Almost 50 years ago, one of my very best friends of all time was a huge Chevy man. I was a Plymouth man through and through. My friend and I would argue before, during, and after every race. We could bend the results of a race better than the Office of the President and spin whatever he wants spun!! I won’t even go into the night I pulled up to the stop light on Elmwood Avenue the same day I had picked up my brand new Road Runner. He was driving a SS 396 Chevelle. It was close to midnight and there was no traffic around, nor did we see any of those members of the City of Columbia Racing Team with those pretty blue lights. I don’t need to even tell you all what happened. I won’t tell you who won because I’m sure the other side would tell a completely different story. But I know what happened and it is indisputable!
My friend and I sort of lost contact for a number of years but a few years ago we reconnected and it was as though all those years had not passed. We no longer argue about the Chevys and the Plymouths, but then they don’t even make Plymouths anymore. As I sit here in The Lair, I am looking at a picture of my friend and me taken at The Columbia Speedway Festival a couple of years ago as he and I stand by the Petty Plymouth 43 that Mike Sykes brought down. Funny thing is, the event was sponsored by Love Chevrolet. Sort of best of both worlds for us.
Over my sixty years around racing, I’ve had friends who pulled for those drivers I did not like. I had a good friend who pulled for Fred Lorenzen. There were times when that friendship was tested. I had a friend who was a Bobby Allison fan and there was a time when he and I almost came to blows because what he perceived as Bobby teaching Richard a lesson was perceived by me to be dirty driving on the part of Bobby. We both watched the same races, but we saw what happened in totally different lights. These days, those difference are forgotten. I totally respect both Bobby Allison and Fred Lorenzen.
Stop and think about this. Within the past three or four months, we Americans have learned new words like “Fiscal Cliff” and “Sequestration”. Ever heard those words before this Congress sat down? I never had. Point here being that these problems are caused because we have Democrats and Republicans who remain so divided in their opinions of what our country needs that they seem to forget they are Americans first. Why is it that the approval rating for Congress (as of Monday, March 11, 2013, at 4:30 p.m. per “Congressional Rating” is at 11%)? Tell me how only 11% of the country supports what is going on yet these folks get elected. I would really like to know that, but the point of this Legendtorial is not political and is certainly not intended to support one side over the other, just to point out the obvious. What about college football rivalries? Some say there is nothing more divisive in sports than college football. Ask Carolina-Clemson fans. Auburn-Alabama fans.
I’m sure most of you know enough about history to know that when this country was nothing more than the dream of some idealistic men, it almost never got off the ground because of the divide over slavery. Our forefathers were wise enough to reach a compromise by finding those things upon which they could agree. Good thing, huh?
So, why am I rambling on (as I’m sure Jeff is asking himself right now)? Not to prove a point, but to, perhaps, make all of us think. It is no secret, if you’ve been reading the Forum this past week, that there has been hurt distributed to individuals by other individuals in comments made on the Forum. While I have read each and every Forum post carefully and several times, I do not personally find any specific post to be outright offensive to any party although I can fully and completely understand how some remarks may be interpreted in ways other than they were intended. I am well-known as someone who is very “opinionated”. I am not ashamed of that, nor am I proud of that. That just happens to be who and what I am. I hardly ever sit on the fence. I am either for or against most anything you want to discuss and I don’t hesitate to let you know which side of the issue I represent. Each of you, however, should form your own opinions based on your personal preferences for what you feel. Just because we don’t agree on certain issues doesn’t make me right, nor does it make you right. It is an opinion.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have spoken out strongly about my feelings on the Jeremy Clements issue and later the Denny Hamlin issue. I do feel strongly about each of those issues and before I ever made a statement on either, I thought each through based on what I believe. If you do not believe the same thing, no problem. You will not change my mind and most of you who have e-mailed me and commented to me in other ways won’t be changed either.
Another issue that has bothered me for sometime is how my feelings regarding Danica Patrick are perceived. Let me make this clear here and now. I think Danica is very good for NASCAR. That is her mission in life right now and NASCAR is benefiting from it. She is a shining star for NASCAR. Whether or not she ever wins a race is not even a consideration as long as she can continue to get the air time and the continuing compliments during television broadcasts.
As for the Generation Six car, I think it is a wonderful move by NASCAR to bring back not only the fans’ interests, but also to allow the manufacturers some identity out there on the track. I will stand by my assessment of the Daytona 500 as a parade. I was not necessarily impressed with Phoenix but I've never really cared for that track anyway. Las Vegas was a good race and while I’m sure the talking heads had been instructed by NASCAR not to even hint at “Aero push” or anything else to do with the Gen-Six car, Larry Mac couldn't help but get overcome by emotion as he sang the praises of all the passing during the race. Oh, and did you hear the all time greatest quote ever made on a racing broadcast when D.W. said, referring to the Denny Hamlin issue, “it’s time for drivers to let their driving do the talking and keep their mouths shut”. That may not be an exact quote, but the all time mouth of NASCAR, old “Jaws” actually said that taking the NASCAR stand on the Hamlin issue.
What I’ve said here could have been said in a couple of sentences, but I have 15 minutes to fill every Tuesday. Bottom line is that I get patted on the back and highly complimented every week about my Legendtorials. I also get blasted by those who don’t agree. Both are fine with me. I like the fact that we are all individuals with God-given talents and individual interests. Some of us like Chinese food and some of us can’t stand it. Yet there are thousands of Chinese Restaurants around. Some like Pizza and some don’t but there are thousands of Pizza restaurants around. Pick what you want. It’s up to you.
Let us all remember that this site, RacersReunion, was established by Jeff Gilder to allow all of us to join together and share memories and pictures of the history of the sport we love. The pure intent of the site is, by its very nature, inclined to talk about current events in the sport. These discussions often bring up issues because we all have our favorite and our own ideas about how one or the other driver races. Through constructive debate, we all learn more than we would have by all taking the same stand. If what I see in the sport is different from what you see in the sport, does that make me automatically wrong? Does it make you automatically wrong? I don’t think so.
So, my fellow racers and race fans, let us always remember we have something special here. Let us not degenerate to verbal assaults and insults. Rather, let us remember that through our individuality, we all add to the site and make it better than it could possibly be if only one point of view was acceptable. Yes, I am opinionated, very opinionated, and that, dear friends, is my opinion.
Please remember last year when Clint Bowyer chased Jeff Gordon through the pits. That was as close to a bad incident as we've had in racing in a long time. Yet, watch them this year. They may not be best buddies, but they seem to have overcome their differences and are at least able to laugh and joke about the incident. I don’t believe anyone here has intentionally wrecked the other on the track (Johnny Mallonee, hush!) so no matter what verbal altercations we may have encountered, remember, we are, in reality, all one. Besides, there are about one billion folks in China who really don’t even care what we think!
Email: legendtim83@yahoo.com
Twitter: @legendtim83
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