Rumors about A Legend-ary Member
General
Ladies and Gentlemen, my Secretary of State, Mr. Sandeep Banerjee!!!
Forum Activity for @tim-leeming
General
Rumors about A Legend-ary Member
General
Well, well, Alex. Your creative juices were flowing for sure in this case. Not sure I could handle Kenseth on the ticket with me, but then again I could send him on a mission to confront ISIS face to face in a dark cave I suppose. When I am elected, I will put you on my Cabinet as Secretary of Weather. Your job will be to see no races are ever rained out. If you wish to have a private e-mail server, that's fine, because at this point, what difference does it make? Thank you for your support. Remember, "Making America Fast Again".
Service info on Dutch Hoag
-RacersReunion® OUTREACH
http://fagansfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/391/Donald-Hoag/obituary.html#tribute-start
Obituary information and tribute to Dutch from his hometown newspaper. Thanks for the notice Bill, and thanks to a special friend for providing the link information.
Winston Cup Museum
Administrative
First of all, a good friend e-mailed me first thing this morning to advise me of exactly what Dave and TMC Chase said. I guess either my memory is fading quicker than I thought, or there is just so much going on in my head every day that I need refreshers. Thank you all for pointing that out. Be that as it may, for me this was a new discovery this past week although I had once discovered it. How do I explain that? Guess I won't even try but thanks to those who pointed out my slip here. Dave, January 25, 2012, huh? I am surprised it slipped my mind that quickly.
Laverne, thank you for posting those awesome pictures. So, as I seem to get more and more forgetful these days, someone remind me we need to plan a trip up there over the summer.
Again, thank you all, especially YOU DAVE, for not calling me out on Mother's Day!!!!!
Winston Cup Museum
Administrative
How many of you are aware that there is a Winston Cup Museum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina? Established, I understand, in 2004 by Will Spencer. There is actually a FaceBook Page for the Museum. I really was surprised to discover this museum and as closely as I try to stay connected to the history of the sport, I am embarrassed to say I did not know it existed. I am working on having Mr. Spencer as a Tuesday night guest on Racing Through History as soon as that can be worked out.
If you already knew about this place, please let me know. If you have been there, please share your opinion of the place. The Facebook page is loaded with photos of memories of that era in racing in which I was deeply involved.
One final thing. Many of you have participated in our group trips to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame and Memory Lane Museum. How many would be interested in planning a trip to The Winston Cup Museum?
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:02:57PM
An update on the Coupe
Stock Car Racing History
Johnny, I had no idea your wife had been through so much. I'm happy to hear things have improved and I hope she returns to perfect health (if there is such a thing) very, very soon. Prayers to you and your entire family.
The Coupe is looking good. Bet you can't wait to put it in gear on the track. Keep us posted with your wife and with your race care.
God bless.
THE HUGE POPULARITY OF CURRENT NASCAR
Administrative
Oh the irony!!!! This is almost too funny to be real but it's the truth. I pay my subscription to The State yearly, at the end of June of each year. Last year, the rate was, as I recall, $282.00 which should have carried me through June 30, 2016. Today, in the mail, I receive the bill for renewal, which is shown in bold letters to be due by May 22nd. The first problem is, under contract law, because I had paid for the year, my subscription should not be due until June 30th. I am being cheated our of 39 days because the rates went up (unknown to me as I was never notified in writing of a modification to the contact. The new yearly rate is just about $12.00 short of $400.00. The State Newspaper has pulled a fast one and a highly questionable one if not legally, then surely morally. Can't even trust the guys down there any more.
I have decided that I will renew for only six months at the time. Partly because I'm not prepared to shell out $400.00 for a newspaper which might not last another year and based on their underhanded actions with this rate hike, I would fully expect if it goes out of business there would be no refund. I am ashamed for the newspaper for which I was a carrier for five years of my young life and which I have subscribed to for 45 years, faithfully. Goes to show you what loyalty will get you with the big corporations.
Ok, notice to The State. You've got me for six months. Whether you cover NASCAR or not is of no concern to me. Frankly, the poor quality of your paper and the printing these days does not warrant renewal, but because I need to keep up with obituaries and Dagwood and Blondie, I'll hang in for at least six months. Will you?
THE HUGE POPULARITY OF CURRENT NASCAR
Administrative
The State Newspaper, the largest newspaper in South Carolina (I believe) was once a strong supporter of NASCAR racing. Over the years we enjoyed the exclusive coverage by The State's own motorsports writers, Jim McLaurin, Jim Hunter, Joe Whitlock and others. All three of the named gentlemen were excellent writers and I especially enjoyed Jim McLaurin's sometimes unique look inside the sport. I have scrapbooks from the 60s containing articles from the State on races and sometimes (Daytona, Darlington, and Charlotte, and later to include Rockingham) almost the entire sports section was devoted to coverage.
