by Douglas Yeo (August 2, 2024)

Life is full of surprises, unexpected moments that lead to bigger things. Try something that’s a little outside your box—your comfort zone—and you’ll probably learn something. If you’re open to learning. Our friends, Phil and Laura Spotts, taught us something about this.

My wife, Patricia, and I met Phil and Laura at our church in 2012. We had just moved to Arizona after I retired from my long career as a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Phil struck me right away as a gregarious, “can do” kind of guy. The kind of person who is always volunteering to do something, make things happen. Phil’s an engineer but not one of those stuffy, geeky, academic types. He’s real, has a great sense of humor, and is always thinking about how to help others. Laura is a gifted pianist who played piano from time to time at our church services, another truly wonderful person. When we met them, they had a son, Cody, and in time, they became Superheroes and adopted two more children, Gage and Annaliese. There was something about this family that made Pat and me smile. We spent time together, went over to each other’s houses for dinner (Phil is a terrific cook, and we still use his fantastic leg of lamb recipe several times a year), we shared life. And our friendship grew even as we were very different people in some ways. For instance, they liked—no, they LOVED—something that was a mystery to me: NASCAR. I’m not gonna lie: before I met Phil and Laura, my life had no place for NASCAR. Growing up in and around New York City and living in Boston for nearly three decades, I fell into the east coast snobbery when it comes to things like NASCAR. “Go fast, turn left.” Doesn’t sound very interesting. Also, fast cars are loud and I work hard to protect my hearing. Big hair, beer, southern accents—those are some of the many stereotypes you bring to something like NASCAR when you’re in a cocoon in some parts of the elitist northeast.

Phil and Laura Spotts at Phoenix International Raceway, March 2, 2014

So, when Phil and Laura invited Pat and me to go to a NASCAR race at Phoenix International Raceway (November 2013), my mind quickly buzzed around through all of my NASCAR stereotypes before I said, in a confident voice, “Sure. Let’s go!” And we did. Because this was important to our friends.

Panoramic view of Phoenix International Raceway, March 2, 2014

The experience of going to a NASCAR race is unlike anything I’ve done in my life. I love football, and I enjoy baseball. I know what it is to cheer my team at a game, to engage with other fans around me. But NASCAR was something different all together. First, it was BIG. A lot of people go to races. A. Lot. Some come in campers and motor homes, driving from race to race and living in temporary camps that surround a racetrack, a camp that usually has a popup supermarket, bank, and urgent care center. For race weekend, a NASCAR track becomes a small city.

Phil and Laura had headsets for us that were both excellent hearing protection—I have to say, though, as I looked around from my seat, I was stunned to see so many people who were not wearing any kind of hearing protection, wow—and were connected to Phil’s radio scanner that gave us the race feed. Before the race I kept asking questions. I realized quickly that there was a lot more to NASCAR than the stereotypes I had carried with me for so long. This is a high-tech sport. There is a LOT of money involved. It’s really dangerous for the drivers. Fans are passionate about their drivers and their cars. Sponsorship is really, REALLY important. Pit crews—the crew of technicians who service cars before and during the race—work incredibly hard and fast, like a well-oiled machine. And there is a whole lot of strategy.

Douglas and Patricia Yeo, Phoenix International Raceway, November 10, 2013

There were other things. At the race, I didn’t have any skin in the game; I didn’t know any drivers, so I asked Phil and Laura who there favorite drivers were. OK, they were now my favorite drivers. But when cars are racing around the track at 180 miles an hour at 130dB (that is loud, like a jet engine ready for takeoff on a runway), there’s no point in cheering during the race. Your driver can’t hear you. Other fans can’t hear you. Heck, you can’t even hear yourself. When the cars were roaring around the track, I didn’t dare take off my headset and expose my ears, so if I wanted to say something to Pat, Phil, or Laura, I pulled out my phone and typed a text message and showed it to them.

Phoenix International Raceway, March 2, 2014

Before the race there was the National Anthem, then a flyover and a prayer, and then we were—literally—off to the races. And somehow, what enfolded in front of me captivated me in a way I didn’t expect. As I saw it with my own eyes, as I gave it a chance, as I tried to understand it, I found myself pulled into it. The old stereotypes fell away; I was learning something new. And I liked it. And that experience would not have happened were it not for friends that asked us to do something that they loved and wanted to share with us. I learned a very important lesson on that day. Several, actually. When, a year later (March 2014), Phil and Laura asked us to go to another race at Phoenix International Raceway, we did.

Then Phil took a new job and their family moved to Tennessee. Pat and I moved to the Chicago area so we could live near our grandchildren. While Phil and I weren’t seeing each other regularly any more—something we did a lot when we both lived in the Phoenix area, especially meeting for lunch at our favorite sushi place, Ah-Hai in Goodyear (yes, there really and truly is amazing sushi in the desert!)—we kept in touch, texting and talking on the phone. Then Phil called one day to tell me Cody started playing the trombone—Phil said that Cody picked the trombone because he had heard me play trombone in our church.

