Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
TOP END SAFETY
By Becky White
Editor/Publisher of Quick Times Racing News for 25 Years & Blog Author
for 10 Years
For all the years I have been in drag racing, there have been many
track operators…meaning track owners and the people who operated the
tracks for them…who have reminded me of General George Custer. Just in
case you don't remember your history lessons, he was the General who
would not listen to anyone because he thought he knew more than
everyone else.
Because of that, he led his troops into the Battle of the Little Big
Horn where every single person in his troop was killed including
himself. Track owner/operators who refuse to listen to anyone and
everyone and learn anything are signing their own death warrant…we
have seen this so many times over the years, we wonder how they can be
so blind as to do the very same thing other 'out of business' track
owner/operators have done to cause their own demise.
They think they know it all and will listen to no one, even when
people try to reason with them over the issues of track safety. I was
out of drag racing for ten years…what have I learned since becoming
involved again last year? Things are the same. Nothing has changed. I
want to explain 'top end' safety to track owner/operators who seem to
think the only thing they have to update and take care of is the
starting line and 660/1320 feet racing surface.
They think they can keep up with the times by shaving the track,
widening the track, prepping the track and even re-paving the track
and that is all they need to do. Of course, some do nothing! 100% of
ALL fast racers will tell you, "The top end is even MORE important
than the starting line AND the track surface!"
I had not seen Pro Mod cars since 2003 until September last year. I
knew they were quicker and faster but you have to see it to believe
it. I have only attended two Pro Mod races since but it doesn't take a
rocket scientist to realize something is wrong! I LOVE this job! I can
STILL call nearly every racer I have ever known and get more
information than most anyone else in this sport.
My reputation precedes me by over 35 years and even though I haven't
been there very often for racers since '03, they are still confiding
in me about their concerns and issues. With Pro Mod drivers, top end
safety came up more than any other problem. I went to MANY Quick 8,
Quick 16, Top Sportsman and Pro Mod races over the years as Pro Mod
grew…from some guy trying to go fast enough to get an extra 50 bucks
for Low ET or Top Speed at their local (southeastern) eighth mile
track in the '80s to the single, most popular group ever in the
history of this sport.
I was one of the original instigators of Pro Mod racing. These guys
are flying. The fact they are running over 200 mph in 660 feet…not to
mention the quarter mile…is mind boggling. I was always on the
starting line and able to watch track prep and clean up as well as the
race cars and drivers. As always, the concentration is from
approximately 60 to 100 feet behind the Christmas tree to the top end
traps.
The area beyond those traps is a no man's land! Why aren't track
operators concentrating more on their tracks from the top end traps to
the end of their pavement and even beyond? Why don't they realize THAT
part of the track is AS important, if not MORE SO, than the FIRST 660
feet? Track owner/operators must feel since the cars are 'racing' only
on the 'racing' surface that is all they have to keep updated. That is
NOT true!
Just because a racer shuts his car down at 660 or 1320 feet it doesn't
mean he isn't STILL racing! They are no longer under power, true, but
they are going the fastest at top end and in the shut down area of any
time they are on the track! Not only that, these modern cars are more
violent on top end than at any other time as Todd Tutterow said. Yes,
it takes a lot more power to power 'up' than it does to power 'down'
but, in most cases, they are powering down for an even longer
distance!
These cars do NOT and CANNOT stop when they get to those top end
lights! They need their shut down area to be just as smooth, just as
wide and just as sticky as the racing surface they were just on. Todd
also said, "It doesn't matter HOW long the shut down area is when you
are barrel rolling or flipping end over end!" Most others agree. But
it does matter if you're still on your tires. Just the fact most
tracks change so drastically at the top end lights is enough to cause
a crash!
Cars are at the height of their speed and a parachute or two can only
do so much! The science of these cars continues to advance so much
quicker than track surfaces but, of course, they always have. Why is
that SO hard for some track owner/operators to understand? I will
never forget, in 1989 at River Cities Raceway Park, a popular small
track in Ashland, KY, Rob Vandergriff and Norm Wizner were matching
racing.
One racing gas company reps was talking to Rob telling him how much
more power his gas would give Rob's car. Rob said, "Man, you don't
understand. I don't NEED any more power! I can't get the power I
already have to the track! If I could just get the power I have now to
the pavement I could run faster anyway…even without a better fuel!"
There is the gist of this editorial. What Rob said, nearly 25 years
ago, was so profound it is 100 times more true now than it was then!
Chassis builders and most racers concentrate on safety and how to get
more power to the pavement. Speeds and ETs have skyrocketed. Track
safety, in most instances, has not! Tracks have not gotten any longer.
Most smaller tracks have NO top end lighting…where it is needed most.
If someone has a top end accident, safety crews and EMTs have to work
by vehicle lights in most incidents to do what they have to do and
sometimes, that may even include saving a life! Race cars don't have
lights…they NEED as much lighting in the shut down area as they do
anywhere else, maybe more.
Tracks are not getting any longer and most aren't getting any better
in the shut down area either. If a track has plenty of shut down
length, they don't need sand traps and safety nets, but in most cases,
shut down has not been expanded and needs those things. The reason
racing had to go eighth mile in the early years was because cars got
too fast for the shut down and a fifth of a mile was not short
enough!!!
You forget…in the '60s, they weren't running nearly as fast as our
cars today…on these same tracks! This is also the reason Pro Stock
cars were taken out of championship points competition in the early
'80s. Yet, these ultra fast racers today are expected to race on
tracks their counterparts would not…and thought they could not…race on
40 years ago!
The reason? They didn't feel safe! Cars need assistance to stop just
like they need assistance to start…ie: water box, burnout area. They
just need a lot more of it. A car is 100% more erratic and more
violent on top end because they're at the fastest they will ever be on
any part of the track! How many accidents do you ever hear of on the
racing side of 660 feet? I don't have any figures on that but almost
ALL accidents happen on or near top end.
What are some of the causes? First and most important…besides the fact
shut down areas seldom get any upgrades, is the fact bracket racers
race on these surfaces on a weekly basis. The problem? What do many
bracket racers do when they go through the lights? The first thing is
slam on their brakes.
What happens when hundreds of cars slam on their brakes on hot asphalt
near the same spot? A dip eventually occurs. Check out the top end at
your local track and look closely…many look like those proverbial old
'washboard' dirt roads on which many of us grew up learning to drive!
Not only that, after a track has been paved and the pavement stops at
the finish line, there is already a dip caused by the pavement ending
abruptly!
