Sunday was a NASCAR kind of day. My Friend Pat Johnson, of Rugged Ridge, had a spare ticket (provided by one of his customers, Jack Lancaster, owner of Tellico 4×4) for the race at Talladega Super Speedway. We did a fairly fast road trip/race day… On the way about 7:00 in the morning and back home by 10:00 that evening.
But all of that is only to set a stage…
The series isn’t called Busch Grand National anymore. It hasn’t been for a few years… But the name has stuck to the controversy like sticky tires on a track…
Buschwacking…
In 1992, Geoff Bodine was a stock car racing good ol’ boy (albeit, one from New York). He was knee deep in being one of the best NASCAR drivers of all time. In fact, he hold a Guiness Record for the most wins by a racer in one season… 55 Modified wins.
Ok, it’s hard to call them Buschwackers now, since NASCAR has had Nationwide Insurance as a sponsor for its penultimate national series… but it used to be sponsored by Busch Beer. And the term for Cup drivers (Winston Cup, Nextel Cup and now Sprint Cup) that that were moonlighting from the top series became Buschwackers…
I am a die-hard car guy. I love the machines. They are history, technology and excitement. But they aren’t the only story. They are certainly important, but they are tools… tools are utilized and achieve their glory at the hands of gifted craftsmen.
This is about the gifted craftsmen. They are legion. There are hundreds of drivers that have left their impression in the world of racing, as well as the larger world.
Fangio, Nuvolari, Shelby, Penske, Schumacher, Petty. I could go on forever…