Nobody’s Bridesmaid: California, Here We Come
Nobody’s Bridesmaid: California, Here We Come
Guest Column By Cathy Elliott
Anyone who has ever been an attendant in someone else’s wedding probably has a pretty good idea of how California’s Auto Club Speedway and plenty of other race tracks across the country feel right about now.
The movie “27 Dresses” featured a character, played by Katherine Heigl, who had served as a bridesmaid in the same number of weddings featured in the title. Despite the fact that she owned a closetful of fancy gowns as a result, the film’s premise was that she had somehow fallen short of the mark because none of them were bridal white.
It brought to mind the old joke that the sole purpose of a bridesmaid’s dress is to make the bride look good. Some things can simply seem too daunting to overcome.
Somehow over the years, NASCAR has acquired the habit of running its most famous and glamorous event to begin the Sprint Cup Series season rather than conclude it. This reasoning is brilliant in a lot of ways. Drivers, fans, the media, advertisers, sponsors, take your pick; they all get excited about each new year of racing thanks to the dazzling Daytona 500. You could actually describe it as frenzy.
But then comes that feeling of letdown. When you begin an adventure at the very top, isn’t there only one direction left for you to go?
That is a fair and logical question, which fortunately has a satisfactory answer. That answer is no. Any true and even slightly knowledgeable race fan will tell you that each individual track is the center of its own celebration, sometimes two, and they use every weapon in their arsenals to make sure their event is a big one.
Atlanta has its high speeds, for example, while Darlington promotes racing history and tradition. Talladega always offers nail-chewing drama. Bristol sells itself on … well, just being Bristol. That seems to be enough.
Every race track gets its moment of glory, the chance to be the beautiful, if not always elegant, center of attention, to roar down the aisle trailing smoke and sheet metal, with superstars as attendants and tens of thousands of excited guests cheering her on.
Still, it is never easy being second. Traditionally, race number two on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule has been a bit of a tough sell. Fans don’t just travel to Florida when the Daytona 500 rolls around for a day or two. They set up camp, fire up the grill and stay up late for more like a week or two, and when it’s over, they’re exhilarated, but worn out at the same time.
The idea of turning around and doing it all over again the very next week is exhausting. These days, it’s probably cost-prohibitive, too. Vacations tend to do that to a person.
NASCAR understands this, and in an attempt to compensate, they move their show all the way across the country for the season’s second event. Race fans are everywhere, but it’s a safe bet there aren’t a vast number of them driving across the country to attend the Daytona 500. Ask.com says the trip is 2,475 miles and would take more than 36 hours to complete. One way.
So, since Mohammed can’t come to the mountain, the mountain comes to him.
California ranks high among places in the country that are difficult, if not impossible, to intimidate. It is a place that has literally built its reputation and its fortune on creating tough acts, and then finding a way to follow them.
Other places might have rolled over, changed their nickname to “The Track With the Race After the Daytona 500,” but not Auto Club Speedway. The track has embraced the date, and the challenge it represents. They do their best to take away any reason for any fan to stay at home. They bring movie stars, big-name entertainers and temperate California weather to the table. They take their star and make it shine as brightly as they possibly can. They work hard; they do a good job.
The same can be said for each and every race track on the NASCAR circuit.
So don’t be tempted to feel a bit blue just because you’ve seen the checkered flag wave over the Daytona 500 on February 15. It’s okay to take a nap – you probably need one – but plan to wake up excited.
Here come the brides … and they’re ready to rumble.
