COMMENTARY: Rockingham Speculation Gives Cause For Cautious Optimism

Not much of the news out of Rockingham Speedway lately has been positive. 

The legendary North Carolina oval – site of some of NASCAR’s most memorable moments -- has been inactive since April of 2013, when it hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. Since, then, the track has laid silent, floundering under a delinquent, $4.2 million mortgage, rumored ownership squabbles and a series of encouraging rumors that never quite seem to come true. 

Now, a new round of announcements has raised hopes that the track known as “The Rock” might still arise from the dead. The question is, can any of it be believed? 

The new X-Cup Series announced plans to run a number of events at Rockingham this season, with spokesman James Martin saying they would "hopefully" hold their first event there in April of this year. Martin told the Richmond County (NC) Daily Journal that the organization’s 10-race schedule is "all gonna be ran at Rockingham," with eight events to be held on the traditional, 1.017-mile oval track, with the remaining two contested on the infield road course.  

The National Auto Sports Association also has an event scheduled at Rockingham on July 2-3, and the Super Cup Stock Car Series says it will close its 2016 campaign with a race at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, October 15. With a schedule that includes only eight dates – two of which are listed as “To Be Announced” with another as “Pending” -- the circuit’s pronouncement seemed shaky, at best. Series spokesman Joe Schmaling did little to calm those fears today, when asked to discuss his circuit’s scheduled event at “The Rock.”  

His terse reply? “I have nothing to release at this time.” 
 

Now there’s a confidence builder. 
 

A dozen announced events seems like an ambitious schedule for a venue that has not hosted the sound of racing engines in nearly three years. But Craig Northacker, a U.S. Army veteran who serves as executive director of Vets-Help.org, said today that he is confident in his ability to make it happen. 

Craig Northacker of Vets-Help.org

In January of 2015, Northacker announced plans to purchase Rockingham and convert it into a “Reintegration Center” for military veterans. At the time, Northacker said auto racing would be a major part of his organization’s effort to “reintegrate veterans back into society… with stability, financial security and an affordable home.”   

One year later, that plan is apparently still in place, though not much closer to fruition. 

“My plan for Rockingham is to create a facility that can serve the needs of our service veterans and their families,” said the Cold Spring Harbor, NY, native, who as a Certified Public Accountant has more than two decades of involvement in the entertainment industry. “We will be rolling out a number of educational, vocational and rehabilitative programs for our service men and women, all bound together by the racing.” 

 

Northacker confirmed that while he currently holds a three-year lease, he still intends to purchase Rockingham Speedway, despite difficulty negotiating with the former mortgage holder, Farmers and Merchants Bank. 

“The previous holder of the note made things very, very difficult,” he said. “We wanted to put $50 million into this facility, but (F&M) wouldn’t even talk to us. They made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the process to move forward.” 

It's been three years since "The Rock" roared.

Recently, however, F&M sold the outstanding note to Bill Silas, father of ARCA and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Brian Silas and co-owner of Rockingham Speedway, along with former racer Andy Hillenburg. Northacker said the sale of that note and the subsequent assignment of two deeds of trust and an assignment of rents and leases to Silas’ BK Rock Holdings, LLC, “cleared the way” for talks begin once again, in earnest. 
 

“I have been actively talking with Billy Silas,” said Northacker, “and we have begun to clear some of the road blocks that stand in our way.” 

Silas' attorney, Alan Armour, offered a less-encouraging assessment, saying, "It is my understanding that there are numerous parties who have shown, and continue to express, an interest in Rockingham Raceway, including Craig Northacker. However, to date, it is my understanding that none of the parties have presented any definitive proposals. 

"We are aware of numerous parties who desire to bring racing events back to the “Rock," said Armour.  "However, there is a lot involved, and until a definitive agreement is reached, there are no assurances that there will be any racing events in year 2016."
 
While declining to discuss any of the specific issues still facing the speedway, Northacker insisted that Rockingham can – and will – host racing events this season. 