The August 28, 1981, edition, in the "Weekend" section on the upcoming Southern 500 was a full page article, with color graphics all about me and my intense love for the sport. That was not even in the sports but the front page of the weekend section. Racing received many feature articles all the way through the nineties. After this morning, I'm wondering what we may have for The Southern 500 in Darlington this year.
The State no longerhas its own motorsports writers. They use reporters from other newspapers McClatchy owns, some good, some bad, and some so awful they didn't even know that Dale, Jr. had a Grandfather that tore up the Southern short tracks back in the day.
I guess my surprise this morning was the fact that, in six pages of sports, there was NO mention, not one word, about Talladega this weekend. Not one word about the Drivers' Council meeting with Brainless Brian in one of his rare appearances at a race track. I hear he didn't even tip the Uber driver who got him there from the airport. Oh, there was plenty of room to lament the fact that some players from one of our major universities haven't been drafted in the NFL dog and pony show yet. They had room for a highly overpaid college coach to have his picture taken with a couple of fans at a meet and greet at which he appeared. It would have been newsworthy, in my opinion, to report on the meeting with Brainless Brian.
Oh well, NASCAR can't even get a blip in the newspaper which once provided such excellent coverage. I know we find all we need to know on the internet now, but it would have been nice to read about that meeting over my bowl of Special K. What makes this even more impactful to me is the fact that I attend church with the Executive Sports Editor for the newspaper. He is an absolutely great guy. I do intend to mention this little fact to him at church tomorrow. It's not his fault as sports around this area consists of more about college football, baseball, basketball, tennis, and checkers than it does about news. If you read The State this morning, did you read about the 21 dead from a car bomb in the middle east? No? Why is that? They didn't have enough ink to print it after all the ink wasted on the NFL draft.
Ok, rant over for this morning.
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:02:57PM
Does NASCAR have a next generation of fans?
Current NASCAR
,NASCAR may have a next generation of folks attending races a time or two just for something different and, perhaps, exciting to do. And, there will be a few passionate fans who will develop a love for the sport as I did from age 5, but those will be very few. Even the misdirected efforts of NASCAR to appeal to the demographic they so highly desire, are proving only that the younger generation is fickle and constantly changing with their interests. Under the current leadership, NASCAR will never reach the audience which once filled the stands. I just do not see that happening.
I do know the appearances I do as "The Legend", fans of all ages show up. Many young kids with their parents will always talk to me (the feathers on the cowboy hat being the attraction), and I love that interaction. Some will have a favorite driver, some wouldn't know Jeff Gordon if he walked up to them, but at those ages, say 6 to 12,they do have an interest in the sport. Then comes High School and then, for most, college. When I was growing up,racing was looked down upon as a sport of rough-necks and dirty tracks. My mother didn't even want me telling folks at church that I had been at a short track somewhere with her brother the night before. By 1963, she was the biggest Richard Petty Fan on the planet. She was a race fan until the day she died, as was my Daddy after he discovered the sport in 1963, after I had already been immersed in it for 11 years.
We can't foresee the future. If it were different, I would be out buying lottery tickets by the hand full. However, my best guess is that the future of NASCAR is troubled and may soon be up for such changes as we never imagined and none of those changes good for the advancement of the sport.
Just a little side note here on the writer of the article. I find it almost hilarious that he laments the lack of interest in the automobile by youth these days. While that is true, with the writer being in the insurance industry he should know that insurance rates for young drivers is the primary reason most young folks seek other ways to get aroundunless their parents are rich enough to afford insurance for two under 20 teenagers. My distain for insurance companies comes from many experiences, the first of which prevented me from buying a brand new 1970 Plymouth Super Bird for $1,999.00 when the local Plymouth dealer was clearing out it's stock at the end of the model year. All insurance companies declined coverage because of my age (24) and the uniqueness of the car. Later in life, as I experienced 37 years in the legal practice, I watched insurance company after insurance company put their customers through untold horrors just trying to get a legitimate claim paid. I have often thought of writing a book on the insurance rip-off industry in this county.
Good post, Patrick. We'll see if there is a "next generation". I think not.
BACK TO FIVE LUG NUTS
Current NASCAR
NASCAR issued a statement this morning which informs all teams that all cars must now have all FIVE lug nuts on the wheel when put on the car. Wonder what happens to the $35,000.00 Brian fined Tony? The Drivers' Union should fine Brian France a like amount for causing such trouble over a positive statement made by Tony Stewart.
Even more poignant, I believe, is now there is an entity that can force NASCAR to back down. Do any of you long time fans ever remember a time NASCAR backed off a position such as this one? Brian, you had better be looking for a real job because your destruction of NASCAR will either be complete, or you will be forced out. Maybe you could get a job posting all the old Late Model Sportsman records you all have stacked in boxes on the web so fans can access them.
It is my hope that the faster speed ever recorded in NASCAR will be your private jet leaving for the West Coast where you will be lost to history!
updated by @tim-leeming: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM