The first stop was a visit to The High Octane Theater to see a short [...]]]>

I woke up early in anticipation of my visit to the Hall of Fame.  After a stop to meet up with a pal, we were on our way and finally arrived around 11:30am.

The first stop was a visit to The High Octane Theater to see a short film about the evolution of NASCAR.  It was just enough to get the adrenalin pumping and we walked out eager to explore.

The first thing that caught my eye was Dale Jr’s bright yellow and blue No. 3 Wrangler car.  As I approached to get a closer look, I found myself grinning from ear to ear.  His emotional win in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona just a few weeks earlier will probably always be one of my favorite NASCAR memories.

I was especially pleased to see that the car had been brought from the track perfectly preserved, down to the mud splattered hood and windshield.

Next, we walked up “Glory Road,” the ramp leading to the second level. It has something for everyone. It’s like a candy store for NASCAR fans with the likes of David Pearson’s No. 21 Purolator car, the Intimidator’s black No. 3 car, Jimmie Johnson’s #48 car and many others.

The cars sit on a platform that mimics the various degrees of banking at different racetracks. The steepest banking simulated is the 33 degrees of Talladega.  You might be surprised to find that it’s almost impossible to even walk up this incline.

It’s these small details that make the Hall of Fame a complete experience.

Making our way along the ramp, I stopped to take some pictures of the famous “Petty Blue” No. 43. As I stood there, an employee happened to walk by.

“Come back in an hour,” she said,” Richard Petty will be stopping by to film some commercial spots.”

We couldn’t believe our luck and made sure to stake out a spot in front of his car.

While we waited, I saw Winston Kelly, the Executive Director of the Hall of Fame, and I introduced myself to him. My husband had worked with him at Duke Energy so we stood there and chatted a few minutes.

I asked him how he had made the leap from Duke Energy to NASCAR. Of course I knew that he’d been involved with NASCAR for most of his life but I was curious as to what he would say.

He told me that he had always been a fan and had worked as a radio broadcaster for Motor Racing Network for several years. He was approached and asked if he would like to be a part of the Hall of Fame.

Kelly smiled and went on to say “In a weak moment, they asked me and in a weak moment, I accepted. “

The next thing I knew, Richard Petty was standing just a few feet away from me in his trademark hat and sunglasses.  He had walked in alone, with no security, and joked with the staff as they prepared to shoot his part in the commercials.

The entire process was over in about twenty minutes and then came the hard part.

Petty looked over at Winston Kelly and jokingly asked “How are you getting me out of here?”

To no one’s surprise, he was almost immediately surrounded by a crowd of eager but respectful fans.  As Petty slowly made his way out, some were brave enough to ask for a picture with the King but most settled for an autograph.

We were later told by an employee that Petty has become a regular visitor. You never know who you might happen to see on any given day at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. On this day, we considered ourselves very lucky indeed to have been in the presence of one of NASCAR’S icons.

The second level features a celebration of the Hall of Fame Inductees and highlights their individual achievements.  It’s also known as the interactive level and can provide hours of entertainment with the different displays.

You can try running a couple of qualifying laps on a simulator at the current track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.  I tried two laps at Bristol and believe me; it’s not as easy as it looks, but loads of fun.

There’s also a pit crew challenge with a daily prize. You can compete as an individual or as a two person crew.  We saw an awesome father and son team and a few that weren’t so memorable but everyone was having a blast.

They also have racing simulators where you can try your luck in the car of your choice and compete for the best time of the day.

There are too many activities to list and almost too much to do in just one visit.  We still had one more level to explore so we headed up to the third level.

It’s named Heritage Speedway and tells the story of NASCAR with countless displays. Each case is filled with a slice of history and as I walked down the aisles I felt a sense of awe.

The pioneers of NASCAR, those we have lost, past champions and today’s best are all represented. There are tributes to Wendell Scott, Louise Smith, Herb Thomas, Smokey Yunick, Rob Moroso, Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki, Dale Earnhardt and countless others.

Almost four hours and 200 pictures later, we finally left, tired but satisfied. I’m proud of my hometown and what they’ve accomplished with the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  I can hardly wait to visit again and see the progression of this tribute to NASCAR history.

As I rode home and reflected on our trip, I found myself grinning again. I had in my hands an autograph from the King, Richard Petty.

How cool is that?

Regardless of your definition, Fireball Roberts was one of NASCAR’s most influential and successful drivers. His life and [...]]]>

How do you define greatness? Is it based on the number of wins or championships a driver has accumulated? Can you really measure the impact one particular driver has on the sport, based on statistics?

Regardless of your definition, Fireball Roberts was one of NASCAR’s most influential and successful drivers. His life and career, cut short by tragedy, left a legacy that has stood the test of time.

Edward Glenn “Fireball” Roberts, Jr. was born on January 20, 1929 in Tavares, Florida and was raised in Apopka, Florida. He reportedly played baseball there as a pitcher for the Zellwood Mud Hens.

It is commonly believed that Roberts earned the nickname “Fireball” because of his fast ball. It should be noted, however, that his baseball career and the origin of his nickname is still widely disputed.

Wherever the nickname came from, it stuck.

Roberts actually disliked the moniker and most of his friends called him by his middle name, Glenn.  Among his fellow drivers, he was often referred to by a shortened version and simply called, “Balls.”

Fireball Roberts was one of NASCAR’s first stars with his aggressive driving style and his “take no prisoners” approach to racing.

He found his way to NASCAR late in 1948 and began making stock car history.

He split his time between the NASCAR Grand Nationals and Modifieds for about five years before he returned to race full-time in the Grand National Series.

In his first year back, 1956, Roberts won 5 races and 4 pole positions, finishing sixth in the points standings.

Roberts continued his success as NASCAR moved away from the shorter dirt tracks to the superspeedways during the 1950s and 1960s.

In fact, it was on the new super speedways that Roberts really shone. Darlington was his favorite superspeedway but Roberts became one of NASCAR’s best at all the new big tracks.

He won the Rebel 300 in 1957 and 1959 and the Southern 500 in 1958 and 1963 at Darlington Raceway.

In 1958, Roberts won the Northern 500 in Trenton, New Jersey and the Southern 500 at Darlington, South Carolina. He became the first driver to ever win two 500 mile races in the same year.

Fireball only participated in 10 races in 1958 but had six wins and finished 11th in the points standings.

What makes this so amazing is that he accomplished all this while missing almost 80% of the races that year.

In 1960, he won the Dixie 500 at the new Atlanta International Raceway, taking the lead with 12 laps to go and beating Cotton Owens to the finish line.

His 1962 Daytona 500 and July Firecracker 400 victories made him the first to sweep the speedway’s two events in a single season.

The Daytona 500 victory was significant for Roberts who had struggled at his hometown track in the past.

On February 18, 1962, he prepared for this race by having a bologna sandwich beforehand. It was said to be one of his favorite pre-race meals.

He strapped into his black and gold 1962 Catalina built by legendary car builder, Smokey Yunick and got ready to race.

It all came down to a battle between Fireball and a young driver named Richard Petty. In the end, Roberts managed to pull away and won by a margin of 27 seconds.

Robert’s 1963 victory at Darlington in the Southern 500 was another memorable race.

During practice Roberts hit the guardrail and had to make extensive repairs to his car. He barely completed the repairs on time but managed to qualify in the ninth position.

Although he was known for his hard charging driving style, Roberts used a different approach for this race. He stayed back in the middle of the pack saving his car for the end of the race.

His strategy paid off.  During the latter stages of the race he began to charge up to the front, finally took the lead with only 75 laps to go and went on to win the race.

The race would also go into the record books as the only caution free race in the history of the Darlington Southern 500.

A year later, Robert’s career came to a screeching halt when he lost his life in one of NASCAR’s most tragic racing incidents.

On lap seven of the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he swerved to avoid an accident involving Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson. His car hit the wall, flipped over and burst into flames. Ned Jarrett rushed to the car and pulled Roberts out of the burning wreck.

Although severely burned, Roberts survived for 37 days but he eventually contracted pneumonia and slipped into a coma. Fireball Roberts died on July 2, 1964 at the age of 35.

Prior to his death, there were rumors that Roberts was contemplating retirement. He had reportedly taken a public relations position at the Falstaff Brewing Company. These rumors are unsubstantiated but go on to suggest that the race in which he was killed was to be one of the final races of his career.

