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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
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RACING IS A PATCHWORK QUILT by Norm Bogan |
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As a small boy, I recall that we didn’t
have “Bounty” towels yet capable of soaking up puddles of water,
dusting the furniture or wiping oil from parts and hands as we
performed repairs on the family car. We had an old
pillowcase that was stuffed with scraps of cloth, salvaged from worn
and tattered clothes, bed sheets, blankets and blue jeans.
This was commonly referred to as the Rag Bag. While this served as a utilitarian device for
daily household chores, it was also the paint on the artist’s
pallet for the creation of a masterpiece. In my case, the
artist was my Grandmother, who would select those scraps of material
for their texture, geometric designs or splashes of color as if
paint had dripped on them, then cut them into blocks, not always
symmetrical and proceeded to stitch those blocks together. As these patches were sewn together in random
fashion with a backing attached and filler inserted, suddenly a warm
and comfy utility was unveiled to provide insulation against the
winter cold. Auto racing is just like Grandma’s quilt.
It is assembled from scraps and pieces of mankind, in varied colors,
textures and designs. Whether you are competing
internationally or in hobby classes, racers come from all walks of
life, with backgrounds as different as pieces of each quilt. Racing participants represent a broad spectrum
of the population. Some are well educated and serve the
community as attorneys, accountants, doctors, educators and business
managers, while others provide the trades such as mechanics,
electricians, plumbers and carpenters. There are those who
work in agriculture, helping to feed and clothe the nation.
Many are employed in public services, providing utilities and
maintenance in our cities. Others serve transportation and
distribution, whether as a truck driver or locomotive engineer,
maybe a grocery store manager or clerk, the drive-thru window at
McDonalds or the cashier at Blockbuster. Some have amassed
great wealth, while others scratch to get by from one payday to the
next. The common thread is that they all love to be
involved somehow in auto racing. They may be the young and
virile driver, showing no fear and running flat out in their quest
to be the best or the wily veteran waiting to take advantage of the
youngster’s mistake. Maybe, this patch is that of family,
who often make sacrifices to ensure that the racecar will be at its
top performance when arriving at the track. Unsung heroes are those that just want to be
involved and will assume whatever task, needs to be done from
scraping mud to airing the tires. They provide the backbone of
racing, serving with unlimited enthusiasm. Sponsors, due to a
love for the sport have chosen to participate by contributing to
offsetting some of the costs. Promoters are definitely one of
the patches. Often viewed as silver-tongued devils by the
competitors, if it wasn’t for the efforts of these individuals,
racetracks would be another shopping mall. It takes great love
for the sport to make the commitment to battle with sanctioning
bodies, racers, other promoters and the non-auto racing public.
Most would be more successful if they invested their time and money
in other ventures. Fans have undying devotion to a driver, team or
class, exhibiting their loyalty with T-shirts and caps and
accumulating autographs from their favorites, no matter how
successful their performance. Enjoyment is gleaned by regular
visits to the racing venue, witnessing the efforts of all the above. Assembling all these patches, creates another
“Grandma’s Original”, which will keep us warm and comfy for
another racing season.
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