Race Fans- Nature or Nurture (Reprint from 03/07)

As I sit here during the off week, I thought back to when I first became interested in racing. I began to wonder why I love racing so much, and others dislike it.

I grew up in an average suburban home, my dad is a huge baseball and basketball fan, and would only watch a race if I made him. I have always had in interest in cars, started with Hotwheels when I was a wee tot, graduated to models and r.c. cars and finally the real thing. Somewhere in there, around the late eighties i found Nascar. I have been a fan ever since. So why do I like racing so much. Everyone else around me seems disinterested, my wife calls it Napcar, although she must learn in her sleep, because she can tell you who drive what car. My father in-law loves cars. Grew up with muscle cars, had a few, then around 50 had his midlife crisis and bought a sports car. But he doesn't like Nascar at all. I have got him slightly into drag racing, but only because i was racing his car.

Is it something in our DNA, or how we grew up? I hear alot from people who grew up around racing, so that seems like a nurture or inherited love of the sport. So where does that leave a guy like me. My dads in finance, All my jobs have been automotive related. Was there a glitch in my DNA??

I am a father now, and I want to have a better relationship with my son, than i have with my dad. So every Sunday, I scoop up the little man, and we watch the race and play cars. I just wonder if that will be enough to spark his interest, or if he will turn out loving golf or bowling or something. (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Anyway, Whats your thoughts Nascar Bloggers? How did you get into racing? Friends, family, out of the blue like me?? How about an unofficial, unscientific poll on whether its nature or nurture??