TIPS / TRIVIA
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TRAPPED IN NASCAR TRAFFIC?
10 Ways To Make The Most Of The Delay
There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the slow lane. When you’re all geared up for the high-speed fun of NASCAR we have some suggestions on how to pass the time by doing things you may not have gotten around to otherwise.
- Have you always wanted to be in the literati? Bring along an audio book. Here’s your chance to tackle War and Peace, Moby Dick or Jane Eyre. Or if you’ve got kids in the car, there are seven long and unbelievably engrossing volumes in the Harry Potter series. And if you’re a woman who’s been having serious relationship issues, what better time to play words of wisdom from your favorite self-help author—be it Deepak Chopra, Dr. Phil or John Gray? No matter how much your man squirms, he’ll never get away!
- Just like this traffic jam, there’s another thing you can’t avoid in life—taxes. So pack up your 2008 1040 Forms & Instructions booklet along with all your receipts, W-2s, 1098s and 1099s…plus a calculator. You can sit and sift through everything, and you’ll probably even have time to double-check your figures. Tip: if you usually do your taxes on the computer, you may want to use a pencil.
- If you’re a woman, you can put on your makeup. Bring your entire kit and start from the beginning—moisturizer, sunscreen, foundation, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, blush, lip liner, lipstick and powder. You’ll even have time to experiment with new looks. Heck, cram in your manicure and pedicure supplies. You can smooth your calluses and trim your cuticles—and still have plenty of time for the polish to dry flawlessly. The women in the other cars will be envious of your good looks!
- If you’re a man, this is a great opportunity to pull out the technological wonder that is your cell phone—not to display your mastery of all the games or to surf the Web for sports updates—but to catch up on calls to dear ol’ mom, your little sister or any other long lost friend and family member that you’ve been neglecting.
- If you’re a kid, you’ll probably find license plates from all 50 states (as well as from Canada and Mexico) within the first half hour of your commute. So it’s time to invent new license plate games. Test your brainpower by memorizing all the ones in your vicinity, or see if you can make up clever mathematical formulas and funny sayings from the letters and numbers. At least your brain will get some exercise while your body is stuck in the backseat.
- If you’re single, try to pick up on one of the hotties stuck in traffic with you. You can use this surefire opening line: “Did you invite all of these people? I thought it was just going to be the two of us?” Then discuss your favorite NASCAR drivers, your hometowns and hotspots to hang out in Vegas. If you get rejected, simply settle back into your seat and give the object of your affection a sulky glare so they feel uncomfortable as the traffic crawls on.
- Get a jump on your spring cleaning. You can empty out the glove compartment and the side pockets. Pull out anything stuffed underneath the seats. Carefully sort through parking lot tickets, receipts, tissues, fast food wrappers, chewing gum packs and newspapers. Take along some Windex to shine up the windows and dashboard as well as a Dirt Devil to suck up all the dog hair and whatever lies beneath the rugs.
- Usually when you listen to music, you are trying to do something else as well—but not this time. If you’re a music lover, you can really sit back and concentrate on the melodies and lyrics. Bring along double-albums and Broadway soundtracks and ridiculously long songs like “Echoes” by Pink Floyd, “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) by Meat Loaf, “Hey Jude” by The Beatles or “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Are you crafty? Tap into your inner Martha Stewart. Simply pack up a pair of knitting needles and a crochet hook—along with plenty of yarn. You can make mittens, scarves, caps or quilts for everyone in your family. If you’re the driver and you like to embroider, you can even use the steering wheel as your tambour.
- Although this may not be a golden opportunity for peace and quiet, it isn’t the worst time for meditation. So if you’re a spiritual person, then shut your eyes and try to feel closer to the Almighty. You might also want to send up a prayer or two for a speedier deliverance.
- Unfortunately, we can’t make the traffic jam go away—or maybe we can! Our bonus suggestion is to avoid this bottleneck altogether by flying over it in a luxury helicopter. All you have to do is sign up for Maverick’s NASCAR VIP Transportation package.
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NASCAR Facts and Trivia
Get Up To Speed On The Biggest Motor Sports Series In America!
Is the 2009 Shelby 427 going to be your first NASCAR experience—or your 100th? No matter what, it’s sure to be a memorable one! Think of the cheering crowds, the roaring engines and the quest for victory. You can’t help but get swept away in the excitement. If you want to sound like a know-it-all while watching from the grandstands or if you just want to test your knowledge of NASCAR history, here’s some trivia:
- NASCAR stands for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Ed Otto, a pioneer race promoter, and William France Sr., a gas station owner and racecar driver, founded it in 1948. Today, it’s the largest sanctioning body of motor sports in the United States.
