Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85965
CHANGING LANES Crazy Woman Driver By Kay Bell Taking time for track visits Where do NASCAR fans go on vacation? To a race! Here are three tracks dedicated gearheads must visit at least once. Any trip to a race is a good thing. Even better is a trip to a great race track. NASCAR and its track owners have tried to homogenize their venues, in large part because all those D-ovals are more attractive to more types of racing and offer more seats to sell. However, there are a few distinctive tracks that true NASCAR fans should visit at least once. OK, let's get this out of the way from the get-go. Everybody wants to see Daytona, Talladega and Indianapolis, so those aren't even under consideration here. Of the remaining tracks, I have three favorites. I didn't take into account ancillary amenities such as famous food. Sorry, Martinsville hot 10 dog fans. Neither did I consider non- racing attractions, such as the tent city outside Texas Motor Speedway or the interactive racing and shopping experiences at Richmond. Instead, I chose three tracks that are as important to race outcomes as are the drivers, pit crews and vehicles. They are must-visits for race purists, the fans who want to experience the tracks that offer the Let's start with the bullring that is Bristol Motor Speedway. Billed as the world's fastest half-mile, it's almost as famous for the noise it generates in Thunder Valley, especially in the late-summer night race. Some complain that the 2007 resurfacing smoothed the track JUNE 2012 // WWW.CHANGINGLANESDIGITAL.COM