Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: NASCAR Hall of Fame

David Ragan and Family Turn Road Rally Scavengers for Good Cause

While David and Jacquelyn Ragan are busy with the racing season, as well as preparing for the birth of their first child, they are both doing something a bit unique, turning into road rally scavengers for a good cause.

The couple are serving as honorary co-chairs for a unique event, the Race for Research, a three-day road rally and scavenger hunt, that will raise money for the LuMind Foundation and for Down syndrome cognition research.

This is the first-ever event of its type and will be held from June 16^th to June 18^th in Charlotte, starting at the Richard Petty Museum and ending at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A total of 25 two-person teams will drive their own cars, negotiating various stops and finding certain pictures and items in the scavenger hunt along the way.

“A lot of these charitable organizations and foundations, they have golf tournaments and different dinners and galas, but I thought when we were asked to be part of their fundraising campaign that we should do something a little different and tie it into the NASCAR community,” Ragan said. “So, the Race for Research concept was dreamed of. It’s a great concept bringing in some of the great NASCAR venues and tying it in with the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

“It’s not really a race against time but it’s more a race to get certain pictures and do a little scavenger hunt along the way,” Ragan continued. “They’ll have a little map and a ‘to do’ list and they’ll have to snap a picture with someone or get a piece of memorabilia item from a stop.”

“That will make it fun.”

For Ragan, this issue is personal as his brother Adam was born with an extra chromosome: Trisomy 21 or Down’s syndrome.

“I’ve got a brother that is a couple years older than I am that has Down’s syndrome,” Ragan said. “A lot of people in the NASCAR community know who Adam is and they see him around. He’s a very friendly guy.”

“He has a great life and lives with a disability so it’s great that the Down’s Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation, who just recently changed their name to LuMind Foundation, is trying to raise awareness and raise money for cognitive research to understand more about Down’s syndrome and to understand more about living with and growing older with Down’s syndrome, as well as the complications you may have,” Ragan continued. “It’s a great group of folks. They really spend a lot of time and effort on making kids’ and adults’ lives with Down’s syndrome have a better quality of life.”

“Adam’s a great example of doing well,” Ragan continued. “And obviously my NASCAR connection, having a lot of fans and a lot of friends and others in the industry that may have a child with Down’s syndrome works.”

“So, it feels good.”

Ragan also feels good and is very excited about the variety of stops along the way in the Race for Research. And whether the participants are NASCAR fans or not, he also sees the event as a way for all to get up close and personal with the sport that he so dearly loves.

“They are going to have a lot of great stops along the way,” Ragan said. “They start off at the Richard Petty Museum at Level Cross. Then they are going to the Childress Winery, Bowman Gray Stadium, Martinsville Speedway, Woods Brothers Racing, Bristol Motor Speedway, Hickory Motor Speedway, Front Row Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Museum, Earnhardt Tribute Plaza, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, the NASCAR R&D Center, Hendrick Motorsports and then end it at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

“I think they’ll be able to take a little bit from every stop,” Ragan continued. “They’ll have a lot of fun and get to meet some great personalities. They’ll get to shake Richard Petty’s hand and meet a couple of the NASCAR Hall of Famers.”

“I think that if there are any NASCAR fans that are part of the road rally, that they will get a kick out of it. But if they’re not a NASCAR fan, they’re going to get a pretty good behind the scenes look at our sport and we may convert a few fans over.”

Ragan acknowledged that the event has a limited number of participants, especially since it is the first year. And he is grateful that they have almost reached their goal of teams participating in this unique fundraising event.

“We’re about to that point of being at our limit of participants,” Ragan said. “We’re going to have 20 to 25 teams. This being the first year, we wanted to keep a controlled number just so we can make sure everyone has a good time and it runs as planned.”

Ragan has formed his own team, Team Ragan, for the event and has been busy raising money himself. In fairness to all of the competitors, however, he has decided to race with his own vehicle and not take the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Taco Bell Ford on the hunt.

“Our team, Team Ragan, we’ve set a goal to raise $10,000,” Ragan said. “We’re about there and it’s been good so far. We’ll have some stickers and decals on our car to showcase all the sponsors and donors.”

“I’m using my own car,” Ragan continued. “It would be a little unfair to use my race car. I’ll probably just drive our Ford F150.”

Ragan, his wife and team will be joined by the rest of the road rally scavengers at the wrap up event at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the final stop of the Race for Research event. This will also be the opportunity for the Ragans to remind all about the reason for the Race.

“At the NASCAR Hall of Fame, we’re going to have a little lunch and we’ll award the winner and recognize the people that did well,” Ragan said. “This being the first time, they wanted someone that was involved in the NASCAR community to take the helm and really try to be proactive in spreading the word out about the event and kids, guys and gals with Down’s syndrome.”

“I think it’s worked out well. And obviously having an older brother that has Down’s syndrome gets a lot of attention. It’s a neat feeling to be a part of something that can be fun like this.”

