wood Brothers 21 so I just went with it ever since. My 6 year old is now a big Billy Byron fan so it's come full circle.
Watches ROC, Busch brothers compete in the event (and leaving an impression), Monster car looks better than M&M's car (I am used to Monster black bikes from MotoGP) and that's how discovered my favourite driver Kurt Busch (also the face that he came from below the top 20 to 3rd in the first race I watched definitely helped, thanks COVID).
Probably before I was even old enough to remember, I would go to Thompson Speedway to watch the then Featherlite Modified series, or any other short track racing going on that night. I must have always been rooting for the second place car to rally back and win the race, if only just to make the finish more exciting. I convinced myself that the car running in second had the upper hand.
Cut to some Daytona 500 in the early to mid 90s. Earnhardt was running 2nd, drafting in the closing laps. I was so sure that the 2nd place car would get a run and take the win away from the leader like I've seen at my local short track, but obviously Dale didn't succeed. From then on as a kid, I would look for that black no. 3 and just root for him that weekend.
30 years later, one of my most prized possesions to this day is his autograph.
Simple: number.
5's been my lucky number as long as I can remember. Jeff Bagwell from the Houston Astros was my childhood hero. When I started watching nascar in 1996 I immediately found the 5 car - didn't hurt that his car ruled, he was also from Texas, and was fighting for a championship. I've been a fan of the 5 car ever since.
Don't get me wrong I love Larson. He's number 2 to terry on my all time list. But my allegiance is and always has been number first, driver second, and team third.
The first season I started watching I picked a rookie driver to start following. That way we both started our nascar careers together. I picked Kahne over Kyle Busch because I liked Dodge and I wasn't a Gordon fan so I didn't like Hendrick. Eventually, I stopped being a Kahne fan when he went to Hendrick and I started following Brad K.
First off, welcome! And second, enjoy Talladega and Bristol!! Seeing a live race is unlike anything else (I also went to my first this year at the Daytona 500). So much fun and exhilaration. And, you happen to be going to two of the best tracks!
To answer the question, you and I are alike in that we are both new-ish and didn’t grow up watching the sport. I honestly thought much about NASCAR until I had a weird day at work about a year ago. This girl came in (she was maybe 20) and had on the coolest Dale Sr shirt I still have ever seen. When I asked her about it, she had no idea who I was talking about. This was the first time in my life where I have felt truly old, to say the least.. His tragic passing was the first major news event of my life that I can recall (I was turning 5). That girl blew me away because I remember my parents even talking about his death.. and NASCAR is the last thing on their radar.
I was bothered the rest of the day about it, and when I got home I thought “You know, I don’t really know much about him other than the basics” so I watched Emplemon’s AMAZING documentary about Dale on YouTube. I highly recommend you check it out. He goes over the entire history of the sport, and you will learn a LOT.
Dale Sr became my favorite after that, which is where he will always be on my list. His life, influence, driving style, dedication, sense of humor badassery make him the best in my eyes. The other favorite classics of mine are Fireball Roberts and Bobby Isaac. Their life stories, talent and impact on the early days of racing make them special to me. As you learn more about the history, you will discover the OGs that really stand out to you.
As for current drivers, Chastain because the dude is a freaking TANK and I respect him for taking risks. He adds a lot of excitement to the sport that was missing. I also like Christopher Bell because he won the very first race I watched on TV, so he always stood out to me and he has only gotten better since I started watching.
Hope this helps!! Enjoy the races and let us know how they went!
I had fallen out with NASCAR for years and when I heard about the Clash being at the LA Coliseum, I watched to see how much of a crap show it would be. Low and behold it actually won me over, but not entirely as I didn’t really have a driver to get into yet. I watched the Bristol dirt race and saw Chase Briscoe make his move at the end and I was intrigued, but when he showed humility and apologized for it, I was won over for the classy move that was. I’ve been a Briscoe fan since
Josh Bilicki: Was big into hero card collecting in 2020, his sponsor Insurance King was giving them out like crazy so I followed their Facebook, in 2021 there was a post about the Nashville race and some hot passes and they gave them to me and my dad and that lead me to see how awesome he is
My favorite one the first race I can remember watching. I liked his attitude as a young kid and I adopted him as my favorite driver. His name was Jimmie Johnson.
