If you have not been to a Top Fuel drag race, and have the opportunity to go, you should go. They are quite the spectacle. Being there, hearing, feeling, and seeing those 10,000HP monsters fly down the track is worthy of experiencing live, at least once. The kind of thing you can't watch on TV.

I can say the same for a Monster Truck rally. Go there and embrace your inner 10 year old watching those machines Move. (And, boy, can they move!)

Bring earplugs.

There's more to the sports than the pinnacle of achievement. There are innumerable classes within drag racing, something for everyone. It's not a "solved" problem by any means. Folks will continue to try and master the start, getting traction, keeping that beastly powered thing straight in the lane, trying to not choke on their beating heart that has surged into their throat.

Bracket racing is a hoot where folks bring whatever they like, and they're rated by time (i.e. a "time bracket"). Whether you're running a old 60's hot rod, a Jet Powered car, or anything else, if you can run within the time, it's pretty much fair game. And it can be fun to watch, and real fun to participate in.

Racing of all kinds can be a fun culture to be around.

I wholeheartedly agree: Monster truck stadium shows are once-in-a-lifetime events—as in, see one, and you’re good for life. That said, they’re hugely entertaining, and I’m glad I went.

Other things I would recommend in the “see at least once and you’re good” category:

1/ A major sporting event where the fans believe something is at stake, like the run-up to the playoffs. In the U.S., baseball tickets can be had for reasonable prices in small markets late in the season, and the seats don’t matter. You want to experience the emotion and energy firsthand. Unlikely to turn you into a fan, but the experience will be one you think on for years to come.

2/ A live sporting event where the outcome makes no difference, like your local minor league team. Again, seats don’t matter—you want to feel the buzz and sense of community.

3/ Amateur musical theatre. The on-stage talent is often top-tier, while the rest of the production is endearingly amateurish. But the enthusiasm, honesty, and agenda-free earnestness of the production will make you love people a little more.

4/ Opera…

You get the point. Any endeavor where a group of people dedicate huge energy—often their lives—into making a show, along with their incredibly enthusiastic fans, is worth your time. Also, sometimes you can get corn dogs or drink wine out of a plastic cup.

It doesn't seem to be advertised well because I've never met anyone in Europe who is aware, but there are usually a few European stops on the Monster Jam tour. Looks like only 1 in Sweden next year.[1]

[1]https://www.monsterjam.com/sv-se/events/stockholm-sweden/feb...

Drag races? Monster trucks? No, the real fun comes with a demolition derby. Schumpeterian creative destruction.