Poster of Cody Spotts, trombonist at East Hamilton High School, Tennessee

Then, last October, Phil texted me. Cody was graduating from high school in a few months and Phil wanted to take him to a NASCAR race as a graduation present. Any race, anywhere. And Cody said, “I want to go to the Chicago Street Race with Mr. Yeo.” Phil and Cody were coming to Chicago and  they asked me to go to another NASCAR race. Of course I said “yes.” I was excited. July 6 and 7, 2024 couldn’t come soon enough.

Douglas Yeo and, Phil and Cody Spotts, Portillo’s, July 5, 2024

I picked up Phil and Cody at Chicago’s O’Hare airport and because Cody had never been to Chicago, they wanted to immerse themselves in “the full Chicago experience.” We started with lunch at that iconic Chicago hot dog restaurant, Portillo’s. A Vienna Beef hotdog on a sesame seed bun, tomatoes, mustard, relish, dill pickle, raw onions, sport (hot) peppers, celery salt—but NO KETSUP! There’s nothing like it and Portillo’s is the place to get the real deal.

Douglas Yeo and Cody and Phil Spotts, Giordano’s, July 5, 2024

Dinner that night was at Giordano’s where Cody experienced his first Chicago style deep dish pizza. Pat and I don’t eat at Portillo’s and Giordano’s very often—our low fat diet doesn’t have a lot of room for zillion calorie, high fat meals—but, hey, now and then, you gotta live a little.

Course map for NASCAR 2024 Chicago Street Race

The Chicago Street Race is a unique NASCAR event. It’s a race (two races, actually) that—literally—goes through streets of downtown Chicago. Instead of a long oval track, the Chicago race track is a modified figure-8, a course that snakes through the heart of the city, along Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue, and South Columbus Drive. Phil had gotten Turn 1 Reserved tickets for the three of us in the Jack Daniels Turn 1 Club. I didn’t know what that meant but I found out soon enough.

Cody and Phil Spotts at “The Bean” (officially called Cloudgate), Millenium Park, Chicago, July 6, 2024

We took the train from College Avenue Station in Wheaton, Illinois, to downtown Chicago and walked toward Millenium Park near Chicago’s waterfront. There, we walked around as I showed Phil and Cody some of the iconic things in the Park, like “The Bean.” In the photo above, you can see me in my orange Phoenix International Raceway shirt, reflected in this remarkable public art installation, taking this snapshot of Cody and Phil.

Douglas Yeo and Cody and Phil Spotts, Millenium Park, Chicago, July 6, 2024

Once we got through the turnstiles with our wristbands, we made our way to our seats to get a look at our view. It was stunning. As one who knows Chicago pretty well, it was truly remarkable to see the race course laid out on roads and in view of iconic buildings that I had seen in completely different contexts.

The view from our seats for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend, Jack Daniels Turn 1 Club, July 6, 2024. The start/finish line was down South Columbus Drive by the grandstand in the right of this photo. The Sears Tower (AKA Willis Tower) is the tall building on the left of the photo, with white antennas on top.

I mean, there we were, seated on South Columbus Drive, with the Sears Tower (OK, I know it’s been called the Willis Tower since 2009, but no Chicagoan calls it by that name) and the hotels of Michigan Avenue in view. I have driven down South Columbus Drive many times on the way home from Chicago Bears games at Soldier Field but traffic is always going north. For the race, the cars would be going south. It took some time for me to get my arms around that. It was surreal to see the city transformed into a racetrack.

Phil and Cody Spotts and Douglas Yeo, Jack Daniels Turn 1 Club, July 6, 2024

Phil really outdid himself with tickets in the Turn 1 club; it was a lavish gift. We had terrific reserved seats, a nice, shaded area where we could relax, and UNLIMITED amazing food and drink. During the whole race, the three of us grazed on fantastic food. It was always there for us, all day long. What a special experience it was to sit in such remarkable seats with these amenities. And it happened because of friendship.

MONSTER Energy Drink acrobatic motorcyclists, Chicago, July 6, 2024

Before the race, we walked around to all of the sponsor tents, the NASCAR shop, and the wide open area where concerts were going on all day. The MONSTER Energy Drink acrobatic motorcyclists did their show; it was breathtaking.

Shane Van Gisbergen (97 car) after crossing the finish line at the Loop 110 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race, Chicago, July 6, 2024

And then Saturday’s race, the Loop 110 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race, began. I can’t explain it. It was such a totally different experience than I had at Phoenix International Raceway. Drivers were not going in a loop, always turning left. They were navigating sharp 90-degree turns after long and short straightaways. Speeds were fast, but not as fast as a regular oval track NASCAR race. The cars went flying by; we followed the progress of the race in our headsets. It was absolutely thrilling. The race was won by Shane van Ginsbergen in his 97 car. If you want to get an idea of what we saw, click here to view the whole race on YouTube.

