Weekend Recap: NASCAR

I want to start off by saying...wow, what a weekend! I haven't been this busy in about a month and forgot how fun it was to have plans. 

Friday after work, two of my good friends I have met here in Charlotte & I bared the rain and headed out to PNC Music Area for Kenny Chesney's Spread the Love tour. It was POURING all day Friday but we decided to make the most of it, dress #comfyforkenny, and rock some sick ponchos. In the future, if you ever find yourself outside in a rain storm, I highly recommend a poncho. It was my first experience in one and boy did it keep me (surprisingly) dry.  

Though Kenny didn't play long, he played great songs ranging from his classics to his newer hits. 

After a late night Friday (the uber was an hour and a half, ugh!) it was time to take Saturday morning by a storm. I headed uptown to walk in Charlotte's Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis. The Associate Buyer in my office had a team I was fortunate enough to walk with. It was a great, low key walk event that raised over $226,000 for Cystic Fibrosis research. 

The walk ended and I headed home to get ready for Saturday night's Sprint All Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A NASCAR race has always been on my bucket list so Hayden surprised me with tickets for my birthday back in March. 

Now that the race is over, I can honestly say that it was 100% not what I expended and outperformed by expectations ten fold. It is hard to appreciate the skill & knowledge these races require of both athletes and fans without attending one yourself!

We were fortunate enough to sit next to a sweet couple from New York who were more than happy to educate us on everything form the rules of the race to the history of the drivers. We loved to learn and they loved to teach so it was a great time!

The race consisted of just three rounds, two fifty lap series and a thirteen lap sprint that fans like to refer to as "balls to the wall." Drivers are going faster than they will for the bulk of the season. 

Our seats couldn't have been better. When we arrived yesterday at 1pm, we were worried sitting so close to the track having heard that there was a potential for flying rubber, tar, etc. However, we didn't face any of these issues and were right there (i mean, RIGHT THERE, folks) to both the start and the finish line. 

I was so impressed and excited that all of the fans were so friendly & nice. Everyone was surprisingly under control given the fact that the stadium allows you to bring your own coolers of beer into the stands. We took full advantage of the pre-race setups, tailgating, fan shops, and everything else there was to offer. I couldn't have been more happy to be there with Hayden and after leaving, we both looked at each other in agreeance that there is no doubt we will be back for another race in the future. 

Saturday turned into a late night due to rain delays, so Sunday was a sleepy struggle. I managed to fit a workout in before running some errands & meeting a friend who has just moved to Charlotte for dinner. Four of us met at CO Sushi & Noodle Bar and the food was just as good as it looks! I got the Firecracker roll but have also had the Pad Thai and the Spicy Tuna roll in the past. Each have been mouthwatering so be sure to check it out if you're in the area!

Time to relax, throw on a mask, and prepare for the week again. Thankfully, we have the premier of the Bachelorette to look forward to tomorrow night! 

3 day weekend coming up! Bring it on, Monday!