What initially drew him to the sport were the cars and the speed. Then, as he got more involved, it was the people. Once he got his driver’s license, he started to attend Slinger Super Speedway on a more regular basis.
Margetta went to his first NASCAR race in July 1984 when he was 14 years old. He and the family took a vacation to attend the Talladega 500, a race won by Dale Earnhardt.
“There were 68 lead changes and only 10 cars crossed the line,” Margetta said.
Two years later, he was back at Talladega to watch Bobby Hillin Jr. win. That was the only Cup race Hillin Jr. won in 334 career Cup starts spanning 17 years.
“I was pretty hooked then,” Margetta said. “That’s when I decided I really wanted to get involved (in racing).”
In 1988, Margetta attended the Miller High Life 400 at Michigan, won by Rusty Wallace. And, in 1992, he watched Ernie Irvan win the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. From there, Margetta racked up the races and started to jot down each NASCAR race he attended.
That number has grown to 113, which is commemorated in a bound book. His 100th race was the 2017 Brickyard 400.
His favorite race was Matt Kenseth’s first Cup win – the 2000 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
“Matt was a guy that’s kind of close to my age that I really saw from the start and go all the way through,” Margetta said. “It was cool to have him get to Cup and to be there when he won … I’ll never forget watching that thing from the stands thinking, ‘Oh my God. He’s going to win this thing.’”
In those 113 races, Margetta has gone to more than 14 tracks covering 10 states. The track he’s been to the most? That would be Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he’s been 21 times. He said there are people who remember him when he arrives at Homestead.
There are two more on his schedule for this year and Margetta plans to attend the 2021 Daytona 500.
“I just liked to keep track of where I was,” Margetta said about why he logs the NASCAR races he attends.
Margetta has turned his love and passion for racing into a hobby and a second career. His primary career is an IT specialist.
His dedication is respected and admired by those who know him and/or follow his work. There have been times where he’s gone from Indianapolis to watch a race and drove the five or six hours to Slinger to make it in time for the Sunday night program.
There have also been times Margetta attended the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on Sunday night, but a Slinger race was postponed from Sunday to Monday, so he got off his flight in Milwaukee, tossed his suitcase in his car and drove right to Slinger.
“I like being (at Slinger),” Margetta said, adding – and partially kidding – he wouldn’t mind owning a helicopter or a jet to make some of his traveling from track to track easier.
Another reason why he does it is he knows the drivers respect him and his efforts, placing plenty of value on it. Tracks also place value on Margetta’s work when assessing situations that are missed on the track.
“It felt cool that they thought that much of me for me to do that and the drivers seem to be OK with it,” Margetta said, adding that, in a way, he almost feels guilty when he’s not at the track. But he also said he doesn’t feel any pressure to attend the races.
“That’s why I want to be here,” Margetta said, adding he’ll “make the effort to get (to the track)” if it means that much to the drivers and tracks.
After all, it keeps him at the race track, a place he loves.