Aug. 18, 2008 - Have Some Fun

There was an interesting comment last week in the press conference in which Ryan Newman announced he was joining the Stewart-Haas team in 2009.

Newman was quoted in a Sporting News story published in the Indianapolis Star on Aug. 16, “I told Tony, ‘The bottom line is, I’m here to have fun. I want to have fun with you.’ I know he wants to have fun doing this.”

I couldn’t agree more with Newman; it’s refreshing to hear someone talking about having fun in racing. Fun? In racing? Imagine that!

Racing has seen tremendous changes since I began writing about the sport in 1981. Many of the changes have been good, such as the advances in soft walls and drivers’ personal safety equipment. But as the sport has grown — and no entity has seen growth as significant as Sprint Cup — one of the elements we’ve most often lost is the fun aspect.

When you have a hundred people on the payroll, significant investment from sponsors who demand results, and millions of dollars in purse and point money at stake, things get serious in a hurry. It’s hard to have fun with things are serious.

This is true in racing, or any other endeavor. Before I began writing full-time in 1999, I spent a number of years in the corporate world. While I enjoyed my sales career, it wasn’t always fun. Sales managers, difficult customers, natural conflicts with other departments within the company, etc., all made for some long days. In the big picture it was still an enjoyable career, but there were many times when I wished I could just run away and hide.

In every form of racing, it’s competitive. You have to be up on your program, and come to win every night, in order to be successful. To do these things, you have to be serious. Most people have a difficult time having fun when they’re serious. That’s why so many people in our sport look as though they aren’t having any fun at all.

Racing fans love a winner. When it’s a winner with a nice personality, it’s even better. When it’s a winner with a nice personality who has figured out how to have fun, that’s a home run. Think about some of the biggest stars in racing over the past few years. Notice I didn’t say biggest winners; what I’m talking about is the superstars who both won consistently AND had a huge, passionate following. Dick Trickle, Jack Hewitt, and Bentley Warren come to mind off the top of my head. All those guys would win a race, then entertain the hell out of everybody hanging out in the pits afterward. If you hung around long enough, you were going to have fun, period.

There are two things racers tend to be very sensitive about when it comes to the world’s perception of them. One, they lack the focus or discipline to win; and two, they lack the physical strength or toughness to win. When you’re saddled with that image, it’s very tough to shake, whether it is accurate or not. So when people see you relaxed and having fun, and you’re not winning, they often assume it’s because you’re not trying hard enough. That’s typically not the case at all; but we’re dealing with that “perception” thing.

So for Ryan Newman, or any other racer who wants to have fun doing this, the best thing to do is win races. For example, if Carl Edwards is relaxed and smiling in the garage area, nobody will question him because he’s been winning races. But if a guy who hasn’t won for a year is laughing and cutting up, people will soon begin to question his intensity.

This is, of course, completely unfair. In fact, there are probably more mistakes made because a driver was trying TOO hard, instead of not trying hard enough. Just because you’ve learned to select the proper times to get your dauber up, and when to relax, you shouldn’t automatically be in line for criticism.

So have fun, Ryan, and everybody else out there so inclined. There isn’t nearly enough fun being had these days in racing, from the top levels to the street stock guys. Where is Dick Trickle when you need him?

Aug. 12, 2008 - A Taste Of Iowa

Last week was a hectic, six-day trip west to Iowa, where the Knoxville Nationals took place for the 48th time. Knoxville is always filled with excitement and intrigue, and this year was another memorable episode.

But where was the pie? That’s what I was all upset about.

Donny Schatz made it three-in-a-row on Saturday night, but beyond that piece of obvious news there was plenty to talk about. The racing at Knoxville has been less than stellar at times over the past few years, a combination of track conditions and cars that were perhaps too “locked-down” to allow much passing. But this year the racing was top-notch on all four nights, with nail-biting, side-by-side finishes taking place each night. Above and beyond anything else, that was the most notable element of 2007: Great racing, every night.

The crowd was noticeably lighter than in recent years, as was the number of trackside vendors, both at the track and on the surrounding grounds. Fuel prices? Ticket prices? The economy? Something else? It’s hard to tell, but before we begin predicting the decline of this great institution, we ought to give it a little more time. It was still the Nationals, and I wouldn’t miss next year for anything.

But the pie…there was no pie! An outrage, I tell you.

I was privileged to be a part of the Speed TV broadcast, and this year saw a new production company handling things. NeWave Video Productions, based in the Chicago area, took the reins. I worked with Steve Grein and the NeWave folks several times in 2007, on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series broadcasts as well as the Pay-Per-View production from this year’s Chili Bowl. Any time a new production company comes to town, there are worries of how things will go. But from my perspective things went smoothly and I felt like we created a pretty good show.