And while Ragan looks for victory at the track every weekend, for him taking the checkered flag in this event has even greater meaning.

“It’s good to give back to folks that are working hard to make the quality of life of kids and adults with Down’s syndrome better,” Ragan said. “Our parents worked hard to get Adam good schooling and gave him a lot of good opportunities to learn about some of the skills that we take for granted sometimes.”

“But there are some families out there that don’t have that luxury,” Ragan continued. “Maybe they are single parents or they are busy working or their financially not stable enough to do that.”

“So, if we can give back and if the LuMind Foundation can work hard to come up with some medication or different drugs to help the effects of Down’s syndrome for kids as they get older to make their quality of life better, that would be a big victory.”

For more information on the Race for Research or to donate to a team, visit www.dsrtfRaceforResearch.org.

June 5, 2014
A Great Day for the Hall of Fame, but the Procedure is Flawed

The NASCAR Hall of Fame nominations usually make me yawn. Year after year, mostly because of the Hall’s policy of only naming a few to the Hall and the fact that it includes drivers, owners, mechanics, and the front office people, it seems that those truly deserving of getting in the Hall aren’t accepted. This year was different. The five who will be inducted in January—Bill Elliott, Wendell Scott, Rex White, Joe Weatherly, and Fred Lorenzen—are all drivers for the first time. It is the process that I have always thought made no sense.

First of all, there is no earthly reason why drivers, owners, crew chiefs, front office people and the media should not be grouped separately because each segment does very different things. There should be nominations in each category and separate voting. Maybe NASCAR should look at Major League Baseball and the National Football League. I feel sure that would be a better system.

I know little about the NFL Hall mainly because I’m not a big football fan, but I can speak about the MLB Hall. Players and managers have to be retired for five years. Terry Labonte has two starts this year and Bill Elliott last raced in 2012. Both are worthy of induction. In fact, you won’t find a bigger fan of either driver than this writer, but the rule of “what have you done for me lately” has seemed to influence voters. What logic is it that Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett should be inducted before Fred Lorenzen, Bobby Isaac, Buddy Baker and others? Why were legends like Dale Inman, Maurice Petty, Cotton Owens and Bud Moore forced to compete with more visible drivers? It makes no sense, even though each person mentioned is very worthy of induction into the Hall.

There are many who deserve to be honored. Having segments would allow many deserving people to have a chance at gaining Hall membership. At its present rate, some greats will never have a chance to enter the hall in their lifetimes. I find this to be a shame. There should be a segment or section for the lesser series stars and the media. Newspaper writers like Tom Higgins, David Poole, Monte Dutton, Thomas Pope and many more were as big a part in making the sport grow as others. Car owners—they’ve already entered the Woods and the principals in the Petty organization as well as Moore and others, but shouldn’t that be a different category? Why are the founders, current team owners (Rick Hendrick), track owners (Bruton Smith), and others competing with the stars of the sport? Why are present owners with no retirement in their future being considered? I cannot find a logical explanation.

Regardless of my problem with the only five person induction and the lack of categories or segments, I was pleased this year. The five to be inducted are very worthy. If you’ve never had a chance to go to the Hall of Fame, I highly recommend it as a venue to be seen. I learn something every time I go, and I’ve been following this sport for the better part of 50 years. I just wish they would take my suggestions. The voters got it right this year. Elliott, Scott, White, Weatherly, and Lorenzen should be in the Hall and now they are. That’s a great job.

May 22, 2014
Mike Stefanik Humbled Awaiting Hall of Fame News

Later this month, NASCAR will officially announce the next five drivers who will enter the Hall of Fame and Mike Stefanik, nine-time NASCAR champion in both the Whelen Modified Tour and the K&N Pro Series East tour, is just humbled to even be in the mix of consideration.

“It’s very humbling actually,” Stefanik said. “I didn’t really think about it much when I found out they were coming out with the list. I thought I would see what would happen.”

“My daughter called me and she informed me and it was pretty exciting news,” Stefanik continued. “It was kind of shocking. Even though you knew you had a chance, it was still very shocking to hear it and to get it confirmed.”

“Shocking and humbling the more I thought about it because there are so many people that deserve to be in that Hall of Fame and I never really looked at myself as one of them,” Stefanik said. “That’s just how I am.”

While Stefanik has accomplished much in his storied career, he credits his back to back championships in both the Busch North Series (now the K&N Pro East Series) and the Modified Tour Series in 1997 and 1998 for his consideration as a future Hall of Famer.

“Mike Joy called me and officially gave me the news,” Stefanik said. “And Mike said that my championships had a lot to do with it. Those were two strong programs and I was in that nice spot.”

“I knew then and told my wife that this will be remembered,” Stefanik continued. “It’s just all the stars were aligned.”

“It was very stressful but it all worked out and I’m sure that had a lot to do with the Hall of Fame nomination.”

Stefanik feels particularly privileged as he views his nomination as a teachable moment for fans who are not as familiar with the more grass roots, regional levels of the sport.

