“Redneck” is the term most often used to describe NASCAR fans. So if you have read my columns or met me in person, you would probably be surprised to learn that I am a NASCAR fan.

During middle school, I went through a phase that I admittedly refer to as “desperate.” Everyone popular played on one of the school’s sports teams. To compensate for the fact that I didn’t participate in school athletics, I decided it was necessary to learn the basic rules and teams of every major sport. So when my NASCAR-fanatic aunt and uncle visited my family in 2005 to see the Charlotte races, I began studying the sport and the drivers. 

My aunt and uncle visit semi-annually to watch the October and May races with my dad and me. I’ve been to more than 20 races, so I’m fairly familiar with Charlotte Motor Speedway, but until Saturday, I had never watched a race from the suites, which are above the grandstands on the front stretch. 

My mom’s higher-ups treated her and her co-workers to tickets for the History 300 in the company suite. It was posh. It was nearly free of race car-induced noise. It was everything that I thought NASCAR was not. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the endless servings of free food and the VIP treatment, I somehow missed the gasoline-and-pizza-scented grandstands that I had learned to associate with the speedway.  

Since the tickets were free, most of the people in the suite knew little to nothing about NASCAR. They spent their time socializing, taking pictures and some even tried to play the hostess role. It was as if their attendance was a publicity stunt. They seemed more concerned about how they were perceived than they were about the outcome of the race. 

The experience in the grandstands is quite the opposite. There is no one to impress. In fact, with a pair of earplugs, the buzz of the race cars becomes peaceful white noise. The continuous hustle of the cars is ideal for naps (even NASCAR fans admit that 600-mile races get boring sometimes).  Besides being relaxing, the noise is so loud that it makes it impossible to talk, which is advantageous in that you don’t have to socialize or be conscious about what you say, as you would be in the suites.  

Although I enjoyed being pampered in the luxury suites, true fans of any sport know that part of the experience is being among other fans. In the suites, you are protected from the wind and the sound created by the racing cars and the smell of carnival food. People tend to think that if you spend large sums of money on something, you must love it. In the case of NASCAR, those who spend the money to stay in the suites spend it because they have it, not because they enjoy the sport.