Racing to Remember

The Life of a Race Car Driver. The Life of a Human.

By Richard Tix

Every year tragic accidents happen in the sport of racing. Drivers put there lives on the line night in and night out to do a thing they love, race. We all know the dangers that come with this life and know that any moment could be our last. Now, I do not race but I do have friends that are like family that do on local tracks in the area.

Running NASCAR Behind the Wall means having to decide what content to share and which things I will not touch on. Being a one man blog I stick to weekend information for the race fan (previews, reviews, entry lists, TV schedules, etc). But, I also like to touch from time to time my own personal opinion pieces or stories on things that really hit me. I have done stories on the new points system, sponsors added to the sport, racing in new parts of the country, and driver spotlights.

But this topic is the hardest. Kevin Ward Jr tragically died this weekend on a local dirt track in New York. Before I go on, I do believe that with all the news this has gotten, that many more tragic passing's happen every week at local tracks that get unnoticed by "big media." As I said before, racing is a way of life and many of these drivers know that at any moment they could be looking down from a dirt track above. But these guys are fearless and just do what they know and love.

The accident involving Kevin Ward Jr though, has gotten so much more recognition because of one fact, Tony Stewart was involved. Big media has latched on and made it a point to scrutinize before the facts come out (something they do well every day with every situation). In fact, they're reporting on something that they never have touched before (for the most part these media parts don't know the difference between NASCAR's Sprint Cup and local dirt track Sprint Car racing.

This article is not about taking a look at who is at fault or who should be blamed, for me that is poor taste just days after an event like this. Instead, I want to use this platform (however small it is here on NASCAR Behind the Wall) to have every fan of racing (and anyone who has a heart beat) to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Everyday most of us take life for granted. Tragic accidents like this one that was on a dirt track happen everyday right around us. Most of the time these events don't ever have a single thing to do with racing at all. Life is such a fragile thing that its important to make sure everyone around us know's how much they mean to us. Everyday that goes by that people do not know the simple fact that we need and love them is a day lost.

We all love racing and most of us spend a lot of time around the sport (whether it is NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Trucks, Sprint Cars, Modifieds, and the list goes on and on) so its easy to get caught up in the glory and excitement of a Saturday Night at the track. This piece is not about the death of a Sprint Car driver but rather the life of Kevin Ward Jr, and every other race car driver out there that risk's there life for the thrill of a turn four pass.

So, as we morn the passing of another young man who was taken way to early from this planet, lets take a step back and think about what and who matters the most in our lives. Let those people close to you know how much they mean to you and soak it in. You will be surprised how many people's live's you can touch just by telling them something you think everyday about them, but forget to actually mention. In moments of tragedy the best thing we can do is to reflect, step back from the situation, and soak in what we have in front of us because you never know when it will be our last moments here. So, every time we attend the local track on a Saturday night or turn the TV on Sunday, just remember to let someone know you love them and to remember those who have died doing something they loved.

If you truly want more information on this situation you can find links in This Week in NASCAR: 8/11. I will not post my own comments about the situation, but I understand some people still want some insight from other "sources" on it. So, I will provide some links to the incident but when reading them please remember my message and also that not all of the facts are out. So, be careful to make rash decisions. 

RIP Kevin Ward Jr