Probably my last race at Loudon

[normanaj]

So I've been to every September race at Loudon since the track opened and when that race moved to other venues I stopped going,tried going to the July race a couple of times but couldn't deal with the heat.So when it was announced that the July race was moving back to September the wife and I were happy to return not so much for the racing but for the tailgating and hanging out with all the other fans,it was definitely a good time.Unfortunately this is a one and done deal as next years race will be in August so it'll be back to the Summer heat so it looks like last Sunday was our final race at Loudon.

I've got tailgating down to a science but a lot of folks take it to the next level.Wish I had taken photos of all the tailgating as the setups people had are insane and the food is off the charts.

I only took one short video of what ended up being the final restart of the race which unfortunately can't be uploaded as it's format is not supported here.

 

[texomakid]

I can feel your passion for racing & this track in your post. I've been chasing hot rods & race tracks a lot in my past. For many years we had a group of about a dozen who hit Texas Motor Speedway yearly (weather I was off work or not!) Great memories, lost of wild stories, and so much fun. Only thing cooler than a bad ass fast race car (of any kind) is a bunch of 'em!

The heat affects many of us now. My wife probably more than myself but I too just can't hang all day in the heat any more. It's a fact of life.

 

[hoity toit]

I can feel your passion for racing & this track in your post. I've been chasing hot rods & race tracks a lot in my past. For many years we had a group of about a dozen who hit Texas Motor Speedway yearly (weather I was off work or not!) Great memories, lost of wild stories, and so much fun. Only thing cooler than a bad ass fast race car (of any kind) is a bunch of 'em!

The heat affects many of us now. My wife probably more than myself but I too just can't hang all day in the heat any more. It's a fact of life.

i went to Texas Motor Speedway opening day for the Texas 500. I remember a guy got killed on the warm up lap..

 

[texomakid]

i went to Texas Motor Speedway opening day for the Texas 500. I remember a guy got killed on the warm up lap..

TMS opened for its first race in 1997. My dad and ex-brother in law went to the Busch race on Saturday of that weekend (I was at work doing my 28 day hitch in Peru.) They had to walk about 4 miles to get into the track due to all the rain on that North Texas black gumbo. They wound up covering the entire property in gravel to eliminate that issue. No telling what they spent on that. As much as my dad hated that he also wore it like a badge. Mark Martin won that race.

I believe you're referring to the death of Tony Roper in 2000.

 

[normanaj]

I believe you're referring to the death of Tony Roper in 2000.

That happened during the truck race.That's the same year that Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin died at Loudon.

 

[JLinza]

Bummer to be your last one, but it sure sounds like a great time.

 

[Colin1230]

normanaj glad you got one more race in. Going to the track is a great time. Pam and I have been to several races at the Kansas Speedway. They are in town this weekend. The spring race of 24 was probable our last race. The weather and the walking did the wife in, I did fine. But we watch every race on TV, the camera work and commentary are excellent but Jeff Burton can get a little annoying. Kind of like DW was. Anyway, Robert Yates, Jack Roush and Davey Allison were my heroes back in the day. Now we root for RFK and the Penski drivers.

 

[normanaj]

normanaj Anyway, Robert Yates, Jack Roush and Davey Allison were my heroes back in the day. Now we root for RFK and the Penski drivers.

Davey was my first driver and after he passed I was a little lost but then I saw that 24 car in the '92 Atlanta race and never looked back.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I was a regular at the Southern 500 at Darlington. Every year we went to the Labor Day race until the powers that be trimmed the Darlington schedule down to one race and moved it away from Labor Day. Even though it's been back since 2015, they upset me enough that I haven't been back. I was always a Ford fan and Bill Elliott was my favorite driver...

 

[Colin1230]

Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, oh yeah!

 

[normanaj]

I was a regular at the Southern 500 at Darlington.

The Ricky Craven/Kurt Busch finish in the Spring race was the best!

 

[Chasdev]

I got to participate in the AMA Superbike race at Loudon back in 96 as a crewchief and engine builder for "Team Suzuki Sport" tuning bike #50 riden by Mark Black.
Great track, great time!

 

[normanaj]

I got to participate in the AMA Superbike race at Loudon back in 96 as a crewchief and engine builder for "Team Suzuki Sport" tuning bike #50 riden by Mark Black.
Great track, great time!

Was that during Bike Week?

 

[Chasdev]

Not sure all I know a that it was an AMA Superbike round.
We raced the entire Superbike season in 1996.
We competed in the Supersport class but also ran in the Superbike class .
We never challenged the factory guys, but we held our onn.
Finished the year 7th in 750 class points which was respectable considering we were two guys in a van running against much larger and better financed teams.

 

[normanaj]

Probably was during Bike Week as the Loudon Classic was held there now it's just a semi-pro show.

 

[Vlad1054]

So I've been to every September race at Loudon since the track opened and when that race moved to other venues I stopped going,tried going to the July race a couple of times but couldn't deal with the heat.So when it was announced that the July race was moving back to September the wife and I were happy to return not so much for the racing but for the tailgating and hanging out with all the other fans,it was definitely a good time.Unfortunately this is a one and done deal as next years race will be in August so it'll be back to the Summer heat so it looks like last Sunday was our final race at Loudon.

I've got tailgating down to a science but a lot of folks take it to the next level.Wish I had taken photos of all the tailgating as the setups people had are insane and the food is off the charts.

I only took one short video of what ended up being the final restart of the race which unfortunately can't be uploaded as it's format is not supported here.

Cool