by Chris Myers
My introduction to NASCAR as a broadcaster was earth-shattering. Everyone was affected that day – the parents and kids sitting at home enjoying the final lap of the Daytona 500, the drivers who were well across the finish line before they realized what had happened, my fellow broadcasters and I. All of us, as a nation and community, held our breath as car No. 3 stopped moving. Nobody could be sure of what had happened. We hoped, but in vain. Earnhardt and his No. 3 swerved and crashed on the very last lap. Just moments before, everything had been different. Fans at home were holding onto the edges of their sofas, people were standing up in the stadium with joyful anticipation, and we were narrating the final lap of the race with extra tension in our voices – only to be interrupted by speechlessness.
Everyone was waiting, no longer interested in how the end of the race would turn out; waiting to see if Earnhardt would emerge, just like all the other drivers had in most crashes. He was the symbol of NASCAR. His kind gestures, formidable grasp, bushy moustache, and down-to-earth demeanor fully embodied what NASCAR was and is.
After the first man to approach the window became frantic, everything became unsure. This was no ordinary crash. Then ambulances arrived – the only vehicles you never want to see racing out onto the track. It was something that no one expected. In the sport where viewers, fans, and drivers learn to expect the unexpected, this was something for which no one was prepared. No matter how many times the race footage was replayed, it never ceased to seem somehow unreal.
Since Earnhardt’s death, safety regulations have greatly increased. Some have complained that these safety regulations have caused uniformity in car design. This is possible, but there’s no doubt that being sure that these drivers make their way back to their families at the end of the day is vitally important to NASCAR and its fans. It’s a family sport – good, safe fun. After this tragedy, many more drivers have been able to drive safely doing the sport that Earnhardt loved, that the nation continues to loves, and that I love, too.
That day brought the end to the career of one of the greatest NASCAR drivers to ever set wheels on a track. It also marked the beginning of my career as a NASCAR broadcaster, and taught me an early lesson: this sport is all about surprises. In the years since, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes NASCAR great, and how all the elements of racing – risk, patriotism, teamwork, tradition, and endurance, just to name a few – come together to make this the true American sport. It’s not just that we all love fast cars or the thrill of the open road. It’s that the values of NASCAR mirror the values of our great nation, the place we call home.
NASCAR fans don’t get half the respect they deserve. As a broadcaster, I get an earful from people who are constantly trying to criticize them and put them down. But in all honesty, the values of NASCAR fans really are the values that make America great. That’s why fans deserve to be celebrated, not cut down – they’re the people who form the backbone of our nation. NASCAR fans aren’t backwoods rednecks: they’re the quintessential American heroes.
NASCAR is America. And if you love them both: read on.
2
RISK
NASCAR drivers are confident – they have to be. They think they can overcome anything, and oftentimes, they’re right. People who love NASCAR are confident enough to push the envelope to the very edge. It’s not about wanting to get hurt or wishing harm on others. The feeling a person gets watching a race is the same feeling they get watching a horror movie. The monster nears the child, reaching its arms out from under the bed. Of course you don’t want to see a child eaten by a monster, but the tension and the excitement of the film lies in the unknown, in the fear, in the hope of a resolution – in the risk.
In baseball or football, this type of risk doesn’t exist to the same degree. If an athlete in one of those sports makes a mistake, it is often viewed as detrimental to the game. In NASCAR, however, it only adds to the thrill. Sure, there are plenty of moments when a football, baseball, or basketball viewer may not know what will happen next or may feel excited or worried, but it doesn’t compare to the accidents that make NASCAR so addictive.
Carl Edwards is an example of one such NASCAR adrenaline-addict – and I mean that in the best way possible. For the average person, racing at top speeds and crashing into walls would be enough to get their blood rushing – if not to get their heart stopping. Still, Edwards doesn’t stop at the races. He keeps going. In his spare time he flies planes, doing stunts in the air. It takes this particular type of person to appreciate the glory of racing from behind the wheel.
There is no doubt that NASCAR is a sport of risks. Still, there have been many measures taken to ensure that risk and fun do not make safety a casualty in this full-throttle sport. The head-and-neck support (HANS) device is one such innovation that has been made mandatory. It was developed by American Bob Hubbard and is one of two different neck-support devices that drivers can choose. Made out of Kevlar and carbon fiber, with several liners, a visor, fireproof Nomex lining, a communication earpiece, a foam pad, and light outer lining, the system offers the best protection available.
And yet, there are people, perhaps those who relish memories of the old, down-and-dirty, less-regulated NASCAR days, who say the races have lost some of the risk due to additions such as the HANS. It’s hard to believe that something that could save a driver from a lethal fracture at the base of the skull could really interfere with the excitement of the race. If anything, knowing that a driver is carefully prepared in case of an accident should make a fan more able to enjoy the good wholesome fun. Fans watch NASCAR as if it were a real-life action movie; they don’t want to see a tragedy on the track.
