I have been wanting to get tickets for the Bristol night race ever since I saw Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte wreck coming to the checkered flag and Terry in victory lane with a car that was wrecked!!! I thought, “Man what a race, what a track!!!”
Well many years have passed since then and I have been able to go to the spring race twice now, where we endured freezing rain, and the infamous snow storm in ‘96. Don’t get me wrong — they were both great times because I was at a GREAT TRACK!!! But I have never made it to the night race.
Well, this year I was talking about racing and how I would give anything short of selling my soul to the devil for tickets to the night race, while sitting on my deck talking to a few of my wife and I’s friends. The next day I got a call from my wife’s friend telling me she had 2 tickets to this years night race for the Nationwide race and the Cup race. I thought I was going to jump out of my skin with excitement!! The price was a little high for my liking but found out it came with a hospitality package, so I was all in.
Well, I got to thinking how I was going to pay for this trip since pretty much all my cash went to the tickets. It so happened that the lady who had the tickets was looking for someone to do some landscaping and to clean her house once a week. I jumped on it because, being in the military, cleaning has become second nature to me. I get paid well to come clean her house and do some landscaping once a week. So all of this money is going to pay for my trip.
Today I was doing some landscaping outside and it was HOT!!! As I was finishing up, she came out to give me my check. I’m standing there drenched in sweat and covered in dirt and she looks at me and says “Is Bristol really worth this much for you to do all of this work for me before you go to work?”
I just laughed and shook my head and said to myself “some people just don’t get it!”
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2.1.4p2/970 Thu Jun 4 02:10:38 UTC 2009
40 Comments
Smoke14Wins
Aug 05 2008 12:16
Congrats
Glad you’re getting to go, hard work does pay off. I’m jealous because I’m going to be on vacation that weekend in TN about 2 hrs away in fact, but not to the race.
smalls1476
Jul 31 2008 09:51
CONGRATS ON SCORING TICKETS!!!
You and I will be in the same boat in about 22 days and counting!!! I scored tickets to the Bristol night race this year too!! I’ll be in wlatrip U row 36…It’ll be my 1st time in “thunder-valley”, but it definitely WON’T BE MY LAST!!!!!!! Hope u have a blast!!!!
die1098
Jul 31 2008 03:28
Efforts depend on what you'r working for
Great story, man.
I think that this story (with different factors) will repeat during this summer for some people of Spain & Europe.
I don’t know if you know that there’s a urban race in the city of Valencia (east coast of Spain) and the tickets are SOOO high (the highest are about 900€
$1300) that some people will have to do things like that to afford the tickets and the trip.48jjsk8er
Jul 30 2008 23:46
Lucky You...and me :)
What a story! I am lucky enough to go to the night race this year for the second time. My aunt knows a guy that has a block of seats so we get nationwide and cup tickets, parking, and a hotel room. VERY expensive, but TOTALLY worth it.
Have fun!
jeffshipe
Jul 30 2008 23:43
Congrats!!
Congrats on getting the tickets to the Night race!! You will have a blast!! Take plenty of money because you will need it!! Take it from someone that has been going there for the last 15 years!! Hotels will charge the crap out of you if you can find somewhere in the same time zone! Parking is not bad if you don’t get into a parking lot somewhere. Park along the road and walk even if its a mile .
I have to say that Bristol is not what it use to be since they changed the track! Tickets are very plentiful for the spring race so you can get them the day of the race for face value. There was even some for last years night race but you had to look for them. The pre-race show is great! If you guys want to go reallllllllllllll bad and don’t have tickets and money is No object , get on ebay!! Just don’t get higher than 50 rows up or you could be behind one of the posts!! Have fun!!
18sam18
Jul 30 2008 21:47
i wish
i wish i could get an oppurtunity like that! since i live in hawaii (a state with not that many NASACR fans) not only would it be practically impossible to get an chance like that but it would also cost a giant sum in airplane tickets.
but when i graduate from highschool and get my nursing degree im so going! there’s no doubt about that. congrats on being a hardworker! you’re so lucky!
amyjojo
Jul 30 2008 20:59
I am so there!
I am so with you! My husband and I will be heading to our 1st Bristol race, a nite race none the less! We have tried for years to get season tickets and finally scored them last year, only to realise my hubby couldn’t get the time off. But this year, we are soooooooo going. I can’t wait. Spending a few days in Charlotte to see the garages before heading to Brisol.
Would love suggestions from veteran fans who have been as to what we need to be sure to do.
amyjojo@yahoo.com
Thanks!
rescue99
Jul 30 2008 20:44
Congrats!
Congratulations on scoring your first night race tickets. The night race is an awesome spectacle that you have to see in person to take it all in. Ive been exceptionally lucky enough that me and my family have had season tickets to both races since 1996 and wouldnt trade my tickets for anything. If you get a chance, take the track walk that goes on around noon, its a cheap way to be able to get down on the track see what everything lokks like plus you get to walk with few drivers and crew chiefs that give thier time to walk with you. Hope you have a great time and this year ill be seeing you guys from the pit area. ROCK ON!
magicmo462
Jul 30 2008 20:10
Right On!!!!
I am teh jealous!!! I would do anything it took as well. I’m a Marine and as always, mission accomplishment comes first. The troop welfare would come once you get to the track and have some cold ones watching the boys duking it out on a half mile of heaven. Have a great time and I hope we can see some pictures, brotha!!!
Onarail
Jul 30 2008 19:32
Right on Mr Bristol!
CUT THAT GRASS,TRIM THOSE HEDGES,BAG THOSE TRIMMINGS,SWEEP THAT FLOOR,WASH THOSE WINDOWS!!!! AND WHEN YOU FINALLY SET YOUR BUTT IN THAT SEAT AT “THUNDER ALLEY” HAVE A DRINK ON ME AND PUT YOUR FEET IN THE AIR, ’CAUSE IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!!! YOU HAVE A TRUE BLOODLINE OF WHAT ALL NASCAR FANS SHOULD HAVE, IF I COULD COME HELP YOU I WOULD,THEN THERE WOULD BE 2 OF US THERE! GREAT BLOG! JOIN MY CREW, YOU HAVE THE HEART OF A WARRIOR AND THE PASSION OF A RACEFAN Onarail