After Roberts’ death, NASCAR mandated that all drivers must wear flame retardant coveralls while on the track. His death also led to the development of fire-safe fuel cells. Ironically, Roberts had just lost his close friend Joe Weatherly in the January Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, California.

The racing world lost one of the pioneers of the superspeedway era and the NASCAR community lost its first superstar.

When Junior Johnson was recently asked by Yahoo Sports to name the best drivers he’d ever raced against, Fireball Roberts was one of the names he mentioned.

Roberts is often called the greatest driver never to win a NASCAR Championship title. Perhaps his legacy is summed up best by the inscription on his tombstone.

“He brought stock car racing a freshness, distinction, a championship quality that surpassed the rewards collected by the checkered flag.”

Awards:

He won The Most Popular Driver award in 1957.

He received the Florida Sportswriters Most Outstanding Athlete award in 1958.

He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1995.

The city of Concord, North Carolina named a street near Charlotte Motor Speedway in his honor in 2000.

As soon as we began talking, I was immediately impressed with the maturity and focus that this 19-year old possesses.

He had just finished qualifying [...]]]>

I had a chance to interview Trevor Bayne at Darlington Raceway on May 7^th to talk to him about his first season as a fulltime Nationwide Series regular.

As soon as we began talking, I was immediately impressed with the maturity and focus that this 19-year old possesses.

He had just finished qualifying and seemed pleased with his effort. Although Bayne felt he could have pushed a little harder, he explained his strategy.

“It’s our first time here so it’s better to have a car in one piece and still have a potentially qualifying top ten than it is going for a top three.”

His plan seemed to work and he earned a ninth place starting position for the Royal Purple 200 race later that evening. He finished the race in 16^th place and advanced to the 11^th position in the Nationwide Series points standings.

I asked Bayne to grade his season to date and although he was reluctant to do so, he sounded encouraged by what they have been able to accomplish thus far.

“I think we’re on the right track,” he said. “We’re definitely going in the right direction.”

Bayne went on to describe this season as a learning process.

“Diamond Waltrip Racing has always given us the cars we need. We’ve finally figured out how to use that equipment the right way.”

“On top of that, the chemistry is getting better,” he said. “It just takes time to figure out how I need to relay information.”

From the outside looking in, there have been some inconsistent performances. But Bayne is quick to point out that for the most parts, their cars have been good.

“We’ve been fast almost every weekend.”

He points to two incidents at Daytona and Bristol when he was wrecked after contact with other competitors.  Both accidents resulted in poor finishes for the 99 team.

Bayne has two goals for his season. The first one is to get the most out of what he calls a “top five team.” His second goal is to use the season as preparation for his future.

“We’d love to win but what this series is doing is preparing us for the Cup Series later on.”

Bayne is not alone in his belief that the 99 team is one to watch this year. Hershey Milk and Milkshakes joined him at Dover International Speedway as a new associate sponsor. They also donated $99 to the Autism Speaks Foundation for every lap Bayne completed in the race.

Bayne had jumped from 17^th to 11th in the Nationwide Series points standings in the last four weeks. He hoped to capitalize on that momentum going into Dover.

“At Darlington, we decided to go back to the basics,” Bayne explained.

“I focused on driving the race car and Jerry (Crew Chief Jerry Baxter) concentrated on making the adjustments. Our car was really strong during the race and we made adjustments to keep up with the track.  We didn’t get the finish we deserved but we gained a lot of momentum and confidence for this weekend at Dover.”

Bayne had an outstanding run in Saturday’s Heluva Good 200 at Dover International Speedway.  He started the race in the 23rd position but had worked his way into the top 10 with just under 100 laps to go.  Bayne continued to move forward and got as high as fifth place with 50 laps remaining in the race.

Unfortunately, with just two laps to go, he got caught up in a nine car accident that began when Denny Hamlin got into the back of Clint Bowyer on a restart. The incident ended Bayne’s day and he finished the event in 29^th position.  He is now 14th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship point standings.

After the end of the race Bayne was sent to a local hospital for X-rays on a bruised left foot. The results were negative.  He is expected to resume his schedule and will be in Daytona on Tuesday and Wednesday to participate in the new car testing.

Even though he didn’t get the result he was hoping for, Bayne will continue to work towards his goal. He’s confident that God has a plan for him and is committed to doing his part to make it happen.