“There will be racing at Rockingham in 2016,” he said. “I am the instigator of those recent scheduling announcements” from the Super Cup Stock Car, X-Cup and National Auto Sports Association circuits. In fact, Northacker revealed that he owns the fledgling X-Cup Series, saying, “That’s ours. We’re starting that up as part of our plan to revitalize the speedway.” 
 

Admitting that he “knows nothing about racing, really,” Northacker said he will leave the day-to-day operations of the circuit in the hands of Martin and others. And while admitting that considerable work must still be done to make his purchase of Rockingham a reality, he said he is confident that racing will resume at the Richmond County complex in April of this year. 
 

“Yes,” he said. “The simple answer is yes. We will make it happen.” 

Can Craig Northacker and Vets-Help.org bring Rockingham back from the brink of death? 

Perhaps. 

 

But talk is cheap, and after a year of empty promises, grandiose schemes and absolutely no progress, we’re not quite ready to bet the farm on them, just yet.  
 

Simply put, it remains to be seen whether Northacker and company can finally put some actual verbs in their sentences. After spinning their wheels for the last 12 months, it’s difficult to believe that anyone – no matter how well-intentioned -- can tiptoe through Rockingham’s legal and financial minefield in time to pull off an April, 2016 race date. 
 

As race fans, we wish them luck. But we’ve also learned not to get our hopes up.

NASCAR Hall Of Fame Profile: Jerry Cook

This is the first in a five-part series showcasing the careers of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2016, all of whom will be inducted on Friday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. ET, live on NBCSN, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

By Owen A. Kearns
NASCAR Wire Service

Cook (R) is congratulated on his election to the
NASCAR HOF by fellow Hall Of Famer Ned Jarrett.

Jerry Cook never intended to support his family driving a modified stock car. It kind of snuck up on the young resident of Rome, N.Y.  

Cook, who built his first modified at the age of 13, took the wheel by happenstance, when his hired driver wrecked two of the race cars he owned. That was in 1963, well before Cook won his first of six NASCAR modified championships. 

But Cook soon discovered he had a knack for winning races – and finishing well enough to cash a decent check when he didn’t.  

“Every time I reached into my pocket, it had money in it,” Cook would say later. “So I kept racing.” 

And indeed Cook did – all the way into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, into which he’ll be inducted Jan. 22 as part of the Class of 2016 that also includes Bobby Isaac, Terry Labonte, O. Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner. Induction ceremonies will be live on NBCSN, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning at 8 p.m. ET. 

Cook won modified championships in 1971-72 and 1974-77. Before retiring at the conclusion of the 1982 season, Cook also posted six championship points finishes of second and two of third. He won 342 NASCAR modified races in 1,474 career starts – and countless other non-sanctioned events. Cook finished among the top 10 an amazing 85% of the time. 

Cook joins fellow Roman and career-long modified racing rival Richie Evans in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The late Evans, a nine-time NASCAR modified champion, was inducted in 2012 as the first Hall member whose career wasn’t connected to NASCAR’s premier series. Cook is the second. 

“We’ve now finished off the battle of Rome,” said Cook. “For me and Ritchie to both be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it kind of tops it off.” 

Cook and Evans made upstate New York the epicenter of NASCAR modified racing in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. Each driver had his legion of fans – vociferous on behalf of the merits of their favorite charioteer. 

Cook and Evans were respectful of each other and friends off the track, yet as different as night and day. 

Evans was the flamboyant one, famous for living life to its fullest with rock and roll music as the race shop’s background noise. A writer calling Cook’s home, however, would find the telephone answered by the driver’s wife, Sue, who would refer him to the backyard garage where preparing or repairing Cook’s red cars was quietly taking place. 

Cook jousts with rival Rich Evans (61)

Ray Evernham, a former modified driver, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship crew chief and television analyst had this to say about Cook: “Jerry was not a guy who raced on the edge. Jerry won his share no doubt. But if he didn’t win, he was still going to be in the top five.” 

