Car Racing: a High-Octane Alternative for the Fourth of July
You too can hop behind the wheel of a very fast car. No, you cannot drive it. (Photo: The Open Suitcase LLC)
Guess who knows how to rock the Fourth of July? The Rolling Stones. They’re performing on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of Memorial Day’s legendary Indy 500. If you’ve had your fill of hot dogs, parades, fireworks, and other traditional Independence Day celebrations, get your motor running and check out the events at a racing track near you.
I developed a bit of an obsession with road races after watching Ron Howard’s film Rush, the story of the on- and off-track rivalry between Formula One drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. The film led me to believe that anything can happen at a car race; there’s excitement, and alcohol and sex and alcohol, and possible incendiary spectacle and alcohol. Sounds like a good ol’ Fourth of July to me.
Racing in the red, white, and blue! (Photo: The Open Suitcase LLC)
A world of options exist in the car racing world, with each track featuring different events that I will not live long enough to figure out. I don’t really care if it’s IndyCar or NASCAR or a drag race. Give me a track with cars going by very fast and you’ve got a party. To locate a racing event near you this weekend, check out RacingIn for a state-by-state directory of tracks. Now you’ll have a bit of work to do. Locate some tracks within a comfortable driving distance and check out their event calendar.
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I left my checkered-flag dress at home that day. (Photo: The Open Suitcase LLC)
Last year we headed out to the Poconos Raceway and spent the day drinking, eating, and checking out the outfits on both the drivers and spectators. I really liked one of the preliminary events that featured vintage race cars driven by old rich men. Spring for pit passes, if they’re an option. You walk through a tunnel under the track and pop up where all the mechanics are changing tires. Outside the track we saw, the concession area featured all kinds of excellent carnival-type cuisine and booze. We watched the race from the grandstand and stood out mightily because we weren’t wearing big-ass headphones, marking us as newbies.
Related: 10 Places to See Fourth of July Fireworks
Let Martha Stewart have her gingham tablecloths, watermelon, and sparklers. Put a different spin on your Fourth this year.
Some Fourth of July celebrations scheduled at U.S. racetracks:
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.: Subway Firecracker 250 features NASCAR XFINITY series regulars in a 100-lap race. That’s plenty of time to figure out what a NASCAR XFINITY series regular is.
Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, N.Y.: SCCA Majors Super Tour. This event features sport cars and runs July 3-5.
The Capitol Speedway, Willow, Ark: The 4th of July races include mud bogs. I decided not to look it up. Some things are better left to the imagination.
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