Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Author: Angie Campbell

  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring ‘Tiny’ Lund

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring ‘Tiny’ Lund

    DeWayne Louis “Tiny” Lund was named as one of NASCAR’s 50 best drivers in 1998. The list is a mix of drivers with varying qualifications. Some won a lot of races and some won multiple championships. Often the reasons are not as obvious as numbers on a piece of paper but they all have one thing in common. Each had a huge impact on the sport of stock car racing.

    Lund was born in Harlan, Iowa in 1929. He began his career racing motorcycles but later moved on to midget and sprint cars. Lund eventually found his way to the Modified Division where he quickly became a dominant force.

    He made a name for himself as a hard charger who never lifted. Iowa was his proving ground and he excelled on every kind of short track. From dirt to clay, from flat track to banked, Lund became a master at his craft. No one can say for sure how many features that he won but estimates are as high as five hundred.

    Lund was a bear of a man at 6’6” tall and weighed in at around 300 pounds. He towered over most of his fellow competitors who jokingly referred to him as “Tiny.” Those who knew him best will tell you that this big man had an even bigger heart.

    He also had a reputation as an aggressive driver who loved fast cars and wild parties but off the track he was better known for his practical jokes. His booming laugh was often heard echoing through the garage.

    There was a gentle side to Lund too, especially when it came to his younger fans. It was not uncommon for him to give away a trophy to a child who came up to him wanting nothing more than an autograph.

    The early part of Lund’s career was spent driving for different owners including A.L. Bumgarner and Gus Holzmueller. One of his most explosive partnerships was with Lee Petty. Lund drove about five races for Petty in 1957 but their partnership ended abruptly after the two had a disagreement.

    The specifics of the argument aren’t known but they put on quite a show during driver introductions at the Greensboro Agricultural Fairgrounds on April 28, 1957.

    Tom Higgins of ThatsRacing.com was researching an article on NASCAR fights and talked to Tim Flock who was there that day.

    “Oh, by far the best fight I ever saw was between Tiny and the Petty family,” Tim said. “Even now, 30 or so years later, when I think about it, the thing makes me laugh so hard it brings tears to my eyes.”

    “Lee and Tiny passed each other on the stage, and one of them made a remark to the other. Then the fists started flying.”

    “Lee was as tough a guy as they come. But at about 6-3 and maybe 175 he was no match for Tiny.”

    Petty’s sons, Richard and Maurice rushed over to help their father.

    “Danged if Tiny wasn’t putting a whipping on all three of them. Tiny was so big and stout they couldn’t handle him.”

    At this point Flock was laughing so hard that he had tears in his eyes, as he continued the story.

    “This is when Mrs. Petty got into it,” he continued. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when she went on that stage and started pummeling Tiny in the head with her purse.”

    “She was putting pump-knots on Tiny’s head with that handbag. The reason that it was such a weapon was because Mrs. Petty had a .38 pistol inside it!”

    The fight ended quickly after that. Although no one is sure what started the fight, the victory clearly belonged to Mrs. Petty. Higgins later verified the story with Richard Petty and asked if his mother would be embarrassed if he included her part in the fight.

    Petty’s answer says it all.

    “Embarrassed? Man, she’s right proud of it.”

    After his association with Petty Enterprises ended, Lund continued to work with A.L. Bumgarner but soon ended up fielding his own cars.

    At the end of 1963 Lund headed to Daytona, Florida in the hope of finding a new ride. With this decision, Lund put himself in the right place at the right time.

    His first career win was in 1963 at NASCAR’s biggest venue where he won the Daytona 500. But the story of how he got to compete in this particular race is almost more impressive than the win.

    In 1963, the preliminary race leading up to the Daytona 500 was a sports car event named the Daytona Continental. Marvin Panch, a driver for the Woods Brothers, was testing a Maserati sports car and got together with another car. The crash sent Panch spinning out of control. His car flipped over and burst into flames.

    Panch was on fire and trapped inside his car. Lund, who was a spectator at the race, immediately ran over to the burning car and pulled Panch from the wreckage. Panch suffered burns to over two thirds of his body and faced a long recovery.

    Lund was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Honor for his heroic actions that day.

    It is rumored that while in the hospital recovering from his injuries, Panch asked the man who had saved his life if he would be interested in driving his car for the Daytona 500. There’s another story that the decision was made by the Wood Brothers. It’s said that they simply asked themselves who was the last person they would want to see in the rear view mirror when leading a race.

    Regardless of who made the decision, Lund was handed the opportunity of a lifetime.

    Lund teamed up with the Woods Brothers who had already prepared a unique strategy for winning the race. Their plan was to run the entire event on one set of tires and to make one less pit stop than everyone else.

    Lund patiently worked his way through the field and took the lead late in the race. The race was winding down when Fred Lorenzen passed Lund for first place but with less than ten laps to go, Lorenzen had to make a last minute pit stop for fuel and handed the lead back to Lund.

    A few laps later, Lund was passed by Ned Jarrett but on lap 197, Jarrett had to pit for fuel too. Lund once again took the lead.

    It was a nail-biting finish as Lund fought to hang on to first place with Lorenzen and Jarrett closing in fast. The fans were on their feet cheering. Did Lund have enough gas to finish the race?

    Running on nothing but fumes, Lund hung on to capture the checkered flag and coasted into the winners circle to claim the victory.

    The Daytona 500 win revived Lund’s career but success was fleeting. He continued to work with the Woods Brothers but after Marvin Panch’s return, Lund was out of a job. By 1964, he was back to journeyman status and found work with a revolving door of different car owners.

    Lund teamed up with Lyle Stelter at the end of 1964. Although his association with Stelter had more downs than ups, Lund added two more wins to his resume. They parted company after the end of the 1967 season.

    After teaming up with Bud Moore, Lund found more success in the newly formed Grand American division. This series was designed to run pony cars like Mustangs and Camaros. Lund won his first Grand American Championship in 1968.

    He may not have been one of the most accomplished drivers but Tiny Lund went on to become one of the most loved and memorable drivers in NASCAR. His accomplishments are varied and many. Lund won races in USAC, ARCA, the Pacific Coast Racing Association and the Grand American Series.

    He won the Grand American Championship three times in 1968, 1970 and 1971 and the Grand National East Championship in 1973. Lund was also a fan favorite and won the Most Popular Driver title in the Grand National American Series four consecutive years from 1969-1972.

    Sadly, Tiny Lund’s life was cut short on August 17, 1975 after an accident on the sixth lap of the Talladega 500. Lund got together with J.D. McDuffie and caused a chain reaction that ended when rookie driver Terry Link was turned, running straight into the driver’s side door of Lund’s car.

    Lund was killed instantly.

    Link’s car burst into flames and two spectators, along with driver Walter Ballard, pulled the unresponsive Link from his car. The accident was eerily reminiscent of what Lund had done for Marvin Panch in 1963 at Daytona.

    NASCAR had lost one of its most endearing stars. Buck Baker won the race that day but there was no celebration in Victory Lane. After being told that his close friend had died, Baker fell to his knees, overcome with emotion.

    Achievements:

    Awarded the Carnegie Medal of Honor for heroism

    Won Most Popular Driver Award–Grand National American Series: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972

    Won Grand American Championship – 1968, 1970, 1971

    Won Grand National East Championship – 1973

    Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame – 1994

    Named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers – 1998

    A Tiny Lund Grandstand at Daytona International Speedway named in his honor.

    The Tiny Lund Memorial Race – Annual race in Lund’s hometown of Harlan, Iowa

  • How ‘Radioman’ Doug Taylor Saved Mark Martin’s Life

    How ‘Radioman’ Doug Taylor Saved Mark Martin’s Life

    Stock car racing has always been a team sport. Each person in the organization plays a key role in the success of the team.  One minor mistake can ruin a driver’s day and the smallest thing can often make the biggest impact.

    Just ask Doug Taylor.

    After a brief career in the Air Force that taught him electronics, Taylor was looking for a new direction when he heard that 2-way radios were being used in Indy and stock cars. He began to focus on developing a better system for in-car communications.

    At first only a few drivers were interested but through word of mouth advertising, more and more seemed to take notice. In 1974 things began to come together when Junior Johnson became his first customer.

    You might recognize a few of the legendary names he has worked with in his 25-year long career. They include A.J. Foyt, Benny Parsons, Darrell Waltrip, the Woods Brothers, Paul Newman and many more.

    Taylor has lived a diverse life including a short stint as a driver. He’s also had his share of ups and downs. His biggest contribution to the sport was the development of “The Earmold” which is still used in racing today. Unfortunately, he was never able to procure a worthwhile patent on it.

    Before Taylor’s innovation the in-car radios only worked during cautions. His new design ushered in a new era where crew chiefs were able to talk to their drivers under green flag conditions.

    Talking with Taylor is like talking to a walking encyclopedia of racing. He also has some great stories to tell. This is just one of many.

    He began telling me about the Mark Martin he met in the 1970’s as a driver in the American Speed Association where Martin went on to capture four championships.

    Taylor likens the young Martin’s driving style to that of Kyle Busch. This was well before Martin evolved into one of the most respected and cleanest drivers in NASCAR today.

    But there is one race at Winchester Speedway in Indiana that is one of Taylor’s most vivid memories of Mark Martin.

    Martin was competing against driver Mike Eddy for the win.

    Eddy, who went on to become a seven-time National ASA champion, was well known for his pedal to the medal driving style. He was feared on the track and was known to many as the “Polar Bear.”

    It was on lap 391 of the 1980 Winchester 400 when the trouble began. Martin and Eddy were both going for the win with Eddy in first place and Martin right behind him in second.

    Suddenly Martin got under Eddy and they raced side by side until Martin’s car broke loose. His car slid up the track into the side of Eddy who bounced off the wall and back into Martin. The wreck took them both out of the race.

    After the race, Taylor walked by Eddy who was talking to several drivers about the race. He saw Taylor, pointed at him, and said, “There’s the guy that saved Martin’s life.”

    Everyone turned to look at Taylor who was standing there with his mouth open and no idea of what was coming next.

    Eddy continued with the story saying that when he got out of his car, there was only one thing on his mind. He was going to go find Martin and “kill” that kid.

    But, as he was getting out of the car, he felt a tug on his helmet and realized that his radio was still attached to his helmet. He remembered how Taylor had always told the drivers that they needed to be careful with their radios and pull the connector apart with their hands, not by jerking on the cord.

    Eddy paused for a few seconds to take the time to disconnect his radio properly. That brief moment took his mind off Martin just long enough for him to calm down.

    “If it wasn’t for Doug,” Eddy said, there’s no telling what I would have done.”

    Taylor chuckles as he tells the story and says he’s happy he could play a small part in helping Mark Martin live to become the icon he is today.

    For more information about Doug Taylor, please visit his website at http://taylorscommunicationsracing.com/

  • Edwards and Keselowski – Seen through a Child’s Eyes

    Edwards and Keselowski – Seen through a Child’s Eyes

    It suddenly occurred to me that the Edwards/Keselowski situation reminded me of two guys fighting at school surrounded by a crowd of excited onlookers. Half of them are screaming “Let the boys fight,” while the other half are saying “Someone stop them please. “

    I really felt like I was a kid again when I started reading the varied opinions and I couldn’t help but reflect back to lessons learned as a child.
    The arguments have gone something like this.
    “There’s nothing wrong with what happened.”
    “Why?”
    “Because.”
    “Because why?”
    “It’s just racing.”
    “But couldn’t someone get hurt?”
    “Yes but everyone is doing it.”
    “Well if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you?”
    “No, but Brad hit Carl first.”
    “Don’t you know that two wrongs don’t make a right?”
    “But I have to stand up to the bullies or they won’t respect me.”
    “Haven’t I told you to treat others like you want to be treated?”
    “But what about the “have at it boys” policy?”
    “Everything in moderation.”
    “Well now I’m confused.”
    “Don’t feel bad, we all are.”
  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Smokey Yunick

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring Smokey Yunick

    When we take a look back at the beginnings of NASCAR, we often focus on the legendary drivers who became the stars of the sport. But if we stop there, we’ve really only scratched the surface.

    You can’t really understand NASCAR without taking a look at the talent behind the scenes.

    Smokey Yunick is a perfect place to start, but be forewarned. It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction when discussing this colorful character.

    Yunick was involved in all aspects of racing from designer to driver but is most well-known as a mechanic, builder and crew chief. His innovations led to at least eleven patents.

    Yunick was also quite famous for his ability to walk that fine line between bending and breaking the rules.

    He was a familiar sight at the track and easy to spot with his trademark white uniform, cowboy hat and corncob pipe.

    Henry “Smokey” Yunick was born in 1923 and grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania.  He dropped out of school at the age of sixteen after the death of his father.

    Yunick spent his days working on the farm but built and raced motorcycles in his spare time.  When a fellow competitor couldn’t remember his name, he called him “Smokey,” because the motorcycle Yunick was driving had an engine that smoked.  The name stuck.

    In 1941, when World War II broke out, Yunick joined the Army Air Corps and piloted a B-17 Flying Fortress.  After the war, he married and moved to Daytona Beach, Florida.

    After the war, he opened a garage called “The Best Damn Garage in Town.” He ran the garage for thirty years, closing it in 1987.

    Yunick’s career in NASCAR began when he was approached by Marshall Teague, a local stock car team owner, who invited Yunick to join his team. Although he had never worked on stock cars, Yunick accepted the job.

    He was the chief mechanic for Herb Thomas who won the Winston Cup championship in 1951 and 1953. Yunick had 61 starts as a car owner and earned eight career victories. He won more than 50 times as a crew chief, chief mechanic or engine builder.

    But that’s only the beginning of Yunick’s story.

    Yunick was also deeply involved in Indianapolis 500 racing and was responsible for numerous innovations. In 1959, Yunick brought a car with the engine turned upside down, calling it the Reverse Torque Special. The car finished in seventh place. He won the Indy 500 in 1960 with driver Jim Rathmann.

