RacersReunion.com…Promoting, Supporting, and Sharing the History of Stock Car Racing
Throughout the history of the sport of stock car racing, weve seen new faces enter into the sport and familiar faces leave for retirement. Sadly, there are a finite number of top spots available. Many drivers retire, not due to lack of desire and diminishing abilities, but for a myriad of other reasons. Often sponsors are looking for younger faces to reach a younger or different demographic. Many times team owners are looking for younger drivers to enhance long-range planning capabilities, and the older guys are moved to roles of mentoring, to coach and teach the attributes that only come with years of experience. And too, sometimes the ever increasing, hectic pace required in todays evolutionary version of the sport is just more than they care to pursue. Family values and quality time away from the strenuous schedule often mean stepping away from a passionate love.When this occurs, there are waves of loyal fans left in limboleft with the task of determining which of the new crop of drivers will be deserving of their attention and following. This evolution most always leaves floundering fans in the wake, yearning for the passion they have felt over the years. Rest assured they never lose the passion. They never lose the loyalty they felt for their driver. They remain a fan for life. This is evident when veteran drivers make appearances for autograph signings. Fans often line up in droves carrying souvenirspieces of history, the history they relish, for the opportunity to have their hero sign and smile to acknowledge their appreciation for a fan's loyalty.This process has occurred throughout the history of stock car racing, each cycle leaving fans with the opinion that the sport has changed and will never be as good as it was. Yet each year there are new fans brought into the sport. Many are without knowledge of the past and the way it used to bewithout knowledge of the contributions the veterans and their fans made to the sport. It is obvious there is a need to recognize those contributions. There is a need to keep alive the celebrity of those drivers. There is a need to keep those drivers in front of the droves of loyal fans who boosted the sport of stock car racing into the pinnacle of success that it has become. This success didnt happen with out them. It didnt happen without the drivers who provided the entertainment. It didnt happen without the fans who bought the sponsors products in support of their driver. It didnt happen without the sponsors who poured their money into the sport. It didnt happen without the media who covered the sport.History is important and should be promoted and supported rather than discarded. The sport of stock car racing and NASCAR in particular wouldnt exist without the contributions of the early drivers, fans, sponsors, and mediawithout the passion that drove it all. The passion lives on at RacersReunion.com. This central location to gather and share history among veterans and newcomers alike was created to give back to a sport that has given so much to so many.July 20, 2008By Jeff Gilder,Creator of RacersReunion.com
To Jeff Gilder...and all of you...my position of interviewing these former and truly terrific drivers (and others associated with racing) for racersreuinionradio...has been a great experience. I look forward to many more conversations with others.My work in radio and TV in such cities as Norfolk, Richmond, Dover, San Antonio and Dallas has put me in the company of a lot of celebrities. Some of those in the spotlight are terribly egocentric and often not approachable.But, racers (the vast majority) don't look at themselves as "special"...even though I think of most are extraordinary personalities. They're genuine, honest, hard-working people who love to perform by doing what they do so well and responding positively to their fans. There were some of us who were associated with these fellas when we were all young. Back then they raced and I was among the group that reported about them in print, on public address systems or on the air.The ones I've known best - and there some I never have even met - have always been perceived as the best "salt of the earth". Isnt' that why we care so much about them? They represent what being a "great American" is.Hopefully,the young guys who are on the tracks today will be numbered among the great drivers "of the past" after pulling into the pits for the last time. They will earn that recognition if they follow the examples of the men - and women - who have gone before.Thanks to every member of racersreunion who lends his or her support to each of these past competitors and honors them by being important part of this group.We salute you.Jim SeayRacersReunionRadio.
Jim, I want to thank you very much for you contribution to this sport...then...and now!Jeff
Those are welcome words, Ed, and thanks very much.\This is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to talk with each of these folks. They certainly keep their names in justified positions of honor by being so straightforward and are more articulate than some people may have thought.We also appreciate what you and so many others are doing in the various realms of keeping these guys on the highest plateaus.