By: Lisa DeSpain

As big a fan as I am, and I never miss a race, last November the unthinkable happened. I was burned out and ready for the season to be over. I was sick and tired of NASCAR, and ready for it to be done. I haven’t been a fan very long, relatively speaking. It was only about 5 or 6 years ago that I discovered, and began to appreciate, the drama and pageantry that is this wonderful sport we all know and love. Ever since my first race at Talladega, when I fell deeply in love with the noise of those engines, I’ve been die-hard, down to the bitter end, watching every second of every race right up to Homestead, whether my guy was in the hunt for the Cup or not. I never thought I would ever be fed up with the whole thing, and ready to get my Sundays back.

This past year, by the beginning of November, it was…whatever. Team 48 made history…the JJ show went on to Vegas…whatever. To me, that part was not so unthinkable once I got used to the idea. After all, Smoke can’t win the Championship every year, although I was very proud of what he and his team accomplished this first year. Not to take anything away from what Johnson and his team have achieved. I respect the fact that they are awesome, and they did something no other team has ever done. Congratulations, again, to Jimmie, Chad, and the whole 48 team. You guys are good, no doubt about that, even if you are a little…bland. That’s really the worst thing you can say about Johnson. He’s a great driver, but a tad generic.

In a weird kind of way, the fact that Jimmie and company took the Cup sort of represented the way the whole season felt. NASCAR leveled the playing field to the point that every race was just…vanilla.  I thought I’d never see the day that I called racing boring, but…really monotonous. However, it looks like we yawned and NASCAR listened, for once. I’m looking forward to this particular season more than any in the last few years. All the changes NASCAR is making: letting the drivers police themselves, loosening the restrictions on bump drafting, bringing back the spoiler, bigger restrictor plate, etc. should make this one different, more exciting, and more entertaining than ever. Thanks to Brian France, Mike Helton, and friends for giving me something to which to look forward.

Two days from now we will be camped out in front of the TV, watching the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. The Daytona 500 is right around the corner and I can feel the excitement and interest begin to build. Smell that, son? That’s racing fuel! I love the smell of racing fuel in the morning! I love the start of the season. All the teams are going to have top 10’s, tear up every track, and run the table. The Cup is within everyone’s grasp and I’m not going to miss a single race. Just like the teams, I can dream, too. The long NASCAR deprived winter is finally over and, thanks to some cool changes, I’m excited. Yep, I love the start of NASCAR season.

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