    In 1962, he changed open wheel racing forever when he mounted a wing on Jim Rathmann’s Roadster. The wing was designed to increase downforce and it allowed Rathmann to reach cornering speeds never before seen at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    One of the most unusual cars he brought to the Indy 500 was his “sidesaddle” car, that he called the Hurst Floor Shift Special. The car was driven by Bobby Johns and according to Yunick was “built out of backyard kind of stuff.”

    By the end of his career, Yunick had worked with many of the most famous drivers in the racing community. The list includes Tim Flock, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Curtis Turner, Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Fireball Roberts, just to name a few.

    Yunick’s career brought him to the attention of the automotive industry and he became Chevrolet’s unofficial factory race team. This collaboration involved him in the design and testing of the Chevrolet Small-Block engine.

    Yunick raced Chevrolets in 1955 and 1956, Fords in 1957 and 1958 and raced Pontiacs from 1959 through 1963. It was while with Pontiac that Yunick became the first team owner to win the Daytona 500 twice, in 1961 and 1962.

    He was also the first to put a driver on the pole three times (1960-1962) with his close friend, Fireball Roberts. After Robert’s death in 1964, Yunick began a campaign for safety modifications to prevent a repeat of the accident.

    He was repeatedly overruled by NASCAR owner, Bill France Sr. Tired of what he called the “politics” of racing, Yunick left NASCAR in 1970.

    He continued to apply his expertise in the racing community through a variety of projects over the next fifteen years. Yunick helped develop a stock-block pushrod engine for the Indy 500, worked on developing a high performance Buick V-6 engine and numerous other endeavors.

    Over the last few years of his life, he was involved in everything from exploring numerous alternative energy sources to writing a column for Circle Track magazine. When he found out he had leukemia, he focused on completing his autobiography.

    With all that he accomplished, one of the most fascinating aspects of Yunick’s life was his ability to find the grey areas in NASCAR’s rules.

    The most infamous example of his ingenuity occurred in 1968 during Speed Week when NASCAR officials pulled the gas tank out of Yunick’s Pontiac after they thought his car was getting excessive fuel mileage.

    After the inspection was over, Yunick got into the car, started it up and drove away… with the gas tank still lying on the ground.

    Bobby Allison, who had driven a couple of Yunick’s cars, explained what happened.

    “Smokey looked and saw where the NASCAR rule book wouldn’t define something and he’d make his own improvisations.”

    “The gas tank was the right size but he made the fuel line so it held a couple of gallons of gas. So he was able to drive away without the gas tank. I don’t want to say he didn’t step outside the lines, but he was really smart about those things.”

    I could recount story after story of the many ways that Yunick found to beat the system. But what I find most interesting is not the how, but the why.

    In November 1988, in Circle Track Magazine, Yunick gave us insight into how his mind worked.

    “Trying to figure out NASCAR’s rule book threw me at first. Then, after studying the rules from all sides, I realized I’d made a colossal mistake,” he said.

    “I’d been reading the rule book to see what it said. And all along what I should have been doing was finding out what it didn’t say. After I started doing that, racing became fun in a big way.”

    Yunick passed away on May 9, 2001 at the age of 77, after losing his fight with leukemia.

    His love of life and thirst for knowledge left a legacy that will continue to impact future generations in the world or racing. Just as importantly, he had fun doing it.

    Smokey was quite a character,” said Tony George, former president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “That’s what racing needs today, more characters. He will be missed.”

    “He never wanted for words, whether it was a cuss word or a nice word,” said Ray Fox, who worked with Yunick in the 1950’s. “He was one heck of a guy.”

    Ray Evernham summed up the loss simply, saying, “We’ve lost one of the greatest mechanics to ever work in our sport.”

    As a tribute to her husband’s zest for life and his love of racing, Yunick’s wife, Margie, paid tribute to him in her own unique way. She scattered part of his cremated remains in a few different victory lanes on the racing circuit.

    I can’t think of any place he’d rather be.

    Awards

    • Two Time NASCAR Mechanic of the Year
    • Mechanical Achievements Awards – Indianapolis Motor Speedway &
      Ontario Motor Speedway
    • Engineering Award – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    • Inventor of the Year – 1983
    • Presents the Annual Smokey Yunick Lifetime Achievement Award
      at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Hall of Fame Inductions

    • National Racing Hall of Fame
    • International MotorSports Hall of Fame
    • Legends of Auto Racing Hall of Fame
    • Stock Car Racing, Daytona Hall of Fame
    • Darlington Motor Speedway Hall of Fame
    • Legends of Performance – Chevrolet Hall of Fame
    • TRW Mechanic Hall of Fame
    • Living Legends of Auto Racing – 1997
    • Stock Car Racing Magazine Hall of Fame
    • Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame
    • Voted #7 on list of Top 10 athletes of the Century
      by Winston Salem Journal, Oct. 1999
    • University of Central Florida, President’s Medallion Society
    • Rotary Club of Oceanside – Daytona Beach
  • Trevor Bayne – Working Smarter for Success

    Trevor Bayne – Working Smarter for Success

    I had a chance to interview Trevor Bayne at Darlington Raceway on May 7th to talk to him about his first season as a fulltime Nationwide Series regular.

