Let me set the scene: We had a fancy parking pass, a sunny weather forecast, and children excited for engines louder than their everyday sibling arguments. We also had absolutely no idea what was about to unfold.

🚗 Step One: Park Like You've Never Parked Before

We kicked off our Ford Nationals adventure by parking approximately 47 miles from the gate, despite having a parking pass that practically begged us to get closer. It’s fine. I needed steps. Who doesn't love a good cardio warm-up before wrangling seven children through a crowd of Mustangs?

🎁 Step Two: Goody Bag Glory

After hiking in like pioneers, we made our way to Customer Service to snag our kids’ goodie bags. Macaroni tip: If you go in through the exit, you skip the show-field line entirely. Ask me how I know. (No really, ask—after you’ve waited in the long line like we did.)

But was it worth it? Oh yes.
Stickers! Coupons! FREE drink cups! And more excitement than the time we found a waffle fry in the car seat.

💃 River’s Grandstand Debut

We caught some live music near the grandstand, and River stole the show with her impromptu dance performance. If you were near us and saw a tiny rainbow blur twirling near a speaker—you’re welcome.

🍕 Pizza Before the Pummel

The food court delivered (emotionally and physically). Get the large pizza from Marcello’s—trust me. It fed all of us, and I didn’t even have to Google "how many fries is too many for a toddler."

Then... the sky went black.

⛈️ Enter: The Monsoon of 2025

It started as a drizzle. It escalated to biblical proportions. We tried to wait it out with ice cream (because, of course), but ultimately, we surrendered to the storm and bought ponchos like the optimistic fools we were.

Spoiler: Ponchos are useless in horizontal rain.

So we did what any good Macaroni family would do:
We yelled battle cries.
We stomped puddles.
We charged through the flood zone like victorious swamp warriors.

🌞 And Then... The Sun

By the time we made it back to the car (still parked somewhere near Pittsburgh), the sun came out like, “What storm?”

And you know what we said?

Screw it. WE ARE CARSHOWING.

🛻 Monster Trucks Make Everything Better

This time, we parked correctly (growth!) and made a beeline to the monster truck rides, which were WILD in all the best ways.

Our 6-year-old declared it “the second best day of my life.”
We even crushed two cars, much to our resident gearhead’s dismay. (“That one was actually kinda cool…” Sorry, Easton.)

🏁 Drift Demo and Done

We finished our day at the drift demo where the older kids begged me to ride along (only available to guests over 18). I love them, but I also love not spinning in circles with a stranger behind the wheel of a neon rocket car. I watched with them from the sidelines and had an amazing time doing so.

🎉 Final Verdict

What started as a maybe-washout turned into one of our most memorable, ridiculous, joy-filled family days ever. We didn’t even do everything we planned—there’s just that much to see.

And yes, we’ll be back for Truck Nationals in August.
With closer parking.
With extra socks.
With the knowledge that sometimes the best days are the ones where everything goes sideways and you go stomping right through it anyway.