I recent post by this site asked who do you root for and why? I was about to chime in with a comment but realized it would take a while to explain. “Hey this would make a good story,” I thought. I do not root for a driver. Short answer, longer explanation.
I first viewed auto racing as a young lad in the seventies. I picked a favorite then like anybody else does today. Qualities about some drivers just appeal to certain people and a fan latches on because of that. My guy, way back when, was ‘The King’ Richard Petty.
The reasons were for as much as how he was off the track as he was on it. His racing performance is well documented and it is easy to pull for someone who had a good chance of pulling into victory lane every week. In his prime he drove a racecar with talent that I have rarely seen to this day. But Petty was more than that if watched a little closer.
When he won he waved, smiled, laughed and posed for photos. When he lost he… still waved, smiled, laughed and posed for photos. This struck me as a good quality in a person then and I still admire it now.
If a facial photograph was printed in a newspaper or magazine of Petty I couldn’t tell what the circumstances were. He looked the same after a prestigious win or a blown engine. Cowboy hat, wrap around sunglasses, and his famous bright smile.
An expression I have heard in the last several years is “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” I could not disagree more. A gracious loser is still a winner. A poor loser needs to grow up. I am not a fan of grown men throwing childish temper tantrums because they finished second. And then hiding behind the “competitive” or “just wants to win so badly” excuse.
Petty wanted to win worse than anyone does. So he did. As he said he also lost more than anyone did. But in public he handled it like an adult. If my own children acted like some of these millionaires do today they would get a spanking. The example Petty set still resonates with me today.
As the eighties progressed, Petty’s career declined. But that same decade brought the rise of a new superstar, Dale Earnhardt. And a truth that I do not address a lot in text is that I was not a fan of his, quite the opposite in fact.
There is no question that Earnhardt was one of the best race car drivers I had ever seen. But I did not like his driving style. And I will not use the term “aggressive” to describe him. That term describes a driver that starts fifteenth and wins a thirty-lap modified feature cleanly. To me Earnhardt simply wrecked too many of his competitors and excused himself. He drove in a way that the veterans I watched as child would not tolerate.
The problem I had with Dale was with his absolute raw talent he could have won all those races and championships without laying a fender on anybody. He was that good. But he raced in a style I did not like.
My Sunday afternoon NASCAR focus shifted towards an “Anybody but Earnhardt” stance. When Petty called it quits following the 1992 season I never picked up on that ‘new guy’ to root for. But wishing somebody, anybody could beat ‘The Man in Black.’ Enter Jeff Gordon.
Gordon entered Cup racing in 1993 as a young man that many saw was biting off more than he could chew. Being twenty-one years old and having a total of three Busch Series wins were not enough clout to side with him in pre season predictions.
He surprised quite a few with his out-of-the-gate Daytona qualifying race win and fifth place 500 finish. Early in his career Gordon impressed me as someone who Earnhardt bumped and, lo-and-behold, he bumped him right back.
Finally there was somebody who was not ‘intimidated’ by the driver who specialized in it. Other drivers were competitive in this era like Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, and Mark Martin, but Dale always seemed to get the best of them. Gordon would slide up the track with a little help the number three’s front bumper. The next lap the three was moved out of the way by the twenty-four. This was something I had never seen before. I enjoyed it immensely.
Now Gordon did not grab my attention and fan devotion like Petty did. But having someone who I could count on week after week to give Dale a run for his money brought back the NASCAR magic I looked forward to before Petty retired. Actually during the late nineties I was even bored with what seemed like Jeff’s weekly stop in the winner’s circle.
I grew to root for then the same thing I root for now, not a particular driver but just a good race. I wanted to see passing and lots of it. I wanted to see talented drivers do things with cars that the rest of us couldn’t do. I wanted exciting moments we could talk about on Monday morning. The same things I want out of a race in 2010.
The 2010 season also still holds a place for Earnhardt’s legacy in race watching. True for years I haven’t cheered for that one particular driver, but I haven’t pulled against anyone either.
As the weeks passed following Dale’s tragic accident much about his personal life came out that I was not aware of. He was generous beyond measure to many charities and worthy causes. His upbringing and childhood helped define the man on and off the track. Maybe if I were aware of more about Dale the person I would have felt a little different about him. It is honestly hard to say.
When Dale was there every week he added something special to racing that I personally have not seen or felt since. Like him or dislike him he was a huge part of the show. Not having him in the Cup field every week is something I still miss to this day.
There has not been that character to transcend the sport and to root against or for. Petty provided me with a reason to cheer. Earnhardt gave me a reason to boo. They both provided me with passion when every green flag waved.
Cheering for a chosen favorite is part of this for many people. It doesn’t have to be for me. I love racing for what it is. Watching as, Ken Squier stated, “Common men doing uncommon things.”
Give me drivers with a personality, lead changes, side-by-side racing, and an exciting finish. And make it safe. That is what I root for.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great story, showing that manners will always win out
and that racers are humans with God given talents yet
their treatment of other people, be they racers or fans,
is the best thing!
We all like the racing you wrote about too & good for you!
Keep on keeping on!
Race Fans love you and we do too!
Merry Christmas Patrick.
A lot of people are talking about what’s wrong with racing today. To me, it is pretty simple. The races themselves are often boring with little competition for the lead. And the emphasis on points racing, which has always been the downside of NASCAR, is more pronounced than ever.
Give me the guy who pouts and scowls after a second place finish. I want to throw up every time somebody says, “I had a good points day,” and means it. Or, “I’m just happy to be here.” Yeah, Mark, we got that the first 300 times you said it. I cheer for the guys who win and want to win. The only points day I want to hear about is JJ’s “maximum points day,” winning the race and leading the most laps. Second is the first loser.
Bottom line, I root for winners.
@Rachel. Just to clarify- Petty was a 7-time champion, Gordon, a 4-time champion. Oh, by the way, with 48 NNS wins, 40 wins, and 6 CWTS wins- and NO championships- I am hoping you’re not holding up Martin as a “points racer.” The glory of a championship is fleeting. One day, all champions reach a place where they can no longer compete. Then comes how they will be remembered. It’s a matter of preference- but myself- I’d rather be remembered as a tough competitor who and lost (even the very best only win 18 to 20 percent of the time in NASCAR) like a man.
From the world of sports- give me the Tom Landrys, the Tony Dungys, the Richard Pettys any day of the week. Good post, Patrick. I eventually grew to appreciate Dale the man much more than I did Dale the racer. It took me a while fully understand why he often raced the way he did, and though I won’t say I liked, I get it.