July 18, 2010
By Kim Roberson
Kim Roberson
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Whoever would have imagined hearing that you couldn’t run a race at a track due to darkness, when there are plenty of lights at the track?
Such was the case Friday night when the Camping World Truck Series race had to be postponed due to inability to light the track for the race. Oh, it wasn’t the track’s fault. 23 minutes before the drop of the green flag, a power line came down a few miles from the track, throwing everyone in the area into darkness.
Drivers and fans held out hope that the line could be restored for the evening, allowing the truck drivers to race in the comfort of the evening, but crews informed NASCAR it would take several hours to get the juice flowing again, so NASCAR called the race. Unfortunately, that meant the truck drivers had to run in the heat of the Suburban St. Louis day instead of the cool of the night.
As the drivers waited out the hour and 29 minutes between the planned start of the race and the end of their evening, many took the opportunity to walk the fence in front of the grandstands, and sign autographs for the fans that were there, toughing it out with them.
I honestly can’t remember the last time, if ever, that I have seen drivers getting ready to race walking along the fence, pens in hand, signing anything a fan passed through to them. In other cases, drivers like Todd Bodine took the opportunity to lie out against the pit wall and relax, while others like Kevin Harvick went back to their RV to have some dinner and spend time with wife and pets.
While many fans at the track outside St. Louis were disappointed in not getting their race in Friday night, they weren’t the most disappointed fans out there.
Several of the drivers in the Truck Series were scheduled to fly from St. Louis to Manassas, VA, Saturday to take part in a charity race.
Old Dominion Speedway is my local home track, and has hosted the likes of Ned Jarrett and Richard Petty in NASCAR sanctioned races on its 3/8th mile distance over the years.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver and Virginia native Denny Hamlin has raced here, including in 2004 when he gave up a second row qualifying spot to drop to the back and try and win a $5,000 bonus for winning from last place (he didn't quite pull it off, but was terribly close!) It used to be a dirt track, but now it is paved, and hosts events every weekend from the spring to the fall. A former colleague of mine is a spotter for a local team that goes out to just take part in the fun of racing each weekend -- not being competitive, but making laps and running because they want to. The most recent product to hit the upper level of the sport was Mark McFarland, who raced for JR Motorsports in the No. 88 -- four years ago.
Saturday was “NASCAR Day to benefit Youth for Tomorrow”, a program set up in part by Joe Gibbs Racing. The event touted “NASCAR enthusiasts won't want to miss this spectacular day filled with activities for all ages. See NASCAR greats such as Ron Hornaday, Johnny Benson, David Stremme, Max Papis and more to be announced! The evening event will include racing from several race classes. The main event will feature "The Youth For Tomorrow 150" race to include NASCAR celebrity drivers.”
Max Papis tweeted Friday night “Waited for a long time but lights never came on in St Louis disappointed. We will race tomorrow but it means I will miss the Charity race.”
But Saturday afternoon, he was back on track, both in the truck race AND for the charity race. "Good news @maxpapis will still be going to Old Dominion Speedway at Manassas, VA tonight!! He is flying there after the truck race!" Both Papis and Hornaday hopped a plane as soon as they were done with the Camping World Truck race and made the 1:45 minute flight from St. Louis to Manassas, arriving in plenty of time to take part in the evening's events.
Timothy Peters, Andy Lally and fellow Grand-Am Rolex Series GT standout Spencer Pumpelly were also on hand to race in a 150-lap Late Model Stock Car special event. Despite the steamy hot weather in Manassas (we have been in quite the heat wave the last few weeks, with temperatures during the day often breaking 100) fans turned out to pay $25 for the full day's worth of activities, including show cars, simulators, a silent auction, a pit crew challenge -- even a chance to get autographs from some Washington Redskins players.
Most importantly, even though we are only 100 miles from Richmond International Raceway, and 130 miles from Dover International Speedway, this was a chance for fans who might not otherwise have the ability to afford a trip to one of those races to see some of their favorite NASCAR drivers, get some pictures, and watch them have a great night racing 150 laps on their local short track. Old and young, new fan and longtime fan showed up to enjoy this little bit of NASCAR in their own back yard.
It also gave me the chance to visit a track that I hadn’t been to for several years, despite it’s close proximity to my home (less than five miles), and enjoy a warm July evening with my neighbors watching a great night of local short track racing, and just being a fan of not only the “big name” boys, but the local guys and gals who just loved the chance to be on the track with some of their fellow racers who actually have made it to the “big time”.
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