“You always hear ‘When are you going to go NASCAR’ and well, I am already there,” Stefanik said. “I’ve had a NASCAR license for 37 years.”

“NASCAR is all about levels of racing,” Stefanik continued. “Obviously the Cup level is the top rung on the ladder and then Nationwide and then Camping World Trucks and then the Touring Series.”

“I always thought the Modifieds, and maybe I’m biased, but I always thought they were the toughest Touring Series on the schedule,” Stefanik said. “It just seemed like the level of competition, the car counts and the amount of capable cars in each race was there.”

“Obviously the K&N Series has become more expensive than the Modified Tour but I think the Modifieds are way more competitive because of the depth and possibility of various winners at different tracks where nobody would be surprised. Twelve drivers could easily get twelve different wins.”

So, has Mike Stefanik been to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and did he ever in his wildest imagination consider that he could be honored in those hallowed halls?

“Oh absolutely, I’ve been to the Hall of Fame a few times,” Stefanik said. “I’m kind of a history buff. So, I love to see the older cars, how the sport developed and the technology side of the sport.”

“It’s always interesting to stick my head inside a 1960s Cup car and wonder how those guys didn’t get hurt with such poor quality of protection at the speeds they were running back then,” Stefanik continued. “So, yeah, I always like to look back and see where the sport came from, where it is and where it’s going.”

While Stefanik enjoys the history at the Hall, he also likes to reminisce about some of the personalities with whom he has raced when he visits.

“When I go to the Hall of Fame, I’m looking at the technology side of racing but also the personalities, especially a personality like a Richie Evans.”

“I was fortunate enough to race with Richie Evans and get to know Richie Evans and be a friend. He let me drive one of his cars so he had to like me to let me do that,” Stefanik continued. “So, yeah, when Richie would walk in the room, it would be like a very special person was there even when you were racing with him week in and week out. I always had a lot of respect for that man.”

“So, going to the Hall of Fame and seeing his car in the Hall was just like you have to stop and take a moment to remember a lot of good times.”

As the time grows closer for the Hall of Fame vote, Stefanik is taking a philosophical approach to it all as he humbly awaits the decision-making.

“From what I understand they vote on it May 21^st for the five new members to be inducted,” Stefanik said. “You can’t win if you’re not in it. So, now we’re in it and we have a shot to win it. That’s how I look at it.”

“It’s kind of like a race and I feel like we won it before we even entered,” Stefanik continued. “But we haven’t won the race yet but we are in the race. And eventually you’ve got to come to the top however long that takes.”

“It doesn’t matter now that I’m in it,” Stefanik said. “There are so many people more deserving than I am.”

While he awaits the Hall of Fame decision, Stefanik is also deciding how he will fashion his own future going forward.

“I’m not really racing now,” Stefanik said. “I have an opportunity to run some but I haven’t finalized the program. We’re just in the talking stages.”

“That’s the only reason I didn’t officially retire,” Stefanik continued. “I knew last season I wasn’t going to run a full schedule.”

“I’m not burned out but it’s just time,” Stefanik said. “You just know. I don’t want to officially say that I’m never going to sit in a race car again because I love racing. I love the Modified Series. So, I might run a race or two if it’s fun, if it’s right and if everything is good about it.”

“We also have the empty nest at home,” Stefanik continued. “My kids are grown and out of the house. We have a really nice home that we really haven’t been able to enjoy because we work six days a week and then we race.”

“I’d like to spend some time at home,” Stefanik said. “We live on a lake and I’d like to use the lake and really enjoy home. I think that’s how I’m going to spend my time. I enjoy it and it’s relaxing. We have a pontoon boat that we putt around and we’re into the kick back, stress free time as opposed to work and racing. I’m going to find some non-stressful areas and hang out in them for a while.”

“And then I’ll probably get bored and do more racing so, who the heck knows?”

Stefanik summed up his thoughts on his Hall of Fame nomination in three words, flattering, humbling and magical.

“The more I think about this, it’s very flattering,” Stefanik said. “It makes you think back to when you get started and all the people that I really hope can be a part of it when and if it happens. I’ve been thinking about that which is unusual for me.”

“I’m very humbled by it and I’ll be humbled when it happens whenever that is,” Stefanik continued. “It will be more of an ‘Oh my God feeling” than some who might have a feeling of “finally”.

“I won’t have that,” Stefanik said. “I’ll be nervous.”

“I never got into racing to be in the Hall of Fame but it is quite a good place to end up and certainly it will be a magical time when that does happen.”

May 1, 2014
NASCAR Champions Featuring Ned Jarrett

Cup Champion: 1961 and 1965
Born: October 12, 1932
Hometown: Newton, N.C.
Career: 1953-1966

Ned Jarrett was the quintessential NASCAR champion. His consistency coupled with the ability to win races led to two Sprint Cup championships.

