How to Express Your NASCAR Fandom

Want to prove you’re a serious

and passionate NASCAR fan? It’s not all that difficult, really. But it is probably going to require more than just watching a race on TV once a month or attending one race a decade.

Yes, to show the world you’re truly sold out to the sport you love, it’s a good idea to go the extra mile – even if it costs you a little money, time and effort along the way.

The truth is, if you’re really devoted to NASCAR and making sure your fandom is on full display, you won’t mind being a little inconvenienced because, well, that’s all part of the fun.

Following are several sure ways to wear your fandom on your sleeve and let everyone in your world know just how devoted you are to the guys and gals who drive fast stock cars and turn left – and sometimes right – for your entertainment.

BY JARED TURNER & AARON BURNS

Collect NASCAR Diecasts

One of the most revealing signs

of a diehard NASCAR fan is often found in the display cases in his or her home. That’s where diecast collectibles – usually dozens and sometimes hundreds, if not thousands, of them – tend to be.

In short, there’s no better or more tangible way to show your allegiance to your favorite driver or the sport in general than by buying 1:64 and 1:24 scale diecasts.

“We’ve always believed the diecast car in our sport is sort of the jersey of the sport,” said Howard Hitchcock, the CEO of Lionel Racing, the Official Diecast of NASCAR. “In traditional stick-and-ball sports, folks collect jerseys or wear jerseys to sort of symbolize their fandom for a particular team or player. In our case, there’s certainly driver uniform-type stuff, but the reality is the car oftentimes is as big of a star as the driver is in terms of the way people sort of connect to the sport. … So, us having authentic replications of the car is a very, very important piece of it.”

The most devoted fans tend to purchase diecast collectibles not only of their favorite driver’s primary paint scheme but of other paint schemes their driver might campaign during a season. With Lionel Racing, fans can even purchase diecasts designed to mirror the exact way their favorite driver’s car looked just moments after winning a race.

Although the larger 1:24 scale cars are more expensive than the smaller 1:64, it’s worth it to purchase the biggest and most realistic version of the car you can possibly find.

Visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Paying a visit to the

NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, is typically a bucket-list item for even the most casual NASCAR fan – much less those who are truly sold out to the sport.

Located in the heart of Charlotte’s “Uptown” area, this head-turning 93,000-square-foot museum serves as the ultimate shrine to the history, heritage and future of NASCAR. With more than 50 interactive fan experiences, which include no fewer than 15 iRacing simulators along with opportunities to simulate pit stops and more, visitors can engage in a true race-day experience from the unique perspective of the drivers and crew members they cheer for on Sunday afternoons.

Of course, the Hall isn’t just a place to play games; it’s a place to carefully study and soak up the history of the sport. One of the best ways to do this is stopping by the Hall of Honor where personally selected artifacts are on display paying tribute to the 55 legends currently enshrined in the Hall.

Another can’t-miss stop here is the High Octane Theater, a 278-seat, stateof-the-art auditorium featuring a roughly 15-minute film designed to serve as an introduction to the history of NASCAR.

Perhaps the Hall’s most popular and well-known attraction is Glory Road, a signature exhibit on the first floor featuring a banked ramp leading to the second floor. The display showcases 18 historic cars and 43 current and historic tracks with two ways for fans to walk up and experience race track banking of 14 and 33 degrees, respectively.

Support NASCAR Partners & Sponsors

“Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” That’s an old adage in NASCAR, which refers to the idea that an automaker – Chev36-race season. Now to the crux of the matter: If you’re a true Chase Elliott fan, why would you consider going rolet, Ford or Toyota – sells more vehicles soon anywhere but NAPA – Elliott’s main primary sponafter one of its cars wins a race. sor – for your auto parts? If you’re a Kyle Busch

Of course, strategically buying the same kind fan, it would serve you well – and solidify your of vehicle that your favorite driver races on fanhood – to go and buy a pack of M&M’s every day Sunday afternoon or, in rare instances, Satur- or at least a couple of times a week. You can make day night is just one of many examples of ways Busch proud and satisfy your sweet tooth at the fans can express their fandom by the things same time. they purchase. In addition to purchasing the product associ-

After all, every NASCAR Cup Series driver has ated with your driver’s primary sponsors, you can a primary sponsor, and these days, most drivers also show love for NASCAR itself by buying from or and teams have several primary sponsors since it shopping at businesses tied to NASCAR’s official has become increasingly difficult in recent times corporate partners, which include but are not for a single sponsor to bear the financial load limited to Coca-Cola, GEICO, Monster Energy, Visa, that comes with being a primary backer for a full Goodyear and Advance Auto Parts.

Name Someone After Your Favorite Driver

Naming someone after a

driver leaves a lasting legacy – and can be a very flattering honor for the subject.

Aaron White, the quality engineer for ECR Engines, collaborated with his wife, Leslie, on a special name for their son: Rex, after Rex White, the 1960 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

“Little Rex” was born on Dec. 15 of last year.

“I’m a huge supporter of not forgetting our history in NASCAR and having the last name ‘White’ presented an opportunity that just couldn’t be missed,” Aaron White said. “We were looking for a simple, easy-to-say but also not an overly common name. (My wife) liked it because it checked the boxes. I liked it because I knew the significance and my dad knows Rex personally.

“I think it’s great that we can tie in our son’s name to not only NASCAR history, but history in general. Roots are important to me and it’s great to remember the people who came before us. I’m looking forward to putting a No. 4 on the side of little Rex’s first Power Wheels car.”

For his part, the original Rex White – now 90 years old – loved it.

“In all my years, I’ve never had anyone named after me,” White, a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, said. “I have to say it is such an honor to have my name passed down to someone else. My hope for little Rex is to always be happy, healthy, find his direction in life and make a lot of money.”

• Little Rex White • NASCAR’s Rex White

MY DRIVERS by Jesse C., Salt Lake City, UT

Follow a Driver in Each NASCAR Series

CUP: William Byron, XFINITY: Austin Cindric, TRUCK: Zane Smith, ARCA: Gracie Trotter

Want to really boost your

bona fides as a NASCAR fan? Support at least one driver in all three major series – the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – as well as the NASCARsanctioned ARCA Menards Series.

Now, doing this is going to take some real time, research and commitment since it can be hard to block out just the 3-4 hours a week required to watch a Cup Series race, much less a race in one of the other series. But if you want to be the quintessential NASCAR fan, you will educate yourself on all four series enough to know who’s who in terms of personalities, driving style and background in the sport.

Of course, picking a favorite driver in four series isn’t as hard as it might seem. Consider, for example, that Joe Gibbs Racing has a heavy presence in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. On top of that, one of JGR’s Cup Series drivers – Kyle Busch – is a preeminent team owner in the Camping World Truck Series. Meanwhile, team owner Joe Gibbs has a grandson, Ty Gibbs, who has competed in the ARCA Menards Series the past two years.

So, if you’re a fan of one of JGR’s Cup drivers, it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and support a JGR Xfinity Series driver, one of Busch’s Camping World Truck Series drivers, and Ty Gibbs in ARCA.

And, if there’s no natural connection among your favorite drivers from one series to the next, that’s OK, too; if anything, it may mean you’re just an even more dedicated NASCAR fan.