by Edwin Sibley

Created on: September 30, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

I've been cranked up about NASCAR since the early 60's when I was stationed in Savannah, Ga during my Air Force tour. Some of my friends invited me to a race on a half mile dirt oval. I had never even heard of such. One time was all it took. What made it popular with me?

First of all, I'd never seen an auto crash before other than a couple minor ones I'd been in as a passager. So the chills and spills were exciting. But so were the guys like LeRoy Yarbough who could drift a super modified like nothing I've ever seen before. Add the racer previous experience to that mix. Moonshiners. I did know something about moonshiners from books I read. Back then the mix was very prominant. Robert Mitchum's Thunder Road was something that really excited me. So now I'm being told that many of these guys driving the cars were from a moonshine tanker background, this gave them a notoriety that I had not experienced before. There was Lee Petty and his young son Richard. There was Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, and Joe Weatherly. Guys like Fireball Roberts and Freddy Lorenzen add even more fuel to the flame of racing interest. Old dudes like me know who was a shiner and who wasn't. But that's another story.

I went to Daytona a few times while stationed there in Savanna. I witnessed Richard Petty win the Daytona 500. I also attended a race at Darlington. Wow, the crowds were big and all the people friendly. What a party. Then the race would finally start and shazam, it was so fast, I could hardly comprehend it all.

Television coverage was not existant back then. Years later, I remembered going to a movie theater and watching a live presentation of the Daytona 500. Again, such a friendly atmosphere, such passionate fans. Oh yes, we all had our favorites. That provides a sense of competition for and among the fans.

Recently, I did the "Be Petty" thing at Texas Motor Speedway and drove the 07 around the track for 8 laps reaching a top speed of about 140 mph. I can tell you it was the most exhillarating thing I've ever done. When that motor cranked a thrill shot through my body that just cannot be explained. You have to experience it for yourself. Now, when they crank the engines on TV, I get some of the same rush each and every time. I never dreamed I'd ever get to drive one of those cars, yet I did. Happy Birthday to me.

I was a huge fan of Dale Earnhardt. When he lost his race in '01, I knew it long before any announcement came across the airways. It was like losing a family member.

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