He called himself “a thinking man’s race driver” and said “I never considered myself to be a thrill seeker.” His unassuming demeanor earned him the nickname “Gentleman Ned,” but his competitiveness on the track was undeniable.

In 353 Cup starts he earned 50 victories and 35 poles. He is tied for 11^th place in all-time wins with Junior Johnson. In 1964 and 1965, he led the series in wins with 15 and 13 respectively. He also made a name for himself in the Sportsman Division, winning two consecutive titles in 1957 and 1958.

Jarrett won his first Cup championship in 1961. He only had one win but finished the season with 34 top 10s in 46 starts. In 1965, he captured his second series title picking up 13 wins and 42 top fives along the way. Jarrett added to his list of accomplishments that year by winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway by 14 laps, setting a record for the largest margin of victory in NASCAR Sprint Cup history.

Jarrett was only 33 when he retired from racing in 1966. It was a decision based on his desire to leave when he was on top.

“People have a tendency to remember you for the last thing you did,” he explained. “I was still the reigning champion when I drove my last race.”

He then decided to reconnect with his roots as owner and promoter for Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. In 1976, he sold his ownership in the track and began looking for another way to make a living. It was at this point that Jarrett returned to the sport as a radio broadcaster and eventually he found his way to television where he flourished.

Ned Jarrett was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, displaying the same humility that has endeared him to followers of the sport.

“God has truly blessed me in so many wonderful ways,” he said. “He gave me some talent, willpower, strength and many opportunities to use those attributes.”

Jarrett’s achievements on the track and in the broadcast booth have made him an integral part of NASCAR’s legacy and one of its most influential ambassadors.

Accomplishments:

1957 – Sportsman Division Champion
1958 – Sportsman Division Champion
1961 – NASCAR Grand National Champion (Now Sprint Cup)
1965 – NASCAR Grand National Champion (Now Sprint Cup)
1973 – Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
1991 – Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
1997 – Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
1997 – Inducted into Talladega Walk of Fame
1998 – Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
2011 – Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

March 10, 2014
Why Wendell Scott Should be Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

As the 2015 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame were announced on February 21, I began putting together my list of hopefuls for induction. Wendell Scott’s name immediately came to mind.

He was selected as a nominee for the 2013 class but even before then, his worthiness has often been a subject of debate. If you look only at his statistics, you may agree that he falls short of Hall of Fame status. In a career that spanned 13 years and 495 races in what is now the Sprint Cup Series, he has one win, 20 top-fives and 147 top-10 finishes.

But if you dig deeper, it’s obvious that the numbers do not tell the whole story.

In some ways, his story is not so different from the grass roots racers who built this sport. Like many others, Scott raced in inferior equipment with little or no financial backing. He raced because from the moment he strapped into a racecar, he was hooked.

But his story diverges from other racers when you add in the discrimination he faced each time he chose to get into a car and compete. Most of the people didn’t want him there and that included the fans, track promoters and other drivers. His tires were slashed and rules were fabricated to discourage him.

One of the most glaring examples of this animosity happened when he won his first race. Buck Baker was initially named as the winner of the race. Officials eventually admitted their “scoring error” and declared Scott as the winner.

But the truth is that it wasn’t a mistake in scoring at all. It was simply a way for the track owner to avoid the backlash from a black driver kissing a white trophy queen during the victory celebration.

Scott never got to accept the winner’s trophy. In fact, it wasn’t until October 2010 that NASCAR presented the trophy to Scott’s family.

It would be easy to speculate on what he could have accomplished…if only. But Hall of Fame honors aren’t handed out for what could have been.

How do you measure a man’s (or woman’s) worth in this sport?

It’s not only about wins and championships. If that was the case we wouldn’t need a voting committee. They also consider the contributions and impact a person has on the sport.

Scott is the only African-American to ever win a Cup race in NASCAR. That alone should guarantee him a place in the Hall of Fame. However, this particular achievement is not only his biggest accomplishment but his detractors would add that it is also his biggest failure.

If his win made such an impact, they ask, why did we have to wait almost 50 years for another African-American driver to win a NASCAR national series race?

Maybe it has less to do with his impact and more to do with the perception of those doing the judging.

Maybe his impact seems diminished only through the eyes of a sport whose roots are firmly entrenched in the antiquated traditions of the good old days. Just ask NASCAR’s appointed king, Richard Petty, who recently questioned the role of women in NASCAR.

NASCAR will tell you they are fully invested in expanding the sport through institutions like their Drive for Diversity program and I have no reason to doubt their sincerity. But is it enough? Despite their efforts, does NASCAR truly reflect the America we live in today?

Perhaps the importance of someone like Wendell Scott is not apparent because of some perceived failure on his part to inspire but simply because change takes time.

I would also suggest that the members of the voting committee are asking the right questions but are looking for the answers in the wrong places. If you want to measure Scott’s influence, speak to the African American community. How many youngsters watched him and said, ‘if he can do it, maybe I can too.’ How many have tried and failed? Is success the yardstick by which we measure his influence?

