With four simple words a long lasting love affair with the sport of NASCAR began.
The year was 1997, and I got to go with my dad to work. One of our stops that day was to a car dealership, Hardy Chevrolet. When walking around he said “kiddo come this way”, following him we turned a corner and there stood the number 94 McDonald’s Ford driven by fellow Georgian Bill Elliott a car co owned by Charles Hardy. My dad picked me up and placed me in the car as someone took a photo. From that point nascar became my life. Every toy, every shirt, every moment on tv it was NASCAR.
As I’d get older that love for the sport never faded. I’d go to races, and when my friends wanted to be drivers, I was different I dreamed of being a Crew Chief, wearing a headset talking them through what they needed to do to win.
So, when my vision began to fade a NASCAR moment was on the list. The experience, I was hoping to make was to take in a race from a Crew Chief’s or crew member’s perspective. On, Saturday August 24th, I got to do just that.
Earlier this summer, I reached out to see if it was possible, and got an email back from a gentleman named Taylor with Team Penske, the defending back to back nascar champions. He offered me the chance to join them in Daytona Beach, Florida for the Coca Cola Zero Sugar 400 and said it would give me the full experience. I told my cousin Jesse, as he lives a few minutes from the track and asked him if he’d like to go, it was a yes without hesitation.
It was set Jesse and I were going. Through out this I’d email with Taylor and he sent me a full on VIP experience laid out which included “watch the race from the number 2 team’s box.” I was getting my chance to see a race just like that Crew Chief I always wanted to be.
Day of the race I flew in and there we were at Daytona International Speedway the mecca of stock car racing. We grabbed our VIP credentials and headed into the infield of the track and met Elizabeth with Team Penske. She gave Jesse and I a tour of the garage, the hauler, pit road and the pit box.
Music played over the speakers at the track and I noticed the song was “Till You Can’t” by Cody Johnson, I turned to my cousin and said this is the song that inspired my list and the journey. I didn’t think Elizabeth heard me but she did and we started talking about what led us all to being in Daytona.
Around 7pm just before the race we stood next to Austin Cindric’s car on pit road as he was introduced to thousands of excited race fans. I said to Jesse this is crazy, to think we were up there watching this and now we’re living it. Minutes later Taylor arrived with Austin, and legendary NBC Sports reporter Dave Burns. A man I’ve watched on TV for years. Taylor introduced me to Austin and Dave. Dave turned to me and says he wants to share my story. When he said that emotions hit me like a ton of bricks and he could probably tell. I then started talking to Austin about the race, he asked me if I was ready and excited. As this is happening without knowing NBC is showing Austin and I chatting on TV. We take a photo together in front of his car and Dave walks up to me and asks what have doctors told me about how much time I have left with my sight and how much vision do I think I have. Then the anthem begins, standing next to the car the last 5 minutes felt so big I almost forgot the anthem was starting.
They start to clear out pit road of all the people as Austin gets in the car. We walk down pit road to Austin’s crew and Elizabeth meets us and says we’re sitting up there, the top of the box. We climb the ladder to the top and pop on headsets, the same ones the crew wear. You can hear the team communicating with Austin. The race begins and still listening I’m hearing the insight they are giving him “34 low by 3 tenths” “clear high” “Brad’s got the 23”. It was like we were allowed in the inner circle, getting the info nobody else should know.
Once the first stage ended the car came down pit road for its first pit stop. Which on TV looks fast, but in person it’s even quicker. And we’re back to racing.
Austin was solid all night, and with about 17 laps to go he was out front. We were all on the edge of our seats, Jesse, I and the people from Menards (Austin’s sponsor). I texted my wife who was at home watching it on TV. “WE GOT A CHANCE” and we did. You can tell Austin felt it too he was cool, calm and collected as he spoke to his crew on our headsets. Sadly, in the final moments the car got out from under him and he was a part of a wreck. The rollercoaster of emotions hit us all, who minutes earlier were fist pumping and wooing. We got off the box and saw the final 3 laps with some Penske and Menards folks on a nearby TV. Fireworks went off in the Daytona Beach sky and that was it, race night completed.
Austin Cindric and our number two team didn’t win it all but, for a few minutes we felt on top of the racing world. Though, for me the whole experience felt like I was on top of the racing world. I got to be just like the Crew Chief I always wanted to be.
Another memory crossed off!
Thank you, Taylor, Elizabeth, Team Penske, Menards, Dave Burns, Austin Cindric, and Jesse, for giving me a memory I’ll never forget.
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