Even though the paver smoothes and tapers it down, it is STILL a dip.
Another problem is most tracks were not 'stabilized' when they were
built so when there is a lot of rain, water gets under the asphalt or
concrete. When it has nowhere else to go, it pushes up through that
surface. In the winter, the water freezes and pushes the ground and
the pavement up.
When the ground warms up, it settles back down but the cracks never go
away. Every time the ground rises and settles, it settles differently
due to the changes in temperatures from day to day. The old pavement
becomes more and more cracked and porous allowing water to settle down
in those cracks. The water gets pulled back up by force…making it as
slick as an oiled baby's behind!
But how many top ends ever get sprayed with VHT? I have never seen a
top end get sprayed, have you? VHT is not only an adhesive used for
traction, did you know it is also a concrete and asphalt sealer? Even
though it not a stopgap answer for an unstabilized track, it is better
than nothing!
Can you imagine hitting a slick surface at 200 mph? You can if you're
a Pro Mod driver! That is the first experience ALL drivers have when
he or she goes through those top end lights! They can't even utilize
their own braking system, it is too dangerous…just using the brakes
can cause an accident….sometimes deadly, as we all know.
I am not down on all track operators. Many have, over the years, done
all they possibly could to make their tracks and even their top ends
safe; others…just what they thought they HAD to do (which, in many
cases is nothing). Many have made leaps and bounds trying to keep
their tracks in good condition to be able to handle the power in these
cars.
They have concreted their starting lines; most tracks where the
quicker cars run have been paved and re-paved. But most have only been
paved to the 660 or 1320 foot mark…the point where the cars are going
the fastest they ever go! After that, these drivers find themselves in
'never never land.' They run nearly 200 mph on a nice smooth, groomed
surface into infinity.
How many of you remember Bristol Dragway in the old days? It got so
bad when IHRA would have their Saturday night national event show,
once cars got to about 1,000 feet, they were all over the track and
many accidents occurred! Funny car and top fuel drivers threatened to
stay away unless something was done about it.
It was as simple as the fact there was natural water coming out of the
mountain under the track…the heat of the sun and speed of the cars
pulled the water back up through the track. It was dangerous! They had
to go under the track and put in a drain to take that water away from
the track.
Even after Jeff Byrd became the manager there and remodeled the track,
that had to be done again! Atlanta Dragway was the same way. When Gary
Brown bought it and spent millions remodeling the entire facility,
there were still top end wrecks because of water under the track. He
had to go back under it and drain it, too.
I will never forget at a IHRA national event at Alabama Int'l Dragway
one time, the Pro Stockers looked like 'Seadoos' going down the track
there was so much water flying up behind them! I don't know if
anything was ever done to fix that track. Many (most) tracks have not
been repaired.
When a Pro Mod driver hits that rough, unsealed, damp, possibly slick
asphalt, they can literally skate around as if they had hit a patch of
black ice! Do you have any idea WHY racing insurance is as expensive
as it is? If you can't answer that by now, go back and read this
again, only let it soak in next time.
A word to racers…something you can do to help yourselves be safer on
the tracks you race on…when you go to a track you've never run on
before…go down to the top end and check it out. Even if you have to
make a 'time trial' in your personal truck or car, even a golf cart or
ATV…just drive all the way down that track!
Look to see what is there for your safety. Is there enough shut down
area? If not, do they have a sand 'mountain' or safety nets or lights
if you are racing at night. Judge for yourself…most of you are going
to get a surprise! 'Try' to talk to the track operator about what
he/she needs to do to KEEP you coming back to his track!
We know every drag racer loves what they're doing, if they didn't they
would be bowling or something safer. Every time they get in their race
car, they know they are taking their lives in their hands. They do
this because they love it, but they get hired in to put on a show and
bring in spectators for the tracks…for YOU.
They are busting their butts going quicker and faster and having cars
which not only look like show cars, they become missiles on the track.
For THEIR sake, what kind of mind cannot comprehend the dangers these
racers are putting their lives in for your track and your fans? I know
small track operators are having a rough time now…even some national
event tracks are as well because of this economy.
However, there are NO reasons to short change racers and even fans
when it comes to safety, not to mention short changing yourself. Let
us not make drag racing a sport where spectators pay to come see the
wrecks! We have never had that reputation, let us not sink to those
lows now.
Thanks to: Warren and Arlene Johnson, Todd Tutterow, Charles Carpenter
and Marshall Oldham for their help with this very important issue.
I am now, I always have been, I will always be drag racing's 'most
dedicated fan!' Becky White
Editor/Publisher of Quick Times Racing News for 25 Years & Blog Author
for 10 Years
For all the years I have been in drag racing, there have been many
track operators…meaning track owners and the people who operated the
tracks for them…who have reminded me of General George Custer. Just in
case you don't remember your history lessons, he was the General who
would not listen to anyone because he thought he knew more than
everyone else.
Because of that, he led his troops into the Battle of the Little Big
Horn where every single person in his troop was killed including
himself. Track owner/operators who refuse to listen to anyone and
everyone and learn anything are signing their own death warrant…we
have seen this so many times over the years, we wonder how they can be
so blind as to do the very same thing other 'out of business' track
owner/operators have done to cause their own demise.
They think they know it all and will listen to no one, even when
people try to reason with them over the issues of track safety. I was
out of drag racing for ten years…what have I learned since becoming
involved again last year? Things are the same. Nothing has changed. I
want to explain 'top end' safety to track owner/operators who seem to
think the only thing they have to update and take care of is the
starting line and 660/1320 feet racing surface.
They think they can keep up with the times by shaving the track,
widening the track, prepping the track and even re-paving the track
and that is all they need to do. Of course, some do nothing! 100% of
ALL fast racers will tell you, "The top end is even MORE important
than the starting line AND the track surface!"
I had not seen Pro Mod cars since 2003 until September last year. I
knew they were quicker and faster but you have to see it to believe
it. I have only attended two Pro Mod races since but it doesn't take a
rocket scientist to realize something is wrong! I LOVE this job! I can
STILL call nearly every racer I have ever known and get more
information than most anyone else in this sport.
My reputation precedes me by over 35 years and even though I haven't
been there very often for racers since '03, they are still confiding
in me about their concerns and issues. With Pro Mod drivers, top end
safety came up more than any other problem. I went to MANY Quick 8,
Quick 16, Top Sportsman and Pro Mod races over the years as Pro Mod
grew…from some guy trying to go fast enough to get an extra 50 bucks
for Low ET or Top Speed at their local (southeastern) eighth mile
track in the '80s to the single, most popular group ever in the
history of this sport.