    As soon as we began talking, I was immediately impressed with the maturity and focus that this 19-year old possesses.

    He had just finished qualifying and seemed pleased with his effort. Although Bayne felt he could have pushed a little harder, he explained his strategy.

    It’s our first time here so it’s better to have a car in one piece and still have a potentially qualifying top ten than it is going for a top three.”

    His plan seemed to work and he earned a ninth place starting position for the Royal Purple 200 race later that evening. He finished the race in 16th place and advanced to the 11th position in the Nationwide Series points standings.

    I asked Bayne to grade his season to date and although he was reluctant to do so, he sounded encouraged by what they have been able to accomplish thus far.

    “I think we’re on the right track,” he said. “We’re definitely going in the right direction.”

    Bayne went on to describe this season as a learning process.

    “Diamond Waltrip Racing has always given us the cars we need. We’ve finally figured out how to use that equipment the right way.”

    “On top of that, the chemistry is getting better,” he said. “It just takes time to figure out how I need to relay information.”

    From the outside looking in, there have been some inconsistent performances. But Bayne is quick to point out that for the most parts, their cars have been good.

    “We’ve been fast almost every weekend.”

    He points to two incidents at Daytona and Bristol when he was wrecked after contact with other competitors.  Both accidents resulted in poor finishes for the 99 team.

    Bayne has two goals for his season. The first one is to get the most out of what he calls a “top five team.” His second goal is to use the season as preparation for his future.

    “We’d love to win but what this series is doing is preparing us for the Cup Series later on.”

    Bayne is not alone in his belief that the 99 team is one to watch this year. Hershey Milk and Milkshakes joined him at Dover International Speedway as a new associate sponsor. They also donated $99 to the Autism Speaks Foundation for every lap Bayne completed in the race.

    Bayne had jumped from 17th to 11th in the Nationwide Series points standings in the last four weeks. He hoped to capitalize on that momentum going into Dover.

    “At Darlington, we decided to go back to the basics,” Bayne explained.

    “I focused on driving the race car and Jerry (Crew Chief Jerry Baxter) concentrated on making the adjustments. Our car was really strong during the race and we made adjustments to keep up with the track.  We didn’t get the finish we deserved but we gained a lot of momentum and confidence for this weekend at Dover.”

    Bayne had an outstanding run in Saturday’s Heluva Good 200 at Dover International Speedway.  He started the race in the 23rd position but had worked his way into the top 10 with just under 100 laps to go.  Bayne continued to move forward and got as high as fifth place with 50 laps remaining in the race.

    Unfortunately, with just two laps to go, he got caught up in a nine car accident that began when Denny Hamlin got into the back of Clint Bowyer on a restart. The incident ended Bayne’s day and he finished the event in 29th position.  He is now 14th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship point standings.

    After the end of the race Bayne was sent to a local hospital for X-rays on a bruised left foot. The results were negative.  He is expected to resume his schedule and will be in Daytona on Tuesday and Wednesday to participate in the new car testing.

    Even though he didn’t get the result he was hoping for, Bayne will continue to work towards his goal. He’s confident that God has a plan for him and is committed to doing his part to make it happen.

    His strategy is simple.

    “I think we can get there. All we have to do is work smarter, not harder.”

  • Angie’s Excellent Adventure at Darlington Raceway

    Angie’s Excellent Adventure at Darlington Raceway

    I recently had the opportunity to cover the NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway as a member of the media. Below is a summary of my experience, slightly skewed for entertainment purposes.

    My journey began with a trip to Darlington to pick up my media credentials to cover the upcoming Nationwide and Cup Series races. While I was there, I just had to stop by the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum.

    As I stepped out of my car and looked at the faces adorning the front of the museum, I knew that I was in for a treat. Everywhere I looked, I saw a different piece of stock car racing history. Some things were immediately familiar like the number 43, trademark blue, 1967 Plymouth of Richard Petty.

    And then there were the surprises.

    Over to one side was a 1956 Ford convertible. This particular car won 22 races in a single year racing in the convertible series. One of my favorite parts of the museum was a glass case with an array of confiscated items taken off the competitors cars. I just had to laugh at the ingenuity of these drivers who used every advantage they could find to win…at least until they got caught. It seems like some things never change.

