Auto Racing, My Beginning

Auto Racing, The Early Days, My Beginning.

Hi! Thank you for finding your way to my Auto Racing blog! I hope to inspire you and you can find lots of useful information from my experiences living the auto racing lifestyle that you can apply to your life or just find informative and entertaining! The green flag is out, let’s GO!

To begin with my whole family; mom, dad, my two older brothers and I spent every free weekend night supporting our local asphalt circle short track, Colorado National Speedway. This family tradition started when I was as young as I can remember. Mom and Dad would pack all kinds of snacks and goodies, we would pile into the family van and head 40 minutes north to the racetrack in anticipation for the excitement of what the night of intense racing would bring! As usual, Colorado National Speedway wouldn’t disappoint as they and the race teams have always put on a good show for their loyal fans! At this young age is where it all began for me and the rest, I will happily document in future posts here for you to enjoy.

This first post I would like to focus on the roots of where my intense passion for auto racing stemmed from. I am just as much an avid fan today as I was back when I was a kid, there’s no questioning that!

I’m very lucky, thankful and grateful my parents decided to share their joy and love of racing with me when I was boy as I was hooked from the first race event I attended. I remember my excitement as we pulled into the track parking lot and seeing the grandstands adorned with checkered flags flying in the wind, NASCAR spelled out in large letters on the announcer’s box and healthy line of anxious people already waiting in line to get in and get settled for a great night of racing action! While we waited patiently in line to enter the grandstands I could already here the ground pounding sounds of race cars on the track for practice sessions, that amazing sound I fell in love with instantly and would it fuel my auto racing addiction from that moment forward. I couldn’t wait to get inside the venue to pair up a sight to the amazing sounds I was hearing.

Once we were settled in our seats, I finally was able to sit and focus on what exactly was making that unforgettable sound I was hearing while waiting in line. It was love at first sight, a beautiful shaped race car! It was hurling around the track. I couldn’t believe how fast this car was going! I’ve never seen this type of spectacle before and yet another one of my senses that was highly stimulated also hooked me right from the start. I couldn’t take my eyes away from what I was experiencing with this new loud rumbling sound coming from a beautiful curved and definitive straight lined race car.

If I was excited about a few cars hastily making their way around the track, boy was I in for a treat later that night once the Main Events started. A few hours into the race event suddenly many more race cars began slowly entering the track then coming to a stop lining up at the start/finish line. After about 15 race cars were lined up the track announcer requested the audience to please stand, remove our hats and hold our hands to our chest in preparation for the always beautiful National Anthem. Even to this day, auto racing is proud to keep this tradition alive and well. The crowd gave a big cheer afterwards and these famous words were wailed by the announcer and crowd in unison, “Drivers, Start Your Engines!”. These words give me chills to this day. Nothing can perfectly explain how sensory explosive the huge sound of 15 race cars firing up can be. The race cars began to slowly inch their way around the track being sure to stay lined up with one another while I soaked all this in. A few laps later the green flag is flying in the air, and this is when my senses and amazement was lifted to an even higher level! The race cars were full throttle coming to the fresh green flag and I couldn’t believe how loud it was. I could feel the ground shaking under my feet and the vibrations in my chest! As the field of race cars passed by, I then was introduced to another sensory overload that I would also fall in love with instantly, race car exhaust. I get excited on this very day when I catch my first whiff of racing fuel exhaust in the air.

The 50-lap main event was in full swing. Race cars weaving up and down the track surface, back bumpers being rubbed from the car behind, side panels being pushed on around the turns and cars sliding almost out of control. It was a ton to take in and digest, but I loved every intense second of it!

There are so many little experiences at the track that all add up to what makes auto racing such an amazing sport. If you’ve ever been to a race at your local short track I believe you know exactly these experiences firsthand and have fallen in love with it as well.

By the end of the night at Colorado National Speedway I was one tired kid due to the overload of everything I had visually seen, heard and smelt. I couldn’t wait for the next opportunity for my family and I to come back to the track so I could witness this great extravaganza once again!

I will never forget the joy, excitement and adrenaline rush going to these auto racing events brought out in me. For many years from that night forward my family and I would enjoy numerous more exciting wins, losses, crashes and the amazing competition that auto racing brings forth for our enjoyment.

I believe I was around 4-5 years old when we started attending these events. I am almost 40 years old now, so I’d say it’s safe to say I have racing coursing through my veins deep within my blood. If you also are the same there’s never a dull moment while spectating an auto racing event.

If you enjoyed this, please stick around and read my future posts about this topic. I wanted to start at the beginning to serve as an introductory into this vast topic covering all my experiences that contributed to the growth and nourishment of my passion.

Until next time, take care and see you soon!

Cole Turner- Passionary Concepts LLC