Fire in the Belly: Not Just for Drivers

Fire in the Belly: Not Just for Drivers

Confidence is at an all-time high for everyone right now as we prepare to start a new race season.  The pits are filled with colorful, pristine race cars. Rivalries have simmered and everybody seemingly has a "clean slate" again.  I love this time of year.  Hope is huge and you can see a flicker of delight in every driver's eyes as we draw nearer to firing up the engines for opening night at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway.


Racing isn't easy.  It requires skill, but before that--it actually requires funding.  Sponsorships are so important for racers.  They are the notorious "make or break" piece of the puzzle for a race season.  And they can be incredibly tough to come by for anyone who lacks the skills to put together a decent proposal or present their sales pitch effectively.  That's why I cringe whenever there's a bad wreck at the track.  I'm fully aware how much money goes into putting a machine together to "play" on the weekends.  The repair bills can be staggering.


Yet, inevitably, I know at some point during the season, I will capture heinous carnage with my video camera.  It's just the nature of the beast.  Traveling at upwards of 100-mph--mere inches from one another is bound to eventually result in some twisted metal and the boiling over of hot tempers that had been in hibernation during the off-season.


The highs from a successful race can be breathtaking and the lows of a bad night can be depressingly devastating.  One week a driver and his team can seemingly do no wrong and the proverbial "golden horseshoe" is firmly lodged in that orifice where it continues to deliver lucky breaks.  But without fail, it will only be a matter of weeks before someone's nose gets out of joint over some on-track incident.  It always does.  And while it can make for some high drama--it's downright magical to watch the fans who support their respective drivers with such dedication.


I always get a kick out of the crowd reactions when the feature winner climbs out of his car on the front stretch as he is being introduced.  Sometimes they are met with deafening cheers...or boisterous boos.  Often times, it's a mixture of the two.  The passion that the fans have for their driver (or the one they feel maligned their driver) is what fuels this sport we love so much.  And I am looking forward to drinking it all in once again this season, high atop the speedway from my little videotaping perch.  So whether you're cheering or jeering--you're playing a vital role in making this sport what it is--an awesome high-speed roller-coaster ride.