Walking around the campsites at Talladega Superspeedway, you get the sense you are surrounded by something special. A mix between Mardi Gras, Woodstock and a religious pilgrimage, when Hardcore Race Fans come to Talladega, Alabama each year something very special happens.

Over 3,000 acres – including the track and camping areas – becomes the weekend home of thousands of people. Staying in RVs, campers, tents and even their cars, these die-hard fans are not only there to see a great race, but to have a great time.

Take for example Ronnie, Deb, Wes, Nathan, Katie and of course Smerf. These Hardcore Race Fans drove seven hours from Southern Indiana to spend their hard earned dollars for this very experience. Ronnie and Smerf had been coming to Talladega for some time, but for Wes, Nathan and Katie this would be their first race.

Sitting around the fire Saturday night, Nathan couldn’t help but think about all the people there. “I’m just dumbfounded,” he said. Ronnie pointed out, “Think of the money that’s sitting here, even just this one part.”

Looking around the campgrounds and parking lots of the speedway, there are RVs that cost more than some houses, decades old campers that have visited many parts of the country, makeshift buses, trucks rigged up to be campers, tents of all sizes and every type of car and truck you can imagine – mostly American made.

Just a short walk from these infamous campsites and in the shadow of the 2.66 mile behemoth that is Talladega Superspeedway sits the Talladega Short Track, aptly dubbed, “The Hornets Nest”.

This short track, paved with nothing more than Alabama red clay, provides an alternative for those Hardcore Race Fans who can’t get enough racing, have families or simply don’t want to party all night. Within walking distance – and for many stumbling distance – from their campsites, fans get the chance to watch some good ‘ol fashion dirt track racing.

For $20 a ticket, fans were treated to almost five hours of qualifying, heat races and features – including a chance to see NASCAR stars Bobby Labonte, David Reutimann, Aric Almirola and racing legend Red Farmer.

Sitting on those dirt encrusted cinderblocks and wooden bleachers, I couldn’t help but think back to the day NASCAR used to be so simple. With all the hype built into the sport, the constant pressure from sponsors and the celebrity-like status of today’s drivers, I couldn’t help, sitting there shielding my eyes from the dirt, but feel that something had been lost. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that anytime a driver put that helmet on, straps those belts tight and fires up that engine there is only one thing that matters – winning – and that will never change.