RaceBud

There’s an air of excitement at RaceBud’s home track these days. We are busy taking inventory of race shirts to pack, crossing items off the shopping list, brewing a pot of racetrack stew and charging the scanners. And we’re keeping a watchful eye on the north Texas weather forecast, which is looking to be exceptional.

It’s time to load the pickup truck and head off to the fall races at the Texas Motor Speedway. The Turn 3 Race Team is about to meet at the track!

I spent a little time reflecting on what makes the races such an important thing to us. It proved to be so much more than fast cars making left turns. 

1. Spending time with old friends. Some of the folks we get to share track time with have been friends for some 40 years. Others for a much shorter time. But it’s good to see all of them, telling the stories and sharing meals.
2. Meeting new friends. It always happens that a new character joins the fray one way or another. And we’re glad for the chance to meet someone new.
3. Good food – and lots of it! Nick – the moho-drivin-mofo-in-charge of transportation – usually heads up the burning of some red meat, Barbie does Italian, Deanna does whatever Deanna does – and it’s always good, and the RaceBud breakfast has become a tradition. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
4. Camping in the infield. The Turn 3 Race Team’s palatial campsite just can’t be beat. While we can’t really claim the infield is better than the outfield, our neighbors who have stayed in both places sure know where they want to stay. Talladega has the reputation for the wildest infield – but TMS must be a close second, it certainly has its moments and tends to run late into the night.
5. Stories – new, old and reruns. The storytelling at the Turn 3 palatial campsite has, very possibly, not always been totally true, but we believe it all anyway. The stories are as varied as the tellers. And we always appreciate and enjoy the retelling of a good one.
6. Walks around the track and infield. If you’ve never been there, words would never convince you of some of the things people bring to the track to sleep in. Luxury motor coaches, converted school buses, campers of every sort and some very, very strange varieties thereof. A double-decker English bus conversion has scored high as one of the most unusual. And what race fans will do to draw attention to themselves! Margarita machines, swimming pools and hot tubs, three story scaffolds for viewing, and on and on…
7. Photos – garage, pits, stands, and from the top of the motor home. We love taking them and hope to have some good ones to post on this site. Check the photos page for regular updates.
8. Shopping the trailers and tents. The November race at TMS is where the deals are. All the merchandise that Silly Season made obsolete will be marked down to nearly nada. How I love a $3 t-shirt!
9. Autographs. With plenty of good luck, somebody on the Race Team will run into a driver or other personality and get an autograph or two. We try to be ready with an ever-present Sharpie and something to sign.
10. The sounds and smells. While there are plenty of visuals at the track, there are some pretty good smells, too. Like food – and tire rubber – some fuel. And we love the sounds that vary from talk to the roar of engines and static of the scanner.
11. Racing! Let’s don’t forget the racing. We’ll be treated to a Friday night truck race, a Saturday afternoon Busch race and Sunday afternoon/evening Cup race. It’s the racing that gets us all together to enjoy all those other things. And I’m really glad for it.

 It’s about time to head north. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by for a cold one. If not, check back soon for an update on what the Turn 3 Race Team has been up to.

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