Motor racing must be experienced. These are stories of what happens to us when we experience it.
What we got was not an all-timer like the O’Reilly race was, or a master class like the truck race was, but instead we got what I think goes for a normal NASCAR race these days, and you know what? It was fun as hell.
Was this race a good event? Was it good that this race happened the way it did? In order to answer that, there is so much more to incorporate than can be gleaned from timing and scoring.
We’ll work our way up to writing out the stories of the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona. For now, let’s just bask in the finest details.
It turns out to be one of the greatest sports car races in the world, and since it takes place at my home track, I had to be there for the whole thing to cap off my 2025 racing season. Naturally, I got there before the haulers were even parked.
As for what NASCAR racing is like in person, it is one of the few things I can imagine surviving this much hype and mystique around it for my nearly 40 years of life. If automobiles please you, the appeal is instantly obvious.
You know from TV that Barber is quirky and full of weird art, and that the facility is at least interesting, but what you don’t know until you go there is that it is one of the most lovely motorsports venues imaginable. “Park” really is the best term for it.
I did not pay much attention to the racing at this race, to be honest. It was far more significant to me that this was the first time my wife allowed me to bring my children to the race track.
Don’t get me wrong, I was interested to see what present-day Trans Am was like, but the reason I jumped on this opportunity to go to a race by myself was to experience Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the first time as soon as possible.