I was one of the original instigators of Pro Mod racing. These guys
are flying. The fact they are running over 200 mph in 660 feet…not to
mention the quarter mile…is mind boggling. I was always on the
starting line and able to watch track prep and clean up as well as the
race cars and drivers. As always, the concentration is from
approximately 60 to 100 feet behind the Christmas tree to the top end
traps.
The area beyond those traps is a no man's land! Why aren't track
operators concentrating more on their tracks from the top end traps to
the end of their pavement and even beyond? Why don't they realize THAT
part of the track is AS important, if not MORE SO, than the FIRST 660
feet? Track owner/operators must feel since the cars are 'racing' only
on the 'racing' surface that is all they have to keep updated. That is
NOT true!
Just because a racer shuts his car down at 660 or 1320 feet it doesn't
mean he isn't STILL racing! They are no longer under power, true, but
they are going the fastest at top end and in the shut down area of any
time they are on the track! Not only that, these modern cars are more
violent on top end than at any other time as Todd Tutterow said. Yes,
it takes a lot more power to power 'up' than it does to power 'down'
but, in most cases, they are powering down for an even longer
distance!
These cars do NOT and CANNOT stop when they get to those top end
lights! They need their shut down area to be just as smooth, just as
wide and just as sticky as the racing surface they were just on. Todd
also said, "It doesn't matter HOW long the shut down area is when you
are barrel rolling or flipping end over end!" Most others agree. But
it does matter if you're still on your tires. Just the fact most
tracks change so drastically at the top end lights is enough to cause
a crash!
Cars are at the height of their speed and a parachute or two can only
do so much! The science of these cars continues to advance so much
quicker than track surfaces but, of course, they always have. Why is
that SO hard for some track owner/operators to understand? I will
never forget, in 1989 at River Cities Raceway Park, a popular small
track in Ashland, KY, Rob Vandergriff and Norm Wizner were matching
racing.
One racing gas company reps was talking to Rob telling him how much
more power his gas would give Rob's car. Rob said, "Man, you don't
understand. I don't NEED any more power! I can't get the power I
already have to the track! If I could just get the power I have now to
the pavement I could run faster anyway…even without a better fuel!"
There is the gist of this editorial. What Rob said, nearly 25 years
ago, was so profound it is 100 times more true now than it was then!
Chassis builders and most racers concentrate on safety and how to get
more power to the pavement. Speeds and ETs have skyrocketed. Track
safety, in most instances, has not! Tracks have not gotten any longer.
Most smaller tracks have NO top end lighting…where it is needed most.
If someone has a top end accident, safety crews and EMTs have to work
by vehicle lights in most incidents to do what they have to do and
sometimes, that may even include saving a life! Race cars don't have
lights…they NEED as much lighting in the shut down area as they do
anywhere else, maybe more.
Tracks are not getting any longer and most aren't getting any better
in the shut down area either. If a track has plenty of shut down
length, they don't need sand traps and safety nets, but in most cases,
shut down has not been expanded and needs those things. The reason
racing had to go eighth mile in the early years was because cars got
too fast for the shut down and a fifth of a mile was not short
enough!!!
You forget…in the '60s, they weren't running nearly as fast as our
cars today…on these same tracks! This is also the reason Pro Stock
cars were taken out of championship points competition in the early
'80s. Yet, these ultra fast racers today are expected to race on
tracks their counterparts would not…and thought they could not…race on
40 years ago!
The reason? They didn't feel safe! Cars need assistance to stop just
like they need assistance to start…ie: water box, burnout area. They
just need a lot more of it. A car is 100% more erratic and more
violent on top end because they're at the fastest they will ever be on
any part of the track! How many accidents do you ever hear of on the
racing side of 660 feet? I don't have any figures on that but almost
ALL accidents happen on or near top end.
What are some of the causes? First and most important…besides the fact
shut down areas seldom get any upgrades, is the fact bracket racers
race on these surfaces on a weekly basis. The problem? What do many
bracket racers do when they go through the lights? The first thing is
slam on their brakes.
What happens when hundreds of cars slam on their brakes on hot asphalt
near the same spot? A dip eventually occurs. Check out the top end at
your local track and look closely…many look like those proverbial old
'washboard' dirt roads on which many of us grew up learning to drive!
Not only that, after a track has been paved and the pavement stops at
the finish line, there is already a dip caused by the pavement ending
abruptly!
Even though the paver smoothes and tapers it down, it is STILL a dip.
Another problem is most tracks were not 'stabilized' when they were
built so when there is a lot of rain, water gets under the asphalt or
concrete. When it has nowhere else to go, it pushes up through that
surface. In the winter, the water freezes and pushes the ground and
the pavement up.
When the ground warms up, it settles back down but the cracks never go
away. Every time the ground rises and settles, it settles differently
due to the changes in temperatures from day to day. The old pavement
becomes more and more cracked and porous allowing water to settle down
in those cracks. The water gets pulled back up by force…making it as
slick as an oiled baby's behind!
But how many top ends ever get sprayed with VHT? I have never seen a
top end get sprayed, have you? VHT is not only an adhesive used for
traction, did you know it is also a concrete and asphalt sealer? Even
though it not a stopgap answer for an unstabilized track, it is better
than nothing!
Can you imagine hitting a slick surface at 200 mph? You can if you're
a Pro Mod driver! That is the first experience ALL drivers have when
he or she goes through those top end lights! They can't even utilize
their own braking system, it is too dangerous…just using the brakes
can cause an accident….sometimes deadly, as we all know.
I am not down on all track operators. Many have, over the years, done
all they possibly could to make their tracks and even their top ends
safe; others…just what they thought they HAD to do (which, in many
cases is nothing). Many have made leaps and bounds trying to keep
their tracks in good condition to be able to handle the power in these
cars.
They have concreted their starting lines; most tracks where the
quicker cars run have been paved and re-paved. But most have only been
paved to the 660 or 1320 foot mark…the point where the cars are going
the fastest they ever go! After that, these drivers find themselves in
'never never land.' They run nearly 200 mph on a nice smooth, groomed
surface into infinity.
How many of you remember Bristol Dragway in the old days? It got so
bad when IHRA would have their Saturday night national event show,
once cars got to about 1,000 feet, they were all over the track and
many accidents occurred! Funny car and top fuel drivers threatened to
stay away unless something was done about it.