Shouldn’t we be asking, how many would have never tried if not for someone like Wendell Scott?

February 27, 2014
Daniel Suárez Proud to Represent Mexico in 2014 Drive for Diversity Class

While Daniel Suárez is proud to have been chosen for NASCAR’s 2014 Drive for Diversity program, he is even prouder to represent his country of Mexico in the sport.

Suárez, a 22 year old driver from Monterrey, Mexico, will be competing for his second year with Rev Racing in the K&N Pro Series East. Last year, he finished third in the championship standings in that Series, the highest mark for an international driver in the Series’ history.

The young up and coming driver earned his first K&N Pro Series win at Columbus Motor Speedway in 2013. He was also the championship runner-up in the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series.

Suárez admits that the competition is intense in the K&N East Series. But he also feels that his strong finish last year, particularly in the second half of the season, will give him and his team just the boost they need to get out of the gate fast for 2014.

“There are many teams competing in the K&N East so that’s pretty tough and for sure there are many good teams,” Suárez said. “But I feel that Rev Racing is doing an awesome job and now with the same people as last year, we are going to start pretty strong.”

“I feel like in 2013, the start of the year was pretty difficult,” Suárez continued. “Many small things were not in the best position but in the second part of the year, we were earning more points than anyone.”

“We closed 2013 very, very strong so I feel like if we can start 2014 like that, we’re going to be pretty strong.”

One of the biggest hurdles that the driver, his crew chief Skip Eyler, and his team have had to face is communicating effectively with one another, especially in the heat of race competition.

“Last year, everything was difficult, not just for me but for my team because with me being from another country and speaking another language, it’s kind of difficult,” Suárez said. “I mean, I can speak English but when you are in the race car, with all the engine sounds, it’s kind of difficult to keep up.”

“But now I feel like our communication is good already.”

In addition to having mastered the art of conversation, Suárez is also thrilled to have his sponsor, Visit Acapulco and Tourism of Mexico, return to his race car.

“It’s awesome because when they support me, many people in Mexico are now knowing that there is a race car driver from their country and that is something,” Suárez said. “They are looking forward to being involved again because they were happy with what happened last year.”

With this young racer being unique in his country of origin, at least for so many who participate in the sport, just how did he get interested in becoming a NASCAR competitor?

“For me, it was kind of different than everyone,” Suárez said. “Normally, everyone starts because his dad or his grandpa was a race car driver or something like that but my family doesn’t come from racing.”

“I have a friend that used to race go karts,” Suárez continued. “When I was ten years old, he met me to do a practice and to hang out on the weekend. His dad started watching me and he told my family that I got some potential.”

“When I turned eleven, my dad bought me a go kart and then we started doing some races and I started winning,” Suárez said. “That was really impressive and so we did more and more races.”

“My second year racing when I was 12 years old, I went to Las Vegas actually and we ended up in the top-five getting the best Mexican driver in the States,” Suárez continued. “We started doing some international races and we went to Europe and everything that started like a hobby started changing to be my career like it is now.”

Suárez admits that he looks up to many drivers as potential role models, however, he has been humbled to be also wear the moniker of role model himself.

“There are many drivers that I want to be like them or I want to compete with them,” Suárez said. “There are many drivers out there that are really good, like Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski, not just here in America but also in Europe.”

“Well, my goal is to be the first Mexican in the top series,” Suárez continued. “I will tell you something, I was in the Hall of Fame in Charlotte signing autographs and some Mexican fans came out to ask for our autograph and I was very surprised”

“Those guys not just brought the hero card to sign but they also brought a very old picture of me when I was starting here in the States racing stock cars,” Suárez said. “And that really was really important for me because many Hispanic fans here in the States are starting to follow me and my career.”

“I mean, hopefully we can keep winning races and being in the top all the time to have more Hispanic people to follow me,” Suárez continued. “And hopefully we can make my goal of a championship come true.”

Although Suárez cannot wait for the 2014 season to start so that he can work toward achieving his goal, he is also, in one word, grateful for the opportunity.

“I want to say thank you for everyone in NASCAR for the Diversity program, Suárez said. “The luck to be part of this program in 2013, with more learning and getting the opportunity to still learn about this is awesome.”

“I’m really proud of this opportunity and looking forward for it.”

February 9, 2014
NASCAR Champions Featuring Buck Baker

Cup Champion 1956 and 1957
March 4, 1919 – April 14, 2002
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Career: 1949-1976

Elzie Wylie “Buck” Baker was one of the most dominant drivers in NASCAR during the 1950s. He quickly rose to the top by becoming the first driver to win consecutive Sprint Cup Championships in 1956 and 1957. Baker also had two runner-up seasons in 1955 and 1958.

His strategy was a mixture of determination and the belief that he was capable of winning any race. It didn’t hurt that Baker had a natural talent that cannot be taught.

