KTMLew01
Team Owner
You be old. Life don't work that way now. If you put something in your microwave for 3 minutes, do you actually go and do something for 3 minutes? Or more likely stand next to it last 30-40 seconds waiting impatiently. Society is different. Not better. Different. In 1999 i had a $950 a week guarantee. Made $1100-1400 a week. Now hard to make $700 a week doing same job. Nearly 20 years more experience. Worth less money. Waaaaaaay less insurance coverage. World has changed. Definitely not for the better in my world. Racing costs money. NOBODY races for free. SOMEBODY pays the bills. Not a single car on the track above the lowest local class that runs out of drivers pocket. Not one.I dont blame RCR for putting his grandsons into racing, or any other similar cases.
But Nascar could do more to connect with the grass roots. The simple fact remains that Nascar is much futher removed from the common man than ever.
In the 70s the average Joe actually knew more people that actually raced. Or a gas station that pushed the race car out in the morning so they change the publics oil and tires.
Richard Petty Lee Pettys son, I get that it has always been a tight loop with not enough opportunities for outsiders.
And a 12 or 14 year old racing is more about the parents paying the dues and about hiring driving coaches etc. I dont blame them for taking advantage of their rescources, who wouldn't?
But still the same I do find the old paths more entertaining and more interesting.
The kid is a more of a collective result, still discovering life, with all of the innocence that good people love.
But dont expect me to be to excited over mom and pops dream. It aint the same as young adult trying to cut it more on his own merits. Busting his ass to pay the tire bill. And there should be some late model races that have enough shine for him to show his stuff to the king makers.
The old Busch Grand National series was a good example. It was grass roots with drivers that raced at the local tracks. It was just something that I could feel and wrap my mind around.
It still happens, Eric Jones caught Kyle Buschs eye at the snowball derby. Brad K drove his ass off in a one off deal, and caught the eye of Dale Earnhardt Jr
I get the fact that Austin Dillion has turned into a very good respectable driver. He looks on track to be a Monster Cup Winner, just a matter of time. I think he only become a stronger title contender with time.
Just dont expect me to believe he has deal with the stress that Brad K ever had to face. There wasn't the same kind of safety net, the resources (money) was not as deep.
Maybe I take it to personally but a driver that never had to moon light to race isnt someone that could ever relate to me. Might as well be an Alien to my world.
He naturally had to work for it to develop the skills, but I still cant bullsheit myself into being as inspired by their story. They never lived in a world were you worried about just having gas money, or even the paying the Saturday night entry fee.
That damn Stetson might well be a piece of plastic, it woud be no less functional, or representative.