Life at the
Madhouse
by Andy
Owen
Along
with many
others, I watched the racing reality show Madhouse on the
History Channel. I was instantly hooked, and each week I
couldn’t wait to see what happened at the oldest operating
NASCAR-sanctioned track, Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem,
N.C. My 15-year-old son, Dale, thought it would be cool to head
to the Madhouse in person, and see what the excitement was
about. July 10 posed the perfect opportunity – a 100-lap
double-point Modified race.
We
arrived at the track several hours before the event and, to our
surprise, there were fans already waiting on long lines at every
entrance. In the distance, you could see the skyscrapers from
the business district of downtown Charlotte. Bowman Gray’s
landscape is adorned with colorful flowers and meticulously cut,
lush green grass. Fans are allowed into the pits during the hours before
practice to meet their favorite drivers – such as Madhouse’s
Tim Brown, Junior Miller, Jason Myers, and Burt Myers. The top
drivers must feel like rock stars as they sign hundreds of
autographs and sell just as many eye-catching racing T-shirts
from their haulers. All the drivers are very approachable and
appreciate the fan support.
We sat
behind the flagstand, where we were in awe looking at the thousands of
race fans that packed the stadium. You can tell whom each fan
cheers for very easily – most wear their favorite driver’s
merchandise.
When the
Modifieds hit the track, the crowd erupts in a roar. Earlier in
the evening, Tim Brown timed quickest, but with a redraw,
Northern invader Ted Christopher drew pole. The green waved, and
Christopher grabbed the early lead. However, the lead would
change several times among several drivers, including Jonathan
Brown, Tim Brown, and Brian Loftin. Jonathan Brown was strong
early on, but eventually wrecked, damaging his left-front wheel.
While the race had a few cautions, it presented an exciting
opportunity with each yellow – double-file restarts, which made
things interesting on a really tight quarter-mile. Christopher,
who had been running in the top-five all night, was involved in
a wreck with The Raging Bull of Bowman Gray, Junior Miller.
After the race, the two attributed blame toward each other and
the occasional insult or two.
After
the dust settled, Tim Brown earned the trip to victory lane. He
was greeted with thunderous applause when he exited his car.
Loftin finished second, impressive considering he started 19th
and Burt Myers finished third. The next morning, the race made
front-page news with the local paper, The Winston-Salem
Journal.
All-in-all, Bowman Gray is an pretty fun and incredible place,
with great track personnel, competitive racing among the
undercard, and phenomenal Modified drivers who aren’t afraid to
show their thoughts and feelings, providing plenty of character
for the Madhouse.
Source: Andy Owen/LongIslandJam.com
Posted: July
14, 2010
