Delaware Speedway opened for the season on Saturday. This Friday will be the first night of the year that features the series NASCAR-sanctioned late-model drivers out on the track.
What that means is, all drivers at all NASCAR tracks in North America are competing against each other even if they never race together on the same track. This is the real thing. Many people don’t get how important and competitive it is at this level of racing. Until I became involved with Delaware as Publicist, I certainly didn’t. Saturday was a revelation…and I had lots of help! The Enduro and Chaos car classes ran on Saturday. They’re just as competitive but not as series-wide serious. One day I’ll need to keep up with the racing action as well as take photos, send tweets and do whatever else it is they’re protecting me from right now as I get my feet wet!
Some of the cars in Saturday’s Enduro race were absolutely gorgeous, like the one above, made up to look like Lightning McQueen from the animated movie Cars. Some were absolute pieces of s*** held together with bondo and a prayer! But they all have the same dream – to finish in the money. Enduro stands for endurance. There are some drivers who are happy just to finish – at all.
One driver I’ve gotten to know a little bit is Steve Domingue who sold stick-on daisies for $5 each to help fund-raise for a friend whose Mom had breast cancer and lost her fight just weeks ago. The money went to the Canadian Cancer Society. Steve’s car was easy to spot on the track!
And then you have 14 year old Tyler Yeo in his first ever race. He won the Chaos Car division after only ever driving in a cornfield!
Delaware might not be what you think it is if you’ve never been. It’s clean, it’s fun, it’s got an outdoor beer patio and an indoor VIP lounge that’s as nice as anything around. The officials are totally professional and safety is always the primary concern. I love it!