INDIANAPOLIS – My time in front of a television is spent watching sports, a bit of news and an occasional documentary. List some of the most popular shows or a Netflix series and it is nearly a sure bet I watched none of them. I’m not taking the position of a snob; I am simply stating the truth.
There are moments when I sometime get a snippet of some kind of Hollywood insider show where I invariably wear my wife out with questions about who these people are and why should I care?
Yet many do. However, I remember hearing a talk by writer and humorist Garrison Keillor, which I believe was delivered at the National Press Club. While I am paraphrasing Keillor, to wit he reminded the guests that there was life to be found beyond the Washington beltway. He noted that every day people got up in the morning and (at the time) walked out and got the newspaper, grabbed a bite to eat, then went to work. What was more, they often paid little heed to what happened in Washington. He punctuated this remark by noting that it really was a big world out there.
It is indeed a big world out there and within that big world is a tiny niche we call short-track racing. I recently attended the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame induction in Knoxville, Iowa. Eight people from various facets in the sport earned their spot among the plaques that are displayed on the second floor of the museum.
Consider the thousands of people who participate in racing in some capacity every single weekend. Most do this in addition to their major life responsibilities. Very few ever have a chance to do this professionally.
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