NASCAR Hall of Fame - Its Timing Is Perfect

Maybe it's a byproduct of aging.  It likely is.  But I'm discovering that the older I become, the more I'm interested in the past of things.  In fact, being surrounded by the nostalgic, even the historic, gives me a certain level of comfort.  I'm a little obsessed with family history and genealogy.  I have 1970s outlaw country on my iPod. I've recently discovered "heirloom" gardening.

And from what I've read, I'm not alone.  Trendwatchers are reporting that the current instability in American culture and economics has led many folks my age - and even younger - to return to the comforts of the past.  That's why traditional patterns and textiles are seeing a resurgence in the marketplace.  Quilting is cool.  So is heritage cooking and roots music.

Car makers have likewise divined this widespread yearning for bygone days - Ford's Mustang actually looks like a Mustang for the first time in years.  And the Chevrolet Camaro has an updated look that's pointedly familiar.

And all of this confirms my belief that today's opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

Fans need this.  NASCAR needs this.

So many of NASCAR's living legends are rapidly aging before our eyes.  The Richard Pettys.  The Junior Johnsons. The David Pearsons.  Even Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond don't look as youthful as they did just a few short years ago.

It's so important that NASCAR honor the people who made the sport great while some of them are still here to honor. And giving fans a place to see the sport's history in person, will do more to educate young fans about its simple beginnings than any book, movie or magazine article ever could.

I remember how I felt when I visited the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville a few years ago.  There in a glass case was Buck Owens' red, white and blue guitar.  The one he strummed every weekend on Hee Haw.  A relic of my childhood Saturday nights.

Here was Elvis' "Solid Gold" Cadillac.  And a very hazy memory surfaced of the day Elvis died. I'm sitting in the back of my parents' 1977 Pontiac Catalina. A newscaster drones on the radio.

I expect the day I vist the NASCAR Hall of Fame will conjure similar imagery.

While children my nephew's age will thrill to the sight of Jimmie Johnson's four championship trophies, I'll be searching out those artifacts from further back.  The checkered flag from the 1998 Daytona 500. The infamous Hudson Hornet.  Junior Johnson's re-assembled whiskey still.

And then I'll remember my Uncle J's ribald tales about the Daytona infield circa 1979.  My Uncle E's stories of running stock cars in South Florida in the 1960s.  My own remembrances of the 2000 All-Star race in Charlotte - the first NASCAR event I ever attended.

And I won't be alone.  No matter what their age, ethnicity or driver affiliation, the fans who visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame share a common history.  It's an all-American tale whose every chapter isn't perfect.  Whose heroes hail from farms, back roads and garages.  Whose fans have memories who are all different, but somehow the same.

After all, it's our story.  It's our sport.  It's our NASCAR.

So welcome to the world, NASCAR Hall of Fame.  We're mighty glad to see you.

Photo info: Tour of Glory Road at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

A Few Bristol Predictions

Making predictions is a tricky business, especially for the psychically-challenged, like me. But be that as it may, I'm going to throw caution to the wind this week and offer up a few of my own Bristol prognostications.

I don't claim to have any insider information, but sometimes the future can be found just a easily by reading recent history as it can by looking at the stars.  And should I bat a thousand on the below predictions, I'm going to start playing the Florida Lottery, and pronto.

A milestone for Martin: If Mark GoDaddy Martin snags the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, it will be the 50th pole of his career.  And I think he's gonna do it.

Really, a pole isn't such a stretch, considering "The Kid" already has earned nine pole positions at the track - the most of any active driver (and tying Cale Yarborough for first all-time).

To top that, Martin did the Bristol sweep last year, earning both Sprint Cup Poles at BMS.

"Both times we went to Bristol last year, the guys gave me an awesome race car. We were fast right off the truck," Martin said. "I went out there and both times we were crazy fast. I remember thinking, 'This is crazy. I don't know how many more times I can do that to my heart!' But it's fun. And it's so rewarding to see the guys faces when we're at the top of the chart."

Carl keeps it clean - Given that Scotts is the sponsor of Saturday's Nationwide Race, I've no doubt that Carl Edwards will be on his best on-track behavior where Brad Keselowski is concerned.  After all, Scotts did release a statement post Atlanta that included a thinly veiled admonition to the driver they sponsor. 