NeWave brought in Tom Gee as Producer, who produced many of the Knoxville Nationals broadcasts in the late 1990s and early 2000’s for TNN under the Diamond P banner. Tom is an organized, straightforward guy, and he brings a ton of experience to the table. I’ve worked with him many times and have always been pleased with the finished product. It was nice to work with him again, as well as Director Gary Clem. As a pit reporter, I was reunited with cameraman Alan Bal, whom I worked with back in the TNN/World of Outlaws days. It was like “old home week,” with “A-Bal” and I running around the Knoxville infield again on Saturday night.

It was almost enough fun to forget about the pie. Almost.

Naturally, after each broadcast there are critics. You guys missed this, you said this wrong, you said too much about this, not enough about that, etc. If you’re involved in television (or writing, for that matter), you’ve got to develop a thick skin, and listen to such criticism. Sometimes they might be right, you know. We weren’t perfect on Saturday night, but I felt like we brought the essence of the race into your living room, and that was our objective. All things considered, if we could rewind to 9 p.m. local time on Saturday night and start the broadcast over, we’d probably only change a couple of minor things. I’ve been involved in over 100 television productions of auto races, and the fact is, you never get it perfect, but you never stop trying. You lay it out there and do the best you can, and when it’s over you put up your gear and go home.

Now, about that pie. For as long as I can remember—I’m a relative newcomer to the Nationals, because I’ve only been coming here since 1992—the Knoxville Rotary Club has staffed a tent outside the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum near turn two of the famed racing oval. They sell turkey legs, sandwiches, and the most wonderful pie and ice cream you’ve ever sampled. Typically, I’ll stop by the tent most evenings, either for a meal or dessert. I have, on occasion, even been known to visit twice in one night, trying a different variety of pie. Those sweet, tasty treats are heaven on a Styrofoam plate.

This year, the Rotary Club decided they didn’t have enough staff to do their own tent, so they combined their efforts with the HyVee food tent nearby. That meant there was no pie at the Nationals.

Naturally, there was plenty of discussion about this during Nationals week. Most of us just sadly smiled about the matter, joking that we nearly turned around and went home when we realized there was no pie. But the fact is, elements like the pie tent—or the beef and pork vendors, the t-shirt booths, the museum, the band playing after the races—are the intangibles that separate this wonderful event from being just another race.

I hope the Rotary Club reconsiders their decision for 2009. I’m actually being very serious here; the local community needs to understand that the small elements that made this an epic event need to be maintained, to insure that the “Nationals experience” remains intact.

This year’s Knoxville Nationals was a blast; like I said, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. That said, I hope the pie is back next year.

Aug. 4, 2008 - Goodbye, Greg Weld

I was scrambling around on a hot, overcast Monday afternoon, trying to get ready to leave for the Knoxville Nationals. The laptop isn’t ready, clothes aren’t packed, and the list of last-minute errands seems to grow by the minute.

Then a friend called. He told me Greg Weld had died Sunday evening (Aug. 3).

What a sad and disheartening piece of news! Suddenly, all the stuff surrounding my upcoming trip didn’t seem the least bit important.

Race fans know Greg as a tremendous racer in the 1960s and early ‘70s who retired very young (around 30 years old, I think) to pursue his business, Weld Wheels. He was a highly intelligent, driven individual who left an indelible impression on anyone who saw him race or had the opportunity to meet him.

But to me, I think of Greg not in terms of his great accomplishments, but rather as a friend. I had the opportunity to get to know Greg down through the years, and I greatly enjoyed our conversations. He was a deeply intelligent man and dialogue with him was always lively and interesting. Rarely did I not learn something from one of our chats.

Greg’s passing reminded me that the Weld family has been touched by tragedy through the years. The family, led by patriarch Taylor Weld, was a monumental force in Midwestern racing beginning in the 1960s, and Greg’s older brother Jerry was the first to really gain notice as a driver. But Jerry died in a traffic accident in the 1960s when Greg was still a teen-ager. Greg’s younger brother, Kenny, had a tremendous career as a driver and car builder, and died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1997. With Greg’s passing, that makes three brothers who died prematurely.

At this writing, I don’t know any of the details of Greg’s passing. Frankly, that sort of thing doesn’t seem important right now. Whether he had been ill, or if he was taken suddenly, the only thing I’m thinking of is that I won’t get to see him again. What a sad, sad reality that is.

Earlier this year, Greg spoke at the Bench Racer’s Weekend in Indianapolis. He talked about his career and his memories of things we love; sprint cars, Indianapolis, and the great characters in our sport. It was entertaining and informative, and quite enjoyable. Greg and I were casually chatting afterward, and my wife snapped a quick, informal photo of the two of us. For months the photo sat in an envelope on my desk, and I meant to get it in the mail to him. I didn’t of course; I’m sorry for that, but I’m deeply grateful to have the photo. I’ll cherish it for a long time, because Greg was the kind of friend who always made me smile.

So long, Greg, and Godspeed. We won’t soon forget you, my friend.