Carolina resident starts tailgating league at tracks

While most NASCAR fans start their race weekend Friday, Neil Van Der Jagt began his a week ago.

The 73-year-old retired CPA from Wisconsin will have been camped out at Lowe's Motor Speedway cooking three meals a day on his charcoal grill, mingling with other campers around the track and hosting Cornhole outside his 40-foot motor coach before some fans can even get off work.

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Van Der Jagt, who always shows up a week early, is a devoted tailgater who has attended races at LMS for the last 10 years.

It's dedication from Van Der Jagt and hundreds like him that has prompted one North Carolina resident to sanction tailgating games at tracks and hopefully other national sporting events.

Todd Hirschfeld, a 29-year-old Virginia Tech grad and expert in outdoor entertaining, is the creator of the National Tailgating League, a newly formed organization to endorse and execute organized tailgating games such as Cornhole, Ladder Golf and Washer Toss.

The first official event is set for Memorial Day weekend at LMS in conjunction with the Coca-Cola 600. The inaugural NTL doubles Cornhole tournament will take place on May 23-24 in the campgrounds.

"Some friends and I were at Daytona this season sitting in the motor home yakking it up talking about fans playing games for two weeks straight, 24 hours a day and how crazy it is not to have somewhat of a club, if you will, for them to be a part of. A club where they can compete and create camaraderie," said Hirschfeld, whose day job is spent working at his sports marketing agency in Cornelius, N.C., which represents a range of NASCAR clients. (Continued)