It was as simple as the fact there was natural water coming out of the
mountain under the track…the heat of the sun and speed of the cars
pulled the water back up through the track. It was dangerous! They had
to go under the track and put in a drain to take that water away from
the track.
Even after Jeff Byrd became the manager there and remodeled the track,
that had to be done again! Atlanta Dragway was the same way. When Gary
Brown bought it and spent millions remodeling the entire facility,
there were still top end wrecks because of water under the track. He
had to go back under it and drain it, too.
I will never forget at a IHRA national event at Alabama Int'l Dragway
one time, the Pro Stockers looked like 'Seadoos' going down the track
there was so much water flying up behind them! I don't know if
anything was ever done to fix that track. Many (most) tracks have not
been repaired.
When a Pro Mod driver hits that rough, unsealed, damp, possibly slick
asphalt, they can literally skate around as if they had hit a patch of
black ice! Do you have any idea WHY racing insurance is as expensive
as it is? If you can't answer that by now, go back and read this
again, only let it soak in next time.
A word to racers…something you can do to help yourselves be safer on
the tracks you race on…when you go to a track you've never run on
before…go down to the top end and check it out. Even if you have to
make a 'time trial' in your personal truck or car, even a golf cart or
ATV…just drive all the way down that track!
Look to see what is there for your safety. Is there enough shut down
area? If not, do they have a sand 'mountain' or safety nets or lights
if you are racing at night. Judge for yourself…most of you are going
to get a surprise! 'Try' to talk to the track operator about what
he/she needs to do to KEEP you coming back to his track!
We know every drag racer loves what they're doing, if they didn't they
would be bowling or something safer. Every time they get in their race
car, they know they are taking their lives in their hands. They do
this because they love it, but they get hired in to put on a show and
bring in spectators for the tracks…for YOU.
They are busting their butts going quicker and faster and having cars
which not only look like show cars, they become missiles on the track.
For THEIR sake, what kind of mind cannot comprehend the dangers these
racers are putting their lives in for your track and your fans? I know
small track operators are having a rough time now…even some national
event tracks are as well because of this economy.
However, there are NO reasons to short change racers and even fans
when it comes to safety, not to mention short changing yourself. Let
us not make drag racing a sport where spectators pay to come see the
wrecks! We have never had that reputation, let us not sink to those
lows now.
Thanks to: Warren and Arlene Johnson, Todd Tutterow, Charles Carpenter
and Marshall Oldham for their help with this very important issue.
I am now, I always have been, I will always be drag racing's 'most
dedicated fan!' Becky White
Sunday, January 19, 2014
In Loving and Faithful Memory of Jeff Byrd
By Becky White
There are a few people in this world whose foresight rises above all
obstacles, they just know there is a greater good with some things
when other people cannot see that good. Jeff Byrd was always one of
those people. I have wanted to write this memorial to Jeff since we
lost him. I didn't do it sooner because I wanted to see if anyone else
would but I have not seen one. In my personal opinion, Jeff did more
for drag racing than any other single person in the history of our
sport for many years and I know there are others who feel the same
way. His efforts were far reaching…as one person, he probably touched
more people in drag racing than anyone else ever has.
Jeff got his start in our sport when he became THE WINSTON DRAG RACING
MAN! Jeff worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem
and was instrumental in Winston Sports Marketing…he truly became a
legend. He probably educated more people about the ins and outs of the
business end of drag racing than anyone…he somehow had this inane
knowledge of how things 'should' be. Even though he never ran a track
until he became president of Bristol Motor Speedway in 1998, he KNEW
how a track should be run. I don't mean he knew how to run a race or
he knew how to tech in a car, he knew how people should be treated.
Of Jeff, Bill Bader said, "Jeff was one of the smartest men I knew. He
taught me the phrase 'creature comfort features.' He knew about
'marketing' and marketing above all else can make or break any
businesses but most especially drag racing. People interested and
involved in drag racing were spread all over this country and even
other parts of the world and he knew marketing and advertising were
the only true ways for a track and our sport to succeed.
Second was the way he treated people. I never saw nor have I ever
heard of Jeff treating a Pro racer differently than a little guy
racer, whether it be sportsman racers or bracket racers. I never saw
nor heard of Jeff treating any national event track owner or operator
any differently than any small weekly track owner and operator he
dealt with.
"He even put the powers that be at NHRA and IHRA or any other
association on a level playing field. He did not discriminate between
bosses and employees, no matter whether he dealt with the tech guy or
the guy who cleaned the trash at the end of the weekend. To him,
everyone was equal. That is a quality you seldom ever find in this
world. Jeff's 'creature comfort features' included everyone. As for
teaching track operators the importance of marketing, advertising and
how to treat people, Bill said, "When we signed Norwalk Raceway Park
with IHRA in 1981 and Winston was the series sponsor, I didn't think
'World' Nationals was a good title for our first ever national event.
We were an 'unknown' in drag racing at that time."
IHRA owner, Larry Carrier said, "We'll call it the Winston World
Nationals" and Bill agreed with that title because he felt that was a
good title since it changed the whole perspective. The fact Jeff was
such a good guy and being a softie didn't mean he couldn't tell where
he thought they were going wrong…with not only your operations, but
also the way you projected yourself to the public, your employees,
your racers or the business people with whom you dealt. Bill said Jeff
sent them 100 gallon of paint…50 red, 50 white! Bill got busy painting
barrels. Jeff called and when the person who answered the phone said,
"He's out painting barrels," it did not set well with Jeff.
Bill called him back and Jeff said, "What are you doing?" Bill said,
"I was painting barrels." In a very condescending tone of voice, Jeff
said, "Really? Do you think we give you money, presents, sponsor
signage money and paint so YOU can paint barrels? If that reflects
your management style, then maybe we should be working with someone
else! You should be worried about selling tickets and working at
putting butts in the seats? You should be worried about 'creature
comfort features!" Bill said it made him mad that Jeff had talked to
him that way and he told his secretary, "Don't EVER tell anyone I'm
out painting barrels again!"
Bill continued, "But Jeff's words haunted me. I found every time I
turned my back on the office it cost me money! I am a 'hands-on' guy,
I LIKE painting barrels, I like putting up fence, I like erecting
grandstands…any kind of physical work. Jeff focused me in the right
direction. He taught me marketing and how to prioritize what I did
with my time, the difference between marketing related versus
operations related. He taught me that phrase, 'creature comfort
features' and to focus on your sponsors…the guy who pays to sell his
wares to the market created by the racers and fans; your customers…the
racers who pays to race and your fan…who pays to watch the racer."
