Age has its Advantages,at least in racing

Its 2011 and the Daytona 500 will debut on Feb 20 .
40 years ago it debut on Feb 14 1971. Richard Petty won it also the championship. He won $46,000 for it. And one Mexican competed in it Ricardo Rodrguez.He finished 13th. This was also the last race for the winged Birds of Chrysler.

Back up 10 more years and the Daytona race was won by Marvin Panch(remember him) driving a Smokey Yunick Pontiac on Feb 26 1971. It was his first win of the season. This was also the last race for Lee Petty to qualify for.
How many of you remember who won last years Daytona 500?
How many of you remember who won the 1971 Daytona 500 ?
Only a select few were there in 1961 to see that Daytona 500 that can tell us of the event.
Now the point of this short post is taking its place, the historians can retell what some wrote back then but a true description can only come from a person on pit road or in the car. Otherwise we get our visions from people who were there such as Tim Leeming. His memory seems to be getting better lately because he himself duly admitted that Racers Reunion has jogged his memory on several years of foggy memories. People who can tell of the good ole days are slowly drifting into the 4th turn where the sun is so bright they just drift into eternity.
Jimmy Johnson is the man of the hour in 2010 but who was the man of the hour in 2001 Daytona 500.
who was the winner at the 1969 Columbia 200 in April of 1969 and who won the Middle Ga 300 on June 1st? Bobby Issac won both,he was on a streak that year, but no one speaks of him until his name was revived here on R/R. Now do you understand where Im going with this?
This year there will be more reunions than ever so it may be to our advantage to go and meet these senior drivers of yesterday before you read about them in past tense. Im not naming any names but the true heros are in our viewing and to shake their hand one more time is awesome to say the least.
I cherish each and every moment I can with them . I so wish I could have one more try at Sam on a 1/2 mile dirt because you went to school following him and trying to pass him was harder than any exam you ever took. I know,ask Billy or Tim or DW. I could go on but you get the picture. Most all of the older drivers go for the true pleasure of meeting and seeing everyone just one more time.
To go to the tracks of yesteryear and take a lap is impossible to describe. Dont take my word for it go yourself to the reunions and if you dont feel a fleeting swirl around you when certain things happen then you arent a true fan.
I know because for an instant I thought I saw my mentor talking to an old group of drivers in Columbia Sc last reunion. Remember Your Roots and above all cherish your---------------------------------------------------memories