Dean Lewis has been watching races from RIR's Dogwood Section for over 30 years.

Dean has been coming to Richmond International Raceway since 1974, and camping with friends and family is one of his favorite traditions. He shares his Richmond experience as a part of the "My RIR Story" series.

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Richmond is my favorite track. I’ve been to a lot of other tracks: Martinsville, Talladega, Daytona, Dover and Pocono. But Richmond is always different, especially the NASCAR season finale in September.

A race I will never forget is Kevin Harvick’s victory five years ago. I started out as a Junior Johnson fan when he was in the Budweiser car, and wherever that car went I would follow. I remember thinking (Dale Earnhardt) Jr. was going to be the greatest thing, but it was Harvick who sealed the deal for me.

My youngest son and best friend have been coming with me to every race for the last 20 years. I have three other friends who join us, too. We used to spend a lot of time together many years ago. While we’ve all somewhat moved in different directions of life, we still get together every race. The six of us have three campsites together right outside of Turn 1 and 2 in Lot F. It’s always a great weekend.

I love RICHMOND NATION because it locks in my seat every race. Most of the people in our campground sit around us in the Dogwood section in the same spot every year - and I love our seat. Being in RICHMOND NATION means we get to be at the race no matter what.

The fans who go to the races at RIR are really nice, and the track staff is great. I’ve never run into anyone with a bad attitude - even if their driver lost. Where else can you go where so many different fans and teams are together and still have a great time? A NASCAR race.

Dean Lewis
RICHMOND NATION Member

Featured My RIR Story NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR

8:59 AM

Richard Starnes (right) with Martin Truex Jr during Fan Appreciation weekend at RIR

Richard has been coming to Richmond International Raceway for nearly 30 years, but this past September was his most memorable race ever. He shares his Richmond experience as a part of the "My RIR Story" series.

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I may not remember my first race at RIR, but I’ll never forget my favorite. Without a doubt, my best NASCAR experience was this past September thanks to an experience with Martin Truex Jr. during Fan Appreciation Weekend.

Through an RIR sweepstakes, I was invited to a race day meet and greet with Martin. I made it on television while he was being interviewed, visited the hauler and also toured the whole garage. It was very special and I'd never had a race experience like this before. I'm a long time Jeff Gordon fan, but  I've definitely been paying more attention to Truex since that day.

I’ve been to other tracks, but the fact you can see the whole track from my seat in the center of the Frontstretch is amazing. I enjoy the racing action at Richmond, and for me it's one of the best experiences in NASCAR. It's easy to pass so drivers can race side-by-side for long stretches at a time.

We have always arrived early to the track on race day. But since we joined RICHMOND NATION, we can park right next to the entrance for a great day of tailgating. In fact, I'd say it's the best tailgating in the sport.

I have been a season ticket holder long before RICHMOND NATION started. When RIR rolled out the program with special perks like parking, it was only natural to take our experience to the next level.

Richard Starnes
RICHMOND NATION Member

Featured My RIR Story NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR

1:40 PM

Sandy and her husband Barry at a NASCAR Cup event in Richmond.

Sandy is lifelong NASCAR fan who works part time in the Guest Services department at Daytona International Speedway. She shares her Richmond experience as a part of the "My RIR Story" series.

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My favorite memory of Richmond was my Dad’s first race in 1997. He was an avid NASCAR fan, but wasn’t someone who liked to travel. I convinced him to come with us to RIR for a race. My Dad and I bonded during the race by running to the track to watch drivers practice every time we heard an engine fire up. It was special for us. Our favorite driver, Rusty Wallace, even ended up winning the race.

My husband Barry and I first came to Richmond in 1994. We had been to Daytona, but we always wanted to go to RIR. I was impressed with the excitement of seeing the racing action on the track. When we moved to Daytona in 2009, we decided to continue making trips to Richmond for races.

After about 10 years on the wait list, we finally got a site in the Main Campground at RIR. We love that RICHMOND NATION makes sure we can keep our camping spot. I don’t have to worry about losing my seats or camping as I have them every year. The program makes us feel part of the RIR family.

I’ve been a NASCAR fan all my life. Racing is my real passion as I enjoy the competition on the track. It takes a lot of skill to get around RIR. We enjoy the action at Richmond!

I feel honored to be part of the International Speedway Corporation family. I’m already excited for 2017!

Sandy Levan
RICHMOND NATION Member

My RIR Story NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RICHMOND NATION RIR

2:20 PM