His strategy is simple.

“I think we can get there. All we have to do is work smarter, not harder.”

The fantasy began as a childhood dream and lay dormant for much of his adult life. Then tragedy struck, not once, but twice, and suddenly Matt had a clear vision of his future.

As a child, his mother often asked him what he wanted to [...]]]>

Matt Poole is a man on a mission.

The fantasy began as a childhood dream and lay dormant for much of his adult life. Then tragedy struck, not once, but twice, and suddenly Matt had a clear vision of his future.

As a child, his mother often asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. The answer was always the same.

“I want to be a race car driver,” the youngster replied.

But, childhood desires were soon replaced by the realities of life and the dream was set aside.

Then, in 2003, Poole lost his mother when she died suddenly from a heart attack. His father, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, was left alone. Matt’s Mom had always been the foundation of the family and her death affected him deeply.

After her funeral, Matt could only think of one thing. He had to do something to honor his mother’s memory and pay tribute to the woman who had shaped his life. With a newly found clarity and a desire fueled by heartbreak, he decided to take a chance and begin his quest to race.

Poole knew there would be countless hurdles to overcome and the odds were not in his favor. Even his friends tried to discourage him but nothing could diminish his desire or drive to succeed.

His journey began in 2004 at Speed Tech Auto Racing School in Rockingham, North Carolina.  His first time in a race car was a resounding success. He finished the school at the top of his class with the top speed, best average speed and fastest lap.

The next step was setting up a website, http://www.mattpooleracing.com/ to tell his story and attract sponsors. Then Matt began the time consuming process of making phone calls and sending letters to race teams at all levels of racing.

He never received one response and grew accustomed to hearing the word, “no.”

Although disappointed, Matt was not surprised.

“The two biggest obstacles that I’m up against are age and experience, too much of one and not enough of the other.”

In May 2005 Matt’s world was turned upside down again. One of his closest friends, Tonya Schultz, was brutally murdered by her husband in front of their two young children.

More focused than ever before, Poole knew he had to continue his journey.  He also made the decision to contribute any winnings to charity and in this way honor the memories of his mother and friend.

“I’m not doing this to become rich or famous,” Matt says, “I just want to race.”

His hard work was rewarded when Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Motorsports saw Matt’s website. Lafferty gave Matt a call, offered him a chance to test and ultimately signed him as a development driver.

On February 3, 2007 he had his first test session in a Craftsman Truck at Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, NC.

Matt’s love of racing is obvious as he talks about the experience.

He speaks with awe as he remembers all the drivers who have been there before. Drivers like Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Ralph Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt and many others who had raced at Hickory Motor Speedway early in their careers.

“As I stood there looking at the start-finish line,” he said, “I could envision all those great drivers crossing that line in years past. It was a moving experience just walking into that speedway.”

Matt continued to test for Lafferty Motorsports and he was finally rewarded with the opportunity he’d been waiting for his entire life.

On July 21, 2007, at the age of 43, Matt ran his first race at that same speedway in the Street Stock Division. He qualified in 10^th place and finished in the 12^th position.

After the race, he felt a huge wave of relief and joy and envisioned his Mom and friend smiling down at him. The first part of his dream had finally come true.

As promised, he donated his winnings to a favorite charity, The Victory Junction Gang Camp.

In 2008 Poole was laid off from his job and in February of that year he made another critical decision to help further his cause. He sold his home, packed up his belongings and moved to Kannapolis, North Carolina so he could continue in the driver development program and be closer to the NASCAR community.

In May 2008, he ran a second race at Hickory Speedway, qualified 9^th and finished in 7^th position. Since then, lack of sponsorship has left him on the sidelines.

Poole continues to work at his day job at NASCAR Racing Experience as an instructor but spends every spare moment in the pursuit of his dream.

He has pledged to keep racing until he wins and is asking for the chance to accomplish that goal. On his website, Matt issues a challenge to race teams and sponsors.

“I want to win. If you want to win, put me in your car. This is my childhood dream; it’s all I ever wanted to be.”

Matt Poole is not your typical racer. He’s not racing for fame or fortune but instead is racing out of love for the sport and to honor the memory of two special people.

“I will not be happy until I’m in Victory Lane, holding that trophy to the sky, and I say Mom and Tonya, this is for you.”