Why I Love NASCAR: January

A new year brings the promise and excitement of a new season. After the whirlwind holiday season, the newness of the championship wearing off, and the unknown a fresh season of racing will bring, minds get reset for ten months of NASCAR racing.

January is a cruel month. It starts with a celebratory bang with New Year’s Eve’s festivities drizzling into New Year’s Day blahness. Decorations get taken down, social party season ends abruptly, and the month stretches endlessly with no NASCAR to entertain. Even the end-of-month Super Bowl that used to cheer many has been pushed back into February and, this year, pushes the start of the NASCAR season back as well.

On the other hand, January gives ample opportunity to prime oneself for NASCAR’s return. Catching up on NASCAR history is a plum idea with many books, movies, and videos available. Find a copy of Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels and the Birth of NASCAR by Neil Thompson for a more broad-based history. NASCAR’s origins are chronicled well and enlighten the reader about the characters, more than just the France family, who created the sport we all love so well.

This month also allows for careful research for the NASCAR fantasy teams you may be drafting. Taking part in Fantasy NASCAR gives the casual fan and hardcore one alike a vested interest in what’s going on each week on the track. When I started my NASCAR fantasy teams I certainly paid closer attention to the weekly goings on of all the racers.

Ideally you have read all of the “Why I Love NASCAR” columns from 2011, but, in case you haven’t, this month is perfect for getting up to speed. Find out if you love NASCAR for the same reasons I do. If you do agree or don’t, be sure to contact me and follow me @Chief187s on Twitter. January is an excellent time to follow all of your NASCAR personalities on Twitter. From drivers to crew chiefs, pit crew members to television personalities, and, of course, writers, there is so much information to glean from the NASCAR people in the know!

Yes, it’s only the first Monday of January and there are several more weeks to go before we get to the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season, but we’ll make it together. I’ll do my part each Monday to bring you the reasons why I love NASCAR if you continue to read and leave your comments. And even though January, for the most part, is void of any real NASCAR presence, the activities that can be acted upon in January are yet another reason why I love NASCAR.

Chief 187 is a writer, columnist, and blogger as well as creator of the widely popular Chief 187 Chatter. Her column “Why I Love NASCAR” and other articles are featured on Skirts and Scuffs. She can be reached via Twitter by following @Chief187s. To find out more please visit http://Chief187.com.