Rowdy infields of 'Dega's past no longer present (cont'd)

The welcome mat is always out at Dever's spot in the infield.

I walked onto his bus, which was covered in NASCAR pictures, plaques and posters; signatures from everyone famous and infamous who had been on the bus.

Athena Barber

Lanyards are "it" for women at track

NASCAR ladies are upping their fashion ante inside and around the track with beads this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Colorful beaded lanyards are becoming commonplace on the traditionally fashion-backward scene of NASCAR.

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Eager to join the lore, I scribbled a large NASCAR.COM on the ceiling and Dever told me about Talladega.

"Well first of all it hasn't been dangerous since about 1994 or 1995, but Mike Helton and NASCAR have done a lot to clean it up," he said. "But some areas they've gone overboard. Some things are still accepted here and it adds character. You're in the heart of NASCAR right now, right here in Talladega."

The changing tone of the infield doesn't bother Dever and if he drinks a few too many and can't recall where Junior qualified, that doesn't bother him either. Because Talladega is not about who wins the race.

"It's about getting to see your friend just one time that whole year ... one time at Talladega," said Dever with a look of sincerity that convinced me I was missing out on something here. "Me personally, I've made friends and memories and had conversations that can never be replaced."

For me, it was about soaking up the institutional knowledge of all the fans in the infield. Oh and learning to two-step with Dever.

His black-brimmed cowboy hat kept hitting me in the face and I kept stepping on his bare feet with my purple Nike Shox. The scene alone was a clear distinction between my world and his.

Nevertheless, my side hurt from laughing and we danced to a Tracy Lawrence song, If the World Had a Front Porch.

At the end of the ballad, he dipped me, looked into my wide eyes and asked, "Now was that so dangerous?"

Nope and I believe if the world did have a front porch, it would be full of NASCAR fans, NASCAR fans from Talladega.