"He included the 'suitcase' promoter in with the customers…the
promoter who travels from coast to coast putting on events such as
Super Chevy, Fun Ford and all the others. Jeff, his wife Claudia and I
became closer friends," explained Bill. "I could call the 'Byrd Man'
on the phone and ask him a question about anything." But Jeff was that
way with ALL track owner/operators…media people, too. I know…for I
sure did call him quite often! He helped me more than any other single
person I ever met in drag racing.
When I started publishing Quick Times Racing News, the only
experiences I had ever had doing anything like that was watching the
girls at my local newspaper put together ads plus…I loved to write and
I loved drag racing. Jeff taught me more about advertising, marketing,
publishing and how to relate to people other than the racer (which was
always my priority). But I had to deal with all those other people and
he taught me how.
He was always forthcoming with his advice and he answered every
question I ever asked. Had it not been for the wisdom he imparted to
me, I don't think I would have made it when I went out on my own! He
not only shared his knowledge with me…as I have said before, there
were times he literally lifted me out of the depths of despair. He
refused to allow me to have the doubts which could have made me quit.
He was my greatest champion because he knew my publication was
important to the people who really keep drag racing alive and well…the
little guy racers. The first thing he did was have RJR buy the back
page of my paper and the check always came at the beginning of each
year. Had it not been for that, I would NOT have made it through those
long winters with very little other revenue!
Jeff was out of drag racing for many years after the government
mandate to take cigarette advertising out of sports. But drag racing
was always his favorite…he loved drag racing. His love of drag racing
was the only thing which stood between Bristol Dragway and the heavy
'destruction' equipment…he single handedly saved that track. He saved
it at what 'could have been' a great cost to him but he loved our
sport so much, he was willing to take that chance. He believed in this
sport and its people…ALL its people! True…he was the President of
Bristol Motor Speedway and both tracks were his work, but he worked so
hard to save the drag strip, you wouldn't believe it even if you knew
the whole story.
The first time I went to see Jeff after he took over operations in
'Thunder Valley,' he was in a trailer on the left side of the drive
going into the facility. This was a little trailer which had been used
for many purposes over the years…'will call' office, tech info
headquarters…many of you have had to go in that little trailer to get
your tech cards, etc. At the time Jeff took the job, it was the ticket
sales office…with several people doing nothing but selling race
tickets by phone…mostly for the speedway. I kind of crinkled up my
nose and thought, "Jeff's office is in HERE?" I asked for him and he
heard my voice.
He didn't wait for someone to tell him I was there, he came right out
and got me! He seemed SO happy to see me! He took me back to his
little bitty office in the back of that trailer and you know what was
hanging on the wall? Not a photo of Dale Earnhart, not Adam or Richard
Petty or Mark Martin or any NASCAR racer! There was a wall size poster
of John Force doing a burn out! In all the years he had been gone from
drag racing, he had not lost his love for it! Force was just getting
started in the Pro ranks when Jeff became the Winston Drag Racing Man.
They hit it off right away and remained great friends through all
those years.
When John learned I was writing this memorial, he didn't mind getting
on the phone with me while he was in the staging lanes at Norwalk
Raceway getting ready to make a qualifying run! He talked to me until
he had to get in the car to make his run! He did this because he had
such high regard for Jeff! "You know I raced with Jeff from his
Winston Drag Racing days and he always treated us like family. He was
a great guy and he did a great job because he spent money at times
when there no money to promote the races to make sure the crowd came
in. He always treated you fair," said John.
"There were a few times I got mad over stuff. I would run to the tower
and cry to him and he would take me outside. He would laugh and I
would say, 'How can you laugh when I'm in this crisis?' Jeff would say
to me, 'Because Force, you are in crisis ALL the time! The reason I
put up with you is because I know how much you love the sport and how
much you want to be good at this!' I was terrible in the early days
when I met him and he would just laugh and say, 'You'll get there
someday, you'll win someday!'"
I said, "He would calm you down, wouldn't he?" He replied, "That's the
truth! I would say, 'Why are you laughing?' And he would say, 'You're
not really mad, you just want to come off like you're mad and you're a
tiger.' You are always fair, you look at both sides of a situation.'
And he would always calm me down. And I won the biggest race of all
right there with him at Bristol…a quarter million dollars! I beat the
dragsters…it was like he was just amazed." Jeff said, "You just pull
things out of a bag no one else can." "I won all the Invitationals! In
fact, I almost won New England but my daughter beat me in the final.
At least a Force won it!" and he laughed.
When Jeff became the general manager of the Bristol racing complex,
there were NO plans for a drag strip there! Thunder Valley was going
under the 'dozers! Jeff is the ONLY reason we still have a Bristol
Dragway. He saved it because he loved it and our sport. When he got to
Bristol, Bill Bader, one of the owners of IHRA, went down there and
talked to Jeff. Jeff was the person who advised Bill to go NHRA!!! An
IHRA owner with an NHRA track! What a combination!
"One of the reasons I respected him,' says Bill, "was because he would
tell you what was right for YOU! He knew if he didn't tell you the
truth, he would lose a friend. He ALWAYS told me what was right for me
and to how to fit that very properly into the relationship with him,
with IHRA, NHRA or whatever! Jeff was very loyal. He was no nonsense,
he was definitive in his thoughts and immediate in his responses. He
worried less about peoples' feelings and just told them the truth and
he understood they would understand that."
I don't like to say 'No' to someone, I don't like to hurt peoples'
feelings, but IHRA taught me I had to be more direct," Bill continued.
"Jeff taught me and others, how to handle really BAD situations and I
have had a few. Jeff NEVER turned me down on any question I ever asked
him and I don't guess he did anyone else, either. He was the only NHRA
track operator who called me and welcomed me into NHRA and
congratulated me. Some others may have talked to Billy but Jeff is the
only person who ever talked to me about joining NHRA!"
Jeff invited Bill to come to Bristol so he could show Bill some of the
things they made mistakes with in re-building Bristol so Bill could
avoid making the same mistakes. He said, "Get yourself on a plane and
get down here!" Bill took Bill, Jr. and their contractor and flew to
Bristol. Jeff not only had Bill talk to Bristol staff members, he gave
Bill their drawings and the blueprints for skyboxes, showed him and
explained to him why "you will NOT be happy with pre-fab sky boxes."
