CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's going to be a busy weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, as fans make their way to North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600. But there’s one couple who has a unique love for the sport.

What You Need To Know

  • A Maryland couple makes the trip to North Carolina every year because of their love for NASCAR
  • Wanda Tyler says once you start liking NASCAR, you get hooked
  • The Coca-Cola 600 is at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway

Each time Wanda Tyler and her husband, Beetle Tyler, visit Charlotte, the first stop on their list is the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

They drive from Maryland, just to get the in-person experience.

“It takes us nine hours, but it’s well worth the drive," Wanda Tyler said.

It might take four or five stops along the way, but, they say each visit they learn something new. It's something that makes their love for NASCAR grow just a little bit more.

Over the years she has met Joe Gibbs, David Ragan and others.

"We stood in a line overnight one time so my mother could get a Carl Edwards autograph, and we’ve been to the Bass Pro Shop where you have to stand in lines for two or three hours. We’ve stood in many lines," Wanda Tyler said.

She can name most of the drivers off the top of her head and can even tell you who’s related on the raceway. 

As she points to a plaque with drivers' signatures, she reflects.

"It makes me feel closer to my dad," she said. "He’s been gone 18 years, so it kinda lets me feel his presence a little bit.”

Before he passed from from lung cancer, she says, she would spend Saturdays at the dirt track with her dad, but now she shares that love for racing with her husband.

“It’s more than just watching a sport, it really is. We just love it and we do it together. Once you start liking NASCAR, you’re hooked," Wanda Tyler said.

The Coca-Cola 600 begins 6 p.m. Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.