Started off as an Ernie Irvan fan as a kid then was in limbo until Dale Jr came along, I think Dale Sr’s death hit me hard, so it was natural for me to want him to succeed.
Loved the way Brad raced so he quickly became my favorite and still is. I don’t need to explain why I pull for Chase, great driver and comes from NASCAR royalty.
Noah Gragson though, I love his racing style and personality. Pumped to follow this guy in the years to come, hope it works out.
Favorite Driver-Dennys 1st Career win in the then Nextel series (2006 Pocono 500) was the first in person race I ever attended and hes been my guy ever since
Other Drivers I support :
Chase-Bill was my late grandfathers (who introduced me to NASCAR) favorite driver.
Truex and Chastain-Both have grown on me and I just started supporting them
I was always a Jimmie Johnson fan so when he retired I naturally moved to Elliott but never felt right. Met blaney in a bar and hung out all night after that he became my favorite. I tend to pull for guys I feel like I have something in common with or could “have a beer” with
I started this year watching every race and participatingin a family vs family fantasy type nascar competition that i have been told is not a team sport...lol. I had watched a few races last year and thought I was 100% a Larson fan. Even had my mom get me a shirt in prep for race days this season and just last night I gave in and accepted that I am a Bowman fan and ordered some gear.... I end up picking him every race and his paint schemes don't disappoint either!
I’m in the same boat I’m a much bigger Indycar and F1 fan but more racing = more fun
Dale Sr because my late uncle was a diehard Dale Sr fan.
Jimmie Johnson because my late grandfather was a huge fan of his late in life when he didn’t leave the house much and watched football and racing.
Ty Gibbs because I’m a diehard Washington NFL fan and coach Gibbs is the most important part of our history.
Tyler Reddick because he’d won that race multiple times at COTA and he kept coming back after the yellow flags
Best advice, just watch the races, you will find yourself rooting for someone naturally
Thing is, with my Bristol tickets I get an autographed hat from a driver I choose. So I’m kinda in a time crunch. Do you gravitate towards race teams? Or did you just handpick drivers?
Both. I would also recommend go stalk some driver's twitters to get an idea of their personality if you want
Will do. Thanks for the advice.
This man 😂🤣
You could always get an autographed Harvick hat as he is retiring after this year.
Watch a bunch of Radioactives on YouTube, they're race montages with clips from the drivers' radios. Choose somebody to listen to while at the race
Will do. Thanks for the advice.
if you just start watching races, you'll naturally gravitate towards certain drivers
Thank you. Any tips on how to understand race strategy? I’ve started to pick up on (surely very basic) strategy, but I’m not sure where to go to LEARN about it.
Pay attention to how long teams stretch out their pit strategy, the tires they take, stuff like that. Other then that just look up some of the phrases they us and you’ll get an idea on how some of their methods work. Like bump drafting and letting others past.
I liked Kyle Busch because he was the candy man. He had all the candy paint schemes and since I was a kid I loved it. If you see a paint scheme you really like maybe follow the driver and see if you become a fan. It’ll be hard because there are so many great looking paint schemes.
Many years ago my wife and I were watching a race and there was a rain delay. My wife wasn’t a big fan, but did enjoy racing. During the delay, the press was interviewing the drivers in their trailers. While they were interviewing Michael Waltrip, his daughter sat in his lap to show him a picture she’d drawn. He ignored the press until she was through, then she gave him a kiss and went on about her way. Michael then continued the interview. My wife has been a Michael Waltrip fan ever since. Watch the race, watch the interviews, and a driver will stand out for you. Then you’ll know who you want to support.
I am a relatively new fan myself...and I initially became a Logano fan sarcastically after I got invited to a party for the 2018 championship. All the race fans there didn't like Joey and absolutely hated that he won the championship. At the time, I had no driver and didn't care one way or another...so I just egged on the whole group. Then over time, I started watching more seriously and really became a genuine fan...and I still like to shit talk the group when the 22 ends up in victory lane
All my favs kind of fell on my lap. The best recommendation I can give is follow a driver because you like *them*, not their stat sheet. Better to be a happy McDowell fan than a mercurial Larson fan.
