26 Reasons to Rally 'Round the TMS Track Next Weekend

26 Reasons to Rally 'Round the TMS Track Next Weekend

Oct. 28--Some people say that the country's love affair with NASCAR is ebbing. And with 38 races over a 10-month season -- two at Texas Motor Speedway -- and saturation TV coverage, you could see how stock-car racing might be suffering from overexposure.

Add a recession, higher unemployment, high gas prices and severe belt-tightening, and it's not surprising that NASCAR, like different sports leagues, has taken a hit this year.

But that doesn't mean that NASCAR is just a passing-lane fancy.

Next weekend, NASCAR returns to Fort Worth for its second annual date at TMS: The Dickies 500 (1:30 p.m. Nov. 8). More important, it's the third-to-last race of the season in the Chase for the Championship, the Sprint Cup Series"playoffs" to determine the champion for 2009.

So, maybe you should consider revising your plans and taking the family to TMS to soak in the atmosphere and a little of great racing. We'll give you an A-to-Z account of why NASCAR is worth the price of admission.

AAffordable. No major sporting event is cheap, but NASCAR seems to understand the economic plight of its audience. The cheapest ticket for Sunday's race is $20. The highest is $135. And prices at all concessions at TMS have been rolled back, on everything from soft drinks to T-shirts.

BBYOB. Fans can bring their own beer, as long as it's not in a glass bottle. Coolers are allowed at TMS, provided they are no bigger than 14-by-14-by-14.

CChase for the Championship. Even the traditionalists who loathed the concept now fully embrace the sport's answer to a playoff. Since its inception in 2004, the Chase has created more suspense in the final 10 races of the season.

DDale Earnhardt and Dale Jr. Dad, who died in a crash at Daytona in 2001, was well-known as the Intimidator; despite a fast start and huge fan appeal, Junior is struggling to follow in his father's footsteps.

EEntertainment. A NASCAR race weekend is usually loaded. For instance, next week there is qualifying for a Truck Series race on Thursday night and Sprint Cup qualifying on Friday, as well as the truck race itself. The Nationwide Series race is Saturday, and the Sprint Cup"Chase" race is Sunday.

FFord (and Chevrolet and Dodge). American automakers still thrive on the stock-car circuit, although Toyota has made huge inroads for engine supremacy. Chevy cars have won the most races this season.

GGarage. This is where drivers and crews prepare their cars, tinkering and adjusting and tinkering some more. Provided a fan gets the right pass (which isn't too hard), you can walk through the garage for an intimate look at the behind-the-scenes life of NASCAR.

HHorsepower. Sprint Cup cars have 850 horsepower. The feeling and sound generated by a field of 43 cars driving at 190 mph can give even a casual observer a rush.

IIdioms. The sport's expansion to the North and West has watered down its Southern roots, but a drawl and good-ol'-boy idioms are music to the ears in stock-car racing.

JJimmie Johnson. Not the former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Cowboys, but the driver who dominates. He has won three consecutive NASCAR championships and leads the Chase by 118 points over senior citizen Mark Martin for a fourth title in a row.

KKurt and Kyle Busch. NASCAR's bad news brothers are not exclusively great drivers but controversy magnets, whether it's interaction with opposing drivers or tactics on the course. They've just about made Tony Stewart one of the good guys.

LLapped. This is the only sport where the cars lagging behind can get in the way and impede the leaders.

MMoonshine. During Prohibition,"moonrunners" souped up their cars to run moonshine through the hills of North Carolina and Tennessee to stay away the law. When Prohibition ended, owners started racing their souped-up stock cars.

NNicknames. Admittedly, most of the colorful ones are from the past -- the Intimidator, King Richard, Million Dollar Bill, the Skoal Bandit, Super G, Gentleman Ned, and Texas Terry. Nowadays, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is known as either Little E or Junior, Carl Edwards is Cousin Carl, and Kyle Busch is Shrub.

OOutdoors. With the advent of retractable roofs and domed stadiums, an increasing number of sports are played indoors. See Cowboys Stadium. NASCAR runs outside.

PParking. At Texas Motor Speedway, parking is free. When was the last time you attended a major event and didn't pay for parking?

QQuotes. NASCAR drivers have a flair for saying things a little differently. For example, Dale Earnhardt said,"You win some; you lose some; you wreck some." And,"I'm gonna hit'em. It's their choice to wreck it or save it."

RRubbin'. An honored NASCAR term where two cars will"rub" against each other-- leave tire marks or damage on the side of the car -- yet keep racing. Remember, rubbin' is racin'.

SScanners. Fans can buy or rent radio scanner devices that allow them to listen to driver-pit crew conversations during the race as well as watch replays. It's like listening to a football coach interact with his quarterback or assistant coaches on their headsets.

TTailgating. Football receives a lot of the credit for big-time tailgating, but at NASCAR events, you do not tailgate for a couple of hours heading up to a race. You tailgate for a couple of days.

UUndersteer. It means the tires are not getting enough traction to respond to the driver's steering. This is just another example of the extensive NASCAR language, which includes phrases such as"too loose,""restrictor plate,""push,""swapping paint" and"double-file restart."

VViewing. Because races last for roughly three hours, a NASCAR race on TV is the ideal sport to watch while you get things done around the house. You don't have to watch every single second to enjoy a race.

WWrecks. No one wants to see an injury or fatality, but like rubberneckers on a highway, few can resist the allure of a massive pileup or a car rolling several times as traffic dodges it.

XThe black-and-white"X" flag is one of the eight indicator flags during a race. The rarely used flag means the driver is no longer being scored because he failed to pit after being shown a black flag.

YYellow. Proceed with caution. You don't have to be a gearhead to know that this means slow down down. On a track, yellow means there is a wreck and to let off the gas.

ZZZ Top. The iconic Texas rockers will play for nearly an hour before the start of the Sprint Cup race at TMS.