I’ve posted a lot of stories for Speedway Media over the last 13 months or so…but this will be my last. I am leaving due to an opportunity that’s come about with another outlet. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, they would always get the same answer. I could have been five, ten, fifteen years old…didn’t matter. I’ve always had an indomitable hunger for motorsports that begs to be sufficed. There was no escaping it. Racing is in my blood; it’s who I am.
Since I was a little kid, I would cheer for the late, great Dale Earnhardt. I was only seven years old when he died, and consequently, stopped watching. Three years later, I found myself sitting in my living room with the 2004 Daytona 500 on the TV. I couldn’t stay away any longer…I was drawn to it. Like some intangible force was pulling me back in. I didn’t want to watch it….I needed to.
Then I began to discover other forms of racing and the more series I uncovered, the more I realized that I liked it all. Indycar, F1, Supercross, MotoGP, Rally Car, V8 Supercars, British Touring Cars, TORC/LOOR, all sports car racing – you name it, I probably follow it. My goal has always been simple and broad….I want to be a major part of auto racing for the rest of my life. I have no college education because I felt that field experience would be more valuable than a degree. I let my passion do the talking.
I’ve traveled one path my entire life; my path. I never did what others wanted me to do, or settled for anything less than what I aspired to be. Hey, we only get one shot at this, so why not enjoy the ride? Is it a risky and somewhat naive mentality? Yes. Do I care? Not the slightest bit.
You create your own future. If you want to do something but are too worried about failing, the worst thing you can do is hesitate. Take the leap. I wanted to work in racing and the odds have always been heavily against me….you don’t even know the half of it. I worked hard though. I was driven. I refused to accept anything less than success. I couldn’t, and still can’t contemplate a life besides the one I’ve always envisioned for myself. Now, I’ve secured what I consider the break of my young career.
I’ve joined Motorsport.com full time as “News Editor & Community Manager.” I will also serve as an evangelist of sorts for the company. I’m leaving the only state I’ve ever called home and moving 1,500 miles away to Miami, Florida. I have no idea what’s going to happen next, but I’m eager to find out.
Now you’re probably wondering what’s the point of this, my final entry for Speedway Media. There’s no deep meaning to this piece that you are supposed to figure out….just the ramblings of a departing reporter/journalist. The point is to simply to say goodbye to the site, to thank people such as Barry Albert and Ed Coombs, and to edify others on what I believe is a philosophy everyone should employ. There’s no secret formula or riddle that you must decode when trying to attain what you want. There’s just you.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day.