In some years, Cook’s team would run nearly 100 races, at up to 19 tracks of all sizes, shapes and surfaces from New England to Virginia. 

Some of Cook’s signature wins took place outside New York and New England. Cook’s first major victory was the 1969 Dogwood 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. He won a trio of 200-lap races at the tough, Bowman-Gray (N.C.) Stadium quarter mile between 1977 and 1980. 

The closest Cook came to the NASCAR premier series was a Daytona 500 qualifying race in 1973. His car’s engine blew seven laps from the end. Cook, with a wife and two children, took a look at what non-factory-supported drivers were winning and decided to stay in the modifieds. 

“So that’s why I stuck with what I did best,” he said.

Cook retired after winning the Spencer (N.Y.) Speedway championship in 1982. For more than 30 years he was a key member of NASCAR’s competition department and was instrumental in the formation of the current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. 

Cook, 72, was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998. He is a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and New York Stock Car Hall of Fame.

NASCAR Hall Preps For Fan Appreciation Day

For the third consecutive year, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will open its doors for FREE for NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day. 

On Saturday, Jan. 23, fans will have free access to the Hall for a full day of activities, including autographs and Q&A sessions with current drivers and NASCAR Hall of Famers. Fans will be admitted into the Hall on a first-come, first-served basis in lieu of needing a ticket. 

However, tickets to the below autograph sessions, highlighted by 13-time Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. must be secured in advance. Vouchers for these autograph sessions will be available for free on NASCARHall.com starting at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 16. Each fan can secure up to two autograph session vouchers.

Session One (9 a.m.)	AJ Allmendinger, Brandon Jones, Ben Rhodes
Session Two (10 a.m.)	Dale Earnhardt Jr., Erik Jones, Timothy Peters
Session Three (11 a.m.)	Kasey Kahne, Daniel Suárez, Ben Kennedy
Session Four (12 p.m.)	Brian Scott, Ryan Reed, Daniel Hemric
Session Five (1:30 p.m.)	Aric Almirola, Ty Dillon, Tyler Reddick
Session Six (2:30 p.m.)	Martin Truex Jr., Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell
Session Seven (3:30 p.m.)	Chase Elliott, TBD NXS driver, Matt Crafton

 

 

 

In addition, up-and-coming stars of the NASCAR NEXT program and NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2016 inductees Jerry Cook, Terry Labonte and Bruton Smith will participate in Q&A’s and autograph signings throughout the day. Advance vouchers are not required for these sessions.

Fans in attendance will be among the first to see a series of new exhibits and facility upgrades. Artifacts from all five Class of 2016 inductees will be on display in the Hall of Honor, an exhibit that opens Friday, Jan. 22. Fans can also relive the 2015 NASCAR season with updated Memorable Moments and Champions displays.

COMMENTARY: Grubb's Move Proves It's Win, Or Else

Darian Grubb’s resume as a Sprint Cup Series crew chief is beyond dispute. A championship with Tony Stewart in 2011, a victory filling in for suspended pit boss Chad Knaus in the 2006 Daytona 500 and recent successes with both Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards at Joe Gibbs Racing make the Virginia native a coveted commodity in the Sprint Cup Series garage. 

Surprisingly, Grubb found himself switching horses during the offseason, when JGR declined to re-sign him, in favor of veteran Dave Rogers. He was quickly snapped up by Hendrick Motorsports, where he punched-in Monday morning as HMS’s new Director of Vehicle Production. But as he told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Tradin’ Paint today, the move caught Grubb by surprise.   

“I guess fifth in points just wasn’t good enough in some people’s eyes; five points away from running Homestead,’’ said Grubb, with more than a hint of bitterness. “I was somewhat surprised.” 

