http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/opinion/columns/london-the-racing-journal-7/ America's Motorsports Authority Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:46:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/opinion/columns/london-the-racing-journal-7/comment-page-1/#comment-1805 Dick Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:37:54 +0000 http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/?p=32737#comment-1805 I realize that this is two months late but I just recently found NSSN on-line. I want to comment on playing TAPS at the Speedway this past May. I saw my first 500 when Lee Wallard drove Murriel Belanger's #99 to victory and I have seen several races in each decade since. This year, whoever it was that played TAPS needs to be recognized and commended. Never have I heard it rendered as heart-felt and moving as this musician did. There is always a slight rumble of background noise, even during the National Anthem, but at the end of the first phrase of TAPS there was utter silence throughout the Speedway. The end note was a long sustained diminuendo that just faded away into silence and then a very long pause before the stunned crowd just sat down. I still get goosebumps when I think of it. PS) NASCAR is about 50 years late. The playing of the National Anthem and "fly-overs" go back to the earliest days of racing in the US. The Vanderbilt Cup races 100 years ago had both. The only thing that NASCAR has added is a clergyman (woman?) asking the Divine to grant safety to all participating in a dangerous sport. Seems slightly sacrilegious to me. You want safety? Stay home! I realize that this is two months late but I just recently found NSSN on-line. I want to comment on playing TAPS at the Speedway this past May. I saw my first 500 when Lee Wallard drove Murriel Belanger’s #99 to victory and I have seen several races in each decade since. This year, whoever it was that played TAPS needs to be recognized and commended. Never have I heard it rendered as heart-felt and moving as this musician did. There is always a slight rumble of background noise, even during the National Anthem, but at the end of the first phrase of TAPS there was utter silence throughout the Speedway. The end note was a long sustained diminuendo that just faded away into silence and then a very long pause before the stunned crowd just sat down. I still get goosebumps when I think of it.
PS) NASCAR is about 50 years late. The playing of the National Anthem and “fly-overs” go back to the earliest days of racing in the US. The Vanderbilt Cup races 100 years ago had both. The only thing that NASCAR has added is a clergyman (woman?) asking the Divine to grant safety to all participating in a dangerous sport. Seems slightly sacrilegious to me. You want safety? Stay home!

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