Monday, November 11, 2024

MARK and JIMMY

MARK MARTIN

I once asked 145-pound Mark Martin how much of a weight advantage he had over 230-some-pound Jimmy Spencer during a Winston Cup race. His answer: "About 15 horsepower."

Which doesn't sound like much of an advantage for a 1990s NASCAR race.

*

There once was an all-star-race confrontation between Spencer and fellow driver Ken Schrader, and Spencer said, "You mess with the bull, you get the horn."

A big deal was made of the "rivalry," but the next week I was passing through the Cup garage and the two were chummily drinking Cokes in a hauler.

*

A lot of reporters didn't like dealing with Martin, but Mark and I got along well. Once, he told me to come back around 2:30, so I went into Charlotte's Winston Cup garage to talk to someone else.

About 2 p.m., I was walking past the No. 6 hauler back to the media center, and I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. Mark said, "Come on in. I got time."

We had a great interview, maybe 40 minutes long.

It was a pleasure to work with him.


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Tuesday, October 29, 2024

DALE EARNHARDT JR. TALKS TALLADEGA

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. WON THIS SEASON AT TALLADEGA

DALE EARNHARDT JR. ON TALLADEGA: “But this race track is really a special race track, just in general, to the sport. I think the history of this place and just how it was conceived and the unique circumstances of that first race and how the drivers, many felt it was unsafe or what have you. And how the track eventually turned into one of the most impressive and unique, concerning speed, and how the style of racing that you have here is so unique, it’s just amazing what this place has been able to deliver year after year. I do enjoy coming here and I remember this was one of my favorites as a kid. When I was young, out of all the tracks that I had the chance to go to, this was definitely one of my favorites to come to.  Milling around in the garage during the race and just how big the place was and the cars looked different because of the superspeedway bodies and it was just a really fun experience for me.


“And this was actually the first race track that I drove on aside from Myrtle Beach. I was racing at Myrtle Beach. Actually I wasn’t even racing Myrtle Beach. I was racing street stocks at Concord. And I think they were testing the V-8. They were going from V-6’s to V-8’s in the Nationwide Series. And Dad was down here driving it and Dave Marcus was out here driving Dad’s car. And Dad called me at the dealership. I was changing oil and told me to get my helmet and my suit and be at the airport the next morning and not to ask any questions or tell anybody where I was going. I didn’t know where I was going. I mean, I knew I was going to Talladega, but I didn’t know why. I assumed I was going to drive a race car somewhere. But we got here and he told me to get my stuff on and get in the car and go out and run; and hold it wide-open, that it would be on the stick. And I remember going down the back straightaway in that car and wondering if it was really going to stick when I got in that corner because it just didn’t seem like it was possible.


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Sunday, October 27, 2024

GETTING IN A WRECK

THIS PHOTO MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN AT ROCKINGHAM

In the 1990s, we were at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham, and I was working on a Winston Cup Scene story. I don't remember the subject, but I wanted to talk to Richard Petty.

Richard had just gotten out of the 43 car, and I asked The King if I could talk to him. He said he had to go to the bathroom, but he'd talk.

When he came back, I sat on something, and Richard climbed up on a stack of tires. He slid his butt down into the top tire, made himself comfortable and waited.

The one thing I remember from our conversation was I asked him about avoiding wrecks. He said that a young driver actually had a better chance with wrecks. He'd just pick a hole and head for it. He'd have maybe a 50-50 shot at avoiding a wreck.

Richard said that a veteran driver -- he'd run more than 1,000 Cup races at that point -- would fall back on experience. By the time he'd think it over, he'd be among the wrecked cars and probably be sitting in one of them.

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Sunday, October 20, 2024

A WILD RIDE AT DARLINGTON

THIS STORY HAPPENED LONG BEFORE THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN

In 1998, my friend Tommy Dampier and I wanted to go from the infield at Darlington Raceway to the press box, but we couldn't park near the press box. So we bummed a ride with a young temporary worker who was driving a golf cart.

Big mistake.

We went charging and bumping along, with me on the back, desperately holding onto my laptop with one hand and my seat with the other. I was terrified of bouncing out; you could easily get hurt or worse hitting that gravel at that speed.

And I wasn't even wearing a helmet.

Fortunately, we made it. We thudded to a stop, and I got out and swore that I'd never do that again.

I later learned that the kid wound up racing at Florence Motor Speedway the  next season. I wasn't surprised. I hope he had smoother rides ON the racetrack.

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EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com   BLUESKY: PROFILE

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