We either love them or hate them as we cheer for our favorites and curse anyone who gets in their way. Of course, I am talking about NASCAR drivers. NASCAR is unlike any other sport as it is one driver we focus upon. The individual drivers are the ones that evoke emotions from the fans. They are at the forefront, the ones chosen to execute for the team, the ones expected to bring home a victory and hopefully a championship.
Drivers make us feel every emotion that exists, happiness, sadness, anger and pride, just to name a few. Fans wait for hours for an autograph or to catch a glimpse of their favorite driver. That feeling that an autograph brings can keep fans on a cloud for weeks, or it can be bittersweet when tragedy strikes as we look at an autograph, grateful for that moment that will never come again.
What many fans don’t see is what the drivers do away from the track such as giving their time to charities. For some drivers, it may be time spent at a children’s hospital or for some perhaps, an illness that may have struck close to home. These are the moments we don’t always hear about because they don’t do it for the press. They bring smiles to fans because it was close to their heart. There are even times when a driver has touched someone and never knew that they did; this is my story.
Roll back time to Memorial Day weekend 1994. There was a new kid on the block, so to speak, named Jeff Gordon who was in his sophomore year with NASCAR. My mother had become an instant fan of Gordon which I, a Dale Earnhardt fan, could not understand.
My mother had been seriously ill a good part of my life and in a hospital downstate from our homes. It was that Saturday, as many were heading for some fun in the sun or perhaps a family cookout, our venture was filled with sadness.
We arrived at the hospital mid afternoon and although she was awake and talking it was clear she was nearing the end. I think she had been waiting for us to be there with her for after our arrival she took a turn for the worse and was moved into the intensive care unit. Sunday morning we were up early and went to be with her to find her very upset.
Why was she so upset? Her television in the room wasn’t working. She was going to miss the race and she wanted to see Gordon race. This was when NASCAR competed with the INDY 500 for viewers as the race times overlapped.
I frantically tried to find a working television so she could see the race, but was unsuccessful. It was then that I decided we were going to commandeer the television in one of the waiting rooms, even if I couldn’t take it to her. There were enough of us to keep tuned to the race while we went to give her updates. You could tell she was getting tired, but we would give her updates and she would nod. Looking back, I felt a twinge of guilt for daring anyone to change the channel, but I know I would do it again.
Then he won the race and it was his first ever Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) race. She had waited and watched every race to see his first win. I hurt wishing that she could have seen that win instead of hearing about it. I can imagine the rest of the waiting room very thankful to see the race over so they could finally change the channel. When I went to her and told her that he won his first race, her eyes were closed.
I thought she was asleep but told her anyway and suddenly the biggest smile I’ve ever seen came across her face. She was really happy and said, “I told you so, he’s going to be someone. He’s going to be great.”
Within a few hours of the race ending, she slipped into a coma. On Monday, May 30, Memorial Day, she left us.
His career has come full circle during the time that she has been gone. Watching his final Coca- Cola 600 this Memorial Day has brought back some bittersweet memories. I like to think a mother’s intuition is seldom wrong.
As the races click off one by one on Gordon’s career I know he touches many lives. Some might be fans because of his charity work like the Drive for Hunger campaign; some are fans just like my mother was, because of his skill on the track and because he simply makes them smile.
Gordon has had a full career and owes nothing to anyone, but he will keep on giving, of that I am sure. I wish him well on his new career in the booth, and yes mom, he is great.
I am no fan of Jeff Gordon, never have been. I find the majority of his fans unreasonable and unable to deal with reality most times. With that said, NASCAR drivers have the most grueling “work schedule” of any sports, if their time isn’t away from their families, it is taken up with the sponsor commitments whatever that may be, and always with a smile..(that we can at least see..:). On top of that many drivers have Foundations of which they are very involved in, most people hate on drivers not realizing what they do for others..most selfless of athletes, imo.