Used to be a big fan, the wife and I would go to 8-10 races a year, back when they raced close to us. We have a scanner and headsets, which is really cool because you can listen to the drivers you like, listen to the radio guys cut up during the commercials.
Then Dale Sr. died and it went down hill from there, I know several people that used to and some that still do work on race teams. They said no one really knew how much influence Dale had on how nascar did things.
I was at a martinsville race one year and it had been raining and it was up in the air if they were going to race. We saw Dale and Teresa walk across the track and leave and I told the guys I was with, let go and beat the traffic, Dale told them they weren’t racing today and he is going home. Well they wouldn’t listen and sure enough about 15 minutes latter they came on the loud speakers and canceled the race.
Damn I still miss watching #3 tear it up on the track.