Fans travel from across country to see Austin's first ever NASCAR race
AUSTIN, Texas - For the first time ever, NASCAR was in town to burn some rubber on the Circuit of the Americas’ track. The event not only attracted Austinites, but racing fans from all over the country.
Rain or shine, no type of weather could stop NASCAR at the Circuit of the Americas.
"The weather, I mean, it's kind of down, but really overall I'm having a good time," said Garey Winthorp.
Winthrop is from Mississippi and has been a fan of NASCAR since he was a kid. He says he knew he had to come to Austin when he heard the race announcement. " It's just fun."
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This weekend was the first weekend ever to hold a NASCAR event.
At first, COTA was not prepared for the race. That’s why the track had to undergo modifications like adding tire safety packs around the circuit, adding rumble strips and speed bumps, as well as adding caution lights.
Some fans say they did not mind the rain. One fan says it was a cool experience to see the drivers race in the rain.
"To get to see a road race and having NASCAR drive in the rain, that's pretty cool," said Jennifer Reynolds.
Most of the weather was rainy, but that did not stop the race.
NASCAR drivers use two types of tires: weather tires and slick tires. The weather tires are used for when it's raining and the slick tires are for normal racing days.
However, the rain did cause some issues. A three-car crash put a brief pause on the race until the cars could be hauled away. Luckily, no drivers were harmed, and the race picked up a short time after.
Although the NASCAR weekend has come to an end, fans hope this is not the last of NASCAR in Austin.
"One of the best experiences, honestly, in my life. I mean, it's so much fun here," said Winthorp.