It Wasn't Always Fun

I had lots of fun traveling the big time stock car racing circuit for a number of years.

But each year when the first Pocono race of the year rolls around, I remember a day when it wasn't fun.

I love racing at Pocono and I love the area - beautiful mountains and great restaurants and nice people. However, if you've ever been in the Poconos at this time of year, you'll know that the mornings can get really foggy and the mist just hangs around. Darrell Waltrip's "vortex" doesn't work in the Poconos.

In 1981, I agreed to pay for some chartered flights to several Winston Cup venues for myself, my assistant Wrangler program manager, Bob Janelle and driver Dale Earnhardt. Danny Culler of Piedmont Aviation in Winston-Salem, NC put these junkets together and would fly 2-4 small aircraft to Pocono, Dover, Talladega and Michigan.

On a nice June morning in Greensboro, NC, Janelle and I drove in the Wrangler Racing van over to Smith-Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, NC to fly to Pocono. We weren't scheduled to land at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport or the Allentown Airport where the commercial jets landed, but at the Mt. Pocono Airport, then a little strip for private aircraft on top of Mt. Pocono.

Recent Aerial Photo of Mt. Pocono Runways

Our pilot was Dale Earnhardt's next door neighbor on Lake Norman, Loren Edwards, a commercial jet pilot for Piedmont. The other passengers besides Dale, Janelle and myself were Wes Beroth of RJR/Winston and radio announcer Barney Hall.

Long before 1981 was over I learned that I didn't like flying back and forth to races in small planes. There were tornadoes leaving Michigan and really bad storms leaving Talladega. And Barney Hall knew just how to not put you at ease. Flying into the little strip near Dover Downs he'd always pointed out the culvert that driver Dick Brooks hit and flipped his plane.

Anyhow, on this inaugural flight to the Mt. Pocono airport, the region was shrouded in fog. Loren made a pass but we never saw the runway. He made a second pass and we still didn't see the runway. My mouth was dry and my heart was racing. I was absolutely scared to death.

As we began to circle for a third approach, Earnhardt grabbed Loren's arm and informed him as only Dale could do that we were not making a third try for the runway nobody could see. We landed eventually at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but in July we did land at Mt. Pocono on a really nice morning. It was the only time I ever landed there. I gave up small planes after 1981 - they scared me.

Back then, when we'd return at night from a race, Dale would have Loren drop him off at a cowpasture strip around Statesville, NC, illuminated by smudgepots and car headlights. That kind of flying was not for me.

I guess those were the good ole days, though.

My Dad used to fly to his various jobs in a Cessna. It was a 4 passenger but it had a hard time taking off from those dirt spots Dad called strips. A guy up in Travelers Rest (cant remember his name) put a bigger motor on that plane and it would hop off the ground then.

One time it was so foggy you couldnt see the fog he set that dang thing down on the dirt and I swore off flying with him then and there.

Dad was a B-25 pilot and a dang good one but I can drive slow enough on the ground to miss a tree but that crop dusting he liked to do wasnt my cup of tea.. Mama put a stop to it after I voiced my displeasure's..

The reason you were able to land at Pocono on a clear sky day in July 1981 is simple. Unlike any previous race at the track - or any Pocono races after it - a Schaefer-sponsored car was in the show for the Mountain Dew 500. D.K. Ulrich fielded a Buick for Al Loquasto. Clear skies were just part of the karma.

Source: TMC Collection

Better bring on the Schaefer then!

Sometimes Mama can be a boy's best friend.

This enough to get you through the flight Dave? Could ship it to you from Vegas. Figured you might want the lower calorie version at your age. Ha!

I gave up traveling by air after three consecutive attempts by airlines to kill me. All three stories terrify me even today and my last flight was a Delta one back about 1999. Prior to those three attempts, Allegahny Airlines (remember them) slid me through a fence on an ice covered runway in Providence, Rhode Island back in the 60s. Rather take my chances riding with "Crash Patrick" on some race track. At least I wouldn't have far to fall.

Gave up my beloved beer in 1999, but if I ever started back my wife would make me do the low cal if she didn't leave me first!

I bet with all the influence weilded by RR, we could promote a ride for Legend in the #10 with GoGirl. What do you folks out their in RR land think? Should we lobby for Danica to give Legend a lift?

Dave, I know all about those racing and flying stories ....my dad was flying his plane home from the 1976American 500at Rockingham. The plane developed engine problems and crashed in Columbus county, NC...maybe 15 minutes from home. One passenger survived, but dad and another passenger were DOA. It was October 24 1976, and Richard Petty won, I had also attended the race, but fortunately (for me) had driven my car. I had made the flight w/dad many times as it was only about a 45 minute trip from Shallotte.

Goodness, Bobby. Had never heard that, but thank you for sharing.

Having grown up with a small-plane, private pilot the most dangerous aspect of this type of flight, (IMO) is not necessarily the plane itself, but the pilot's super-confidence in the entire subject. Apparently it's a consequence of the subject.

Bobby, you are so right. I knew many, many pilots in my Air Force days and private pilots later and never met one that wasn't confident in his or her ability. I walked away from one that could have been much worse and to top it off it was witnessed by my wife and young son. I'm sorry about the loss of your father. My condolences to you.

I don't know any pilots but I assume that self-confidence is one of the requirements of the job. Sort of like the response you get when you ask a driver if he's aware of the risks of going 200mph.

About the worst response you can get when you ask a pilot a question is "I don't know, I guess we'll find out"