NASCAR Nation

by Chris Myers

  Copyright © 2012 by Chris Myers and Michael Levin

  All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher – or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency – is an infringement of the copyright law.

  NASCAR® and NASCAR Library Collection are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.

  Myers, Chris

  NASCAR nation / Chris Myers.

  eISBN: 978-0-7710-6119-6

  I. NASCAR (Association).

  2. Stock car racing–United States. I. Title.

  GV1029.9.S74M93 2012 796.720973 C2012-900970-9

  We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and that of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Ontario Book Initiative. We further acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program.

  Published simultaneously in the United States of America by Fenn/McClelland & Stewart, a division of Random House of Canada Limited, P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, New York 12901

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2012932350

  Fenn/McClelland & Stewart, a division of

  Random House of Canada Limited

  One Toronto Street

  Suite 300

  Toronto, Ontario

  M5C 2V6

  www.mcclelland.com

  The opinions expressed in this book are those of the author and do not directly represent NASCAR.

  All photos courtesy of Getty Images except as noted.

  v3.1

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  1 STRAPPING IN

  2 RISK

  3 PATRIOTISM

  4 SPEED

  5 TEAMWORK

  6 MONEY

  7 TECHNOLOGY

  PHOTO INSERTS

  8 TRADITION

  9 PAGEANTRY

  10 HEROES

  11 ENDURANCE

  12 VICTORY

  IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY SON,

  CHRISTOPHER MYERS,

  AND MY FATHER, EUGENE T. MYERS.

  1

  STRAPPING IN

  I’ll never forget the first time I heard the national anthem played at a NASCAR event after 9/11. It was the first race after the tragic fall of the twin towers in New York. The audience was enormous. There was a real sense of community, a sense of togetherness unlike any race I had been to before.

  What happened next is difficult to explain. There was no preparation for it. The crowd just started chanting “U.S.A.” in unison. It didn’t start with a single voice. Just as everyone stood up together, they started chanting together: “U.S.A.” They were reciting more than three letters. They were chanting for the United States of America and everything it stood for, all of its values, and they were saying it in unison. They weren’t saying it in an abrasive or in-your-face kind of way. They were saying, “We are Americans, and we will stay together.”

  That’s NASCAR – as American as baseball and apple pie, and it embodies all of the values that make America great. It’s cars and crashes, but it’s also a multi-million dollar American tradition born out of a grassroots southern racing sport. NASCAR may have started small as an underdog in sports, but it has grown to international acclaim. That’s the great American story – the unexpected rise to success.

  NASCAR could have only started here, in a country where learning to drive is as essential as learning to walk. The automobile is inextricably a symbol of America and American industry, and it’s a part of most Americans lives. We drive more and unfortunately consume more oil than most other countries. While high oil consumption isn’t the goal, when we ask, “What is America?” the answer always seems to be that it is the land of opportunity. It’s the open road.

  NASCAR is all about the open road with no speed limit and no stop signs, with things coming at you faster than you know how to handle them. Drivers have to expect the unexpected and possess lightning-fast reflexes. Most Americans can relate to the need for speed, the call of the open road, and the cross-country adventure. The car has been part of the American dialogue since Henry Ford.

  If cars are for most Americans, then NASCAR is also for most Americans. Baseball is America’s pastime and football is America’s passion, but NASCAR is its roots. Fans don’t have to pay thousands for seats to see a race. Families come down in campers, kids and all, for the weekend of a big race. It’s family time and it’s NASCAR time. That’s why NASCAR has such a sizeable and loyal fan base. I am but one steadfast fan out of millions.

  NASCAR is a major part of America, and now, a part of who I am. However, it wasn’t always easy getting into the sport. Before I started broadcasting for NASCAR, I was a so-called stick-and-ball guy. I had no idea what that meant, but I heard it a lot during my early days. I thought I was a sportsman and broadcaster, but as I got into the world of race cars, even as a major professional sports broadcaster, I learned that NASCAR was a world in and of itself.

  During my ten years at ESPN, I had covered a little bit of racing. I’d interviewed some of the legends in the sport: Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett, who won the Daytona 500 (in fact he won the race three times – 1993, 1996, and 2000 – and his father was also in the sport). When I was with FOX and they acquired the broadcast rights to NASCAR, they were looking for a host. This is how it all began.

  Now, they tried out several different people, and each and every job candidate was impressive and overwhelmingly qualified – I was definitely not a shoe-in. They knew they wanted to bring in Darrell Waltrip, the former NASCAR champion. They were looking at former NASCAR crew chief Jeff Hammond. Of course there was Larry McReynolds, the longtime NASCAR crew chief and sports analyst. These guys might have had limited broadcasting experience, but if anyone knew racing, it was them. They were NASCAR insiders. FOX tried out a lot of different people who really knew the sport. I was the underdog.

  Contrary to what some people believe, NASCAR isn’t a game just for the winners. With the way the dollars work out, it’s thought that only four to five teams can afford to compete; that it’s a game only for those who can pay to compete, shutting out the underdog. While some of this may be true, there are unexpected wins to counter that claim. Take then-rookie Brad Keselowski’s steal at Talladega on April 26, 2009. There were four laps to go, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. looked like he might win. Tony Stewart’s car didn’t seem to be getting up to speed. By the last lap, it was Carl Edwards who held the race in the palm of his hand. No one thought Keselowski was going to take it. Suddenly, Edwards’s car, nosed by Keselowski’s, somersaulted in the air, destroying the front end of Ryan Newman’s car. Edwards exited the car and ran to the finish line on foot after all the cars had already sped across it. Keselowski was in the lead. Luck plays a big role in racing.

  And as luck would have it, I ended up getting the job with FOX as an on-air host. One day I was in the building and someone said, “You’re a guy who knows broadcasting. You know how to ask all the questions.” They said this knowing that I wasn’t as knowledgeable about the sport as the other candidates. I told them that I could study any sport, and besides – I’d grown up around racing. So I was given an opportunity to take a job that would change my life: I became the host of the NASCAR pre-race show.

  As a broadcaster, I was expected to make sure that I was both sufficiently informed and connected to the audience – and boy, do you get an audience. I took t
he responsibility seriously from the very beginning. NASCAR is one of the greatest sports in the United States and has one of the most dedicated fan bases. Becoming a NASCAR broadcaster was no simple task. I had the job, but I still had to figure out how to become a part of the NASCAR world. Unlike many other sports, NASCAR wasn’t just about giving stats on air. I had to take a lighter approach, because people want to be entertained. They want to enjoy themselves; it’s a fun and down-to-earth sport. People watching the race aren’t watching it just to hear numbers. If I wanted to do this, I had to really become a part of the NASCAR world – which is easier said than done.

  “Hey, there’s Chris Myers,” the late David Poole, a writer for the Charlotte Observer, said as he stood with a beer in hand after a race. “I thought when you came on NASCAR you would suck.” Believe it or not, Poole was trying to bring me into the tight-knit NASCAR community with his frank comment. He went on to say, “But I was wrong. You’re really good.”

  It turned out that Poole had his own radio show and was a NASCAR insider. As I got to know the people, he was one of those in the NASCAR circle who let me in. He and the drivers themselves were very cooperative and helpful. David always seemed to be saying, “You know we want you – you’re a guy we’ve seen who has worked in the sports world and you’re part of this.” Poole, his beer, and his welcoming demeanor were my way into a club of sorts; one that you have to respect and want to be a part of. It has core American values – sincerity and honesty – and it values people who are down-to-earth and true to themselves. When I went down to Daytona, the drivers walked me through the garage so I could see how things worked. It was their way of including me in the game.

  Here’s the thing about NASCAR: it’s an all-American, traditional sport that stays true to its roots, while it’s also modern and cutting edge. The social aspect has changed little. The old NASCAR was a southern regional sport. So for a new broadcaster, there were times I felt as if it were saying, in a southern drawl: “You’re not one of us.” Still, NASCAR has developed with time, welcoming drivers from California, Las Vegas, and every nook and cranny of the U.S.A. What got me accepted in NASCAR was sincerity. As I said, this is a down-to-earth sport, and being honest is an all-American NASCAR value. I didn’t try to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. I didn’t come on like I was Mr. NASCAR. They knew I knew TV, and they gave me a chance to succeed. NASCAR reminded me of a very simple American value: they’ll respect you if you’re real and sincere.

  As a matter of fact, even FOX was put under scrutiny. The network was seen as crazy untraditional television, and somehow insincere. In the end, FOX was able to prove that though it was going to do things differently, the network would be doing them better. It was the first to put the ticker-style running order up on the screen for the race. That’s only one example of the many technical things that our production and broadcast crews have contributed to the sport, getting fans at home closer to the races.

  In truth, I’m only a small part of it all. The true honor goes to those behind the scenes who are rarely mentioned. In NASCAR, everyone matters, and every member of the crew is essential to both the races and the on-air production. It’s because of each of us that our broadcasting team is the most popular among NASCAR fans and has been broadcasting for over eight years. We have a nice mix of people, and we can cover the news stories right, relate to drivers, and have fun. That’s what people want to see. Not only that, but our FOX team has now been credited for making the sport more mainstream and being cutting edge on air.

  As much as being a broadcaster and a member of an amazing crew has allowed me to be an active part of the sport, I also consider myself a fan, in the stands, cheering “U.S.A.” with everyone else. I’m just as amazed, fascinated, and perplexed by the sport as the rest of the onlookers. My eyes are always wide open, catching every moment, no matter how many races I see. The bright colors of the cars speeding around the gargantuan tracks never lose their shine – the frenetic flags flapping in the air, cars shattering like glass. However, it’s more than visual; all of the senses are affected. The clouds of smoke, the smell of the fumes, the size of the mammoth track and the scent of the rubber, fuel and oil after a wreck, the sounds of cars zooming by – you definitely need earplugs.

