The Patriotism of NASCAR

Call it a "redneck" thing, but NASCAR and American patriotism go hand-in-hand.

As we honor those who died in the horrid attack on American soil on September 11, 2001, we still hear from those who question the wars we've engaged since this tragedy. Our servicemen and women fight and die for our continuing freedom, much of it because nearly 3000 people, many of multinational heritage, died while enjoying the freedom we hold so dear.

The NASCAR community honored the fallen with an incredible array of paint schemes this past weekend at Richmond International Raceway, and there is already a vast array of memorabilia for sale that will profit from it. Such is the American way.

But the American spirit runs deep in NASCAR, and has well before all of the commercialism we now easily associate with it. America's Armed Forces recognize this, and use the cars, drivers, and races as a recruiting platform. Even that goes further back than this weekend.

During the 1991 Daytona 500, NASCAR recognized the conflict known as "Desert Storm" by sponsoring five cars (already racing with minimal, to no sponsorship that weekend) representing the five branches of the military, and decals of the American flag adorned virtually every car in the field. Not as commercialism, but as a proud display of heartfelt patriotism.

NASCAR grew from the ashes of World War II. Our servicemen -- and women -- returned home and sought some kind of normalcy. American sports are a great platform for that. And NASCAR was a big part of that. American cars, and predominantly American drivers and crews fought on the "battlefield" of NASCAR competition. Many of these participants were veterans of the war, having put their lives on the line to defend their country, and now putting their lives on the line to entertain its people.

And it didn't end there. Through the years many veterans took to the track, having, in my opinion, earned a place there.

60s NASCAR veteran Larry Frank was indeed a veteran. A no-nonsense hard-charging ex-Marine, he wasn't one to back down from a conflict, and was even known to give chase, with or without a car, if he felt it was warranted. He is probably best known for his NASCAR "conflict" that is the stuff of legend.

During one race, "Little Joe" Weatherly was driving in his own hard-charging style, but seemed to focus most of his beating and banging on Larry Frank, doing a lot of damage. After the race, Frank chased ‘Little Joe' into the parking lot. Not wanting to tangle with Frank without the protection of a car around him, Weatherly jumped on a car's roof. Even that wasn't going to stop Larry Frank, so Little Joe ran across the roof of every car parked in that row, leaving a trail of dented roofs along the way. And, in true NASCAR style, both men laughed about it the next day.

Army veteran Nelson Stacy drove a tank as he served his country. That might have had something to do with the way he drove on the Grand National circuit during his brief NASCAR career.

Nowadays, many of the drivers in NASCAR's top three series started too young to have had a career in the military. But, that doesn't mean that they can't show their American pride, even if it comes at 200 miles per hour.

Never Forget.

It's a book about NASCAR history... and it's not

I think I need to be specific about what my novel HIDING BEHIND THUNDER is, and maybe, what it isn't.

First of all, it is a novel; a work of fiction. And yet, there is a lot of factual NASCAR history interwoven throughout the story to provide both the new stock car racing fan and the NASCAR veteran with some great glimpses of the world of Grand National racing in the early 60s.

It is a mystery initiated by a suspicious death, as well as a coming of age story of a young man rebuilding his life after a series of tragic events.

It is a story of an almost primal craving for revenge. It is a story about the values of friendship, love, loyalty and trust.

And, according to reviews received by readers, a fun read and overall uplifting story.

Triumph and tragedy fill a number of pages in HIDING BEHIND THUNDER. A significant player in the story, known for his largess with young drivers and taking them under his wing and showing them the ropes, is NASCAR legend Fireball Roberts.

Throughout the story, lead character Davey Sutherland meets and interacts with many of the greats of early NASCAR. Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Nelson Stacy, Cale Yarborough, Joe Weatherly, Wendell Scott, and Fred Lorenzen make appearances, offering history and insight into those early rough-and-tumble days of stock car racing.


Yeah, in a lot of respects it's a Who's Who of early NASCAR. But, it's not a book based in a lot of name-dropping, either. The story line carries the reader through a lot of the 1963 and 1964 NASCAR season and many of the actual races run, and again, it isn't simply an anthology of NASCAR events of the era.

I urge you to check out HIDING BEHIND THUNDER, now specially priced at Amazon.com, and available for downloads to Kindle, Nook, and many other e-readers -- even your PC -- at Smashwords.com.

Hey, I wrote it, I'm proud of it, and I'm confident you will enjoy it.

- Don

Visit the HIDING BEHIND THUNDER official site.

Oh? The Book?

As I post about NASCAR events, both current and historic, I hint about my novel, HIDING BEHIND THUNDER. Well, I guess I should throw in another post in which the hints give way to out-and-out declaring its existence.

HIDING BEHIND THUNDER is a coming-of-age story set against the background of 1960s NASCAR.

Davey Sutherland is a fugitive, running for his life from a murder he didn't commit. Through a bizarre twist of fate, he finds sanctuary in the rough-and-tumble world of NASCAR. Now known as race driver Colt Kellogg, the young man hides behind his assumed name and identity. He builds a new life, gains trust and friendship, and even finds love. But, will he become a victim of his own growing notoriety? Now caught between the law and people dead set on revenge, Davey spends his new life HIDING BEHIND THUNDER.

There are many reference books available about NASCAR and its rich history. HIDING BEHIND THUNDER is a novel; a seamless blend of fact and fiction, sharing a story of love, loss, death and revenge, while incorporating a significant dose of NASCAR history. Both the famous drivers of the era and the events they raced in over the 1963 and 1964 seasons are portrayed here, intertwined with mystery and adventure.

HIDING BEHIND THUNDER can be purchased in paperback through Amazon ($16.99), my CreateSpace acoount ($14.99), downloaded to Amazon's Kindle reader ($7.99), and purchased for downloads for Nook, Kobo, and many other ePub formats through Smashwords.com (also $7.99).

Yes, it's my first "official" novel, and it's self-published. But, given the encouraging responses I've received about the book so far, I think I need to get started on my next book.

That's my two cents, your mileage may vary.

A Matter of Respect

When I wrote HIDING BEHIND THUNDER, I wanted to blend fact and fiction into an entertaining coming-of-age story. To do so, I felt it important to not only the flow of the story, but to the readers with even a half of a brain to not muddle the action with a host of "drivers" and "teams" that were simply made-up names and car numbers.

I wanted stories within the story, fleshing out historic moments with many of NASCAR's greatest drivers of that Golden Age. So, instead of tossing names like "Billy Mack Smith," or "Jimmy Joe Speedo," I decided to feature real events and real drivers, some still living and some passed on, such as Fred Lorenzen, Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly, and, of course, Fireball Roberts.

One concern has been that the living drivers I have engaged in HIDING BEHIND THUNDER might take umbrage with their inclusion in the story. My response: Why? One of the most important attributes in my novel is that every driver mentioned in the course of the story, living or dead, is treated with respect. Respect to them personally, and respectful in the manner in which I portray them.

I feel I accomplished this. If there are still any doubters, then I suggest they purchase a copy of the book and prove me otherwise. I'm putting my money where my mouth is, too... a copy of HIDING BEHIND THUNDER is on its way to one of the greatest drivers of NASCAR's Golden Age.

I'll save that little tidbit for another blog post. Until then...