Enjoying family night recently with Brad Keselowski at Team Penske Racing.
Fun and Excitement
During the month of February, excitement builds as Nascar fans wait for the first race of the season, the Daytona 500. Before the glory days of Nascar, the race at Daytona took place on the sandy beach. Names such as Lee Petty and Fireball Roberts were associated with that no-holds barred kind of driving spectators lined the beach to see. Although looking back it’s obvious that kind of driving was dangerous, it was also what made it fun, fast and furious.
My husband, Michael, grew up learning about drivers such as Junior Johnson, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. from his dad, Roger McCullough. Living close to smaller tracks like Hickory and North Wilksboro and not too far from the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Roger developed a love and a passion for the sport he passed on to his family.
To show you how much of a fan he was, when Richard Petty changed from Chrysler to Ford in the late ’60’s, Roger became so upset he wrote a personal note to Petty telling him he was making a mistake. Perhaps knowing that letter would be an heirloom someday, Petty signed it and sent it back.
Even though in recent years Michael became disappointed with the direction Nascar was taking, he always loved a good race. That meant on Sundays after church he was glued to the television until the race was over. While it’s true he was a Chevy man through and through, having a son-in-law employed at Team Penske, Michael conceded if a Chevrolet driver couldn’t win, he was happy to see Penske drivers such as Brad Keselowski or Joey Logano in the winner’s circle. He would have loved family night this past November and the opportunity to meet them.
With all of this Nascar nostalgia, I suppose it would be fitting for me to include a memory of my own. While I’ve listened to many Nascar races on the radio with my dad and watched many on tv with Michael, the truth is I’ve only seen one in person. That race was Darlington, Labor Day weekend, 1983. With it being a two-hour drive, Michael and I drove down the day before, spending the night close by so we could get to the race track early. I don’t even know who won the race, but I’ll never forget Darlington because nine months later Kristin was born.
What about you? Do you have a favorite Nascar race or memory? Leave a comment below, message on Facebook or email dicysm@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Dicy
www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog
