What is the nicest thing someone has done for you at the track?

[Boneman]

Don't worry, I'll be back to complaining soon, but at this time of year I get a little reflective.

Our racing world is filled with some of the best people you'll ever find. Even among all the competition, betrayal, anger and envy that goes on, some of these folks still manage to surprise us with their consideration and kindness.

I've been thinking about one in particular, so I hoped that others may have something to add to this thread.

March, 2001. It was opening night at Orlando and I won the feature. I wasn't a regular there at that time. I had been running dirt and bouncing from track to track, so I was not well known by anyone. Also, it was my first win at OSW.

I don't mind telling you that I was walking on a cloud. I wandered around all night feeling fine; then I was stunned by the action of one of the track officials; someone who barely knew me at all. Maybe she recognized how relieved I was, or knew what an accomplishment it is to win (even on a local level, the first win is a big deal), or maybe she was just being nice! Anyway, she gave me a big ole' bear hug and told me congratulations.

I had never had anything like that from an official, but I really appreciated her understanding. Of course I am talking about Barbara Pierce, a racer who has won countless features and championships, and who has also toiled for years at OSW and NSS. Barbara may have forgotten this, but I never will.

Happy New Year y'all!

[Edm]

Don't worry, I'll be back to complaining soon, but at this time of year I get a little reflective.

Our racing world is filled with some of the best people you'll ever find. Even among all the competition, betrayal, anger and envy that goes on, some of these folks still manage to surprise us with their consideration and kindness.

I've been thinking about one in particular, so I hoped that others may have something to add to this thread.

March, 2001. It was opening night at Orlando and I won the feature. I wasn't a regular there at that time. I had been running dirt and bouncing from track to track, so I was not well known by anyone. Also, it was my first win at OSW.

I don't mind telling you that I was walking on a cloud. I wandered around all night feeling fine; then I was stunned by the action of one of the track officials; someone who barely knew me at all. Maybe she recognized how relieved I was, or knew what an accomplishment it is to win (even on a local level, the first win is a big deal), or maybe she was just being nice! Anyway, she gave me a big ole' bear hug and told me congratulations.

I had never had anything like that from an official, but I really appreciated her understanding. Of course I am talking about Barbara Pierce, a racer who has won countless features and championships, and who has also toiled for years at OSW and NSS. Barbara may have forgotten this, but I never will.

Happy New Year y'all!

Do you want the family friendly version because I can tell you about time OSF.............

[Jane]

There are many but one that still stands out in my mind is Boneman giving me hand warmers for writing one year during the World Series. My hands were really, really red and he came up to me and gave me hand warmers. Helped alot.

Also having strangers come up to me at a track and ask me if I was Jane Smith and then thank me for all my work on karnac that I had done. That meant alot because we don't really get thanked to much for writing in the racing world.

And one of my old time favorites was when Clyde was still alive and we were just fans. I wrote him and asked him if there was anyway he could introduce my daughter to David Rogers because he was her all time favorite driver. One night at New Smyrna, he called me out of the crowd and Kimber got to meet David and get one of his t-shirts. That meant alot to me because he did not have to do that at all. But Clyde did it and I will never forget his kindness in helping me get my daughter's wish.

In the 14 years or so that I have been involved in writing for racing, I have seen alot of acts of kindness by alot of people. From helping a driver who was badly hurt at a track to sending food and money to hurricane victims, I have seen alot. The one thing you will find at your local short track are caring, loving people. They may fight on the track and try and take each other out sometimes, but in the end, they are the ones that are there for you when you need a helping hand.

Happy New Year to you all.

[bull_dog_the_gate_keeper]

i would have to say it was my 1st night at nss working at the back gate and a little old lady in a big truck came threw my gate and she said to me u must be new and gave me a big hug and said welcome to nss my name is peggy if u need anything just ask we lost miss peggy this year and i really miss her it is really not the same there with out her

[Edm]

Ok, since nobody else will, I'll bite the bait.

One of the coolest things I have ever seen was when Mike45 spun Chad Pierce out during a Southern Sportsman race. It was his first race in his new car and he couldn't see the nose. Chad actually stopped at the back gate at OSW and told the official that his tranny was coming out of gear and it wasn't Mikes fault. That was pretty classy.