  And the experience isn’t only reserved for people in the stands. NASCAR is one of the great TV sports because fans can experience it in a way that they just can’t with other sports. The drivers let us put microphones and cameras in the cars; we can listen in on the radio communication between the drivers and their crew chiefs. This adds an entirely new element to the race that isn’t possible in other sports. Imagine being able to hear a football player talk to his coach as he makes an important pass or being able to talk to a baseball player as he runs from home plate to first base. Well, we can talk to drivers at every moment. In the middle of the race, if a driver’s car wrecks, he’s able to talk to you to explain what happened. Fans can’t get that close to the action and certainly not to the players themselves in football or baseball. But in NASCAR, fans can walk into the pit-road area before the race and stand, as if in some shrine, in front of the same cars that they see on the track a couple hours later.

  But NASCAR is more than just cars. There’s an important human element to the race. For every lap of a NASCAR race, a driver has to make countless split-second decisions: how to start; whether to overtake the car in front or to “draft” (hang behind the car in front, reducing air resistance); when to gain or maintain speed; where and when to turn, brake, or gas; how to dodge crashes; and whether to change that tire that may be in need of a change or to stick it out (hoping it won’t cause a crash or a blow-out that will cost the race). Every track is unique, calling for different driving techniques on the part of the driver and putting new demands on the car and the crew. It’s driving at its fullest – a sport most Americans participate in every day in their own vehicles. It’s something everyone can relate to, but here cars are moving faster than 180 miles per hour for exceptionally close finishes and lawsuit-and-insurance-penalty-free car crashes.

  At the beginning, I was most interested in the human element of the sport. As someone who had interviewed football and baseball players for years, I was fascinated less by the cars and more by the drivers. It isn’t just about making the play, but what the players are thinking about while doing it. Their teammates, the plays, the coach, their family in the stands – all of these elements actually play a major part in the psychology of the player and thus also play a major part in the outcome of the game.

  I had enjoyed witnessing the psychological element in other sports but, when it came to NASCAR, I still wasn’t sure if it was about the car that’s being driven or the person driving it. The conclusion I’ve come to now is: it’s both. Trying to separate the two is like trying to separate NASCAR from the U.S.A. and the U.S.A. from NASCAR. I quickly learned when I started broadcasting that the sport was a lot more than finely engineered cars.

  The race revealed itself to me to be a test of intelligence, both on the part of the driver and the crew working behind him – the crew members who keep the car in top racing condition, changing tires and refueling at record speeds. Everything happens so fast, people have to be on their toes. That’s why the sport is so popular: people simply like speed, and they like cars, no matter who’s driving them or who’s winning.

  Danica Patrick has become only the third woman to run in the Daytona 500, after Shawna Robinson (1995) and Janet Guthrie (1977), who ran the race twice. Patrick didn’t get into a NASCAR ride just because she’s an attractive woman. She’s achieved six top-ten finishes at the Indy 500 and has proven herself as a capable driver. There’s certainly pressure on her to stick in NASCAR and win races. Although she didn’t grow up racing go-karts like many NASCAR drivers, she is competing at the NASCAR Nationwide Series level to earn her spurs and a NASCAR Sprint Cup ride. You’ve also got to trust Tony Stewart’s judgment – he believes that she’s worthy of a ride, so she’ll have eve
ry opportunity to prove herself. It was announced that in 2012, Patrick will be driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, a NASCAR team owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas.

  Not all open-wheel (single seat cars with wheels outside the car’s body) racers have come to NASCAR and found success. For example, drivers Patrick Carpentier and Dario Franchitti were unable to replicate their open-wheel track records in NASCAR. The betting is that Patrick will find a way to win.

  In the past five to ten years, drivers’ profiles have changed and gotten younger. They used to be mature, married men. Today, NASCAR driving isn’t only for those drivers, but it’s not just for the young athletes, either – it’s everybody’s sport. And whether people want to call them athletes or not (and I think they are because of what they do and the way that they do it), their driving skills and the decisions that they have to make are a true measure of mental dexterity. What matters in NASCAR, more than any other muscle, is the mind.

  Some critics of the sport ask, “If drivers are so intelligent, why do they risk their lives driving in circles, crashing their cars into walls?” They view the admiration of a wreck as grotesque. These are people who don’t understand the races and who haven’t given it an honest chance. The sights, sounds, smells of the wrecks are a necessary part of the spectacle. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that these cars have been handmade by some of the greatest engineers in the country and handled by some of the most skilled crews. Or perhaps it’s the assurance that the driver is going to step out of the car and be okay. These drivers may crash and total cars, but at the end of the day, they walk away.

  There’s nothing wrong with a crash, especially in today’s races when the necessary safety precautions have been taken to ensure that drivers are guaranteed as much safety as possible. And there’s a reason for these precautions. When Dale Earnhardt, who was the face of the sport, died on February 18, 2001, as a result of injuries from a wreck, it changed the world of NASCAR forever.