Though probably unaware of it, the drivers, owners and crew
\nchiefs in all three divisions of NASCAR are part of on going public service
\nproject. Aside from the automotive improvements born of the fender to fender lap
\nafter lap competition, these gladiators lead by example as well. NASCAR has made
\nour roads safer yet as we who emulate our heroes beyond the race tracks are
\nbetter drivers than the others who don\u2019t live and breathe the motorsport.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s most likely a subliminal thing. Most don\u2019t even
\nrealize they do it, but after one is submerged in the culture, and after
\nobserving tens of thousands of hot laps, one can\u2019t help but apply the skills
\nthey observe into every day real life on the short tracks and superspeedways
\nknown as America\u2019s roads. Let\u2019s go for a ride to work behind the wheel of a
\ntypical NASCAR enthusiast.<\/p>\n
Just like Jeff Burton, it starts in the garage paddock. The
\nwindow of the car was left open on the driver\u2019s side the night before not
\nbecause the drive home featured nice weather the day before. This allows the
\nwould be paint trader to enter the car in the \u201cproper\u201d manner-through the
\nwindow, and if very limber as Dale Earnhardt, left foot last.<\/p>\n
The driver straps in as the lap and shoulder belt transforms
\nin the mind into a seven point harness anchored to a roll cage. The voice of the
\nimaginary crew chief comes across the radio. \u201cLet\u2019s light it up! It\u2019s a
\ngood car. Have a safe race!\u201d The engine comes to life, the gauges percolate on
\nthe dash. Oil and water pressure are optimized. Transmission engaged as we head
\nout for the warm up laps.<\/p>\n
The side streets en route to the interstate morph into
\ncaution laps. Yes, your are on stock treaded radial tires, but this doesn\u2019t
\nstop you from weaving back and forth to scrub them clean and put heat into them.
\nIt is then you drop down on to pit road one last time to get that speed. \u201c4500
\nin second gear…\u201d<\/p>\n
As you wait in line on the metered entrance ramp, this
\nbecomes the final warm up. Two numbers on the plate on the car in line ahead of
\nyou catch your eye. \u201cFollow the 31 in the high line \u2018til the field is up to
\nspeed.\u201d One by one, the cars pass the metering lamp. Finally, it\u2019s your
\nturn. Staring intently, you anticipate its turn from red to green, and then it
\nhappens. \u201cGreen! Green! Gogogogo!\u201d<\/p>\n
You blend into the turnpike and slide up the track and hook
\nup in a five car draft. Coming up to speed, the need to pass emerges. Check the
\nmirror. There\u2019s a car on your left rear. You wait, impatiently. \u201cStill
\nthere, still there…and…clear clear!\u201d You slip into the preferred groove
\nwith the faster cars.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrouble in one! Stay low!\u201d You feather the gas at the
\nsight of the highway patrol. Looks like someone\u2019s getting a stop and go
\npenalty…<\/p>\n
You drive this route to work every day. A long sweeping ramp,
\nhighway to highway looms ahead. It\u2019s your favorite with its wide lane and
\nslight banking. In yesterday\u2019 \u201cpractice\u201d you were tight in and loose off.
\nYou are now running out in the clean air, clear all around, approaching this
\nturn. \u201cLet\u2019s have you drive in low, exit high, that\u2019ll work with this
\nsetup.\u201d Sure enough, you didn\u2019t need that track bar adjustment after all.
\nThe two pounds in the right rear and the different line did the trick.<\/p>\n
Your final exit from the interstate is sadly ahead. The gas
\ngauge says less than a quarter tank, (fuel pressure is dropping), and you
\nrealize that in your haste to leave, the lunch box didn\u2019t come with you. \u201cLet\u2019s
\npit this time by, two cans of fuel and a round of bite.\u201d As you slide off the
\nfreeway and up the exit ramp, that little imaginary spotter says one last time,
\n\u201cand watch your speed! Hit the box. Let\u2019s have a clean stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
So don\u2019t deny it. You\u2019ve done this in your head more
\ntimes than you care to admit. It really does make you a better driver because
\nthis little fantasy racing league of your own focuses your attention on your
\ndriving. At least you\u2019ll be running circles around the clown in his mini van,
\ncell phone glued to his ear talking about the ball game, while juggling his
\ncappuccino. Go ahead, let him tag the wall. You\u2019ll be going green next time
\nby…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Though probably unaware of it, the drivers, owners and crew chiefs in all three divisions of NASCAR are part of on going public service project. Aside from the automotive improvements born of the fender to fender lap after lap competition, these gladiators lead by example as well. NASCAR has made our roads safer yet as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-original-archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racindeals.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}