Oh Yeah...That Sport
Several who have been reading have asked me about my avocation. I do a little writing for Racing Information Systems and their webpage, www.motorsportsforum.com. I should have included that in the title of this blog, but space limitations didn't allow it. I have been a fan of automobile racing and the automobile for most of my life.
I used to trade cars every two years. Of course, I can't do that anymore, but that's how much I love new cars. Before I was old enough to buy cars, I still could get my jollies when the new models came out. I inherited this from my father who always went to the dealer when the new Fords came out. By the time I was thirteen or fourteen, I realized that in the South they were racing the new models each February at Daytona and I became interested. We would all head to Martinsville, VA in the Spring to watch the big boys of the NASCAR Grand National series race. Of course, that is now called the NEXTEL Cup Series, but it was the same--the latest models going head to head for superiority.
I never had one favorite driver. It was always who was driving the Fords. I could name Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Lee Roy Yarbrough, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, and Dale Jarrett as favorites, but only when they drove Fords. Back in the 60's and 70's, there was only radio to follow the sport and the only station I could pick up in rural Greenbrier County was in Roanoke, VA, some 100 miles away. That necessitated driving to the top of Sewell Mountain to listen. Then CBS sarted showing the races live (ABC's Wide World of Sports had replays) and ESPN turned it into a weekly event and interest grew. It is no longer a regional sport.
In 1996, I was invited to participate in the reporting of the races by Mike Snow who was then the NASCAR Editor of RIS. Mike moved on to a permanent job in the sport and I found myself attending races in Rockingham, NC, Bristol, TN, Charlotte, Martinsville, and Richmond as a reporter. My biggest thrill was Labor Day in 1999, when I was privileged to cover the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway for RIS. About 2001, I became NASCAR Editor. I enjoy seeing the inside of the sport on a part-time basis and have much respect for the reporters who do this as their only living. The travel alone would kill me.
I've met most of the stars of the sport and I even had a one-on-one meeting with the late Dale Earnhardt at Bristol in 1999. It was the Spring race and I had just been diagnosed with hypertension. The medication they had given me made my ankles swell. I hd only been taking the medication for a couple of days as I headed to Bristol. It was a hot Sunday and my ankles grew twice their normal size. I finally was having trouble walking and leaned on pit road to inspect my ankles. I looked up and there stood Ironhead, bigger than life. I'll never forget what he said to me, "You better go inside where the air conditioning is and put your legs up." Nothing like getting medical advice from probably the best stock car driver of his time.
I'll comment later on the sham known as the "Chase for the Championship" later when they start going around in circles again.
I used to trade cars every two years. Of course, I can't do that anymore, but that's how much I love new cars. Before I was old enough to buy cars, I still could get my jollies when the new models came out. I inherited this from my father who always went to the dealer when the new Fords came out. By the time I was thirteen or fourteen, I realized that in the South they were racing the new models each February at Daytona and I became interested. We would all head to Martinsville, VA in the Spring to watch the big boys of the NASCAR Grand National series race. Of course, that is now called the NEXTEL Cup Series, but it was the same--the latest models going head to head for superiority.
I never had one favorite driver. It was always who was driving the Fords. I could name Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Lee Roy Yarbrough, Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, and Dale Jarrett as favorites, but only when they drove Fords. Back in the 60's and 70's, there was only radio to follow the sport and the only station I could pick up in rural Greenbrier County was in Roanoke, VA, some 100 miles away. That necessitated driving to the top of Sewell Mountain to listen. Then CBS sarted showing the races live (ABC's Wide World of Sports had replays) and ESPN turned it into a weekly event and interest grew. It is no longer a regional sport.
In 1996, I was invited to participate in the reporting of the races by Mike Snow who was then the NASCAR Editor of RIS. Mike moved on to a permanent job in the sport and I found myself attending races in Rockingham, NC, Bristol, TN, Charlotte, Martinsville, and Richmond as a reporter. My biggest thrill was Labor Day in 1999, when I was privileged to cover the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway for RIS. About 2001, I became NASCAR Editor. I enjoy seeing the inside of the sport on a part-time basis and have much respect for the reporters who do this as their only living. The travel alone would kill me.
I've met most of the stars of the sport and I even had a one-on-one meeting with the late Dale Earnhardt at Bristol in 1999. It was the Spring race and I had just been diagnosed with hypertension. The medication they had given me made my ankles swell. I hd only been taking the medication for a couple of days as I headed to Bristol. It was a hot Sunday and my ankles grew twice their normal size. I finally was having trouble walking and leaned on pit road to inspect my ankles. I looked up and there stood Ironhead, bigger than life. I'll never forget what he said to me, "You better go inside where the air conditioning is and put your legs up." Nothing like getting medical advice from probably the best stock car driver of his time.
I'll comment later on the sham known as the "Chase for the Championship" later when they start going around in circles again.
posted by Ronnie Flamingo at 1:44 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home