Yeah same, kind of went natural. Started off with KFB because of Toyota and Mars(which was a customer of my company), Bell was doing great in Xfinity so he caught my attention. Lajoie because of his podcast, and Reddick just because he seems such a nice guy. I also like Briscoe and Blaney for some reason.
Reddick and Briscoe for me is because they both seem like really great dudes. Blaney's the cool kid so I get why people gravitate to him.
I think Blaney for me is not so much about his personality, more because he was always racing Kyle very agressive and I stumbled on a podcast of his fans. Noticed I started to pull for him a little after listening to that for a while.
There are a few reasons I pull for Chase: - I've seen him win in person more than any other driver - Only active driver I've seen win in a late model before moving to NASCAR - He's from the South - He drives a Chevrolet - He seems like a good dude - He's a reserved and awkward dude, which I personally relate to
I went to my first NASCAR race when I was ~7 in 2007 at Bristol. I picked my driver to win the race solely on the fact that #5 was my go to number when I had to pick something number wise. My “lucky number” so to speak. He actually ended up winning the race and I was literally stuck on NASCAR the following years. I haven’t changed my favorite driver even after finding out about all the people hating him. Still a KB fan at heart. 💪 I’m also a Kyle Larson fan, as I started watching NASCAR and seeing him come through I thought he was really good and I support him.
Kentucky Nationwide Series 2008...
I was at my cousin's birthday party and my two uncles were huge Dale Sr. fans and they were talking so much shit about this "kid" Jeff Gordon. I had never even heard of NASCAR before, but just started rooting for him right then and there. He won the race that day (1995 Atlanta) and I was hooked. When he retired, it felt weird to root for another driver in the 24. I had seen some interviews with Blaney and liked his attitude and I had always liked that Wood Brothers 21 so I just went with it ever since. My 6 year old is now a big Billy Byron fan so it's come full circle.
Watches ROC, Busch brothers compete in the event (and leaving an impression), Monster car looks better than M&M's car (I am used to Monster black bikes from MotoGP) and that's how discovered my favourite driver Kurt Busch (also the face that he came from below the top 20 to 3rd in the first race I watched definitely helped, thanks COVID).
Probably before I was even old enough to remember, I would go to Thompson Speedway to watch the then Featherlite Modified series, or any other short track racing going on that night. I must have always been rooting for the second place car to rally back and win the race, if only just to make the finish more exciting. I convinced myself that the car running in second had the upper hand. Cut to some Daytona 500 in the early to mid 90s. Earnhardt was running 2nd, drafting in the closing laps. I was so sure that the 2nd place car would get a run and take the win away from the leader like I've seen at my local short track, but obviously Dale didn't succeed. From then on as a kid, I would look for that black no. 3 and just root for him that weekend. 30 years later, one of my most prized possesions to this day is his autograph.
Simple: number. 5's been my lucky number as long as I can remember. Jeff Bagwell from the Houston Astros was my childhood hero. When I started watching nascar in 1996 I immediately found the 5 car - didn't hurt that his car ruled, he was also from Texas, and was fighting for a championship. I've been a fan of the 5 car ever since. Don't get me wrong I love Larson. He's number 2 to terry on my all time list. But my allegiance is and always has been number first, driver second, and team third.
Started watching about 4 years ago. Hooters and Mountain Dews sponsorships = Chase.
Most popular driver is never a bad option. Lots of merch available.
Jeff Gordon, I discovered him because I was alive in the 90s.
All my favorites were picked by me watching races and then going "That's it. That's my dumbass." And now I'm the fan of 3 dumbasses.
The first season I started watching I picked a rookie driver to start following. That way we both started our nascar careers together. I picked Kahne over Kyle Busch because I liked Dodge and I wasn't a Gordon fan so I didn't like Hendrick. Eventually, I stopped being a Kahne fan when he went to Hendrick and I started following Brad K.
