FORT WORTH, Texas _ On the eve of Texas Motor Speedway becoming the first venue in Texas to allow fans back in for a major sporting event since the world stopped, I had the place to myself.
TMS seats 135,000 for an event but for one day one "fan" sat in the stands to watch a feature car race. The visual of some dude wearing a white shirt sitting there by himself for a car race in a massive venue was amusing.
The experience was, like so many things are these days, surreal.
Thanks to TMS, provided I wear a mask, they let me sit where I wanted to watch the My Bariatric Solutions 300 Xfinity race on Saturday afternoon in front of no fans. Practicing social distancing at TMS on Saturday was not a problem.
Twenty five laps into the race a TMS employee approached me and asked what I was doing; a fair question.
During the time of COVID there are aspects to which we have grown accustomed; happy hour starting at 11 a.m.; curbside pickup for a night out; calling a trip to the driveway a vacation.
Watching a televised sporting event with no fans in the stands is something we are seeing more of, and yet will never grow accustomed.
Sitting by myself in a venue that seats 135,000 people and watching a race was memorable for its uniqueness. Like the rest of you, I am growing fatigued by the "uniqueness" of all of this.
That changes on Sunday, at least partially, when TMS will open its doors for fans. The last time Texas hosted sporting events with fans was mid March.
Like the rest of you, I'm not sure TMS opening up to fans is the best idea. Like the rest of you, I have given up on believing what is the "right way" through this.
Just someone tell me when it's over.
When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pushed for "this phase" to allow fans in at sporting events at reduced capacities was well over a month ago. Much has changed since then, and little of it for the better.
TMS president Eddie Gossage said he expects about 20,000 "ish" for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR race that is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
On Saturday, there was me.
Never thought the best place for some alone time would be Texas Motor Speedway while watching 30 cars drive around the track. Unless you live in a mansion, finding alone space these days remains as difficult as it was to find two-ply toilet paper four months ago.
On Saturday, Row 51 in Section 114 at TMS provided an ideal place for "me time." In the stands were three photographers, and the spotters who work for the teams who sit up in the stands to communicate with their respective drivers.
Granted, the conditions were not exactly ideal for reading a book.
Temperature for the first lap was about 96 degrees, with a humidity level that felt to be about 4,235%. There was a breeze, especially the closer you sit to the track.
If you are one of those who plan to attend the race on Sunday in person, do yourself a favor and sit under the suites. Start at about row 50, and work your way up.
There is no bad seat at TMS. Trust me. On Saturday, I looked for one.
Not sure which was the bigger mistake: Forgetting sunscreen, or not bringing headphones.
You don't have to like NASCAR, or motor sports, to appreciate the rush of 30 cars blowing by you at 180 mph. The noise from the pack of cars is memorable, wonderful, and painful. When the cars did pass and were on the other side of the track, even from the stands the air was so quiet you could hear the air guns pop from pit row.
The concessions stands were closed. The bathrooms were, thankfully, open.
Gossage said concessions will be on open on Sunday, but not every stand. Expect about one-third of the concessionaires to be open.
The parking lots that seemingly encase this giant place featured approximately 50 RVs and trailers. On a typical NASCAR weekend, there would be hundreds.
After 2 { hours, Kyle Busch won the 200 lap race by a few seconds. Shortly thereafter, he was disqualified for failing a technical inspection. The winner went to second-place finisher Austin Cindric.
In the end, it was just another race and the only thing that stood out is the feature we are all tired of: empty stands.
For better or worse, that changes on Sunday.
