This weekend’s race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway brought back a lot of memories for me. Specifically, it brought back memories of a weekend I had in 2009.
That year, I began writing for another website alongside Gant Daily, and was having some good success. So good, I was given the option that if I desired, I could travel to cover a Sprint Cup race. The one race that was available was the first Chase race, which was up in New Hampshire. So, with the flight booked, hotel reserved and car rented, I made the trip to Manchester and the drive to Loudon to cover the first Chase event of that year.
You talk about being a small fish among sharks, I was definitely the new guy. Didn’t exactly know where to go right away, but first made my way to the media center, where I was welcomed with open arms and great praise by some of the best writers in the NASCAR nation. I got to meet some of my idols, and let them know where they could find me on the web.
At the same time, I needed to get all the exposure I could, so I needed to not just sit at a table on a laptop all morning. So, when the garage opened, I made my long round through each stall, taking photos for articles, and introducing myself while conducting some minor interviews, like getting perspectives on how the race could go.
When I made my way back to the media center, it was just about time for lunch, and because it was almost Thanksgiving, the staff at the speedway provided an entire dinner that would be more than worthy for a Thanksgiving gathering.
Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, cake…they had everything covered, and even had the cranberry sauce, although I passed on getting that.
Soon after, the head for staffing in the media center announced that Toyota was asking for media volunteers to assist in tossing t-shirts to the crowd right before the Josh Turner concert that would be before the race. I wrote my name down, since it was an opportunity to meet some fellow media members, and also assist in one of NASCAR’s major sponsors. Little did I know not only would I be assisting in tossing t-shirts, but I’d be doing it from the bed of the Toyota monster truck.
I kind of laughed at the other media members that got in the bed before me because they used a ladder to get up. Me, I climbed onto the tire and then onto the step bar, followed by a climb into the bed. They laughed, with one saying, “You look like you’ve climbed into one of these.”
My reply back was, “Yeah, but I’ve also sat inside an actual race truck.” They were certainly impressed.
As the race drew near, I went back to the media center, and settled into my seat. A few of the NASCAR.com writers were to my left, and they assisted me in my writing, as I was still a rookie in the game, but they were glad to help out and show me the ropes. I knew the majority of the rules in the media center, and by race’s end, I was even assisting them, as in getting some quotes right and finishing positions.
I stayed in the media center into the night, long after the post-race interviews with Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, and race-winner Mark Martin. I wanted to get most of my writing done before returning to the hotel, since I had an early flight the next morning back home to Pennsylvania.
Since then I’ve visited two other tracks, Talladega and Richmond, as media members. But, it’s always the first one that stands out because I was scared, nervous, and excited.
Everytime NASCAR comes to New Hampshire since then, I always remember that weekend. Cannot wait for the next opportunity to visit a race track, not with a ticket in the stands, but one with the most access possible.
RESULTS: 1-Newman 2-Stewart 3-Hamlin 4-Logano 5-Johnson 6-Kahne 7-Labonte 8-Truex Jr. 9-Ambrose 10-Kurt Busch
NOTABLE FINISHES: 11-Gordon 13-Edwards 15-Earnhardt Jr. 17-Bowyer 21-Harvick 36-Kyle Busch
CAUTIONS: 10 for 44 laps. Laps 31-34 (Debris), 61-64 (#18 accident-T3), 101-104 (Debris), 145-149 (#2 accident-T3), 162-168 (Oil On Track), 172-174 (#11, 42, 43, 71 accident-T2), 185-188 (#5 spin-T2), 217-221 (Debris), 226-229 (#4, 36, 83 accident-FS), 241-244 (#48 spin-T2).
LEAD CHANGES: 21 among 14 drivers. Newman 1-5, Stewart 6-30, Newman 31, McMurray 32-37, Newman 38-40, Kurt Busch 41-60, Newman 61, Martin 62-64, Newman 65-101, Johnson 102-120, Kahne 121-125, Gordon 126-144, Biffle 145, Lally 146-147, Kurt Busch 148-193, Stewart 194-216, Edwards 217, Logano 218-221, Ambrose 222-225, Logano 226, Bowyer 227-229, Newman 230-301.
TIME OF RACE: 3 Hrs, 3 Mins, 33 Secs.
AVERAGE SPEED: 104.100 MPH
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.773 Seconds
POINT STANDINGS (Top-10, Current Wild Cards): 1. Edwards, 652 points; 2. Johnson, -7; 3. Kurt Busch, -11; 4. Harvick, -15; 5. Kyle Busch, -20; 6. Kenseth, -26; 7. Gordon, -65; 8. Newman, -66; 9. Earnhardt Jr, -75; 10. Hamlin, -82. WC #1: David Ragan (13th, 1 win), WC #2: Tony Stewart (12th, No wins).