A few weeks ago we were presented with an opportunity to purchase tickets for a NASCAR race in Bristol, TN. The tickets belonged to Heather's dad's friend who owns season tickets but was unable to make it for the March race. The only catch was that we had to purchase three tickets. Our original plan was to try to sell the single remaining ticket but Heather's dad eventually cleared his schedule and would join us on the trip.
We were going to leave Thursday evening after work and with that in mind I set off on changing the tires on the Elantra from winter to all-season. I started changing my own tires a couple of years to save money but unfortunately the strategy backfired as I managed to snap one of the studs and it cost me dearly when I picked it up Thursday evening from a local NAPA repair shop. Turns out that I've been screwing the wheels on too tight and a lot of the studs were starting to strip. Guess it's time to invest in a good torque wrench.
Jim was already in Woodstock when I got home from work and he volunteered to pick up Heather and my car while I organized some things at home. With both of them back we set off on the road at 6pm taking the 403 towards Fort Erie. And it's exactly times like these that make me glad we settled on living in Woodstock which is at the intersection of Highways 401 and 403 with easy access to most of southern Ontario.
We made a short stop in St. Catharines for some food. The border crossing was a piece of cake and we didn't make our next stop until Erie, PA where we visited the local Wal-Mart. I held off on getting gas as we had another 60 or so miles left in the tank. Our first gas stop was in Meadville, PA and with the clock approaching 11pm, Jim took over the driving duties. He drove for a couple of hours, then Heather did before I took over again around 3 in the morning.
Overnight driving is not easy but I was determined to spend a few hours at the wheel. A shot of 5-Hour Energy and a healthy dose of Danko Jones was my way of dealing with tiredness. It seemed to work for a while but as the sun was starting to come up, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. At 7am I finally stopped in Wytheville, VA where we got gas and where we ate at the Country Pride restaurant.
Jim did the rest of the driving and we arrived in Bristol around 9:30 Friday morning. Our tickets allowed us to park at the Earhart campground which is literally within steps of the track.
Setting up shop in the shadow of Bristol Motor Speedway
We spent the remaining part of the morning exploring the campground which included shower facilities at a cost of $20 for the entire weekend. In the afternoon we bought tickets for both Sprint Cup and Nationwide practice sessions.
Last minute adjustments during practice
Danica Patrick
After practice we went for lunch to Arby's in Blountville then came back and returned to the track for Sprint Cup qualifying.
Back at the campground our neighbour Steve introduced us to the game of cornhole. We had supper at Applebee's and spent the rest of the evening walking the grounds which was hosting a variety of activities and vendors. The only disadvantage to being very close to the racetrack is that the racing went well into the night.
Jim and Steve during a game of cornhole
Night shot of the BMS
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