What could be better than a Sunday afternoon spent watching your favorite race car driver cross the finish line in first place? Sharing the exciting moment with a room full of friends and loved ones!  

Planning a race-themed party is the perfect way to serve up plenty of laughs, good food, and a little friendly competition. And you can eliminate the stress of party planning by taking a few shortcuts. 

Race over to social media to invite your friends

Social media makes party planning easy. You can create an event and invite your friends with the swipe of a finger. Ask your guests to arrive dressed in their favorite racing gear, and ask everyone to bring their favorite alcoholic beverage if desired.

You should time your party to begin about 30 minutes prior to the start of the race. This will give guests plenty of time to arrive and get settled in before the green flag drops. Be liberal when setting a time for the party to end. Multiple cautions and rain delays can cause significant delays in the finish of the race.

Include instructions regarding weather-related race changes. If a race is canceled due to inclement weather, you may want to have a backup party date planned.

Give the green flag to a catering service

Preparing the food is probably the most time-consuming part of getting ready for a party. You have to make time to plan the menu, shop for groceries, and prepare the food. Why cook when you don't have to?

Hiring a professional catering service to handle the food for your race party will save you tons of time and stress. Call several catering services to ask about their menu choices, prices, and their cancellation policy if the race party needs to be rescheduled due to bad weather.

Some good food options for a race-themed party include barbecued pulled pork sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, beef brisket, baked beans, coleslaw, etc. You may also want to have finger foods like chips, dips, bologna, and cheese on hand for your guests to snack on.  

Throw the caution flag about decorating

Don't waste time and money buying decorations you will toss in the trash later. Your friends will be too busy watching the race to look around wondering where all the decorations are. In fact, when your guests show up wearing their favorite racing apparel, you will have all the decorations you need.

Throw the red flag on cleaning the entire house

Cleaning is best left for after the party. Your friends are coming to have a good time. They aren't concerned about the dust on the coffee table or if everything is organized and neat.

However, most guests will appreciate a clean bathroom. It will only take a few minutes to clean the toilet, wipe down the bathroom sink, and refill the hand soap. Make sure you place a few extra rolls of toilet paper by the toilet to spare guests the embarrassment of having to ask for a new roll.

Race fans are passionate about the sport and their favorite drivers. When race fans get together there's bound to be plenty of just-for-fun competition. Having a race party is a great way to spend some time with your friends and enjoy your favorite Sunday afternoon sport.