How did Winston-Salem handle the collision? Pretty well, I would say – Winston -salem Journal

Or, more precisely, his wife.

Butler, a lifelong fan, manages the source of bicycles, a Charlotte bicycle store that sells (and services) of high -end road bicycles popular with a number of drivers. Jimmy Johnson, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenset and Tai Gibbs, to name four, turned to the riding as a way to stay in shape.

And Johnson, at least before he exploded popularity during his seven cup championships, was a client. Good client.

“One day Chandra (Johnson’s wife) appeared in the store out of nowhere,” Butler said. “I knew who she was, anyway, but at first I didn’t know her.”

She was holding an expensive bicycle wheel, which was obviously second in a vehicle battle. She had hit one of Johnson’s bikes in their garage and was in a soft panic.

“She asked if there was any way to replace him where Jimmy would not notice,” Butler said. “We did pretty well and thought we had taken it down for a while.”

However, a month or more later, the jig was ready.

Johnson called the store to ask about $ 1,200 a charge on his credit card.

“I don’t think he ever told her a word about it,” Butler said.

And without intending, Butler illustrates much of NASCAR’s attractiveness with a very large, very dedicated fan base – a human connection.

Drivers, crew members and staff of the life team live, work and play in North Carolina and have done it since the creation of NASCAR in 1948.

The racing chain, if you are either residing in a cave or just moved here yesterday, has deep roots in the state, starting with old time butlers who have accumulated goods cars to release white lightning from the foot to thirsty NC customers cities and outside.

Native Tarchaels, like Jr. Johnson and Richard Petty, paid state taxes during the Cup racing years and paved the superstars path of recent days such as Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Ernhard, Jr. to move to Norman Lake.

Motorsports, with Many of ITS Biggest NASCAR TEAMS HAVING MULTY-MILLION SHOPS NEAR MOORSVILLE, HAS BET of North Carolina’s $ 5.7 Billion Share of federal means of assistance in the traces of the state.

This includes about $ 18 million, which directly led to the resurrection of the Speedway North Wilkesboro and an extremely successful two-year All-Star cycle of NASCAR on the famous track ⅝ Mili.

It is not known for being populated by dummies, NASCAR has certainly included this success in its decision to hold its season at the Bowman Gray Stadium, here at Little Old Winston-Salem on Sunday night.

Fans from 44 states and five countries clicked 17,000 or more tickets to watch the superstar drivers nearby and grind their way around the Bowman Grey ¼-Mili oval oval.

And judging only by the enthusiasm in turn, where Donald Butler was sitting with three friends, Cook Out Clash was a stunning success at the cash register and for the local economy.

Diehards – Total Strangers – happily handed over over $ 5 to attract drivers’ numbers to get into a racing pool, discuss their beloved drivers, and enthusiastic about transferring the bird to the adopted villains.

The biggest fifth of the night, at least in the eyes of the mafia adoration, was Ricky Stenhaus, Jr., who made the almost lack of sin of the local legend’s crash Burt Myers in the wall deep in turn during a qualification race.

“At this point, they are in revenge mode in the race,” Butler said. “Some of them think,” I will not win, but you are not either. “

Degradations in the competition-lights and disorders of the label for months or years earlier on this issue-they can lead to crashes when drivers settle. “These guys are like elephants,” Butler explained. “They never forget anything.”

This sense of borderline justice is also liked by fans.

“I have never seen so much … gestures,” Intonates the intoning dictator in a stadium after a rough introduction of Mayers to the new safer barrier wall. “The fans there left the young man (Stenhaus) to have it.”

But that doesn’t mean they didn’t have fun.

At different points during frequent cautious yellow flag tours, fans in Section 17 can learn that squeezing a few drops of Texas Pete hot sauce in a fiery ball can make shots taste like atomic cinnamon cinnamon candy, which is not so much as much that is not as much fun as a rotating metal goal and that a $ 10 beer on a frosty night is down accurately.

No one had more fun than Ryan Blaini’s Superfan named Kaila, who danced throughout the main 200 laps, shouting her continuous devotion to almost every turn.

Mayers, also without meaning, summarized the weekend quite well during an interview that has entered the Bowman Gray on super -centered screens installed on two sides of the track.

“The experience was great,” Myers said after being checked by the medics. “The orange car (stenhouse) came across me … But it was a great experience. We had a great time. “

The same can be said for fans.

At least until the very end of the night, when the bus service service designed to carry fans back to the parking lots in the innovative neighborhood and the Allegacy field has become an unorganized MOSH pit.

Thousands of people crashed into a lane on Martin Luther King Boulevard to collide for seats within inches of moving buses without noticeable lines or boarding models. “Be patient,” a driver advised when the passengers were dropped before the race. “Tonight it will be worse.”

In fact, bus drivers stopped where they could, and a tours of a tours of Wakie Talkie seems to have refused as he tried to set a number among tired fans of some of whom were waiting for an hour or more to return to their cars.

A handful of cops, who stood largely and passively watched them bump, finally entered to direct traffic and began to instruct drivers to move at the end of the line before opening their doors.

We will never know if the delayed actions had anything to do with the helera he was shouting, Hey … you with the gun. Take control of this messS But very sound, semi-group and quite fun chanting couldn’t make things worse.

Still, given the hundreds of thousands of dollars that changed their hands to fill the city hotels, restaurants and bars on a holiday weekend, even a poorly planned exit strategy was just annoyance.

“Maybe they will arrange it next year,” said a tired fan of anyone more special after he finally made it on board.