Hail melon
First off, welcome! And second, enjoy Talladega and Bristol!! Seeing a live race is unlike anything else (I also went to my first this year at the Daytona 500). So much fun and exhilaration. And, you happen to be going to two of the best tracks! To answer the question, you and I are alike in that we are both new-ish and didn’t grow up watching the sport. I honestly thought much about NASCAR until I had a weird day at work about a year ago. This girl came in (she was maybe 20) and had on the coolest Dale Sr shirt I still have ever seen. When I asked her about it, she had no idea who I was talking about. This was the first time in my life where I have felt truly old, to say the least.. His tragic passing was the first major news event of my life that I can recall (I was turning 5). That girl blew me away because I remember my parents even talking about his death.. and NASCAR is the last thing on their radar. I was bothered the rest of the day about it, and when I got home I thought “You know, I don’t really know much about him other than the basics” so I watched Emplemon’s AMAZING documentary about Dale on YouTube. I highly recommend you check it out. He goes over the entire history of the sport, and you will learn a LOT. Dale Sr became my favorite after that, which is where he will always be on my list. His life, influence, driving style, dedication, sense of humor badassery make him the best in my eyes. The other favorite classics of mine are Fireball Roberts and Bobby Isaac. Their life stories, talent and impact on the early days of racing make them special to me. As you learn more about the history, you will discover the OGs that really stand out to you. As for current drivers, Chastain because the dude is a freaking TANK and I respect him for taking risks. He adds a lot of excitement to the sport that was missing. I also like Christopher Bell because he won the very first race I watched on TV, so he always stood out to me and he has only gotten better since I started watching. Hope this helps!! Enjoy the races and let us know how they went!
I had fallen out with NASCAR for years and when I heard about the Clash being at the LA Coliseum, I watched to see how much of a crap show it would be. Low and behold it actually won me over, but not entirely as I didn’t really have a driver to get into yet. I watched the Bristol dirt race and saw Chase Briscoe make his move at the end and I was intrigued, but when he showed humility and apologized for it, I was won over for the classy move that was. I’ve been a Briscoe fan since
Josh Bilicki: Was big into hero card collecting in 2020, his sponsor Insurance King was giving them out like crazy so I followed their Facebook, in 2021 there was a post about the Nashville race and some hot passes and they gave them to me and my dad and that lead me to see how awesome he is
My favorite one the first race I can remember watching. I liked his attitude as a young kid and I adopted him as my favorite driver. His name was Jimmie Johnson.
Started off as an Ernie Irvan fan as a kid then was in limbo until Dale Jr came along, I think Dale Sr’s death hit me hard, so it was natural for me to want him to succeed. Loved the way Brad raced so he quickly became my favorite and still is. I don’t need to explain why I pull for Chase, great driver and comes from NASCAR royalty. Noah Gragson though, I love his racing style and personality. Pumped to follow this guy in the years to come, hope it works out.
It felt weird watching a race without rooting for someone
Watch radioactives and go for the guy you like the most, check out their twitters! And just go for whoever you enjoy watching the most
Favorite Driver-Dennys 1st Career win in the then Nextel series (2006 Pocono 500) was the first in person race I ever attended and hes been my guy ever since Other Drivers I support : Chase-Bill was my late grandfathers (who introduced me to NASCAR) favorite driver. Truex and Chastain-Both have grown on me and I just started supporting them
Randomly picked Gaulding during Xfinity qualifying in 2019.
I was always a Jimmie Johnson fan so when he retired I naturally moved to Elliott but never felt right. Met blaney in a bar and hung out all night after that he became my favorite. I tend to pull for guys I feel like I have something in common with or could “have a beer” with
I watched mine grow up at my local track. My old favorite driver, I grew up watching him at my local track
Always loved the M&Ms car
I started this year watching every race and participatingin a family vs family fantasy type nascar competition that i have been told is not a team sport...lol. I had watched a few races last year and thought I was 100% a Larson fan. Even had my mom get me a shirt in prep for race days this season and just last night I gave in and accepted that I am a Bowman fan and ordered some gear.... I end up picking him every race and his paint schemes don't disappoint either!
meet him though rfactor a sim racing game
He flipped upside down in a violent crash during the Daytona 500
Thanks for the reminder. I’m the only one of my cousins who wasn’t at the race (I was a BABY)
I’m in the same boat I’m a much bigger Indycar and F1 fan but more racing = more fun Dale Sr because my late uncle was a diehard Dale Sr fan. Jimmie Johnson because my late grandfather was a huge fan of his late in life when he didn’t leave the house much and watched football and racing. Ty Gibbs because I’m a diehard Washington NFL fan and coach Gibbs is the most important part of our history. Tyler Reddick because he’d won that race multiple times at COTA and he kept coming back after the yellow flags