NASCAR TOURS GIVE FANS A CHANCE TO HOBNOB WITH RACING'S BIG WHEELS

For those who love stock car racing, there's no such thing as too much. Aware of this, a Montvale, N.J. outfit called Motorsport Adventures, Inc. is offering enthusiasts an attractive deal: behind-the-scenes racing weekends.

These are three-or four-day trips with a knowledgeable guide, and they include meals, hotel accommodations and transportation. The tourists meet the drivers, visit the pits, attend seminars, mingle with the sponsors and owners, observe the cars being readied in their garages and, of course, watch the race from choice grandstand seats. Promoter Dick Bauer says, "Fans get to do everything but drive the race cars...and I'm working on that one."

One destination this year was Charlotte, for the World 600 on Memorial Day weekend. Some 250 fans made a three-day visit. They saw the 600 and two other stock car races and had a barbecue dinner at Benny Parsons' racing shop, all for about $130 a person, plus airfare.

Candy Bolt, a fan from Brampton, Ont., says that traveling from Canada to Charlotte had been a problem in the past. "We tried to book everything long-distance," she says, "and something always seemed to go wrong. It's great to let someone else do the work."

And how did she like spending a weekend with so many strangers? "Anybody who likes stock car racing isn't really a stranger," she says. "It's great getting to meet so many people who are racing enthusiasts. We now have buddies we can visit and see races with all over the United States."

Motorsport Adventure's next trip will be to the 1986 Daytona 500 in February, and, says Bauer, "Maybe one day we'll set up tours for the whole circuit. There's enough interest out there."

By the way, Motorsport Adventures conducts a booking service (hotel, transportation, tickets, etc.) for any motor racing event in the world. Information and reservations can be obtained through its office at 70-H Chestnut Ridge Rd., Montvale, N.J., 07645.