Daytona Family Time

"JACU - I've got bonifides." (jacu) 02/24/2014 at 14:39 • Filed to: None

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Although my interest in stock car racing waned even before Richard Petty retired, I still try to keep up with it to some degree, if for no reason other than to have something in common with most of the people who live in my region.

My mother-in-law and I watched the split Daytona 500. We sat through the rain delay, last year's replay and the flashbacks. We've done this since her husband passed back in 2005. She's into her upper 80's now, and it becomes more important with each passing year.

Understand that her family was big into Saturday night short track racing in Northwest Louisiana for quite a few years, with first her husband, then her son and then her grandson running stocks, super stocks and late model. They were stock car long before the days of big corporate sponsorship. This was old-time religion to them. Pops was a Chevy man throughout and the bow tie represented to him the pinnacle of automotive excellence, with the bore spacing of a small block being like the secret code to the universe.

No surprise then that Dale Earnhardt Sr. was their hero. Number 3 decals graced practically all there possessions and casual clothing. Even the Honda Civic I convinced them to get when their old van was on its last legs had a 3 in the back window. So it was an incredible period of mourning in their home after Sr. was killed.

Like with so many other fans, Jr. became the outlet of their adoration. No matter his track record, he could do no wrong in their eyes. If another driver bumped him, it was cause for a lynching. A reminder of Sr.'s sins would be met with a brisk "Things were different then." Such is the cult of personality.

So it was with last night's victory, with Momma in tears of joy, that I went over and hugged her, and told her her boy done good. I poured her another glass of sweet tea and toasted Jr.s good fortune.

f86sabre > JACU - I've got bonifides. 02/24/2014 at 17:47

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Nice story. Being able to share time with family, Motorsport related or not, is hugely important. If Dale winning the 500 makes her day then so much the better.