“You can’t let anyone think you’re not going to win a race,” he said during the interview. “If you talk yourself out of believing you are a winner, then you might as well stay in the pits and let someone else do the driving.

“There were times we left home without money to buy new tires. We didn’t know where the money was coming from. Heck, there’s times we didn’t have money to put gas in the truck to get to the track.

“But someone always came through for what we needed. We always could have used more and better equipment, but I’m talking about don’t let yourself believe you can’t be a winner.”

Baker was known as a hard charger both on and off the track. His competitors knew that too much beating and banging on the track would be dealt with in the pits after the race.

“My dad won his share of races on the track,” said Baker’s son, Buddy, “but I don’t think he ever lost a battle in the pits.”

Baker’s first championship was won while driving for Carl Kiekhaefer, owner of the first mulit-car team in NASCAR. His second championship was won while driving his own cars.

In 636 starts, he won 46 times including three wins at the historic Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway. Baker’s career victory total of 46 ranks 15th all-time.

Baker was also known as one of the most versatile racers of his time. He won races in NASCAR’s Modified, Speedway and Grand American series.

After retiring from NASCAR, he opened the Buck Baker Driving School in 1980. Many of today’s top drivers have attended his school including Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton and Tony Stewart.

In 1998 Buck Baker was named as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers and in 2013 he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 83.

Buddy Baker is proud of the talent and tenacity that his father demonstrated in racing and in life.

“He could do things in a race car I could only dream about,” he said. “Throughout the entire racing world, I don’t know of anybody who would have said he didn’t give 110% from the time they dropped the green flag until the race was over. He was the same way in life, too.”

Accomplishments:

1982 – Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
1990 – Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
1998 – Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
1998 – Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
2010 – Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2011 – Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2012 – Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2013 – Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

December 9, 2013
An Afternoon with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame Tuesday afternoon for a question and answer session with fans and the media. This event is designed to celebrate the drivers who are contending for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. The drivers will participate in these Q&A sessions in the High Octane Theater at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday afternoons from Sept. 17 – Nov. 5.

The topics covered everything from the Chase, to team meetings, to pets, to girls, to girl fights and an unexpected remembrance of his late father.

Winston Kelley, Hall of Fame Executive Director, began by asking Earnhardt to assess his season and talk about the ups and downs the team has experienced this year.

“You’re gonna have some ups and downs,” Earnhardt said, “but I thought last year we were more consistent as far as just finishing where I felt like the car was capable of running. When we started this season we had more speed which was good to see. That’s the hardest thing to achieve and find in the shop, is more speed. We started off the year really strong. We came out of the gate and had a lot of top fives and top tens and was leading the points and then we started having problems; motors and different things, maybe mistakes I made or calls Steve made that didn’t go the way we wanted (them) to or getting caught on pit road under cautions and stuff like that. But the car’s been faster, like I said, which is one of the hardest things to find in the sport.”

“We’ve gotten better each year as a team since I’ve started working with Steve,” he continued. “We started off together in our first year really working hard just to crack the top ten. Last year we were a consistent team that was running in the top ten every week. This year I think we’re a little bit faster yet we just didn’t quite have the luck we had last year but it’s been good.”

Kelley then asked Earnhardt to describe a typical Hendrick Motorsports team de-brief. His explanation provides a unique perspective on the inner workings of one of NASCAR’s premier teams.

“It’s about the last race,” he explains. “We go over the whole process. It’s basically all four crew chiefs and all four drivers and a couple of guys from management sitting at a table. Each driver goes in turn and talks about the race; everything that they can remember that was unique. We’ll talk about how our cars drove and the changes we made to our cars we liked or didn’t like. The crew chiefs will pitch in if there’s something the driver didn’t think about or want to add. Then we’ll move on to the next race. The crew chiefs will talk about how they’re gonna start the first practice, whether we’re gonna be in qualifying trim or race trim.

He went on to add, “While all this is going on, on a big old projector, there are all four cars’ setups from the last race, basically how we ended the race. All four cars’ setups are on the wall so we all can see what everybody had. Then as we lead into the next event they might bring up the setups for all the other cars, how they’re gonna leave the shop and unload. Some cars might be in qualifying trim, others might be in race trim. So you can kinda see what people are doing.

Earnhardt summed up the process by saying, “it’s really an open book.”

Below are some of the highlights from the fan Q&A session.

The fan questions are always fun and this year was no exception. The first question was asked by a young boy who charmed the crowd with his enthusiasm.

Question: “Dale, it’s been kind of like a blast this year. You might not have had the luck to go to the Chase last year but it’s pretty cool that you’re in the Chase. Dale, how does this feel for you?”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “It feels good. We had such a good year last year. We were really excited about going into the Chase because we felt like we were a strong team and we didn’t get that opportunity last year due to the concussion. So this year having the chance to be in there, be in the car racing, even though we did have tough luck at Chicago, we still feel like we got a shot. We’re still gonna go to the racetrack with the attitude that we can get ourselves back into it and it’s just fun to be in the car. It’s fun to be racing. It’s fun to make the Chase. When you don’t make the Chase, that can bum you out. It’s hard being on the outside looking in; watching those guys all race for that championship knowing that you think you’re good enough and your team’s good enough to be in there, but you’re not. It feels good to make it. Hopefully if I’ve got to go through all the stuff in Vegas that they put us through during championship week, hopefully, I’m holding that trophy. We’re working real hard to do that.”