Drivers can also immediately turn off their engines with the flip of a safety switch. This is another example of how NASCAR’s technological advancements are working to make racing about the action, not about accidents. These safety devices and new regulations, which range from checking the size of the spoiler, to weighing the car, to making sure all head and neck supports are in place, perhaps soften the reality of the situation, but in no way do they take the risk out of the sport. Risk is essential to NASCAR – it’s a defining quality. You can’t have NASCAR without risk.
There are many risks in the sport that fans may not notice. Take, for example, the most basic risk of driving at a high speed. Sure, the cars look like they’re moving fast on the screen, but it’s all relative. People don’t realize that these cars are actually burning rubber, sometimes moving at speeds in excess of 180 miles per hour. At such high speeds, the mere ability to control the vehicle, as well as the driver’s responsiveness to other drivers, is at risk. The drivers have to manage a 3,450-pound vehicle while hurtling at top speed. No driver could ever say that there wasn’t risk involved.
Many drivers have expressed fear about the sport. It’s hard to say what makes them face these risks and it’s hard to say what makes us want to watch them face it. We don’t want anything bad to happen, but that risk creates the tension that keeps the race interesting. That’s what risk is – not knowing what might happen. The safety devices allow a person to enjoy the race with a bit less guilt. We don’t feel like we’re putting someone’s life on the line for the sake of our entertainment. We have the comfort of knowing that they, like a tightrope walker with a net beneath them, will not die for our enjoyment.
However, to say that NASCAR is just entertainment is to ignore what that risk means. That risk is more than just fun. It speaks to something greater. Fans admire drivers and their lives. They want to witness the bright cars speeding down the straightaways. Fans want drivers to win the race for them and feel like winners in the process.
It’s similar to Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and all the superheroes in colorful costumes who face life-threatening danger and succeed. Drivers, dressed in full uniform, with their suits on and their helmets over their faces, become superheroes to a lot of fans. They even look like superheroes. We don’t want our superheroes to lose, but we do want them to fi
ght villains. Can you imagine telling the Caped Crusader not to drive the Batmobile too fast? NASCAR is more than simply a taste for danger. It’s a desire to conquer a challenge. If the risk wasn’t there, then there would be no challenge, and no NASCAR.
What’s great about NASCAR drivers is that they are average people in many respects who are somehow superheroes. They range in age from twenty-five to fifty and older. Some of the guys aren’t very tall, nor do they have athletic builds – but they’re still great drivers. Mark Martin is in his fifties and at the top of his game. These drivers are human and relatable, so their feats on the race track make us feel like we, too, can succeed when we face challenges, even if the outcome is unsure. NASCAR drivers are real-life superheroes. Children idolize them, women admire them, and men are inspired by them.
Many of these superheroes start out on a dirt path made in the backyards behind their family homes. They begin refining their skill early, and through dedication, perseverance, and natural talent, they ultimately begin a rise to fame and success. The very story of the NASCAR driver is that of risk. When beginning the career path of becoming a driver, who can say where it will end and if it will take you to the desired destination? The risk, like the challenges on the track, must be faced in order for NASCAR to continue. Meeting these challenges calls for a very particular type of athlete and person. Think of Edwards jumping out of a wrecked car and then heading home for a relaxing evening of stunt airplane flying. Now that’s a real athlete.
I did not believe that NASCAR drivers were athletic when I started covering the sport, but this type of a personality and spirit must be coupled with an agile mind and body. When a competition forces people to refine the human body and mind to its sharpest elements, those people are athletes, and that is a sport. It’s true that driving well is more of a skill than a physical undertaking. Nonetheless, if you are more of an athlete, you are going to be a more successful driver.
The drivers face many physical difficulties while driving. The more their bodies can endure, the better they will be able to race. One hindrance is the physical heat and fatigue it causes. Anyone who has driven for a long duration can understand how the activity can be wearing. Imagine driving long distances at top speeds, racing other drivers, covered in gear and a helmet, sweating, making sharp hairpin turns, and trying to focus – all at once.
With the mental and physical risks drivers are asked to take comes a major test of endurance, and that simple fact is not always appreciated enough by the sporting world. This is a highly competitive sport. Even if these athletes are not athletes in the same sense that baseball, football, and soccer players may be considered athletes, they are pushing their bodies. It is a different type of athleticism. It may be more easily compared to marathon running than to other sports. In marathon running, runners must pace themselves so that they can endure long distances. Driving in NASCAR is a test of endurance, but no one is jogging here – it’s all happening at lightning-fast speeds. Driving skill, athleticism, critical thinking, split-second reaction times, quick thinking, and sheer fearlessness are required of the most successful drivers. You don’t see the drivers running out on the track, but drivers are always being pushed to endure in much the same way as other athletes, and to take risks that aren’t required in many other sports.
Many people mistakenly assume that NASCAR is all about the cars. Sure, hundreds of thousands are spent on perfecting vehicles, including hours of testing and fine-tuning, examining every aspect of the vehicle’s performance using complicated telemetry data to achieve the ideal tire suspension and steering, and countless other head-spinning procedures that these cars go through to become superior machines built for competition. Despite all this, the sport isn’t about cars. Well, maybe it is about cars – but someone has to drive. The best driver, even with a bad car, will make the most out of what he has, whereas the worst driver with the best car won’t get very far.