- The first NASCAR race was held June 19, 1949. It took place on a dirt track at the old Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina. Nearly 23,000 curious spectators showed up to see it.
- The victor of that first NASCAR race was Christian “Jim” Roper, who took home the $2,000 purse. Fonty Flock came in second, future Hall of Famer Red Byron was third, Sam Rice came in fourth and Tim Flock was fifth. Several other legendary racers competed at that first race including Lee Petty, Curtis Turner and Buck Baker.
- Red Byron was the first driver to be awarded a championship cup for that 1949 season.
- The racing series has changed names many times over the years. In 1949, it was called the Strictly Stock Series. From 1950 to 1970, it was known as the Grand National Series. From 1971 to 2003, it was known as the Winston Cup Series. And since 2004, it’s been called the Nextel Cup Series.
- Herb Thomas was the first driver to win two NASCAR cup championships (in 1951 and 1953) and Buck Baker was the first to win two consecutive cup championships (in 1956 and 1957).
- In the early years, most NASCAR races in the championship cup series were held on dirt-surfaced short ovals. During the ’60s, superspeedways were built and many of the old dirt tracks were paved. The last championship cup series race held on a dirt track was on Sept. 30, 1970, at the State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, N.C.
- The first NASCAR race to be nationally televised from start to finish was the Daytona 500 in 1979. Richard Petty won that day.
- NASCAR’s main headquarters is located in Daytona Beach, Fla. The organization also has offices in Charlotte, N.C. Mike Helton is the current president and Brian France is the chairman.
- Dale Earnhardt won the most championship cups during the 1990s. He finished the decade with four (in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994). Earnhardt also dominated in the 1980s, when he won three championships (in 1980, 1986 and 1987).
- NASCAR introduced roof flaps as a safety measure in 1994. They help eliminate the lift from airflow and prevents racecars them from rolling over at high speeds.
- The Las Vegas Motor Speedway held its inaugural NASCAR Winston Cup race on Mar. 1, 1998. Mark Martin drove his Ford Taurus to victory. Today, the race is known as the UAW Dodge-400.
- The closest finish in NASCAR history took place at the Darlington Raceway on Mar. 16, 2003. Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch by a mere .002 seconds.
- There are seven members in a NASCAR pit crew. They are the front tire changer, the front tire carrier, the rear tire changer, the rear tire carrier, the jack man, the gas man and the gas catch can man.
- A yellow strip across the rear end of a car in a NASCAR race signifies a rookie driver.
- Cale Yarborough holds the record for winning the most consecutive championship cups. He won three in a row (1976, 1977 and 1978). Many drivers have won back-to-back titles—but have never managed to get that elusive third one! Jimmie Johnson is actually on a quest to do it in 2008, as he won the championship cups in 2006 and 2007.
- Two NASCAR drivers have won seven championship cups. Richard Petty was the first to do so, winning his last championship cup in 1979. Dale Earnhardt tied his record when he won his seventh championship cup in 1997.
- The NASCAR driver considered the greatest of all time is Richard Petty—dubbed “King Richard.” He won over 200 races in his career, which is more than any other driver in history. As mentioned above, Petty also won seven championship cups in 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1979.
- The youngest NASCAR driver to win a championship cup is Bill Rexford. He won it in 1950. In 1995, Jeff Gordon won his first championship cup at the age of 24.
- The oldest NASCAR driver to win a championship cup is Bobby Allison. He won it in 1983 at the age of 45.
- Buddy Baker set the record for speed at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 1980. He was traveling at 177.602 mph!
- There are no speedometers in the racecars. NASCAR drivers gauge their speed based on the tachometers.
- NASCAR drivers have only one rear-view mirror in their cars. They rely on car spotters, who are members of their crew standing up in the rafters, for a perspective of the whole track. Car spotters communicate with the drivers via radio and tell them when they are about to be passed or when a car is spinning out of control nearby.
- Some cars are noisier than others at NASCAR races. This is because some teams elect to have their exhaust pipes running out of the driver’s side of the vehicle. Other teams run it out of the right side of the car—which sounds a lot louder to the spectators.
Take the Fast Track to NASCAR this year with Maverick Helicopters!!!
Written by Travel Gal, Renee Libutti