Another time Phil Luizzo was leading the race coming to the checkered flag at Nss. Out of turn 4 Dale Clouser stuck the bumper to Phil spinning him out. The win was given to the 3rd place car of Donnie Williams. Donnie turned around and gave the Trophy to Phil. This would have been Phils first win and again, another classy move.

I like what CCMP did when I went to the parts trailer and they were all sold out of the parts I needed. They announced what I needed and driver/owners starting showing up to our pits with parts, no words can describe that. And when I was leading the race at Nss and the 49 didn't like the way my car looked, you know with all the fenders and doors attached, he politely fixed that problem for me. Yeah that one was pretty nice too.

[Old Sunshine Fan]

Do you want the family friendly version because I can tell you about time OSF.............

Give him any version you want ..........Can't wait

"What's the nicest thing someone has done for you at a track" (sounds like SINGULAR as in ONE - not THREE).

Well, lets see.................
I guess the nicest thing someone has done for me at a track is to fill me in on what I missed the night before (Friday)... When I got to the track on Sat, a group of folks sitting around a few cooking grills (Jerry's Cook n' Chat), "Tried" to tell me the happenings of the night before, but with all the laughter and falling on the ground it was hard to totally understand everything, Best I could gather, someone tried to "Reduce Weight" on his car while going thru the turn... went in FULL WEIGHT - came out HALF WEIGHT.... guess it took a while to collect all the peices... When I said "I Wish I Was There" they ALL responded... "Don'T Worry, Were Sure It'll Happen Again" (Sorry for the long paragraph - I tried to stop)

[ocalasp76]

Hey Osf....

There you go saying mean things again. That's why nobody reads this board.
You did everything but name all of us and the driver which I won't do(your welcome Edm)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE......
-JIM-

[Old Sunshine Fan]

One name stumped me.... Is Boneman one word or two?

[bubba]

In this context, it is actually a verb..

[ModelCarMan]

Well I got two stories that stand out to me.

One, last year at the “Blast From The Past” people gave me complements on my models and Gordon Lee and Jim Fenton where very appreciative of there replica’s race cars that it humble me very deeply. I will always remember that day!!!

Two, in 1978 my dad had a latelmodel (#49) that John Gamble was driving at East Bay and we were in a heavy battle for the championship with Sugar Bear and Bobby Alexander when the garage caught fire and burnt down with my dad’s car and Tommy Evonosky car. It was Tommy’s place of business also. I got 30% of my body burnt and stayed in the hospital for 3 weeks. I received close to 100 cards from drivers, crews and fans from East Bay, even from drivers that we raced against. One night the drivers collected money from fans for Tommy’s garage and my medical bills. It goes to show you racing family have big hearts when one of their own is in need!!!

[Jane]

Yes my dear friend, Ms. Peggy is missed alot at New Smyrna. She was the one who would welcome everyone and always made sure you had what you needed and if you didn't, she would try and find it. I still have not been able to go to the tower at New Smyrna because she is not there, just really hard to do for me. So I know what you mean about missing her.

[M.F.ER]

Get Over It

Boy EDM you sure need to get over the 49 car spining you out that night at NSS you had no chance of winning that race you were on the first lap when it happend you started on the pole thats why you were in the lead other then that it was just a matter of time before you got laped.Jason is a good friend of mine and you said a lot of things that might bite you back some day.

[Edm]

Boy EDM you sure need to get over the 49 car spining you out that night at NSS you had no chance of winning that race you were on the first lap when it happend you started on the pole thats why you were in the lead other then that it was just a matter of time before you got laped.Jason is a good friend of mine and you said a lot of things that might bite you back some day.

Whats gonna happen? Is he gonna do it again? What, fight me? The previous post was only a joke. FU if you cant handle it. And your ignorance is really starting to show, the only time I got lapped at Nss this season was when I had a lifter come apart, a bad wire, carb problems and one accident. When things were working right we were actually pretty fast. How did you do in your rookie season? What did you have left to drive at the end of the year?

[Bigbuck]

Here we go!!

Whats gonna happen? Is he gonna do it again? What, fight me? The previous post was only a joke. FU if you cant handle it. And your ignorance is really starting to show, the only time I got lapped at Nss this season was when I had a lifter come apart, a bad wire, carb problems and one accident. When things were working right we were actually pretty fast. How did you do in your rookie season? What did you have left to drive at the end of the year?

Should get interesting, AGAIN!!!