Grubb is no stranger to solid seasons, followed by post-season unemployment. In 2011, he hoisted the Sprint Cup Series championship trophy at Homestead Miami Speedway just weeks after being told that he would not return the following season.   

He revealed today that he was put on notice once again at the start of the 2015 Chase; warned that his job was not secure. 

“The first conversation I had about it was one week into the Chase,” he said. “I was told that I needed to get nine more solid weeks in, and I was like, ‘Well, I’ve been through this before.’ Last time, it was six weeks’ notice. This time, it was nine.” 

Grubb said he was never concerned about finding a new position. 

“I knew something was going to come up. I knew I was going to be making some changes. I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I had to start thinking about it. I had to explore some options.” 

The end result of that exploration is a new management position at HMS, where he will oversee production of race cars for drivers Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kasey Kahne and Chase Elliott. That position will require him to travel extensively, accompanying the four HMS teams to the racetrack more weekends than not. He understands that yet again, he will judged on performance, and performance alone. 

“The performance of this entire organization is all about how four cars do on Sunday,” said Grubb. “We’re going to try to put forward whatever it takes to get the best product we can on the racetrack (and) give those four teams the best option they can have to win races.” 

Nothing less will do for an owner as accustomed to success as Rick Hendrick. And as Grubb has learned the hard way in two of the last five years; it’s win, or else.

Bono Manion Joins KBM Truck Series Lineup

Kyle Busch Motorsports has announced the addition of Kevin "Bono" Manion to the team's crew chief lineup for the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Manion will call the shots for the Toyota Tundra shared by drivers Daniel Suarez and Cody Coughlin. The team also announced that 2015 champion crew chief Rudy Fugle will team with last year’s NASVAR K&N Pro Series East champion William Byron, while veteran crew chief Jerry Baxter guides Christopher Bell's efforts.

Manion brings 12 years of experience as a NASCAR crew chief to KBM, spending the last 10 seasons in the Sprint Cup Series. The Massachusetts native collected five victories in his time atop the pit box in NASCAR's premier series, including two marquee wins with Jamie McMurray in 2010; the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400. Before graduating into NASCAR's top division, he guided Martin Truex Jr., to back-to-back NASCAR XFINITY Series titles in 2004 and 2005.  In addition to his five Sprint Cup Series victories, Manion boasts 15 XFINITY Series wins; 13 with Truex Jr., and two with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Fugle begins his third season as a KBM crew chief and his fifth overall with the team. Under his tutelage last season, Erik Jones posted three wins, five poles, 925 laps led, 11 Top-5 and 20 Top-10 finishes en route to becoming the youngest champion in Truck Series history and the first driver to collect both the Rookie of the Year and the series title in the same year. The duo also nabbed KBM its record-breaking fourth Truck Series Owner's championship last season, which was the second with Fugle calling the shots. In 2013, he led KBM's No. 51 Tundra team to a series-leading six wins and an Owner's Championship. The New York native's Truck Series drivers have totaled nine wins, six poles, 21 Top-5 and 35 Top-10 finishes across his 44 races atop the pit box for KBM.

Baxter begins his fourth season atop the pit box for KBM. Combined in his first three seasons, the California native's drivers posted seven wins, three poles, 1171 laps led, 24 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes across 67 starts. The veteran crew chief spent the 2015 season calling the shots for KBM's No. 51 team, which collected two wins, 10 Top-5 and 14 Top-10 finishes with drivers Daniel Suarez (12 starts), Matt Tifft (six starts), Kyle Busch (three starts) and Christopher Bell (one start) behind the wheel. In addition to his seven wins at KBM, his resume includes a Truck Series win with Cale Gale in 2012 and a NASCAR XFINITY Series win with David Reutimann in 2007.

"The goal at KBM is to have all three of our teams competing for wins and top fives every race and consistently be among the battle for the Owner's Championship," Busch said. "Rudy, Jerry and the group of crew members that they have assembled on their respective teams, and everyone in the shop have accomplished those goals the past few seasons and the third team made strides through all of last season. With the addition of Bono -- a guy who is a true racer and a proven winner at NASCAR's highest level -- as the leader of that group of guys, I'm confident that their performance level will be much improved this season."