In the United States, we like to think of our country as the land of opportunity. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll quickly realize that not everyone has the same opportunities. Some are dealt bad hands from the very beginning, born into poor, dysfunctional families, sent to bad schools where they can only be expected to hang out with the wrong kids from a very early age. Think of immigrant families looking for a better life or a struggling small-time farmer, working long hours and still not making enough. Still, these are the people who make up America and the great stories of our country. That’s why America loves the underdog, because the greatest Americans have been those who have faced a challenge, been dealt a bad hand, taken a risk, and succeeded against all odds. That’s what makes NASCAR great: the challenge, the risk, and that final cross of the finish line.
But how do drivers get across that finish line? Part of the answer is a combination of endurance and careful strategizing. Drivers have to be flexible and fit to sit in a car for four to five hours. Because it demands so much of their mental and physical capacities, it’s very difficult for drivers not to get physically worn down after hours and hours of high-speed racing.
As far as strategy is concerned, drivers must pace themselves and drive according to the track they’re on. If drivers are at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, for example, they have to drive carefully. Driving there makes for tight racing, which means lots of wrecks. The way drivers maneuver around this track is different from how they would handle another track, as Talladega calls for a certain finesse and strategy, not just speed.
Jimmie Johnson is a good example of a driver who’s won a variety of different races on a variety of different tracks: everything from short tracks to superspeedways to intermediate tracks to road courses. Getting across the finish line isn’t just about how fast you can go; it’s about strategizing and planning how to manage the specific risks particular to each track.
The Coca-Cola 600, which is on the Sprint Cup Series schedule, is the longest NASCAR race. At 600 miles long, not only does it test the drivers’ skills, the winner is often the one who endures with grace and patience, takes a daring risk at the end, and steals first place. It’s important to know when to play it safe and when to take a chance.
The race is long and risk is always tempered by staying power. To return to the marathon analogy, let’s look at the format of a race such as the Coca-Cola 600. Because it is the only 600-mile racing event, it requires that drivers pace themselves. They have to focus the entire time, knowing when to pass and when to draft. For the most part, that focus is channeled toward staying ahead of the pack while still saving energy for those last few laps leading up to the final one, when everything counts the most. But if drivers aren’t on top of their game during the whole race, they can fall behind, and then at the end, be out of the race. The best drivers know how to pace themselves, but that isn’t to say that most of the excitement happens at the end of the race. It is thrilling to watch over 40 stock cars zipping along, each trying to stay ahead of the other and taking calculated risks to keep them at the front of the pack.
The test of endurance applies just as easily to the cars, which are engineered to very high standards and must meet tough demands. Imagine what would become of the average automobile if it had to endure just a dozen laps at those speeds, without the proper pit crew, machinery, and engineering. NASCAR vehicles must be carefully maintained, even during the race, which is why having a good car can make all the difference; fewer pit stops means more time saved. On the other hand, refueling, changing tires, and making running repairs can really help a car and the driver’s time. If major repairs aren’t needed, a pit crew can be done in less than fourteen seconds; however, it doesn’t mean that the driver isn’t sacrificing valuable time. If drivers can save even just a few seconds, it can change the entire outcome of a 600-mile race.
Good drivers know their cars. They have to be able to identify problems and make decisions about whether to continue with the race or head to a pit stop. This means that drivers can’t just drive fast and burn rubber
; they have to be on the ball, as both drivers and mechanics. They have to judge, solely by the feel and sound of the car, with a crew chief talking in their ears, whether that tire really does need changing. Other issues are sometimes only picked up on through intuition. The driver’s inner sense and ability to detect mechanical flaws can be a deciding factor in the race. Races have been lost due to flat tires and car malfunctions; leaders have become followers due to a blown-out tire. Drivers and pit crews who are able to carefully time their pit stops according to their car’s needs and the demands of the race are the most successful on the track. Drivers need to know when to trust their machines and intuition – when to take risks and when to play it safe.
Pit crews play a major role in all of this. They do what your mechanic probably takes days to do in a matter of seconds – then again, it’s a team of trained professionals concentrating on one vehicle. The driver has to drop speed very quickly, like coming off the highway straight into a driveway. And it might as well be a driveway – the driver is given an incredibly small amount of space to pull into.
Pit activity is closely monitored and regulated according to NASCAR rules. A breach of these rules can lead to damaging penalties for the teams. For example, if a driver goes over the maximum pit-road speed, the team can get assessed with a pass-through penalty where the driver will have to visit the pit road on the next lap and drive at the speed limit as precious time slips through their tense fingers.
While all this is happening, there could be dozens of other teams doing the same thing at the same time. In order for pit stops to be successful, their choreography must be flawless. Crew members are handpicked, oftentimes former college athletes, like hockey players or retired pro wrestlers. They leap over walls and race to cars to change oil and tires at record speeds. Every second is priceless.
