On a sizzling day at the Pocono Raceway Sunday, Clint Mathis and Joe Vide stood mere feet away in the pits as Team Red Bull switched tires, re-fueled and fixed up Brian Vickers' No. 83 car in a matter of seconds.
"It was an unbelievable and I don't think I would want to experience a race any other way," Vide said.
As guests of Team Red Bull, Mathis and Vide attended the Pennsylvania 500, where they were able to take a behind-the-scenes tour and have lunch with Vickers prior to the race.
Vide and Mathis hail from North Carolina and Georgia respectively, which happens to be where NASCAR's roots originated. NASCAR, which stands for National Association for Stock Car Racing, has grown to be the second-most popular professional sport in terms of television ratings, only behind the National Football League.
"It really has taken off. It was a little smaller when I was younger, but now it is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world," Vide said.
Mathis said because he grew up in Georgia, he knew how big NASCAR was and how the fans have a unique relationship to the sport. However, it was his first-ever NASCAR race.
"It was one of the coolest things I've ever done. To see cars drive by you at 200 miles per hour and witness how fast a pit crew can get a car ready is just beyond amazing," Mathis said. "I'm completely sold as a fan."
After eating lunch with Vickers and his crew, Vide and Mathis were given an in-depth tour of the garage, pits and the area surrounding the track, learning about all of the details that go into producing a NASCAR team.
"I didn't really know the intricacies and science or how much goes into NASCAR racing," Mathis said. "It was exciting to learn a little bit more about not just guys driving extremely fast, but about the science."
Mathis, Vide and the rest of the Red Bulls will look to have their engines ready to go as they welcome Toronto FC to Giants Stadium on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET in their first match since July 26.
