August 8, 2009
By Brenda Benedict
Last Monday's race at Pocono, postponed from Sunday, started like many of the recent NASCAR races. It looked like the majority of the competition for track position was going to take place in the pits. But that is not how it happened. There was a great deal of on-track drama. In the end, Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag after fighting off Juan Pablo Montoya. The bad feelings of several other drivers over the pushing and wrecking are still bubbling late in the week. There is a chance it will be worked out this weekend on the track at Watkins Glen.
But the drama continued into Victory Lane when a shaken and teary-eyed Hamlin emerged from his car. He gave tribute for his win to his grandmother who had passed away the Friday before the race. Hamlin later talked about his grandmother during the post-race press conference. It was during that press conference that I suddenly understood what emotions Hamlin was experiencing and how they may have spurred him on to victory.
"Only half of me was driving the car -- most of the time," Hamlin said. He explained that despite failing eyesight, his grandmother watched every race by sitting only inches away from the TV.
When Hamlin was asked his grandmother’s name, I reacted with a start. Her name was Thelma Clark and she was 91 years old.
I lost my grandmother, Thelma Hoath, who was 98 last January. I suddenly understood how Hamlin was feeling.
I have always felt blessed that I had a grandmother who was involved in my adult life. And the fact that I was able to introduce to my own grandchildren was a highlight of my life. My grandmother wanted to spend time with me and my family and I always treasured those times.
"She understands the competition of the sport and she understands how much she means to me," Hamlin said. "Like today, she's pretty proud."
Hamlin was able to take the grief he was feeling and funnel it into a victory. NASCAR drivers have to be able to put emotions to the side while racing and get out there and do the job.
Larry McReynolds talks about the Allison family in his book, The Big Picture. McReynolds was the crew chief for Davey Allison in 1991. They were going to Pocono and just before the race, Allison’s grandfather had died. Allison completed the race although he did not win.
McReynolds wrote, “Davey’s grandfather, Edmond J. “Pop” Allison, had passed away a couple of days earlier after battling cancer. The loss weighed heavily on Davey’s mind during that weekend, but the Allison’s were probably the best in the business when it came to putting their emotions aside and doing their job. On Monday the entire Allison clan gathered for Pops funeral.”
Grandparents play a very special role in the lives of their grandchildren. Even after they are gone, their memories spur us on to keep going. I think of my grandmothers often. I was blessed to have two of them well into my adult live and now I live in the home of one grandmother -- during the summer. The greatest memory of my grandmothers is how much they loved me and wanted to spend time with me and also hear about what was going on in my life. It is their gift to me for the rest of my life.
Denny Hamlin can use his grandmother’s love for him and his racing to help focus and draw the inner strength needed to succeed and do well. He showed us he could do it while winning at Pocono.
You can follow me at Twitter @nascarfaithful
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
