| As I See It! |
| By Eric Johnson, katoom.rider@verizon.net September, 2000 |
| Welcome to the new monthly As I See It page here on the Johnson's Homepage. I will be sharing some candid points of view and hopefully some new insights on a veriety of topics that interest me. I always welcome your comments and reviews. Thanks for your time here, it should be interesting.........Eric They say it's not a real sport, the drivers aren't physically strained and, it's boring! If your one of those that feel like this I say your entitled to your opinion....but. You hear it all the time that any race car driver that sits there and only turns left for four hours can't be all that smart. Or even closer to home, to sit there on the couch for that same four hours has got to be the silliest waste of time watching 500 laps of the same exact thing. "But wait a minute honey, it isn't boring, there's more to this circle track racing than meets the eye, honest". Boy isn't that the truth. Look at those grandstands week in & week out, 33 times a year soldout months in advance! How can 4 million plus fans (at the track not counting 20 million on the couch) think this is a boring outing with the wife and kiddies on a sunday afternoon. "The fact is - it is boring at first glance" Since I was a kid in the 60's the Johnson's would watch Grand National stock car racing on those rare taped telecast's put on by ABC sports. My dad always liked Richard Petty in those days for his almost unbeatable driving style even to this day. I remember so clearly Richard trading paint with the likes of Bobby Allison my favorite and Cale Yarborough at 200 mph! Dad growing up near the famous Laguna Seca and San Jose race tracks in the 40's and 50's brought with him a spirit of competition that I suppose was passed on to us kids. In those days the promoters were lucky to have a couple thousand fans on race day, and television rarely broadcasted a race live on primetime. So it was a treat to see a Dodge or Ford or Chevrolet family car traveling at those breakneck speeds bumping and banging. That's the prime ingredient of Stock Car racing - Speed and more Speed, I like that! Now i'll admit it is a chore to sit and watch a circle track race all afternoon on that bumpy and sagging old couch. But once a person decides to try and understand the racing strategie like any other competitive sport which includes the set-up of the cars and the shear danger and safety aspects of Nascar, only then will you begin to appreciate the incredible amount of effort these good ole boys put into it. My wife Kelly of 13 years had absolutely no interest in this sport until 1993 when she caught a glimpse of a driver at the Daytona 500 being interviewed. The driver was holding his young child in his arms with his wife beside him, and the topic he and the interviewer were discussing was "The Nascar Family". They talked about how the drivers, their families and sponsers all stick together like a family every weekend. How they travel together, pray together, grieve and hurt together as a family. That impressed Kelly very much even today and she still has her favorite driver from way back then, the no.2 car and Rusty Wallace. Not my particular favorite, but im glad she see's the impact of how family plays such an important role in Nascar. Ever since I can remember, it was always about speed, winning and family. This was instilled in this branch of motorsports through the France family which to this day still maintain that family atmosphere by their families role in running this sport. I challenge you to find another motorsport that promotes God and family like Nascar! Slowly, Kelly would begin to watch these races with me and would continue to see how family would play a vital role in the sport. Then before you know it, she has all the drivers names and car numbers down pat. What brought her to the belief that Rusty Wallace would be her favorite competitor was his spirit of calm, cool fairness on the track and a genuine care and concern for his fellow competitors safety and he was good looking and winning bye the way! Then later our daughter Amanda at 6 years old caught the Nascar bug also as good fathers daughters do, and by the end of the season she knew the drivers by name. Do you see where this is going yet? Bottom line, true Nascar fans aren't bored when watching those fathers and husbands risk their lives every time they sit in that cockpit knowing they could die that day, or every time they suit up to go test or practice at 200 mph during the week.True Nascar fans have a certain relationship with the drivers in all aspects of the sport and we know they put it on the line for us, they truly love their fans. We realize these drivers are real special human beings besides race car drivers, they love their families and God. And what about God's role at the track? You may have heard some of the drivers on television acknowledge and thank God for blessing them and their team for the win that day. Some of you may say, "So God decided not to bless the other 42 drivers, what made Jeff Gordon so special that God chose him and not the others?" People still don't realize that God chooses ALL to win, AT LIFE. The winning driver and his team just happened to have the best combination and stuff on a given day that made the difference. So, I don't have a problem with competitors especially in this dangerous sport giving God the credit. With your very life in danger at every turn, 5-10 hours on the track every week, nine months out of the year, i'd say God ought to be a permanent part of your vocabulary without reservation! Finally, As I See It, my thoughts on this Great American sport are summed up by saying, "In the spirit of competition, God and family are a win-win combination" You'll always cross the finish line in 1st place! See you on race day..............Eric |
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