He showed Bill the pre-fab boxes, then the built-in-place buildings
and how much nicer they were.
He laid the drawings out, said "Do this," and "Don't do this." He had
Bill talk to his management team on their philosophies of how they
took care of their customers, their fans and any other guests,
including sponsors. Bill loved Jeff's idea about hiring a manager
whose salary was tied to the profits…even to put him on a percentage
basis. Bill added even more to that when he got back to Norwalk and
they now have the Bader Family Guarantee. He told me, "If you are
unhappy at Norwalk Raceway for ANY reason, we give you your money
back, no questions asked!"
Jeff did it one better…he had his employees carry their personal check
books with them at all times and if someone complained, if they were
unhappy and wanted their money back, the employee would write you a
check on the spot and he would reimburse the employee later! Bill
remarked, "That does two things...it gives a person confidence and a
comfort level knowing their problems are going to be resolved and
taken care of immediately. No one had to worry about jumping through
hoops, filling out forms, sending in a written complaint and all that
crap to get satisfaction!"
"Second, it demonstrated a commitment on the behalf of the employee so
the person who was receiving the refund would say, "Wow, this person
is going to pay me out of their money and they have the ability to
make those decisions. When I heard that, I said, "You S.O.B., you
outdid me!" I had NEVER thought of doing that…it never occurred to me.
HE told ALL employees to resolve problems on the spot!" Bader has had
his Bader Family Guarantee since 1985 but Jeff carried it even
farther.
Red Whitmore, who worked under Jeff at Bristol said basically the same
things about Jeff as everyone else has except he did say Jeff was a
great politician, "It takes a great politician to be able to make
everyone happy, but Jeff was more than that. In all his dealings, no
matter who it was, he was honest, caring and understanding. Ralph
Seagraves…the original Director of Sports Marketing as well as T.
Wayne Robertson who held that position for many, many years, both
looked up to Jeff and felt very lucky to have him working on the
Winston team."
"He would help racers…even to the point of helping push their cars! He
would even came out and helped cook for the employees at Bristol's big
races! I know Jeff loved doing things like that…in that respect, he
and Bill Bader are a lot alike! Everything with Jeff was one on one."
Tod Mack told Red, "You are SO lucky to have Jeff here!" Jeff cared
about every person who came through those gates no matter who they
were. Jeff understood it was important for a track to cater to the
grass roots racer in order to survive.
I wrote in an editorial one time if a person really wanted to be
successful in the sport of drag racing, they had to listen to 100% of
everything everyone wanted to tell them. Then they could take 98% of
what they heard and trash it. The 2% left is what is really important.
But you have to listen the 98% because those people are always
complaining and telling you how to run your business. The 2% are the
ones who seldom speak but when they do, they have something important
to say. Jeff KNEW that to be true, he practiced it every day and it
made him one of the greatest successes of any single person in drag
racing.
Bruton Smith started Speedway Children' 'Charities in 1982 and every
track he owns has to have events each year specifically to raise money
for the children's charities. Every track is allowed to run their
Children' 'Charities and events the way they see fit. Jeff's wife
Claudia told me, "Jeff was SO passionate about the Childrens'
Charities…he loved giving back to the community and especially to
children. We do all our own fund raising and every penny goes to
Childrens' Charities." Claudia is still running the Bristol Motor
Speedway and Bristol Dragway Childrens' Charities…it is her passion as
well.
Even though all Bruton's tracks are involved in Childrens' Charities,
Jeff is the person who came up with the Christmas light show at
Bristol which has been such a huge hit. Now they all put on a
Christmas light show each year. Bristol Motor Speedways' Childrens'
Charities support non-profit childrens' organizations within the
community around the speedway in 16 counties in northeastern Tennessee
and southwestern Virginia. For information on the 2014 Speedway
Children' Charities events and schedule; go to
www.speedwaycharities.org.
As far as this writer is concerned, Jeff Byrd's legacy in drag racing
will never be surpassed. He loved racing and drag racing in
particular. He LOVE being the president of Bristol, he always loved
interacting with people…ALL people. He was full of great ideas and
loved sharing them with anyone who would listen and especially those
who put his ideas into practice. And he loved listening to YOUR ideas,
he always knew he could learn something, too. Jeff is gone from us too
soon, but we can keep his legacy alive by practicing what HE taught us
and by supporting Bristol Dragway AND Speedway Childrens' Charities in
any way we can. We can keep Jeff's memory alive and honor him by
following his lead and being the kind of person he taught us to be.
There are a few people in this world whose foresight rises above all
obstacles, they just know there is a greater good with some things
when other people cannot see that good. Jeff Byrd was always one of
those people. I have wanted to write this memorial to Jeff since we
lost him. I didn't do it sooner because I wanted to see if anyone else
would but I have not seen one. In my personal opinion, Jeff did more
for drag racing than any other single person in the history of our
sport for many years and I know there are others who feel the same
way. His efforts were far reaching…as one person, he probably touched
more people in drag racing than anyone else ever has.
Jeff got his start in our sport when he became THE WINSTON DRAG RACING
MAN! Jeff worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem
and was instrumental in Winston Sports Marketing…he truly became a
legend. He probably educated more people about the ins and outs of the
business end of drag racing than anyone…he somehow had this inane
knowledge of how things 'should' be. Even though he never ran a track
until he became president of Bristol Motor Speedway in 1998, he KNEW
how a track should be run. I don't mean he knew how to run a race or
he knew how to tech in a car, he knew how people should be treated.
Of Jeff, Bill Bader said, "Jeff was one of the smartest men I knew. He
taught me the phrase 'creature comfort features.' He knew about
'marketing' and marketing above all else can make or break any
businesses but most especially drag racing. People interested and
involved in drag racing were spread all over this country and even
other parts of the world and he knew marketing and advertising were
the only true ways for a track and our sport to succeed.
Second was the way he treated people. I never saw nor have I ever
heard of Jeff treating a Pro racer differently than a little guy
racer, whether it be sportsman racers or bracket racers. I never saw
nor heard of Jeff treating any national event track owner or operator
any differently than any small weekly track owner and operator he
dealt with.
