COLUMN: This Ain't Your Daddy's 'Dega ... And That's OK

TUSCALOOSA, AL — I opted against making the trip back to Talladega Monday for the rescheduled YellaWood 500, as more rain in the forecast made for what is sure to be another long day of uncertainty at the track. But when I got to thinking about it, I realized I had what I needed for my column.

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Sunday's assignment wasn't one in the mode of a sports reporter. Never professing to be anything more than a novice when it comes to sporting news, I spend most of my time covering politics, obscure features and issues important in my community. No, the story to me wasn't the drivers or the flashy cars going 200 mph, but the people in the grandstands and scattered throughout camp sites both surrounding and inside of the 2.66-mile track. Simply put, you can't have the Kentucky Derby without expensive, goofy hats and you can't have a NASCAR race at Talladega without the rowdy fans hollering and cussing full-throated at drivers who don't even know they exist.

They call soccer "The Beautiful Game," but NASCAR fandom is a sport all its own — wholly separate from anything that happens on the track. For better or worse, and even in the face of dwindling attendance, NASCAR devotees have remained the most culturally-distinct overall fanbase in all of sport. Once you see it up close, there's no denying it.

Growing up in Alabama and raised by NASCAR fans, I've lost count of the number of events I've attended at Talladega. I've also collected a library of debauched memories, from being a 15-year-old accidentally walking up on a very much X-rated impromptu strip show around a pole in the middle of Talladega Boulevard to seeing sex toys hanging from fishing line at a camp site. I've seen grown men — and women — get in fist fights in the infield and once I even cheered as a lady well over the age of 65 guzzled down a full beer bong.

I remember it like a forgotten city of sin that must've somehow avoided the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah ... And, if I'm being honest, that round-the-clock party atmosphere was part of the allure to keep coming back.

Indeed, these were the days before smartphones recorded our every public move, prompting an understandable shift toward modesty for many — including this reporter.

So when I drove down and through the north tunnel at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday as the rain fell hard over the entire area, my mind was sharply fixed on documenting the fan experience through the lens of a battle-tested Talladega attendee.

As Patch readers will recall, I even spoke with Talladega Superspeedway President Brian Crichton ahead of the race to ask him about the changes he has witnessed during his time at the helm. This is where it gets contentious for many, especially the traditional NASCAR diehards.

While Crichton underscored that "the party" was still there, it was the shift toward developing a more interactive, affordable and family-friendly experience that stands out as the biggest culture change — standing out as not just unique for NASCAR, but across the spectrum of professional sports.

NASCAR, more than ever, is investing millions of dollars to go mainstream in places like Talladega, working hard to widen its appeal to attract more fans to a sport that has seen its popularity heavily diminish in the 21st Century.

This was no more evident than in the Talladega Garage Experience, which was officially opened in the fall of 2019, just months ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic dealing a crushing blow to the sports world.

Part amusement park, food court and garage area for race teams, the $33 million addition to the track's infield is geared toward offering fans a fully-immersive race experience. The entire design of the pavilion-style area is sleek and modern, marking a full-on departure from the gritty, grease-stained look of old when names like Earnhardt and Petty dominated the sport.

A literal red carpet was also rolled out from the racing trailer area to pit lane, giving fans of all ages the opportunity to high-five drivers and get autographs as they made their way to their cars. This made me think back to what Crichton told me in our interview, that NASCAR has become hyper-aware of a "missed generation" of fans and is constantly working to develop ways of better connecting with them.

So when seeing kids under 10 years old light up when a driver takes the time to sign their oversized racing T-shirt with another driver's face or car on it — as I witnessed several times — NASCAR can bank on having those young fans locked in if the sport keeps that same attitude moving forward.

NASCAR is in the memory-making business now, more so than deliberately providing a blue-collar Mardi Gras where anything goes. And maybe that's what the sport needs to sustain itself to grow and evolve with the next generation of fans.

On the flip side of warm and fuzzy, though, is how politics have bled over into the fabric of NASCAR. While yes, there has never been any shortage of rebel flags on display, the overall look of the event was noticeably more conservative and outwardly partisan, with seemingly as many red MAGA hats bobbing through the crowd as those sporting the No. 3 of Dale Earnhardt.

I overheard one group lamenting how political the sport has become, before noticing a couple of them wearing Donald Trump regalia. Along the main drag going into the track, volunteers were soaked by rain as they held signs for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt.

None of this is surprising or particularly worrisome in any real sense, but it represents something that my gut views as the latest style or fashion to best reflect this younger generation NASCAR is working to cater to.

Indeed, to NASCAR's credit, the crowd in the Talladega Garage Experience was noticeably younger and more civil than infield crowds I remembered from my youth and teenage years. Sure, there was plenty of booze flowing — who can pass up a $3 Bud Light tallboy? — and grown men in cut-off denim overalls. But the overarching feeling of the place was something new to me. Something a little more exclusive.

And, apart from the politics, maybe that's not such a bad thing. After all, I remember one race weekend over a decade ago when a meth lab was busted in the infield in an old school bus. So I can't say I blame NASCAR for trying to clean up its image.

If I had the time and had looked hard enough, I have no doubt I would have found some fun trouble to get into in some of the various, less-visible nooks of the venue. But I guess my point is that the sport — at least metaphorically speaking — is more buttoned up than ever in an attempt to cast as wide of a net as possible to lure in new fans. At the end of the day, it's about putting butts in seats and bringing in new fans instead of coasting by solely on the allure of its party atmosphere.

Times change and so do people, so while I admit I was a little disappointed that modesty appeared to have won the day, it was refreshing to see such a large-scale investment in trying to give the sport back to the fans.

Ryan Phillips is the founder and field editor of Tuscaloosa Patch. The views expressed in this opinion column are his and not necessarily reflective of the views of our parent company or sponsors.