| 08.20.11 |
3-Wide |
It's amazing that Bob got out of this one. What's
equally as amazing is that I think he ran a week later and won.
I
don't know what particular part of your body tells you to climb back into a
racecar after escaping something like we see above, but either I don't have
that part, or "they ain't big enough!" There's danger in all forms of
motorsports and no matter how many safety improvements are made, there will
always be danger. But those who drove during this era were
fearless.... They definitely
were their own breed.
When you look through the history books and you see the events that shaped
our country... and you hear about guys going to battle in WWII that were
still in their teens... and you see great structures that were
built (bridges, buildings, etc) before the term "occupational safety" was
ever mentioned and you get a sense of the brave individuals that made this country what it is.
I'd bet that many of those same individuals also found themselves behind the
wheel of a racecar at their local speedway.
Bob will always be at the top of the list of those courageous drivers that
road it out... dusted themselves off..., and climbed back in.... |
| 09.22.11 |
Terry Fick |
I was looking at these pics of the Pickell crash. You asked
how we get back in. It has nothing to do with courage or a lack of fear,
racing is just so much fun that injury never enters your mind, except one
second which I will describe.
I was racing at Phoenix City, AL, last show of the season, a Sunday PM show,
hot
laps. The track was not watered properly and was already dry slick. I was
following Johnny Bridges into three and noticed that in spite of the
conditions he was running up against the hard, lumpy cushion. I thought, if
he can do it so can I, so next lap I tried his move. No I couldn't. I went
right up over the damn thing, swapping ends of the car.
If you ever drove a sprint you know that when you swap ends the engine
compression just stops the car dead in its tracks, usually just spinning the
car again and then you wait to get pushed off, all the while swearing in
your helmet because you were so stupid. Unfortunately, Phoenix City has a
bank on the reverse side of the turn so when my rear tires stopped they were
lower than the front. You can guess the result. I opened my eyes twice, once
to see blue sky, once to see dirt against the down tubes (at which point I
thought, shit, I just bought that wing).
Depending on who you ask, I went endo between six and eight times. All I
know is when I got back in the pits the girl who kept "score" was crying
like a baby, she thought I had been killed. I guess I put on a good show for
the fans.
Personally, I was mad, I didn't have parts to fix the car (top wing, bird
cage, Jacobs ladder, and a couple radius rods) so I packed up for a long
winter of bench racing. Never thought about quitting, I was just glad the
damage was not more expensive.
Fast forward, first race I made next season, Sugar Creek, SC. I am in the
second hot lap group. Sitting at the pit exit for my turn I was excited,
couldn't wait to get back out. Then a car in the first group barrel rolled
past. For a second or two I found myself asking if this was really such a
good idea. Five minutes later I am trying to push the pedal through the
floorboard, all was forgiven.
Maybe we are fool hardy, my grandmother asked if I had a death wish. But
until you have ridden one of those over powered beasts and mastered it, you
will never know the fun it is. In my view, that's why we get back in. No
macho non-sense, just a big kid laughing himself silly. |
