NASCAR Nation (10 page)

Then there are license fees. When you get down to it, the economics of the sport do not make it an easy opportunity for passionate amateurs without substantial financial backing. It's one expensive American dream. So how does a normal, everyday American get behind the wheel and onto the race track? Well, even if you have the cash, you can't just back your race car onto pit road. NASCAR has a résumé committee headed up by former driver Brett Bodine; if you want to race, you've got to have your credentials in order and be approved to race.

After adding all the numbers together, it's easy to conclude that economically challenged people, whether they're from the city or the country, whether they're a minority or not, are going to have trouble getting into the sport. It's going to be a financial struggle for most anyone wanting to get into racing without the resources.

Darrell Waltrip is one NASCAR driver who would use go-karts and lawnmowers to get moving. He raced to win because he needed the money from the winning purse. Today, especially because so many drivers are starting out so young, someone needs to make that investment. It won't likely be a sponsor; it will be your parents or someone who has faith in you before you even have faith in yourself. NASCAR careers start on dirt paths in backyards and grow to local race tracks until, after jumping through many flaming hoops, winning countless races, and spending big dollars, an amateur is given a shot at racing on a major circuit. It takes a lot of support from family and friends to ever make it to that point.

Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and their families are living proof that without that initial support, drivers don't stand a chance at getting onto the track – much less into Victory Lane. Jeff Gordon's dad built him a dirt track. Stewart's family went so far as to mortgage their house, just so that he could follow his dream. That is an unparalleled level of family devotion to a child's dream and future.

David Reutimann didn't start out young – though he had a long-standing professional interest in cars, his racing career started when he was an adult. Just five years before winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the first time at the age of thirty-nine, Reutimann was working on cars. There's a
chance that even at a late age a driver can be successful and more than a one-hit wonder. However, winning a championship is a bigger challenge. Still, if you want to get out there and race with the big boys, it is possible if your bank account can take the hit. Getting into driving race cars is a major investment of time, energy, and money.

The path for a young person to rise to NASCAR stardom isn't clear-cut. There are different levels of competition, and the sport is not just for the kids. You really can start at any age. Some people get their children into go-kart racing and midget racing, which is set up for various age groups. They can have their children driving at the ages of five or six. By the time they're eighteen, they have a sponsor and trophies to show for their years of training. It's somewhat like baseball with the little league, high school, and college teams, though some baseball players don't take that route, just as many NASCAR drivers get into the sport at later ages. No matter your age, one fact remains the same: you need the financial support to get going. You can't do it alone.

The drivers and owners aren't the only ones who feel the financial pinch – fans and sponsors feel it, too. NASCAR has always been a more affordable option for sports fans, and they've been able to attract people from all walks of life and all wallet sizes for that very reason. However, the current state of the
economy has called for some cutbacks, and for many families and individuals, going out to see a race is a luxury. Even when money is tight, fans find a way to enjoy the sport, and that's what makes NASCAR so strong – even in lean times.

If we're going to discuss the hard times America is facing and the fiscal aspects of NASCAR, we have to look at the car industry and the sponsors who are the backbone of the sport. Car manufacturers and other sponsors have their hands full, negotiating the economic slowdown that began in 2008. As far as the NASCAR community has heard, they have a plan … even if no one actually knows what that plan is. Luckily, Toyota was there to pump some financial life into the sport. So while the days of Chevy, Ford, and Dodge aren't ending, they are not alone on the circuit.

From the time when our founding fathers came together with the hope of forming a nation around respectable principles and ideals, this country was created on dreams and forged by those who take the risks and have the courage to follow through on those dreams.

Competing in NASCAR is expensive, but the organization has taken certain steps in an attempt to make the sport less financially restrictive. The goal seems to be to make the sport less about how much money a team has and more about its talent. The executives at NASCAR have put together regulations, so that
everything can be more cost effective for competitors. There is no union in NASCAR, and when they want to make changes to improve the race, they do it. With the newer cars, they've tried to make it more cost-effective. They've limited testing, which made developing a winning car very expensive. They're trying to make it so wealthier teams can't get too far ahead just based on their wallets

But the reality is teams that have more financial resources can get the best people. Just like any business, when you're trying to get ahead, having money helps a lot. These teams can afford the best parts and the best people to assemble, test, fix, and drive their vehicles, and they can invest more in testing and technical research. It's important to have a competitive balance in NASCAR, and in many ways, that balance is hard to achieve; however, NASCAR has cut back on how many cars a team can field each year. Beginning in 2010, they reduced the number of cars an owner can field to four, which was down from five in 2009. Before that, it was unlimited. If you want your car on track, you need money or sponsorship. Everyone wants sponsorship, but sponsors want winning cars to put their logos on for maximum exposure. Unfortunately, the only way you can get that winning car is if you have the money to assemble, fix, and race it, money that teams want to be getting from sponsors. It's a vicious cycle. Unless
you have money to begin with, racing and winning is very challenging.

The sport doesn't coddle its drivers, and a lot of the people in the sport weren't fed their success with a silver spoon; they were certainly not pampered along the way. Nothing is handed to you in NASCAR. Just as every American has to work to achieve the American dream, these drivers have put everything on the line to get behind the wheel. A good number of them come from blue-collar backgrounds and don't have the same opportunities as other drivers with more money. When people talk about drivers who have been fed their success with a silver spoon, they are usually talking about how the driver just couldn't make it. Truth is, those drivers just don't have the grit to handle the sport. Drivers who succeed against all odds may make a lot of money, but they don't forget where they came from or who put them where they are today – their fans, their friends, and their family.