    I also got to see the Dodge Hemi engine that powered Buck Baker’s car when he won the 1964 Southern 500. This same engine was outlawed for the 1965 season. The museum also houses Darrell Waltrip’s 1991 Chevy Lumina, which rolled eight times in the 1991 Pepsi 400. It’s still considered one of the worst crashes in stock car history.

    I could go on and on, but you get the idea. It may not be the biggest or fanciest racing museum out there, but it is well worth the $5.00 price of admission. Besides, bigger is not always better.  This wonderful slice of NASCAR is a perfect complement to the Darlington Raceway.

    Now that I’d had a little preview of Darlington, I could hardly wait for the racing to begin.

    On Friday morning, I was at the racetrack by 9 a.m. and Nationwide Series practice had already begun. I found my seat at the media center and settled in for what would prove to be a wild ride. Press conferences were set to begin about 10:15 am so I took a little walk outside to take a look at the action out on the track while I waited.

    As I stood there watching, I realized that I had a big grin on my face.  I just couldn’t help myself. The pungent smell of exhaust fumes was like the sweet aroma of roses and the roar of the engines was music to my ears. Or maybe the gas fumes were making me delirious. All I know is that I couldn’t stop smiling.

    The driver interviews soon began and I had to keep reminding myself that I was there as part of the media. I had to conduct myself with professionalism at all times. Today I was not a fan; I was a journalist.

    Although I’d seen these drivers interviewed countless times, it gave me an entirely new perspective to see them in person. Their charisma and personalities came through so much more clearly. Everything was going smoothly until Jimmie Johnson’s press conference. He was patiently explaining how the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization was working to perfect their programs.

    Perhaps he should have put more thought into the phrasing of his explanation as he summed it all up by saying, “So we are all kind of massaging our packages.” At this point, I’m biting my tongue to keep from laughing and berating myself for being childish. But then, I look around the room and see the same pained expressions on everyone’s faces as we’re all trying not to laugh out loud.

    I’m not ashamed to admit that it was my favorite quote of the weekend.

    Another highlight of the day was watching the qualifying runs. The media center was situated right in front of pit road and I was able to stand within a few feet of the cars as they waited their turn to qualify.

    Earlier in the week, I had arranged to interview Trevor Bayne after he finished qualifying. I decided I’d walk over to pit road to watch him and was almost side swiped by someone driving a golf cart. Imagine my surprise when Kyle Busch jumped off the cart and ran over to climb into his race car.

    It was time for my interview so I headed to Bayne’s hauler. I’d talked to him a couple of times over the phone but this would be my first time in person. We walked into his hauler and there were about six other guys in there, including a couple who were lying on the floor.  They all continued to talk and go about their business as if I wasn’t there. Not the best setting for an interview, but interesting, to say the least.

    I’m guessing they weren’t too impressed by this journalist but Bayne was completely focused and gave me his full attention as I asked my questions. I headed back to the media center just in time for the next press conference and then it was time for Cup qualifying.

    Did I forget to mention, there’s a race tonight?

    I won’t go into every detail. Just think of yourself as an insignificant piece of debris in the eye of a hurricane. You’re standing still while there’s a whirlwind of activity around you. You just have to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

    After a great Nationwide Series race, I submitted my race review, finally headed home and climbed into bed about 2:00 am.

    Saturday got off to a little slower start and I arrived at the media center around 1:00 pm. I   took a few notes in preparation for the Cup race and caught up on what I’d missed. I was amazed to learn that while I’d been sleeping, painters had been working all night re-painting the walls of the track.

    I’d like to take a moment and say thanks to the folks at the media center. They kept us constantly updated with transcripts of all the press conferences, race results, points standings and more. If you had a question, chances are you already had the answer at your fingertips.

    By this time, I was almost giddy with excitement. Thanks to a colleague from SpeedwayMedia.com, I was going to take a ride in the pace car. With Brett Bodine at the wheel, we took off in a Camaro for a couple of laps around the track. We only got up to about 122 mph on the straightaway, but what a thrill.

    This was probably the highlight of my weekend and I was ready for more. My shouts of, “Do it again, do it again,” however, fell on deaf ears. Of course, I didn’t really shout out loud but the phrase was certainly bouncing around in my brain.

    Still full of adrenalin, I decided to take a walk and do some more exploring before it was time for another press conference. It was another day full of everything NASCAR and I loved every minute of it.

    It was getting close to race time and I decided to head for the Press Box located in the Sprint Tower. Overlooking the track above turn three, we had a panoramic view of the entire facility. After watching another exciting win by Denny Hamlin, it was time to file my last story. I caught a ride back to the media center where my car was parked and headed home.

    I was exhausted. “The Lady in Black” had welcomed me with open arms and it was an experience that I will never forget.

    In closing, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my “sponsors,” SpeedwayMedia.com, NASCAR, the staff of Darlington Raceway, Showtime and the city of Darlington.

  • Trevor Bayne: One Step Closer to his Dream

    Trevor Bayne: One Step Closer to his Dream

    Trevor Bayne was born in Knoxville, TN and like many young boys played all kinds of sports including t-ball and football. His life took a different direction at the age of five when he began racing go-karts and discovered his true passion.

    Since then, this talented eighteen-year old has accumulated 22 championships.

    He spent eight years on the go-kart circuit and achieved three World Championships, 300 feature wins and 18 State and Track Championships combined.

    The next stop was the Allison Legacy Race Series where at 13 years of age, Bayne became the youngest to win the Top Rookie award. In 2005, he became the series National Champion.

    It was while racing in the Legacy Series that Trevor met Donnie Allison who would become one of his biggest supporters. Allison influenced Bayne both on and off the track.

    “Donnie’s a great guy,” says Trevor. “He taught me a lot about momentum and really about how to treat people.”

    Bayne’s first big break came in 2008 when Dale Earnhardt Inc. signed him to their driver development program. While there, he competed in the Camping World East Series, finishing fourth in the points standings at season’s end.

    2009 started off with a bang as Trevor finished second in the Toyota All Star Showdown and won the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award. His season, however, came to an abrupt end when DEI experienced economic setbacks and Bayne lost his ride.

    Just when things looked darkest, a chance encounter would bring Bayne, his second big break.

    In February of this year, Trevor Bayne was introduced to Gary Bechtel and began a friendship that would change his life.

    “We both share a passion for racing and became friends right from the start,” Bayne said.

    Bechtel, former owner of Diamond Ridge Motorsports, worked with Michael Waltrip Racing and put together a deal for Trevor to race in the Nationwide Series in 2009. Trevor took full advantage of the opportunity.

    “We put together a deal between MWR and Gary Bechtel to put me in the seat for 8 races. Well those 8 turned into 4 more races so we had 12 total.“

    His Nationwide Series accomplishments include one pole, two top-10 and six top-15 finishes.

    Trevor looks at 2009 as a success, saying, “We were able to prove ourselves in that amount of time.”

    Obviously Gary Bechtel and Michael Waltrip agree with that assessment.

    This month Bechtel and MWR announced the formation of Diamond- Waltrip Racing which will enter a full time Nationwide Series team in 2010 with Trevor Bayne as their driver.

    “We had all the pieces, it was just a matter of putting all the pieces of the puzzle together,” Trevor said.

    So far DWR has sponsorship for only nine races but Bechtel is committed to running a full schedule and giving Bayne the opportunity to compete for the championship.

    “We expect him to be one of the frontrunners next year.”

    However, Bechtel’s belief in Trevor doesn’t stop with the Nationwide Series. Bayne is also slated to run a minimum of seven Cup races in 2011 and an eventual full time Cup schedule by 2012.

    Trevor is grateful for all the opportunities he’s been given and the promise that lies ahead.

    But for now, he’s taking the advice of four time Sprint Cup Champ Jimmie Johnson who told him to “take it one step at a time, keep his head down and work hard.”

    Trevor Bayne is living his dream and is passionate about his future.

    “I can’t wait to get to Daytona next year to begin a race for the championship.”

  • The Future of NASCAR – Spotlight on Trevor Bayne

    The Future of NASCAR – Spotlight on Trevor Bayne

    Trevor Bayne, one of NASCAR’s rising stars, began racing at the age of five. Since then, the 18-year-old rookie from Knoxville, TN, has earned 22 championships.

    In eight years on the go-kart circuit, he amassed 3 World Championships, 300 feature wins and 18 State and Track Championships combined. From there, he entered the Allison Legacy Race Series and at 13 became the youngest top rookie in the series. During his two years in the series, Bayne had 14 wins, 19 poles and 30 top five finishes in only 41 starts. In 2005, he became the series National Champion.

    One of Bayne’s grandfathers raced cars and the other raced boats so you might assume that he grew up surrounded by a family of racers who encouraged him to go in that direction. But, he explains that when he began racing, he wasn’t aware of the family connection.

    “Well I don’t know if the family deal was really a big factor in that. My grandfather did race but that was before I was ever around and so that was kind of already washed away by the time I was growing up and knew what was going on. Once I got involved in racing then that’s when I realized that he used to race and that’s when the support factor came in from him and from my Dad because my Dad was around the racetrack with his Dad. So I had a lot of support.

    “But that wasn’t the reason that pushed me into racing. Sometimes you see the Dads with the sons and they say Hey I’d like my son to race so this is the only option I’m going to give him. But I did everything, I played Tee Ball when I was little, I played football, I played quarterback for a little while. Then when I was five years old I started racing. And, you know, I had my options. It was like, ‘hey I want to be good at one of these things, now which one am I going do?’ And it was up to me. My Dad said ‘whatever you want to do, I’m going to support you.’