"He even put the powers that be at NHRA and IHRA or any other
association on a level playing field. He did not discriminate between
bosses and employees, no matter whether he dealt with the tech guy or
the guy who cleaned the trash at the end of the weekend. To him,
everyone was equal. That is a quality you seldom ever find in this
world. Jeff's 'creature comfort features' included everyone. As for
teaching track operators the importance of marketing, advertising and
how to treat people, Bill said, "When we signed Norwalk Raceway Park
with IHRA in 1981 and Winston was the series sponsor, I didn't think
'World' Nationals was a good title for our first ever national event.
We were an 'unknown' in drag racing at that time."
IHRA owner, Larry Carrier said, "We'll call it the Winston World
Nationals" and Bill agreed with that title because he felt that was a
good title since it changed the whole perspective. The fact Jeff was
such a good guy and being a softie didn't mean he couldn't tell where
he thought they were going wrong…with not only your operations, but
also the way you projected yourself to the public, your employees,
your racers or the business people with whom you dealt. Bill said Jeff
sent them 100 gallon of paint…50 red, 50 white! Bill got busy painting
barrels. Jeff called and when the person who answered the phone said,
"He's out painting barrels," it did not set well with Jeff.
Bill called him back and Jeff said, "What are you doing?" Bill said,
"I was painting barrels." In a very condescending tone of voice, Jeff
said, "Really? Do you think we give you money, presents, sponsor
signage money and paint so YOU can paint barrels? If that reflects
your management style, then maybe we should be working with someone
else! You should be worried about selling tickets and working at
putting butts in the seats? You should be worried about 'creature
comfort features!" Bill said it made him mad that Jeff had talked to
him that way and he told his secretary, "Don't EVER tell anyone I'm
out painting barrels again!"
Bill continued, "But Jeff's words haunted me. I found every time I
turned my back on the office it cost me money! I am a 'hands-on' guy,
I LIKE painting barrels, I like putting up fence, I like erecting
grandstands…any kind of physical work. Jeff focused me in the right
direction. He taught me marketing and how to prioritize what I did
with my time, the difference between marketing related versus
operations related. He taught me that phrase, 'creature comfort
features' and to focus on your sponsors…the guy who pays to sell his
wares to the market created by the racers and fans; your customers…the
racers who pays to race and your fan…who pays to watch the racer."
"He included the 'suitcase' promoter in with the customers…the
promoter who travels from coast to coast putting on events such as
Super Chevy, Fun Ford and all the others. Jeff, his wife Claudia and I
became closer friends," explained Bill. "I could call the 'Byrd Man'
on the phone and ask him a question about anything." But Jeff was that
way with ALL track owner/operators…media people, too. I know…for I
sure did call him quite often! He helped me more than any other single
person I ever met in drag racing.
When I started publishing Quick Times Racing News, the only
experiences I had ever had doing anything like that was watching the
girls at my local newspaper put together ads plus…I loved to write and
I loved drag racing. Jeff taught me more about advertising, marketing,
publishing and how to relate to people other than the racer (which was
always my priority). But I had to deal with all those other people and
he taught me how.
He was always forthcoming with his advice and he answered every
question I ever asked. Had it not been for the wisdom he imparted to
me, I don't think I would have made it when I went out on my own! He
not only shared his knowledge with me…as I have said before, there
were times he literally lifted me out of the depths of despair. He
refused to allow me to have the doubts which could have made me quit.
He was my greatest champion because he knew my publication was
important to the people who really keep drag racing alive and well…the
little guy racers. The first thing he did was have RJR buy the back
page of my paper and the check always came at the beginning of each
year. Had it not been for that, I would NOT have made it through those
long winters with very little other revenue!
Jeff was out of drag racing for many years after the government
mandate to take cigarette advertising out of sports. But drag racing
was always his favorite…he loved drag racing. His love of drag racing
was the only thing which stood between Bristol Dragway and the heavy
'destruction' equipment…he single handedly saved that track. He saved
it at what 'could have been' a great cost to him but he loved our
sport so much, he was willing to take that chance. He believed in this
sport and its people…ALL its people! True…he was the President of
Bristol Motor Speedway and both tracks were his work, but he worked so
hard to save the drag strip, you wouldn't believe it even if you knew
the whole story.
The first time I went to see Jeff after he took over operations in
'Thunder Valley,' he was in a trailer on the left side of the drive
going into the facility. This was a little trailer which had been used
for many purposes over the years…'will call' office, tech info
headquarters…many of you have had to go in that little trailer to get
your tech cards, etc. At the time Jeff took the job, it was the ticket
sales office…with several people doing nothing but selling race
tickets by phone…mostly for the speedway. I kind of crinkled up my
nose and thought, "Jeff's office is in HERE?" I asked for him and he
heard my voice.
He didn't wait for someone to tell him I was there, he came right out
and got me! He seemed SO happy to see me! He took me back to his
little bitty office in the back of that trailer and you know what was
hanging on the wall? Not a photo of Dale Earnhart, not Adam or Richard
Petty or Mark Martin or any NASCAR racer! There was a wall size poster
of John Force doing a burn out! In all the years he had been gone from
drag racing, he had not lost his love for it! Force was just getting
started in the Pro ranks when Jeff became the Winston Drag Racing Man.
They hit it off right away and remained great friends through all
those years.
When John learned I was writing this memorial, he didn't mind getting
on the phone with me while he was in the staging lanes at Norwalk
Raceway getting ready to make a qualifying run! He talked to me until
he had to get in the car to make his run! He did this because he had
such high regard for Jeff! "You know I raced with Jeff from his
Winston Drag Racing days and he always treated us like family. He was
a great guy and he did a great job because he spent money at times
when there no money to promote the races to make sure the crowd came
in. He always treated you fair," said John.
"There were a few times I got mad over stuff. I would run to the tower
and cry to him and he would take me outside. He would laugh and I
would say, 'How can you laugh when I'm in this crisis?' Jeff would say
to me, 'Because Force, you are in crisis ALL the time! The reason I
put up with you is because I know how much you love the sport and how
much you want to be good at this!' I was terrible in the early days
when I met him and he would just laugh and say, 'You'll get there
someday, you'll win someday!'"
I said, "He would calm you down, wouldn't he?" He replied, "That's the
truth! I would say, 'Why are you laughing?' And he would say, 'You're
not really mad, you just want to come off like you're mad and you're a
tiger.' You are always fair, you look at both sides of a situation.'
And he would always calm me down. And I won the biggest race of all
right there with him at Bristol…a quarter million dollars! I beat the
dragsters…it was like he was just amazed." Jeff said, "You just pull
things out of a bag no one else can." "I won all the Invitationals! In
fact, I almost won New England but my daughter beat me in the final.