The next fan used her time to voice the sentiments of Junior Nation, amid cheers and applause.

Question: “It’s not really a question, it’s a comment. I just wanted to tell you that Junior Nation has faith in you and we believe in you. Keep the spirits up because you’re going to get it. You’re going to get it one day before you retire. I promise you, you’re going to get one!”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “I appreciate it. I feel the same way. I think I got a lot of racing left. I feel like I was saying about our team, I think we’ve gotten stronger each year. I tell Steve and Steve agrees. He thinks we’ve gotten better each year. If we just stick together and keep working on the team in the off season, moving a few pieces around and keep getting the team better, it’s gonna happen. Our hard work’s gonna pay off.”

The next question took an unexpected turn and we learn how Dale Jr. used to impress the ladies.

Question: “Do you do doughnuts in your street car?”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “I’ve done some doughnuts in my street cars from time to time. Yes, I have. It’s usually to show off for a girl. They make you do some crazy things. You’ll find out.”

Earnhardt’s pets are almost as famous as he is so it’s no surprise that someone asked a question about those pets.

Question: “Do you take any of your pets with you to stay in the motorhome with you at the racetracks?”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “Yeah, I do. I used to have this cat named Buddy and he lived on the bus. After the race was over with he stayed on the bus. The bus driver would drive to the next race track and he’d be there on the bus. The only time he was off the bus was when the season was over.

I’ve been dating Amy (Reimann) for several years now and she has a Pomeranian. I don’t claim it. He’s pretty cool but I don’t admit it. He goes every week because he’s so small, he’s easy to carry around.

Killer, my boxer, he goes every once in a while if the grass is close to the bus. But if there’s a lot of concrete I don’t take him because you have to walk all the way across the track to get him to use the bathroom.”

The next question was about football but elicited memories of a son and a race team who were left without a father and a leader in the wake of Dale Earnhardt’s passing.

Question: “I’m a big Jr fan. I’m also a two time graduate of Clemson University and I recently heard that you’re a USC fan so I’m debating if I can stay a fan. Why are you a USC fan?”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “I’ll explain how that happened. I wasn’t always a South Carolina Gamecocks fan. Back when my dad passed away I was trying to think of this cool idea to boost the spirits of all the employees at Dale Earnhardt Inc. I was trying to think of something we could do. Dad wasn’t there. The whole company had no direction. I thought that I would call Lou Holtz and see if he could come talk to us and sort of get everybody fired up and give us all direction so we could go into Daytona and work hard. We’d get some encouraging words from Lou because apparently he’s really good at motivational speaking. He was the (football) coach of South Carolina at the time. So he came out and talked to us and blew everybody away. He got us all started on the right foot and we went on about our way and everything was fine. So I started watching Lou and pulling for the Gamecocks. “

One of the last questions prompted Earnhardt to tell a hilarious story about his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller.

Question: “I know you have a go-kart track at your house. Have you ever beat a woman on your go-kart track at your house?”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “We’ve always had Powder Puff races where all the women race by themselves. Normally what we do with the go-kart track is we use it about once a year. I invite all the employees from JR Motorsports and all the employees from the 48/88 shop over and we have races all night.”

He then went on to tell about one particular race that happened not long after he began racing for Rick Hendrick.

“All the women had a race. Kelley and the wife of one of the guys in management had a disagreement on the last lap. My sister’s pretty fiery plus she had raced some cars before so she thought she had a leg up on the competition out there. But this girl didn’t like what Kelley did to her in the last corner. I guess Kelley had shoved her out of the way to get by her. They threw the checkered flag and they went into the last corner, slowing down, the race is over. That lady dumped Kelley and flipped her over.

Now we had raced these karts hundreds of times and never flipped one. I looked over there and I’m like, that’s the bottom of a kart. What is one doing upside down? I’ve never even seen the bottom of one of these things before.

I didn’t know who it was. Then Kelley crawled out from under it and she was high tailing it across the racetrack to get to this lady. They were gonna have a knock down drag out.”

Earnhardt didn’t usually drive in these events. He had much more fun choreographing the races. But on this night he stood up, threw on a helmet and jumped in a kart to prevent the fight that he knew was about to happen.

He finished the story saying, “We haven’t had a Powder Puff race since.”

Please check the NASCAR Hall of Fame website for future driver appearances as the race for the championship continues.