    “So, I chose racing and it’s been on since then.”

    It was while racing in the Legacy Series that Trevor met Donnie Allison. Allison proved to be one of Bayne’s biggest supporters and helped guide the young racer as he rose through the ranks.

    “Somebody else that has really helped me out as a driver is Donnie Allison. I had the chance to work with him when I was 13 years old running the Allison Legacy Series. He actually helped crew chief alongside my Dad for the second season in the Allison Legacy cars when we won a National Championship. He’s taught me a lot about momentum and really about how to treat people.

    “Donnie’s a great guy. He’s taught me a lot on and off the track.”

    After the Legacy Series, Bayne transitioned to the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Southern Division and at the age of 15 became the youngest in the series to win top rookie honors.

    His big break came in 2008 when Dale Eanrhardt Inc. signed him to their driver development program. Bayne and Jeffrey Earnhardt became the first two drivers enrolled in the DEI driver development program. He began competing in the Camping World East series and got his first win at Thompson International Speedway in July 2008. By the end of the season, he had six top-fives, seven top-10s and finished fourth in the points standings.

    In 2009, he started off the year by finishing second in the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway. This outstanding finish helped him capture the Sunoco Rookie of the Race honor. His season, however, came to an abrupt halt when he lost his ride with DEI due to economic concerns and lack of sponsorship. He found himself out of a ride for the first time in his career.

    I asked Bayne what he considered to be the turning point in his career. It wasn’t the success that he had previously earned that drove him forward but the disappointment of losing his ride with DEI. It taught him what he needed to do to become successful in this sport. Instead of letting it discourage him, he used the experience to help propel him to the next level.

    “At the last minute in December, going into the year thinking we were running a full time Nationwide Series this year, the deal was gone away. And I was put back on the ground trying to find a ride and most of the seats were already taken because it was so late in the game.

    “So I spent half a season just trying to get my hands on anything I could drive. I ran a couple of races. I ran the Hooters Pro Cup race in Concord and we actually won that. And I ran the All-Star Showdown in January and finished second. And I ran a couple of other races.

    “It’s devastating to see what can actually happen. You know, I was kind of put in a bubble growing up my whole life because everything went so smooth. We were always running good in races, and that just created more opportunity. And then, the economy, when that happened, it didn’t matter the amount of talent that you had, or the ability, because nobody could fund it at that point.

    “It kind of brought me back down to earth and I realized that we needed to work on some other things too. We met with a lady named Danielle ( Danielle Randall-Bauer, President of Everest Marketing Group) in February at Daytona and we started talking to her about some sponsorship opportunities. She introduced us to Gary Bechtel (former owner of Diamond Ridge Motorsports) who became a great friend of ours.

    “He turned around and started talking to MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing). We’d already talked with MWR a couple of times and they said they had eight races available for the season that weren’t sold yet. We put together a deal between MWR and Gary Bechtel to put me in the seat for those eight races. Well those eight turned into four more races so we had 12 total. We were able to prove ourselves in that amount of time. It’s drawn a lot of opportunity and I’m really appreciative for that chance to show what we can do.

    “I would say that’s been the biggest turning point, just being able to get back in a race car and show what we can do and help create that interest. It’s been pretty awesome.”

    On September 11, Bayne competed in his first race at Richmond in the No. 11 car for CJM Racing, qualifying ninth and finishing in the seventh position. This impressive run has generated increased interest and will almost certainly result in more future opportunities for Bayne.

    He’s hoping for a full time Nationwide ride with the possibility of some Cup experience as well. This desire is tempered with the awareness that he needs to take his time and gain all the experience he can along the way.

    “I don’t want to go too fast either. I want to learn things as I go. You can always step up but you can’t really take that step down and then step back up. So when I move to the next level I want to make sure that I’m doing it at the right time and that I’m ready to go.”

    Bayne’s father has been there for him every step of the way and has never missed a single lap that his son has run. This family support and his faith in a higher purpose have given Bayne a firm foundation on which to build his career.

    “God’s got a plan for my life and he’s shown that. Every time that I’ve been in a tough spot, he’s always prevailed and pulled me through. I know that he has a plan for everything. And at the time it seemed like the worst thing in the world that could possibly happen, losing the deal at DEI. But now, the opportunities that have been created, it’s been amazing to me. To see the plan going into action that God has laid out for my life, it’s pretty awesome.”

    His calm self assurance and media friendly good looks are reminiscent of Jeff Gordon. He also has the competitive edge of Kyle Busch, without the brashness. These qualities combine to make Trevor Bayne the perfect candidate for the future of NASCAR.