The Start Of Something Big

MY FIRST TRIP to Daytona was in 2003, and I'm planning to go again this year. The best thing about Speedweeks is all of the daily activities, including autograph sessions with drivers. I always go to the simulators at the Daytona 500 Experience. I race a couple of races, do a track tour and go back to the simulators; that is my daily routine.

Kevin Harvick is the driver I favor, as well as all Richard Childress Racing drivers; I've met some of them in California. The experience was nice—to say hi, shake their hands and wish them luck in the race. It would be nice to meet them in their environment and not in a fan environment.

I once saw Michael Waltrip out having dinner. I told his waitress to give me his bill when he was done. After he finished eating, he came over and told me I did not have to do that but thanks for picking up the tab. Before I knew it, he had his Sharpie out and autographed the shirt I was wearing. It so happened to be the one I bought the year before in Daytona when Waltrip won the race. The shirt has been saved with my NASCAR collection of die-cast cars and memorabilia.
Steve Benoit, La Habra Heights, Calif.

I'M ORIGINALLY from Indiana and worked at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when I was younger. This year will be my first trip to Daytona. I'll be attending with my twin grandsons, Jackson and Chandler. We celebrated their fourth birthdays at the Brickyard 400 last year and couldn't pass up the chance to help commemorate Daytona's 50th.

Tony Stewart is my favorite driver. I'm a school principal in Utah now, but I once taught at the same high school in Indiana as Tony's father, Nelson. I've followed Tony's career from when he was driving in the IRL series.

When we get to Daytona, I can just imagine my grandsons' going, Wow! And I think I'll be just like them.
Warren Shenk
Springville, Utah

I STARTED coming to Daytona in the late '80s, and the most remarkable thing is the number of women who come to the races. I think the number of women has tripled since then, which makes me very excited. I've been to the Daytona 500 10 times—four as a spectator and six times as a timing and scoring official.

The wackiest thing I've seen at a race was when Sterling Marlin got out of his car to fix it when the race was red-flagged [in 2002]. He was on the backstretch where there's a blind spot, so maybe he thought no one could see, but the TV cameras caught him. I don't blame him for trying!

As an official, I sit in race control, which is right above the start-finish line. I don't think it gets any better than that for location. But as a spectator, I don't think there's a bad seat at the track, because you're not just seeing a race, you're part of an experience. At the beginning of the season there are so many expectations, and everyone's hopes are so high.
Debbie Norman, Charlotte

WHEN I WAS seven or eight, I went to Daytona for the first time. It was 1963. That was the cat's meow superspeedway back then; it was the biggest track I'd ever seen. Since then, I've been to about 10 500s. One year my dad and I camped out and watched the race from the infield. As soon as the race was over, we went onto the track. My dad was talking to Tiny Lund. I had noticed his car had been running loose, so I said, "Mr. Tiny, your back end was really shaking through the turns." He patted me on the head and said, "Darlin', more than my back end was shakin'." I was so embarrassed because everybody laughed.