We left Michigan on Friday and drove straight to Charlotte so we could be at the track Saturday for practice and qualifying. Racing was all I thought about, so what a huge deal for me to be able to go to the heart of stockcar racing and be able to attend that event at the speedway.
As we got closer to Charlotte, I started to notice some really cool things that I had never seen before. One thing I distinctively remember was the red clay as we crossed over the North Carolina border. I remember thinking how cool the clay looked in all of the rolling fields. One other thing I thought was really neat was we stopped at a service center somewhere in Carolina that still had an old Pure Gasoline sign out front. Of course this was significant to me because Pure was the original fuel supplier of NASCAR. The company had not existed in many years, but that old sign still stood. Another thing I remember about the trip down was crossing over a bridge on I -77 and reading the sign that said Lake Norman. I thought to myself, well, we have made it.
I will never forget pulling into that race track on Saturday morning and parking across the street from the speedway. I glanced over at the track and the brand new Speedway Club that had just been built in time for the All-Star event in 1987.
Saturday was a full day of practice and qualifying for the races, the All-Star race and the Open. We sat there the entire day until the last car rolled and I had the sun burn to prove it. I guess sun screen was not as important as it is now. I still look back at the pictures of that weekend and laugh at how red my arms were.
Sunday, May 17, 1987 was the big day. The All-Star race was to be run in three segments. Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, and Tim Richmond were a few of the big names who were entered. The All-Star race was Tim Richmond’s first race back after a few months off.
Our seats were perfect, right above the start finish line, maybe 25 rows up. We were able to see all the action. Earnhardt, Geoff Bodine, Elliott and Richmond battled as hard as anybody could for the entire race. Earnhardt’s famous pass in the grass happened right in front of us. I will never forget it. I remember thinking how much car control every one of them showed. It was truly a special event for me.
As the race drew to an end and we had to pack up and head back to Michigan I was so disappointed. I did not want to leave and actually got mad at my dad because he would not stay for the following week’s 600 mile race. Of course he had to get back to work and me to school, but for that weekend I was living the dream.
Today I have the poster from that race framed in my office and it brings back all these memories every time I look at it.
As I head into the track on Friday to spot for Carl and the Aflac Ford Fusion for 2009’s version of the All-Star race, one thing is for sure. I will glance down at the grandstand and remember my first visit to the speedway 22 years ago.
Jason
