CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dan Perry arrived in Charlotte from Tampa Bay, Florida, on Monday. So, in preparation for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, he's been dodging storms all week.

What You Need To Know

  • Dan and Dorothy Perry drove almost 600 miles to see their first Coca-Cola 600 race on Sunday

  • They estimate gas round trip will cost them $800 — double what they would typically spend on a trip like this

  • The Perrys watched a NASCAR race on their first date

It’s Perry’s first Charlotte NASCAR race, but not his first NASCAR experience. 

“Moved to Las Vegas in 2006, I was only 12 miles from the track. So I was at every race that they had,” he said.

That’s where he met his wife, Dorothy.

“One of our first dates was going — invited her over to the house to watch the race and do a little barbecuing,” he said.

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Perry and his wife have been NASCAR fans for 30 years.

The pandemic forced NASCAR to keep fans away from the track in 2020. It was disappointing for the Perrys, but when they learned stands were open to full capacity this year, Perry says his wife got an idea.

“She asked me if we could go to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600, and I said, well, if that’s what you want to do, honey, that’s what we’re gonna do,” he said.

It happens to be her birthday weekend, too. Her wish was granted — at a high cost to gas up their RV.

“Probably around 800 bucks,” Perry said.

It's a pretty penny thanks to inflation — for a trip that would typically cost half that amount.

Dorothy Perry is a die-hard Joey Logano fan. They watch him a lot.

“Every Sunday that there’s a race or Saturday when they’re actually racing. That’s our regular date,” she said.

They’re just glad this date is with other fans who love the sport as much as they do.