Our cell phone didn�t work in the hills until we were practically in Bristol, which is on the Virginia border. At that point we were able to contact E.T. and Koz, who had arrived the night before and had a campground set up which we would share. We stopped on the hiway, on a hill, between two big silos. To our left was the Bristol Motor Speedway, on the right, hundreds of white campers set amongst the hills and pasture. We called Koz again and he directed our eyes to where he and E.T. were camped. We could barely make out their arms waving at us.

We had gotten there in time to go to qualifying, however this was not to be. Brian and I got busy unloading my car, setting up my tent and gathering kindling, while E.T. and Koz left to find some firewood and Kentucky bourbon. They were gone a long time. They said they had to go to Virginia for the bottle of George Dickel and Maker�s Mark. They�d also found some split hardwood. A carton of Marlboro's were only $20! They're $31 in Indy.

Our campsite was idea, we were surrounded by a deep creek and a hill. While most every other campsite was packed on top of each other, we had a relatively secluded spot. The large camp ground was called Farmer Bob�s. He runs cattle in this large area except twice a year during the Winston Cup races. So watch out for the patties. At $100+ per site, he must make a lot of money. I heard a rumor that the IRS took some aerial photos in the past and charged him more taxes. There was a helicopter that was mysteriously circling above us when we first arrived, as if they were surveying us.

These guys must love their TV.

I was pretty tired once I reached Bristol, but I woke up soon enough after getting out of the car. I would find that I was so wound up, that I could hardly sleep. Once again, I barely got any sleep that night. The campground night was lively as we sat jamming around our campfire. Trucks with lights and flags and filled with people were driving around. Lots of campers brought their ATV�s with them. A large tent was setup with a mechanical bull, which attracted a large crowd. Bathroom facilities consisted of some porta-lets. The vast majority of campers had fancy mobile homes, so they had their own facilities. Some very cheap showers were setup in a horse barn. The lines for these were huge on Saturday morning. Only Kevin opted for this route and he was gone for hours.

We finally trekked toward the track on Saturday afternoon to watch the Busch Race. While we had tickets for great seats, we spent the whole race down on the front row by the start/finish line. You can get so close to the cars here that it is amazing. Dust and rubber flies in your face as the cars scream by five feet away from you! Awesome!

We found every thing in Tennessee very laid back and nice. No hassles from anyone including the police. This large group of people were good people and I didn�t encounter any out of control fools. The prices at the Citgo were fair and they were well stocked with everything we would need.

After the rough winter we�d had, we were happy with the sunny weather. I got a bit of a sun burn on Saturday. The temperature on Friday night made a campfire satisfying. The temperature would drop even further Saturday night until it was in the 40�s. About 1 a.m. Brian and I went to the shower barn. There was still a line! Albeit, a small one. I was afraid there would be only ice cold water, but it was warm. Yea! (They had 4 shower stalls for men and 4 for women.)

There is a drag strip across from the speedway.

When we awoke, Brian and I got busy and tore down the camp and packed the car. At 9:15, Kevin led me in his truck to a spot where I could park my car and get on the highway quick after the race. While they were going to stay another night and head back to Detroit on Monday, Brian and I both figured to be at work on Monday morning.

Brian and I

Kevin had brought burgers and chicken wings and his famous �Smoker� grill. He kept us full on these all weekend. And they tasted great! I learned there�s nothing like having a good cook in your camp!!

To get to the track, we had to walk to the edge of the campgrounds, then climb a steep hill to get to the road. The speedway was just across that road. Once again we went to the front row for the start of the Winston Cup race. The first few rows are empty of ticket holders. There was plenty of room for us there. The drivers all had a parade lap in the back of pickup trucks. There was lots of patriotic music as there had been the day before. The U.S. had finally declared war on Iraq just a few days ago. There were prayers and flyovers. The race got started and we spent the first 150 laps down there in front.

As usual, there were lots of carnage. As the race ran on, cars had tire smudges on their sides and several people had some crunches. Some cars even lost their entire doghouse! Yet, they would continue on.

Our seats were in Sect C, row 51 of the Pearson Stands. When I first got to my seats, the new far away perspective on the race made it seem like it was running under yellow (caution) after having experiencing the cars up close and personal. I could follow the entire race from that point by just moving my eyes and not my head. Knowing that I had a big drive ahead of me that evening, I just drank bottled water during the race. It would be more fun to attend the Saturday night race in the Summer and be able to drive home at your leisure on Sunday.

There are pits along both straight-aways.

Everything went near perfect this weekend. After Kurt Busch won Bristol (for the second time) , we headed out toward my car. It was parked about a mile away. We were able to quickly get out and get on the highway. We took a different route out � through Tennessee. I cruised 85 all the way back home and it still took 8 hours and I didn�t get home until after 1 a.m.. No speeding tickets luckily.

Below is a picture that I made by stitching several photos together. Bristol sure is a cool track!!. Their motto is �How Racing Outta Be!� and it�s the truth.