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Birds Eye View

There is one thing that I absolutely love to do, and that is being able to take someone somewhere they have never been, to do something they have never done. The excitement I feel to see the look of joy on their face is priceless to me. Many times, it may be something I have never done as well, which makes it that much more memorable. Lucky for us, Sunday was no ordinary day.

We intended to spend an hour taking a tour of the Bristol Motor Speedway because we had some time to kill before my Dad's plane was leaving. Upon making our way to the raceway, we drove halfway around the mile-long track before seeing any sign of action. It wasn't until we found the Bristol Dragway behind the main track that we saw other cars. Not knowing where to go worked out really well in this case because we stumbled onto some good ol' drag races taking place.

Line Up

At no point were we hassled or questioned about being there, people seemed too involved and unconcerned about onlookers who walking around taking photos. We didn't even have to pay an admission! Basically, we walked up, and after the initial bout of jaw-dropping excitement, we made our way to the stands so we could watch the dragsters go head to head.

I squealed with glee every time I heard the tires screech and the motors rev. The smell of rubber permeated the air, and the testosterone, well, let's just say some of that was present, too. The thought of being in a car going that fast completely scares the daylights out of me, but I tell you, it is thrilling to watch.

After watching numerous races, we went looking for the concessions to find something that would quench our thirst. It was hot! And those steel bleachers really reflect the sun in the worst way. Good thing we did wander around because a driver, who saw me taking photos, gave us some valuable information. He told me that to get the best view we needed to climb to the top of the tower. Once we found something to drink, we headed to the top. Although it required a few flights of stairs, it was most definitely worth the extra effort because the overview of Thunder Valley was simply astounding.

Thunder Valley

Our accidental adventure was by far a better way to spend our day.
Besides, it has been quite some time since WW has ventured out! I know that these aren't the normal sights you will find on WW, and I assure you that we will be getting back to nature very soon, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this mini-field trip of Bristol Dragway.

Here is a short clip of Funny Cars going head to head:

30 comments:

  1. The driver was right -- the view from the tower IS cool!!

    When we were in PEI for our honeymoon, we stumbled upon drag races and sat to watch them for a bit. The cars weren't as impressive as these ones, but it was a fun and different way to spend a couple of hours :-)

    Kelly @ DesignTies

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  2. hey! i've been past there! really great photos. looks like tons of fun. :)

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  3. fun!!! I've been to the local speedway but not a major one like this.

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  4. you get the "checkered flag" for these images...i can feel it !
    ...
    elk

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  5. Cool car photos. I have NEVER been to the races, but you're inspiring me!!

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  6. During the time I lived in Mobile, AL I went to Mobile International Speedway several times. There was a drag track nearby but I never visited that. I did enjoy stock cars though.

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  7. Oh my gosh - what a great surprise adventure. I love getting to peak inside a world that is so different from my world. Very cool photo story friday.

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  8. those thngs look so much fun.
    thankyou so much for sharing the experence with us through the photos

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  9. YEY! That looks so fun! Dads love bonding over car things. :D

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  10. This is so cool. My dad would have LOVED to have been there.

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  11. Those are great shots! I love the first one.

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  12. Lucky! Bristol and Martinsville are my favorite tracks of all time. That shot of Thunder Valley looking into the hills really captures the perfect Bristol Motor Speedway feeling.

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  13. what totally cool fun this was...and the best part, like you said, "IT WASN'T PLANNED"

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  14. Hi,
    Great photos at the raceway- feel like I was there! Went to our local raceway last summer (1st time) had fun- but needed the earplugs!

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  15. cool pictures

    Here’s my photo story happy Friday!

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  16. As soon as I said "Oh Bristol Motor Speedway," my 10 year old came running by to have a look. He is such a NASCAR fan and he claims that Tennessee is his favorite state though we have only ever driven through.

    Fun captures!

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  17. looks like a day full of action and great photography!

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  18. That is one awesome adventure! I think the tower shot was worth the flight of stairs...at least for me! :) It is a great pic!

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  19. Tightwad and Golden Boy would be in heaven. HEAVEN!!!!

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  20. That tower view down the tracks is fantastic! It is such fun doing something new = good for you and your guest.

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  21. Oh I love drag racing! I'd LOVE to fly down the strip! The view from the tower is awesome!
    SO glad that you took a gander at the raceway and shared your day!
    My son once took a turn around a desert race "track" in a Baja class 5..... when he was about 4! he wore a Kool-aid smile for weeks!

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  22. Awesome shots. Must have been loud.

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  23. What an amazing place! That was quite an experience.

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  24. "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one"~ C.S. Lewis. One of your photo's is one of the best photo's you have taken.Which one ????? Good work friend.

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  25. Well, I certainly loved this! Great and exciting post. It reminded me of one of my all-time favorite movies: Grand Prix. It used cutting-edge (for 1966) film techniques using blocks of shots, kinda like what you did with the two shots attached. Really cool. :)

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  26. hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....

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  27. i love car races. we used to camp when we were young ouside mosport, wear ear plugs, and watch the fun. later i went to a formula one race with my kids.
    before my photo days.

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  28. Nice photos (and video). Fit for a newsletter or magazine you see on the newstand for sale. Great work...keep it up.

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  29. Ok, I think I just died and went to heaven.

    Love this post !!!

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