I took a chance and tried my hand at the Richmond Cup race. It was a bit of a whim, really. I saw the advertisement for the “Cook Out 400” and thought, “Why not?” So I signed up. No fancy title or anything, just me throwing my hat into the ring.
I showed up on Sunday, April 2nd, ready to see what this whole racing thing was about. The race was at Richmond Raceway, and it started at 3:30 p.m. ET. To be honest, I didn’t know much about the NASCAR Cup Series, but I was eager to learn. There were some big names there, like Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano. The purse was a hefty $7,529, which was way out of my league, but hey, a guy can dream, right?
I didn’t have a fancy car or a pit crew. It was just me and my regular ride. I lined up with the other cars, feeling a bit out of place but excited nonetheless. The green flag dropped, and we were off! The cars zoomed around the track, and I did my best to keep up. Of course, I wasn’t anywhere near the front. Those guys were professionals. But I held my own, navigating the turns and trying not to crash.
- I watched as Chris Buescher held off Denny Hamlin to win the race. That was pretty cool to see.
- I learned that Austin Dillon claimed a victory, but it wouldn’t count toward the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
- I also found out that he got docked 25 points. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions!
The race ended, and I didn’t win, obviously. But I didn’t come in last either! I managed to finish the race, which was an accomplishment in itself. I didn’t get any prize money, but I gained a whole lot of respect for those NASCAR drivers. It’s a lot harder than it looks!
Overall, it was a fun experience. I got to participate in a real race, saw some amazing driving, and learned a thing or two about NASCAR. Would I do it again? Probably not. But it’s a story I can tell, and that’s worth something, right?
After this, I went home and watched the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, that Ty Majeski won the Clean Harbors 250 and took the lead on a restart with eight laps remaining.
It’s really a great day, I had a lot of fun and made me feel excited. Maybe I am not suitable for racing, but at least I tried and gained a lot.