At least a Force won it!" and he laughed.
When Jeff became the general manager of the Bristol racing complex,
there were NO plans for a drag strip there! Thunder Valley was going
under the 'dozers! Jeff is the ONLY reason we still have a Bristol
Dragway. He saved it because he loved it and our sport. When he got to
Bristol, Bill Bader, one of the owners of IHRA, went down there and
talked to Jeff. Jeff was the person who advised Bill to go NHRA!!! An
IHRA owner with an NHRA track! What a combination!
"One of the reasons I respected him,' says Bill, "was because he would
tell you what was right for YOU! He knew if he didn't tell you the
truth, he would lose a friend. He ALWAYS told me what was right for me
and to how to fit that very properly into the relationship with him,
with IHRA, NHRA or whatever! Jeff was very loyal. He was no nonsense,
he was definitive in his thoughts and immediate in his responses. He
worried less about peoples' feelings and just told them the truth and
he understood they would understand that."
I don't like to say 'No' to someone, I don't like to hurt peoples'
feelings, but IHRA taught me I had to be more direct," Bill continued.
"Jeff taught me and others, how to handle really BAD situations and I
have had a few. Jeff NEVER turned me down on any question I ever asked
him and I don't guess he did anyone else, either. He was the only NHRA
track operator who called me and welcomed me into NHRA and
congratulated me. Some others may have talked to Billy but Jeff is the
only person who ever talked to me about joining NHRA!"
Jeff invited Bill to come to Bristol so he could show Bill some of the
things they made mistakes with in re-building Bristol so Bill could
avoid making the same mistakes. He said, "Get yourself on a plane and
get down here!" Bill took Bill, Jr. and their contractor and flew to
Bristol. Jeff not only had Bill talk to Bristol staff members, he gave
Bill their drawings and the blueprints for skyboxes, showed him and
explained to him why "you will NOT be happy with pre-fab sky boxes."
He showed Bill the pre-fab boxes, then the built-in-place buildings
and how much nicer they were.
He laid the drawings out, said "Do this," and "Don't do this." He had
Bill talk to his management team on their philosophies of how they
took care of their customers, their fans and any other guests,
including sponsors. Bill loved Jeff's idea about hiring a manager
whose salary was tied to the profits…even to put him on a percentage
basis. Bill added even more to that when he got back to Norwalk and
they now have the Bader Family Guarantee. He told me, "If you are
unhappy at Norwalk Raceway for ANY reason, we give you your money
back, no questions asked!"
Jeff did it one better…he had his employees carry their personal check
books with them at all times and if someone complained, if they were
unhappy and wanted their money back, the employee would write you a
check on the spot and he would reimburse the employee later! Bill
remarked, "That does two things...it gives a person confidence and a
comfort level knowing their problems are going to be resolved and
taken care of immediately. No one had to worry about jumping through
hoops, filling out forms, sending in a written complaint and all that
crap to get satisfaction!"
"Second, it demonstrated a commitment on the behalf of the employee so
the person who was receiving the refund would say, "Wow, this person
is going to pay me out of their money and they have the ability to
make those decisions. When I heard that, I said, "You S.O.B., you
outdid me!" I had NEVER thought of doing that…it never occurred to me.
HE told ALL employees to resolve problems on the spot!" Bader has had
his Bader Family Guarantee since 1985 but Jeff carried it even
farther.
Red Whitmore, who worked under Jeff at Bristol said basically the same
things about Jeff as everyone else has except he did say Jeff was a
great politician, "It takes a great politician to be able to make
everyone happy, but Jeff was more than that. In all his dealings, no
matter who it was, he was honest, caring and understanding. Ralph
Seagraves…the original Director of Sports Marketing as well as T.
Wayne Robertson who held that position for many, many years, both
looked up to Jeff and felt very lucky to have him working on the
Winston team."
"He would help racers…even to the point of helping push their cars! He
would even came out and helped cook for the employees at Bristol's big
races! I know Jeff loved doing things like that…in that respect, he
and Bill Bader are a lot alike! Everything with Jeff was one on one."
Tod Mack told Red, "You are SO lucky to have Jeff here!" Jeff cared
about every person who came through those gates no matter who they
were. Jeff understood it was important for a track to cater to the
grass roots racer in order to survive.
I wrote in an editorial one time if a person really wanted to be
successful in the sport of drag racing, they had to listen to 100% of
everything everyone wanted to tell them. Then they could take 98% of
what they heard and trash it. The 2% left is what is really important.
But you have to listen the 98% because those people are always
complaining and telling you how to run your business. The 2% are the
ones who seldom speak but when they do, they have something important
to say. Jeff KNEW that to be true, he practiced it every day and it
made him one of the greatest successes of any single person in drag
racing.
Bruton Smith started Speedway Children' 'Charities in 1982 and every
track he owns has to have events each year specifically to raise money
for the children's charities. Every track is allowed to run their
Children' 'Charities and events the way they see fit. Jeff's wife
Claudia told me, "Jeff was SO passionate about the Childrens'
Charities…he loved giving back to the community and especially to
children. We do all our own fund raising and every penny goes to
Childrens' Charities." Claudia is still running the Bristol Motor
Speedway and Bristol Dragway Childrens' Charities…it is her passion as
well.
Even though all Bruton's tracks are involved in Childrens' Charities,
Jeff is the person who came up with the Christmas light show at
Bristol which has been such a huge hit. Now they all put on a
Christmas light show each year. Bristol Motor Speedways' Childrens'
Charities support non-profit childrens' organizations within the
community around the speedway in 16 counties in northeastern Tennessee
and southwestern Virginia. For information on the 2014 Speedway
Children' Charities events and schedule; go to
www.speedwaycharities.org.
As far as this writer is concerned, Jeff Byrd's legacy in drag racing
will never be surpassed. He loved racing and drag racing in
particular. He LOVE being the president of Bristol, he always loved
interacting with people…ALL people. He was full of great ideas and
loved sharing them with anyone who would listen and especially those
who put his ideas into practice. And he loved listening to YOUR ideas,
he always knew he could learn something, too. Jeff is gone from us too
soon, but we can keep his legacy alive by practicing what HE taught us
and by supporting Bristol Dragway AND Speedway Childrens' Charities in
any way we can. We can keep Jeff's memory alive and honor him by
following his lead and being the kind of person he taught us to be.
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