I am a race fan for many
reasons. I love the action of the sport, the speed, the sounds, the colors, the smells. I love the behind the scenes stories
of the drivers, owners and teams. I enjoy the on-going drama that often seems like something from the movie screen. I also
love the fact that our sport, like no other, is very much a faith-based sport.
At every track, whether
it is Daytona, Indianapolis or your local dirt track, before every race, we say
a prayer. You will see the teams gathered together on pit road, praying. You will see the drivers with their spouses, parents,
children and minister, praying before they climb into their cars.
I do not know if it is
due to the fact that the sport grew out of the area of the country called the Bible Belt or if it is simply that the inherent
danger involved leads us to having faith and understanding that our lives are always in the hands of God. Whatever the reason,
I am always glad to share with others, the fact that the great majority of people involved in stock car racing live Christian
lives.
This week brought to our
attention how much importance we place on our beliefs. The death of Max Helton, the founder of Motor Racing Outreach (MRO),
has been very much a part of each broadcast. Mr. Helton saw a need in NASCAR for the drivers and their families to be able
to have church at the track. The fact that most of our events take place on Sunday meant that the NASCAR families did not
have an opportunity to attend a home church. MRO filled the spiritual need by providing not only services each Sunday morning
but a missionary outreach to the children, the track owners, promoters, everyone involved in the sport. His presence will
be greatly missed but his work will continue for as long as the sport exists.
The other big story of the
weekend was the horrible crash that Michael McDowell had in qualifying at Texas on Friday afternoon. McDowell is a very young driver. He drives for
Michael Waltrip Racing, having replaced David Reutimann in the #00 car as Reutimann moved to the No. 44 UPS car that had been
driven by Dale Jarrett before his retirement two weeks ago. This weekend was only the second race that Michael McDowell had
tried to qualify for in NASCAR’s top series.
As he was completing his
second lap when either something happened to the car or he ended up slipping in some oil dry that was on the track. As the
car lost traction, he may have reacted differently than a more experienced driver would have and tried to save the car from
spinning out. He shot straight into the wall and then began to roll side-over-side along the tracks banking. He rolled over
8-10 times, there was an engine fire and the car was completely obliterated. It was one of those moments where you find yourself
unable to breathe almost certainly knowing the he could be badly injured, perhaps killed.
Then as the car came to
rest, within a matter of seconds, he came climbing out the window. As the safety workers led him away, he seemed to have no
more than a sprained ankle. The crowd went from complete silence to thunderous cheering.
This was indeed,
the first real test of the new car and it proved to everyone that when NASCAR developed the new car, they made the car as
safe as today’s best minds, engineers and technology could possibly make it. Every driver questioned about the crash
said the same thing. With the larger drivers compartment, the head and neck systems, the safer barriers, we can all be thankful
that NASCAR is an organization that sees the true value of the lives of the stars of our sport. We have heard some strong
opinions about the new car, how ugly they are, how difficult they can be to drive. I have a feeling that we may hear much
more praise for the car now.
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As I watched the wreck,
over-and-over-and-over, my thoughts turned to Dale Earnhardt, Sr. I thought how it was a time when I would have liked to be
able to ring him up in heaven and asked what he thought of this new car and all the safety features. Everyone knows that Earnhardt
wasn’t always the first to jump on the bandwagon of change. He always wore an open-faced helmet. He would almost lie
down in his seat. We saw him walk away from so many terrible crashes that we all became somewhat complacent about his being
invincible. Of course, we were all devastated when it was proven that he was, after all, human.
I know that Dale Earnhardt Sr.
will always be thought of as a legend for his accomplishments on the track. He will also be remembered for the many things
that he did off the track that touched people’s lives. Those stories that we have heard after his death about those
times that he showed his true self by giving. With all the reasons that we could give for his being honored as a legend, perhaps
his greatest legacy of all is that by his death, our sport was changed forever. The many safety improvements that have been
put in place since his death may be the most important accomplishment of his life.
2006 StockCar Review.
