Melissa Bleier

I attended my first NASCAR race on a whim . Ten years ago, someone asked me if I wanted to come hang out for the afternoon, drink a few beers, and watch a NASCAR race…and my whole life changed when the cars came roaring by.

Growing up, my folks owned a mom and pop grocery store and I would kill for a time machine to go back and get all the NASCAR promotional merchandise that came through.

For the last three years, I worked as a research historian in San Francisco. Even though I’m 34 now, when I grow up, I want to work as a NASCAR race track historian.

I wrote my Master’s Thesis on historic race tracks and the significance of stock car history. “Don’t They Just Turn Left? NASCAR’s Heritage Race Tracks and Preserving Stock Car Culture.” examines why race tracks are important and the ways in which they can be preserved as culturally significant pieces of the greater American historic identity.

My favorite driver is Fireball Roberts and I wish that I could have met Smokey Yunick. At the races today, I yell my crazy head off for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Tony Stewart; I can even be seen in a NASCAR commercial, doing just that.

I am a contributor to skirtsandscuffs.com. I spoke at the 2010 North American Association for Sports History annual on the significance of NASCAR’s heritage race tracks.

If it isn’t stock car racing, it’s SciFi. A funny combination, but it works out perfect for me. You can find me on Twitter – @TheTrackGirl (also @Uwila, but I warn ya, lots of sci-fi and lots of cursin’ during the races) or check out my blog at HistoricRaceTracks.wordpress.com and my (sometimes working) permanent site at MelissaMajoria.com