To wit - "Scotts appreciates the support of NASCAR fans everywhere, and we have an excellent relationship with Carl Edwards, Jack Roush and the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing team. However, like many fans, we were very concerned about the on-track incident that occurred in Atlanta this past weekend. As a result, we have strongly expressed these concerns to both Carl and Jack, and we are confident that they have a clear understanding of the trust we have placed in them as ambassadors of our company, our associates and our brands. In addition, as a sponsor, we want to make sure that drivers, race teams and NASCAR focus on keeping these types of incidents and misjudgments from happening."

Ouch! Look for Carl to smile for the cameras, keep his nose clean at Bristol and get tangled with Brad a few weeks later down the line.

Special K stays in the top 35 - Speaking of Brad, even though Keselowski seems to have a nose for trouble, and Bristol is a track where trouble comes calling, I predict BK will sneak out of Bristol with a top 35 points standing.  I'm sure his detractors would like nothing better than for Keselowski to lose three positions on Sunday, but I don't think it'll happen.  He's got something to prove and my bet is, he'll have a strong finish this weekend.

Best race of the weekend won't be for points - If last year's "senior skins" race at Bristol Motor Speedway  was any indication, the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown on Saturday night will be the most fun race of the weekend.  NASCAR legends Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Dave Marcis, Harry Gant, Charlie Glotzbach, L.D. Ottinger, and more will be taking to the track Saturday night for a 35-lap sprint to glory. I, for one, can't wait. And based on last year's stellar third-place performance, I predict Ottinger will take the checkers.

Columbia Speedway: Preserving a Piece of Racing Heritage

If a race track could talk, the Columbia Speedway would sure have some stories to tell.

It might tell you about July 12, 1958, the day Richard Petty scored his first win. Or March 16, 1966, when Fonty Flock gave Chevrolet its first victory. Then there’s the time Frank Mundy won NASCAR’s first-ever race under the lights. Not to mention all the races with legends like Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts, Cotton Owens and South Carolina’s favorite son David Pearson.

Located just outside Columbia, SC in the small burg of Cayce, the half-mile dirt track hosted its first race in 1948. It was NASCAR sanctioned in 1951 and ran NASCAR races there until the early 1970s. That’s a lot of time for memories to mount up and history to be made.

Now, thanks to the folks at Racers Reunion, this historic place and all of the great racing moments that took place there will be shared with future generations of NASCAR fans.

Jeff Gilder, the founder of Racers Reunion, announced last week that Columbia Speedway will be turned into a first-class events facility and that a museum will also be built on the site.

“The track was an important track in the formative years of our sport,” Guilder said. “We need this to preserve our racing heritage. Too many tracks have gone by the way being replaced with condos, Wal-marts, golf courses, etc. The cool thing about this track is that its owners would rather have a race track than a Wal-mart.”

But will any new racing memories be made at Columbia Speedway? “We will return the track back to meet racing specs,” Gilder said. “Whether there will ever be racing there is a question to be answered later.”

Racers Reunion, the group heading up the preservation effort, is an online social network that brings former drivers, crew members and fans together to share connect, share memories, and just talk shop. About 100 of its members (all volunteer) banded together earlier this year to save the Columbia Speedway, hosting the first annual Love Chevrolet Columbia Speedway Spring Festival on April 25.

According to Gilder, the event was attended by 30 thousand people from 17 different states and Puerto Rico. And a host of legendary faces from racing’s past were present as well, including Buddy Baker, Ned Jarrett, Dave Marcis, Little Bud Moore, Gene Hobby, Dick and Johnny Dangerfield, D.K. Ulrich, and at least a dozen other former drivers.

“The response was greater than anyone expected,” Guilder said. “Now the community, the city of Cayce, the county, and surrounding areas have realized the potential of the facility and have embraced our efforts to preserve the track and create an events facility that can be used by a variety of events.”

If you’d like to get involved, fan help is always welcome. There are coordinated work groups that get together to keep up with the track's maintenance. And donations are also accepted on the Racers Reunion web site.

“This race track is one that always prompts some great stories when mentioned to anyone who was there as a spectator or participant,” Gilder said. “All the drivers who raced there agree about the importance of this track.”

Note from NASCAR-ista: Racers Reunion will be holding their 2nd annual Spring Festival in 2010. Love's Chevrolet has just re-signed as the events primary sponsor.

Photo caption: Little Bud Moore drives on to victory at the Columbia Speedway - courtesy of RacersReunion.com