Why the Interest in NASCAR?

What is the big attraction to car driving around in a huge circle? (Okay, I now it's not technically a circle. More of an oval, I guess.)

I don't understand why people would pay hundreds of dollars to sit in horrible traffic to get the the racetrack to watch cars turn left. They don't go anywhere, just around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and around....

Here is an idea to make it more interesting: Make the track a figure eight. Now that would provide some interesting television.