5 minute read
Fishing and NASCAR
About a year ago I received a random message via Facebook from a Local Knowledge fan named David. David told me he was a fishing nut and a huge fan of the show and wanted to find some way we could work together with his NASCAR team, Starcom Racing.
After a bunch of emails and couple of phone calls we hammered out plan to film a Local Knowledge episode around the NASCAR Monster Cup Championship weekend at the Homestead Miami Speedway. Let me preface this by saying, prior to this event I knew nothing about NASCAR and honestly had little interest. I have a few friends that are NASCAR junkies and they always told me “you have to go to a race to understand.”
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Boy were they right…
The first step in our plan was to come up with a custom wrap for the race car that was eye-catching and one of a kind. A quick call with our Director of Graphic Design, Derek Redwine, and he was off and running. Derek loves a new challenge and man, he knocked this one out of the park! Within a few days the concept for the Local Knowledge 00 Mahi race car was born.
Dave and the Starcom team were awesome to work with and encouraged us to bring our family and Local Knowledge sponsors to the race. This led to a list of thirty VIPs, mostly NASCAR virgins, convening in Miami in mid-November for the big race. We had our close family on hand along with our friends from SeaVee boats, Evinrude, SeaDek, Yeti and Casa Vieja.
Rush and I arrived on Thursday, a day early, so we could fish the annual Hot Rods and Reels Charity Tournament hosted by drag racing legend Darrell Gwynn. This is a great event that pairs up local guides with NASCAR drivers and anglers who donate for the opportunity to fish with them.
As soon are we heard about the tourney, we knew we needed help if we were going to compete. A couple quick calls and we had our ringer! Bass angler and fellow Evinrude Pro Scott Martin jumped at the chance. Suddenly we went from bass zeros, to heroes!
Scott was a great host and just a normal dude that loves to have a good time. The tourney was for fun and only a couple of hours long, but despite not catching a full bag, we were able to catch the biggest bass of the tournament. We had a blast and we look forward to sharing the event with our audience when it shows on Local Knowledge during Season 4 this spring.
The next day was the Xfinity and Truck series Championship. We came to the track to get our credentials, watch a little racing and get prepped for the big race on Sunday. David and his crew gave us the tour of the pits, track and hospitality areas.
If you’ve never been to a NASCAR event before, be ready to be blown away. This is racing at its highest level and there are big bucks supporting it. Everything is first class from the cars, and the race haulers to the VIP hospitality. We were completely floored.
Then we got our first look at the actual race car featuring our wrap. It was AMAZING to see it in person. It was so cool to see the NASCAR fans checking out the car and taking pictures with it. I gotta say, I’ve never been prouder of what our Local Knowledge team has managed to build in just three short years.
We met the Starcom team owner Matt Kohler and our driver Landon Cassil. Both guys were very down to earth and super cool. I have to say we got the same treatment from everyone we met at the race track. NASCAR is a big business, but at the same time, it’s run by a bunch of normal people that just love racing, much like our fishing industry. Everyone we met was quick with a smile and a handshake and was stoked to show us their part in the racing program.
The one thing that really blew our minds was the access we enjoyed. With the credentials we had, we could go literally anywhere. We could walk right up to all the cars, we hung out in pit row, we were able to check out the war room in the race trailer and on and on.
The other part of the NASCAR experience you really can’t put into words is the SOUND. With just a couple cars going around the track it was deafening! I could only imagine what race day would be like.
When we arrived back at the track on Sunday morning, you could feel the energy in the air. Fans were pouring in by the thousands. Race teams were running laps and making final tweaks. Team owners and VIPS were landing at the track in a nonstop stream of Bel Ranger helicopters. It felt like being at the Super Bowl.
As our family and sponsors started to trickle in, we took turns checking out the pits, the “Camp” (a 50’ motor home and hospitality area) and taking in all the sights.
Once the race was about to start, we all shuffled over to the actual track and watched the national anthem with all the drivers and their cars. The entire event was so patriotic it was hard to believe. With the Star- Spangled Banner playing, jets flying overhead, and the pace car towing a 200’ long American flag around the track, it was just an amazing experience.
Just before the race began, we were escorted to the “Pit Box”. The Pit Box is a GIANT tool box that transforms its top half into a mini bleacher set up. This allows you to watch the race right from the pit wall!
The race was like nothing I’ve experienced before. It’s not hard to figure out where they got the name “Days of Thunder”. Loud and fast are about the only way to describe being there in person. The speed is really hard to get your head around. The cars are pushing 200 mph and they scream by you in a flash!
After just a couple hours the race was near the end. Our car, the 00, was able to climb a few spots but unfortunately finished in the middle of the pack. Win or no win, it was an amazing experience and I can speak for our whole team when I say we are ALL NASCAR fans now.
Be sure to check out Season 4 of Local Knowledge this spring on Discovery Channel. We will have the complete NASCAR episode where we take the team owner Matt and driver Landon out fishing in the Keys. Sure, they are fast, but can they catch fish?