September 25, 2013
NASCAR Champions Featuring Tim Flock

Cup Champion 1952 and 1955
May 11, 1924 – March 31, 1998
Hometown: Fort Payne, AL
Career: 1949 – 1961

Julius Timothy “Tim” Flock was born in Fort Payne, Alabama and grew up in one of the most famous racing families of early stock car racing. His two brothers, Bob and Fonty were both NASCAR drivers, as well as his sister Ethel Flock Mobley.

Both brothers tried to discourage Tim from following in their footsteps. It was his sister Ethel and her husband who helped him get his start in racing in 1948.

In 1949, Tim, Bob, Fonty and their sister Ethel became the only four siblings to drive in the same NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Flock won his first championship in 1952 while driving Ted Chester’s Hudson Hornet. In 33 starts, he earned eight wins and had 22 top five finishes.

In 1955, Flock won his second series title driving a Carl Kiekhaefer Chrysler. It was a record breaking season that included 18 wins, 32 top fives and 18 poles in 39 races. Flock’s 18 wins in a single season was a record that would remain unbroken until 1967 when Richard Petty captured 27 wins in one season.

Flock also won NASCAR’s only sports car race, in 1955, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.

He was one of the most colorful characters of the sport and a fan favorite. Flock competed in eight races with his pet monkey, Jocko Flocko, as a passenger in his racecar.

In May 2013, it was announced that Flock would be inducted into the 2014 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Richard Petty, an inaugural member of the Hall of Fame, cast his vote for Flock and spoke highly of his driving prowess.

“I have never in my life seen a smoother driver than what Tim was,” said Petty. “When I started along, I said look, he’s one of the guys that I want to be as good as, be as smooth as what he is. A lot of times he was in a race and you’d never know he was in it, until they threw the checkered flag and he’d won it.”

Flock died on March 31, 1998 at the age of 73. However, his wife, Frances, and son Carl, were in attendance to hear the news.

“I was very surprised and very shocked,” Frances Flock said. “I’m still just shaking all over.”

Carl Flock was ecstatic, saying, “Coming from the King, saying how smooth Daddy was, that’s a big honor.”

Accomplishments:

1952 – NASCAR Grand National Champion
1955 – NASCAR Grand National Champion
1955 – NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award
1972 – Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
1972 – Inducted into the State of Georgia Hall of Fame
1991 – Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
1994 – Inducted into the Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends
1998 – Named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
1999 – Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
2006 – Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
2010 – 2013 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2014 – Will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

September 9, 2013
NASCAR Champions Featuring Herb Thomas

Cup Champion 1951 and 1953
Birthday: 04/06/1923
Death: 08/09/2000
Hometown: Olivia, NC

Richard Petty gave high praise to Herb Thomas upon his induction into the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“He was as good as they come,” Petty said. “There have been very few guys who had more confidence in what he could do than Herb. He was so strong-minded that he ‘willed’ his wins and what he was doing on the track. He was going to beat the guys on the track no matter what was going on. That was his mind set.”

NASCAR historian Buz McKim echoed Petty’s sentiments saying, ‘He (Herb Thomas) might have had probably the most natural talent of nearly anyone in the early days of the sport. The minute he got behind the wheel, he was phenomenal.”

Herbert Watson Thomas was born in the small town of Olivia, North Carolina in 1923. He farmed, worked at a saw mill and eventually started racing as a hobby.

When Bill France began organizing races under the newly formed NASCAR, Thomas saw the possibilities and decided to pursue a career in racing.

Thomas raced as an owner/driver and put most of his winnings back into his cars. In his first full season of competition in 1950, Thomas captured his first victory at Martinsville Speedway.

His career took off in 1951 when he began driving what would come to be known as the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet.” Thomas also joined up with the legendary Smokey Yunick and began a legendary partnership.

Thomas was one of the most successful drivers of his era. Although he only drove for seven full seasons, his list of accomplishments speaks volumes.

Herb Thomas was the first driver to win two Cup Championships, the first owner/driver to win a championship and the first three-time winner of the historic Darlington Southern 500.

He earned two championships in 1951 and 1953, finished second in the point standings in 1952 and 1954 and finished fifth in 1955.

Thomas won 48 times in 228 starts giving him a winning percentage of 21.05. His winning percentage set a record which remains unbroken today.

He retired from racing at the end of the 1962 season and went back to tobacco farming. Thomas also owned a trucking company which he operated on a part time basis.

He passed away on August 9, 2000 after a heart attack, at the age of 77.

In racing and in life Herb Thomas always gave 100 percent. The legacy he left for his family was not all about trophies but more about life lessons.

“Most of what I know about his racing, I learned from my Grandma Helen,” his grandson, Chris, told me. “You would have never known he was a NASCAR driver simply because he just did not talk about those days much. You did know that he was a very hard working farmer who expected the best. I think he wanted to be remembered for being the best that he could be at everything he did.”

Accomplishments:
1951 Cup champion
1953 Cup champion
1957 Recipient of the Buddy Schuman Award
1965 Inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
1992 Inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
1994 Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
1998 Named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers”
2010 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2011 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2012 Nominee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame
2013 Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

August 1, 2013