Drivers, rich or poor, hold on respectfully to their roots. They have been raised with certain morals that hold strong. Money doesn't change that. That kind of upbringing is what makes NASCAR drivers role models. There is not much negative news on NASCAR drivers because they are fundamentally straight arrows. The NASCAR community doesn't encourage that kind of behavior, whether it's the administration or the fans themselves. These drivers are taught,
whether they're aware of it or not, a set of core American values that garners NASCAR some serious respect. Those values can be seen in every aspect of their lives, right down to how they spend their money.

Take, for instance, former driver Ward Burton, who invested his money in property to protect the environment. He's a native Virginian with a strong appreciation for the great American outdoors. Instead of buying a Hummer or a stretch limo, drivers invest their money in other ways. They're raised to appreciate hard-earned money and with a core set of American values that keep them spending their money not only wisely, but in meaningful ways.

Maybe so, but it's more about the overarching message. NASCAR likes to keep its races open to everyone – it likes the idea of an open sport. Even if you come out of nowheresville, it still believes you should have a chance to race. Americans love to relate to drivers and see everyday people on the track. It's the same idea as
American Idol
; we like to believe that our dreams can come true. NASCAR supports that.

As crazy as it may seem, some people do it to make money. Even stranger: they do it to make money and they succeed. It's not entirely clear how, but several very successful teams and drivers have started engaging in what has now become known as “start and park.” They drive a few laps, earn a few
points, and take home cash without having to worry about the costs of fixing the car to stay in the race. Their strategy and how exactly the money balances out are uncertain.

There's something admirable about it, really. It's the same creative spirit of American entrepreneurship that got NASCAR going in the first place. It's the same spirit that makes our country so innovative. The drive to succeed and make money has inspired great advancement both in our country and in the sport.

Money is said to be the root of all evil, but in a capitalist society, it has been at the heart of great advancement. NASCAR drivers and their attitude toward wealth really show that just because you make more money doesn't mean you have to change as a person. What's in your wallet doesn't have to change who you are inside. If you have the right morals and guiding principles, you can maintain your integrity – no matter how much money you have.

That's why NASCAR drivers are role models, not only for our future generations, but for our corporations and our nation as a whole today. These drivers have made great sacrifices; a lot of them don't come from wealthy backgrounds, but their dedication and their family's dedication has gotten them to the very top of a sport that is perhaps one of the most financially demanding in the world. All people, in the United States and in NASCAR alike, respect those
who have worked hard for what they have. The American dream is a great one, and it can be achieved, but no one is going to hand it to you. You have to get behind the wheel and race after it. And at the end of the day, it's worth the fight.

“L
ife looks pretty good from here, doesn't it?”

He was an all-American tough guy, like John Wayne wearing a racing helmet. Some people would say he had an aura. There was something about the way he walked and the way he wore his sunglasses. They called him “The Intimidator.” The sun was setting behind him. The sky was painted in those same ol' magnificent colors. It's funny when I think about it – at the time I interviewed him, I didn't
notice the fiery beauty of that sunset. It was only twenty-four hours later, when I sat stupid from shock, my mouth half-open, that I realized how meaningful Dale Earnhardt's words had been.

His life did look pretty good: he was the star of NASCAR, and he was loved. Some said he was the fastest man alive, somehow invincible. But on February 18, 2001, his invincibility ran out. Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR's seemingly invincible superman, proved that human life is terrifyingly fragile.

His tragic end was met with disbelief and shock. Moments earlier, Earnhardt was full of life, speeding down the race track. Everyone was cheering with excitement, gripping the edges of their seats. It was the very end of the race. Darrell Waltrip was doing his first broadcast for FOX, while brother Michael was headed straight to the finish line. Darrell was naturally excited and bursting at the seams. Meanwhile, Earnhardt, who owned Michael's race car, was blocking other cars to help him win the race. Earnhardt wanted to be sure that his team would win. When Waltrip passed the finish line, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., the excitement had hit a climax. There had been a spectacular crash, a win, and a great competitive finish. It was a euphoric moment.

Yet that crash was no ordinary crash. The audience, still reeling from excitement, saw a victory turn into
a tragic loss within seconds. A driver ran up to the car to check on Earnhardt. He turned away quickly.

We had all seen crashes before, often serious ones, and yet the driver would walk away unharmed. Drivers defy death. That is what we love about the sport. And if anyone could survive a crash, it was The Intimidator.

We tried to radio in as people approached the car. We watched; we zoomed in with our cameras. We waited to see a moving arm, a leg, a body jumping out of the car. There was nothing. Had there been a concussion? No one spoke. The medical professionals came out. For once our broadcast team didn't know what to say. We didn't know any more than the fans. The broadcast was ended and he was taken to a hospital.

Meanwhile, I was trying to prepare for the post-race show. How could I possibly prepare? What could I say? FOX went to the hospital and got the official word from NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt was dead. We waited for word from NASCAR and then had to come back on the air.

Nobody knew how to react. We were stunned. It was too painful to cry. Our mouths just hung open and no sound came out – a silent scream. We went from great excitement to
this
. More information was constantly coming in. I had just interviewed him that week. I had met several people who worked on his
crew, and I thought of the people who grew up with him, his family. The cameras came on and I sat stiffly in front of them. Then our broadcasting crew delivered the sad report, on a day that was so exciting and joyful just a few hours earlier.

In response to Earnhardt's death, today NASCAR has built safety force fields around their drivers using technology. His death inspired a wave of technological advancements and new regulations in the sport to keep drivers safe and put NASCAR solidly in the twenty-first century. Everything from new safety restraint devices to new advancements in engine technology – even the way we broadcast – has changed. There have been many life-threatening crashes since Earnhardt's death from which drivers have been able to walk away. Even in death, he left an impact on the sport. Dale is still keeping the sport alive.