Cody and Phil Spotts at the beginning of historic Route 66 begins, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, July 7, 2024

After the race, we took the train home and after a short night of sleep, we headed back to Chicago for Sunday’s race, the Grant Park 165. When we got downtown, I wanted to show Phil and Cody where historic Route 66 started—at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and East Adams Street, just across from the Art Institute of Chicago. I took this photo (above) while I was STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF MICHIGAN AVENUE. I had never done THAT before.

Douglas Yeo and Cody and Phil Spotts, Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, July 7, 2024

In the center of Chicago’s Grant Park is the Buckingham Fountain. It was a centerpiece of our race days, its fountains providing soft mist to cool off on hot days.

Douglas Yeo and Cody and Phil Spotts, on the NASCAR Chicago Street Race track, E. Balbo Drive, Chicago, July 7, 2024. Note the temporary bridge over E. Balbo Drive.

Once we got in the Park, we had an opportunity to walk ON THE TRACK. This was another thrill, to get up close to the view the drivers had.

Douglas Yeo in the rain, NASCAR Chicago Street Race, July 7, 2024

While the day—and the race—started off with beautiful sunshine, we knew that rain was in the forecast. And the rain came. It sprinkled. Then it cleared up. Then the skies opened up and it poured. And poured, and poured.

Douglas Yeo and Cody and Phil Spotts during the NASCAR race delay, July 7, 2024

The race continued for awhile in the rain but when it simply got too wet for drivers to race safely, we found ourselves in a rain delay of nearly two hours. We hung out at a picnic table in the Turn 1 Club, under an umbrella. The rain didn’t dampen our spirits. We were still having a great time, grazing on food and drink nonstop, enjoying conversations, talking about the race, the cars, and the drivers. When confronted with a situation you can’t control, you make the best of the situation. As teachers at our grandchildren’s elementary school frequently say, “You got what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” The rain didn’t matter. A lot of fans left but we stayed to watch the race start up, shortened because it was getting dark. Once again, it was a thrill to see the drivers cautiously—at over 100 miles per hour!—navigate the slick race course.

Alex Bowman (48 car) after crossing the finish line at the Grant Park 165 NASCAR Cup Series Race, Chicago, July 7, 2024

The race was won by Alex Bowman in his 48 car, and as he crossed the finish line, the rain stopped, the sun started to come out from behind the clouds even as it was setting, and we finished our days of enjoying racing in downtown Chicago. Click here to view the race on Youtube.

Douglas Yeo and Cody and Phil Spotts, Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, July 7, 2024

As we exited Grant Park, we passed by Buckingham Fountain one more time. Its fountains had been turned off for the night but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it look more beautiful than in the twilight of that Sunday night after the race.

Douglas Yeo and Cody and Phil Spotts atop the Sears Tower (AKA Willis Tower), Chicago, July 8, 2024. The red circle shows where we sat for the NASCAR Street Race.

We headed home again but our time together was not over. Cody wanted to do something he had never done before: go up a seriously tall building. So we took the train back to Chicago on Monday morning and visited the Sears Tower. From the observation deck, we looked down on the race course. In the photo above, you can see where our seats were in the red circle I drew between Cody and Phil. And yes, I’m wearing a Shane Van Gisbergen t-shirt. I’m a fan.

Cody and Phil Spotts on “The Ledge,” Sears Tower (AKA Willis Tower), Chicago, July 8, 2024.

But there was a limit to what I would do. While Cody and Phil happily—and fearlessly—walked out on the Sears Tower’s “The Ledge”—looking straight down 103 floors through glass to the street below—I was happy to be their official photographer, my feet firmly planted on the carpeted floor.

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Douglas Yeo and Cody Spotts, July 8, 2024

When we got back to our house after yet another train ride (Pat had prepared a delicious dinner; as good as the food was at the race, it was nice to be home and have Pat’s wonderful home cooking), Cody and I played trombone duets. I’d never heard Cody play trombone before and it was so great spend some time together with trombones in our hands. The thing that solidified Cody’s and my friendship—the trombone—was shared in a memorable, tangible way.

This is friendship. Being together, talking together, sharing together, enjoying experiences together. Saying “Yes” when a friend asks you to do something you can’t imagine yourself doing. And then appreciating how they stretched you. And saying—and showing—”thank you” when someone gives you a gift—and Phil and Cody gave me a remarkable gift. Not just tickets to a race weekend, but a shared brotherhood that started with our shared faith in Christ. The three of us know and truly understand what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Though separated by distance, when Cody asked to come to the Chicago Street Race with his dad and enjoy it with me, we picked up our relationship like we were next door neighbors who had never been apart. That is friendship.

Before I went to the NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend I did not know what to expect. These friends taught me a lot. We shared something that has bound us together in a new way, and I will treasure the memory. Just as I treasure our friendship. Thank you, friends.

Official program and my wristbands for the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend, July 6-7, 2024