US of A

On the 17th of October, I tested a Late Model NASCAR at Dillon Motor Speedway. Dillon is a 4/10 Mile oval located in South Carolina, and was my first taste of America's version of stock car racing.

Late Model NASCAR racing is extremely popular, due to its affordability, and the amount of races that take place over a season. The fields on a Friday and Saturday night have over 20 cars and many of the top level Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series NASCAR driver's race in the category when their schedule permits. This attracts crowds of 5000 or more every week.

The experience was all totally new for me, from the way you sit in the car, to the lines used on the race track. It was also my first time driving on banking, and it took a while to make the most of the increased grip that comes along with it. Having a concrete wall only a few inches away also got my attention!

The test was extremely successful, and I was running some consistent times by the end of the day. I'm hopeful I can work with the team and try and arrange to get back over next year to do some racing.

Thanks especially to Dave Ellis for setting things up, Ron Barfield, Carl, Jason, and LD for making the test run so smoothly, Leon for making the trip over with me.