20,000 bhp

Through a friend of my mom's, I got free tickets and pit passes to Memphis Motorsports Park this weekend for the Nascar Busch Series race called, unfortunately, the "Sam's Town 'He Dared to Rock' 250." Ridiculously overwrought name aside, it was a damned entertaining race, what with the record number of caution flags, all but two caused by wrecks and spins in turn two, smack in front of the east grandstand where I happened to be sitting. It was my third trip to MMP. Nearly eight years ago I went for a local NHRA drag racing event, and a year or so later for Busch Series qualifying and an ARCA race. But this was the first time I sat down for a full-fledged, nationally televised, sold-out Nascar race. I've been to 30 or so NCAA football games and at least as many division 1-A basketball games, but nothing quite like this. There's something about seeing nearly 25,000 people all around you standing and screaming, completely mute, because the roar of 43 unmuffled race cars tearing down the track 50 yards away obliterates all other sounds. This is the most-attended spectator sport in America today, and I can see why. Watching five years worth of races on TV is nothing compared to actually attending just one.