NASCAR Etiquette for Newcomers
Before you start your engines, check out my top three quick and dirty tips for how to be a proper NASCAR fan.
Richie Frieman
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NASCAR Etiquette for Newcomers
Before you start to roll your eyes at the mere title of this episode, let’s make one thing clear: there is in fact etiquette when it comes to NASCAR. Sure, when you think of NASCAR you don’t think white gloves and proper table settings, but just knowing which glass is yours does not mean you have a firm grasp on manners. It’s more than that. See, the beauty about following a proper lifestyle is that you can bring manners into any element—regardless of its “image”—and always come out the other end enjoying yourself even more than you imagined.
After all, if you know my background, from wrestling to children’s books to business and art and of course manners, I have taken the skills I’ve gathered over the years to find that being mannerly is a universal way of living … even in NASCAR. So, before you start your engines, check out my top three quick and dirty tips for being a proper NASCAR fan:
Tip #1: Know the Crowd
NASCAR king Jimmie Johnson said, “NASCAR fans are very knowledgeable and very passionate,” when describing his fan base. With that, regardless of if you’re a fan or not, before venturing into the NASCAR community, it’s only proper to understand what you’re getting yourself into. After all, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway holds nearly a quarter of a million people for a good reason—people love this stuff! They didn’t just happen to pass by a venue on the way to the grocery store, and think, “Hmm … let’s see what they have here,” and hope others will be there as well. NASCAR crowds plan all year for these races and because of that are a force to be reckoned with … and not because of the stereotype that it’s all drunken, shirtless cowboys, carrying coolers of Bud Light (check out this article from BleacherReport.com, where I referenced this stereotype). NASCAR crowds are so intense because the sport itself has created an environment to encourage people to simply have an absolute blast the entire time. And being a mannerly person (as you are) regardless of if you like NASCAR or not, you should know the crowd you’re about to go into could be one of the wildest (in a good way) bunch of dedicated fans in sports today.
As I said before, the sport of NASCAR itself is designed to create an intense fan base just by the nature of the event. For starters, it’s always outside, so you have to dress accordingly. It’s not like football, where sometimes it’s a dome and sometimes it’s an open-air stadium. So if you show up to the Richmond International Raceway, a 3/4-mile, D-shaped, asphalt race track in July, wearing jeans and button down shirt, I promise you the Virginia sun will not be kind to your pores. Along with sweating like there’s no tomorrow, you’ll also stand out and not fully be in the in crowd, if you aren’t prepared for the noise. See, when you have dozens of cars racing at over 100 mph, this is not a quiet event. With that, if you roll up to a track and complain about the noise, the crowd will think you’re not only being whiny, but also very rude. That point bothers me the most. Even if you’re new to environment, you can’t assume you know the crowd or understand them if you start to nitpick every detail.
Tip #2: Embrace the Culture
Martin Scorsese once said, “People have to start talking to know more about other cultures and to understand each other.” When I came across this quote, I thought it would be perfect for proving my point about etiquette in NASCAR. I mean, you’re about to enter one of the single largest sporting communities on the planet. After you acknowledge that fact, it’s only right to admit that NASCAR is not only a key player in sports, but that the fans are the reason for it. Like I mentioned above, before you enter any community—sports, business, religion, etc.—it’s only proper (again, regardless of your preconceived ideas) to walk right into the crowd and embrace the culture. Sure, you can be nervous in new settings, but if you ever hope to enjoy yourself and/or find success in a new area, you can’t sit idle and wait for someone to bring you in. Yes, most times it’s easy to make friends after someone invites you in by hand, but when you enter with optimism and a proper mindset of, “When in Rome,” it shows that culture you may be a newbie, but you’re willing to invest your time into their community whole-heartedly.
Mannerly Nation, a true proper individual doesn’t tiptoe into a culture and then sit like a wallflower, rudely checking their Facebook feed. A mannerly person takes every opportunity in a new culture to go head first with an open mind and then make a judgment call when you’re done. But only when you’re done, not midway. Be it the culture of NASCAR, comic book fans, or The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (also referred to as NAPPS—cute, right?), it’s in the proper person’s rule book to embrace said culture without false judgment. So, even if your first NASCAR race is your last NASCAR race, be of the people, make yourself at home, and who knows, you may even like it. If not—and this is key—at least the people around you will know you tried. After all, you never want people to think you treated something (anything for that matter), that they believe to be majorly important, as a waste of time because it didn’t fit your ideas of “fun.” Folks, proper people not only go with the flow, they make sure everyone around them knows they’re perfectly comfortable in other people’s swim lanes … even when in foreign waters.
Tip #3: Go With a Pro
For whatever the situation (sports or business) when you have someone to lean on, everything is easier to handle.
Whenever I got to a networking event, even though I’m totally comfortable going solo, having a friend with you who knows the group already makes everything easier. When a friend is there to guide you, you aren’t as tense, which means your body language changes and, in turn, you have a more productive time. The same philosophy goes for entering a new sporting event where you clearly have no idea what is about to happen, like the world of NASCAR. As I mentioned in Tips 1 and 2, NASCAR fans are a world unto their own, and like a networking event, it can be nerve racking when you don’t know anyone. You can’t follow the rules, the timing of the event, how the pit stops work, etc. So, when it comes to your first NASCAR event, I recommend having a friend show you the grounds—from a seasoned viewpoint.
For whatever the situation (sports or business) when you have someone to lean on, everything is easier to handle. You come off as calm (or calmer), you are more talkative, you laugh louder (and more often), and you have a better time. Not to say that the loners out there can’t enjoy a NASCAR race by themselves—you absolutely can—but when you go with someone who’s been there, you can benefit from their knowledge. The real point of this tip isn’t so much that having a friend “in the know” is the only way you can have fun, but rather that when you follow the proper code of life, you want others to know that even if you’re new, you appreciate their time and their environment. Sure you may not “fit in” like others but you have to try, and you have to make an attempt. That is all that is required. Having someone guide you is a way that allows you to come across in that manner … and that’s what matters most.
As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT, and of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips for a more polite life.
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