But my point here is not to brag about my grandson, or any of the kids I worked with last week, but to state in general terms that my overall impression of kids these days is that they are far smarter at a younger age than the generation just before them. I’m not talking just technical knowledge, but general overall knowledge of how to do things and how to interact with folks. Although I was told many times that I was never shy, it was my general overall opinion when I was a kid that I was very, very shy. Kids today don’t seem to have that issue. Most all, say 98 out of 100, can interact with adults in a very positive way, and yes, that includes the 4 year-olds.
We have discussed here before, in fact many times, how the younger folks just don’t get into racing much like most of us did when we were young. Most of us hanging out here have memories of watching races, and if not actually watching them, at least listening to them on the radio, when we were very young. I’ve told the story, probably a million times, of how my Uncle Bobby and my Grandfather took me to my first race before I was six years old. I can still see those old coupes and coaches dashing around that dirt track over in Cayce, South Carolina. I can still smell the hot engines, the burning rubber, the gasoline. I can still hear the sound of those engines, much different than those of today. That night, in 1952, was the most exciting night of my life to that point and the most fascinating event I had ever seen. We didn’t even have a television in our home then so that trip to the race track was far more excitement than I knew could exist in my five year old world.
Whether or not my age at the time of my introduction to the sport was the deciding factor in capturing my attention for all these years, I do not know. I do know that I see kids today starting on the soccer field at age four and many, not all, are burned out with the sport by age 13 or 14. Then there are others who have played for several years and hope to keep right on playing. Same with the football, baseball, and basketball. I have no way to relate to whether or not I would have been hooked on a stick and ball sport if that had been my introduction to excitement, but I do know that my lack of coordination necessary to play such sports would seem to surely to inhibit my desire to participate. I just am not sure that, for the younger set, racing is all the excitement needed. When these kids go to movies where special effects can accomplish the seemingly impossible, what would be exciting about 43 cars going around in circles, or more appropriately, ovals, except the rare road course races.
One thing about the kids of today. Their imaginations seem to be limitless. When they see movies where robots turn into cars, where the U.S. Capitol building is blown up, and where almost anything can happen to almost anything or anyone, what is left to imagine? They have pretty much seen it all. No small wonder the demographic NASCAR seeks to impress, seems to turn their backs on the sport. More the pity there.
On the other hand, the young people I have encountered who have an interest in the sport are every bit as intense as I was back in the day. I’m still pretty intense in my support of racing, although there are those who would argue that some things I have said in past Legendtorials would dispute that statement. I’ve examined that issue this week as well and find that my negativity is not directed at any one person in the sport, or at the sanctioning body itself. My negativity is the result of issues I see as detrimental to the sport. How is that for turning a NASCAR catch-all rule into something for my personal use?
While there are those of us who believe NASCAR does listen to the fans and it is those who point out the abolishment of the top 35 starters rule and the introduction of the Gen-6 car are both the direct result of “fan speak”. I would truly like to believe that deep down, but if such is true, why do we still have “The Chase” when it is overwhelmingly disliked by fans in every poll that I have seen. Oh, and I’m sure there is someone out there who will find a poll and let me know not all polls side with me on The Chase issue.
Ok, let’s talk about some positive things from this past week. In light of losing Jason Leffler, most anything else would be positive. So, here we go.
I watched a couple hours of Le Mans late Saturday night. While the cars in that event were spectacularly beautiful, it was difficult to see what was going on as it was pouring rain and was very dark. I turned off the television and went to bed when the fog started to roll in at the track. Le Mans has always fascinated me, as has the 24 Hours of Daytona, as the cars race around in daylight and darkness, on a course that makes driving in the Blue Ridge Mountains look like a straight road.
I sat down Saturday to watch the Nationwide Race from the Wisconsin answer to Sonoma. I thought that was an incredibly interesting race from several aspects but most of all, I suppose, I was pulling for A.J. Allmendinger. I will always feel that he was done wrong by NASCAR, granted in part to his stupidity at the time, but the over reaction by the sanctioning body was far too excessive. Roger Penske put A.J. in a car at Indy and I watched him put on quite the show at the Brickyard. If he had not had the seatbelt issue, I doubt anyone would have caught him. I was so proud for A. J. on Saturday. I hope he is going to get back in a good ride in NASCAR in the Cup series. I think his personality and attitude add a great deal of positive vibes to the sport.
I even found a positive spin in Martin Truex winning Sunday. True, I don’t like the Toyotas and I don’t like Michael Waltrip (please note I did NOT say the word “hate”) but Truex has, to me, always exemplified a hard working driver worthy of being a winner. No one can say that he lucked into that win Sunday. He drove his heart out and the crew and the car delivered. It was sort of appropriate for a Toyota to win the “Toyota Save Mart 400”. I do have a question for all you Princess Sparkle Pony fans though. Did you see her crew tell the NASCAR official to get lost when she came in with the rear panel flapping after her third spin? How does that work? The crew actually rudely told the NASCAR guy to leave and surprisingly, he walked away. I’m lost on that one.
And what about Juan Pablo running out of gas and coasting all that distance to just make it to the finish line? That is a classic. And Duck Boy spinning Candy Man? I think everyone watching and in the pits was waiting to see Candy Man catch up to the Feathered one and put him in the dirt. But, alas, Candy Man had many more problems Sunday than caused by Duck Boy. Oh, and I use those monikers in a most friendly and kind attitude.
You know, as I stated last week, I like road course racing. But, I noticed both Saturday and Sunday, that as I watched the cars negotiating all those turns, that my mind would float back to those days of the Sixties when Dan Gurney was using the Wood Brothers Ford to whip that old track at Riverside. Watkins Glen, Sonoma, Road America and all those course have a history, but ah, Riverside! Maybe we just need to do a historic report on Riverside races at some point in time. The history from that track needs to be known to all fans of stock car racing. The Gurney years. The fact that we lost Joe Weatherly there in 1964. The fact that the 500 in 1969 was the first start of the Richard Petty FORD. Oh how I remember my dismay that Richard was in a Ford but he won that Riverside race in 1969.
One last note on road courses. When we get to November and the “Racing History Minute” that we have on the RacersReunion Forum, I’m going to talk about the 1963 one and only race on the road course in Augusta, Georgia. I was at that race and my memories of that day are truly so vivid it was like it was yesterday. I am so thankful that the Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society has endeavored to keep that memory alive. I actually walked some of that track a year ago and deep down in the woods the huge concrete letters that once spelled out “Augusta International Speedway” ( I think that’s correct) are all sitting there between the trees. The race there on that November afternoon was the last win for Fireball Roberts. If for nothing else, the site needs to remember that the best of NASCAR raced there once.
So, current events, a little bit of history, and a bit of NAPA know how tonight. I hope you enjoyed it because when I sat down to write this Monday afternoon, I had absolutely no clue what my topic would be. Sometimes I have to reach for the absurd to fill my allowed time slot here but I hope at least some of you enjoyed it. If not, come back next week and I’ll try again.
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