COMMENTARY: Charter-Based System Makes Smart Business Sense

There’s a ton of speculation out there – though very few confirmed facts – surrounding the proposed new “Charter System” that will govern ownership of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, beginning as soon as the 2016 season. 

All we know for sure at this point is that a new dynamic is being discussed by NASCAR and representatives of the Race Team Alliance; a dynamic that will significantly alter the way business is done in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. It’s a complicated process, with a number of different parties having a stake in the outcome. NASCAR, its team owners and member speedways, drivers, sponsors and media partners all have specific ideas about what this new system should do, and how. The wants and desires of those disparate groups must all be addressed, and what’s good for one isn’t necessarily ideal for the other. That’s why talks continue today, nearly four months after they reportedly began. 

Working the final bugs out of a dramatically new ownership plan has been both difficult and time-consuming. The devil, as they say, is in the details. There have been plenty of important details hammered out already, with more to come before the new system can potentially be put into play. 

If it all comes to pass – and from what we’re hearing, it will -- NASCAR’s new “Charter System” will dramatically restrict who is allowed to show up and race on Sunday afternoons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It will also impact how business is done in the Sprint Cup garage, and how attractive our sport becomes to potential future owners. 

Presently, there is no “escape clause” for Sprint Cup Series team owners. They spend tens of millions of dollars to build shops, purchase equipment and hire employees. They forge technological partnerships with manufacturers and fellow team owners, scour the bushes for sponsorship and head to the race track to be beaten like a rented mule for the first few years of their existence. They climb the competitive ladder slowly – one rung at a time – attempting to get a little bit faster with every passing season until eventually, they become capable of winning the occasional race, or even contending for a championship. 

Those are the lucky ones. 

The rest languish in the middle or back of the pack, scrabbling for sponsorship, recycling journeyman drivers and fledgling crew chiefs and teetering on the precipitous brink of survival. Those incapable of making the competitive cut fade unceremoniously away, auctioning off buildings, cars and equipment for pennies on the dollar, before slinking out of town with their tail between their legs. Once so full of enthusiasm and promise, their race team is now worth nothing more than the sum of its minimal parts. 

That’s a lousy business plan, which explains why in recent seasons, the vast majority of new Sprint Cup Series owners have (A) plenty of money to spend and (B) a love of the sport so severe that they’re willing to risk losing lots of it. As the cost of competition increases – and it always does – the cost of ownership skyrockets accordingly. Owners that once could buy-in for a measly million or two now must spend tens (or even hundreds) of millions of dollars. Simple logic indicates that there are fewer billionaires in the world than millionaires, meaning there are fewer people able to pay the cost of entry to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

 That needs to change, if our sport is to continue to thrive. 

In order to secure its future, NASCAR must become more appealing to new owners. A better risk, if you will. And a Charter-based system, whereby each and every charter holder is guaranteed to compete in each and every Sprint Cup Series race, makes NASCAR a more palatable risk. Improving the business model – lowering cost and providing a reasonable escape clause – will almost certainly entice more owners to take part.

Under the proposed new Charter System, NASCAR will continue to do what it has done for decades, but in a slightly different way. For most of the sanctioning body’s 60-plus year history, big teams – teams with plenty of money, top-notch equipment and personnel -- have always been locked into races. Whether through qualifying speed, owner points, Past Champion Provisionals or the late, lamented Top-35 system, successful teams have always been assured of being part of the show on race day. Small teams, meanwhile, have always been left to scrap and claw for the leftovers, hoping to muster sufficient on-track speed to claim one of the few spots not reserved for their better-financed, more-successful brethren. 

Based on what we are hearing right now, that’s almost exactly how it will work again in 2016.  

Big teams – charter holders --- will be locked into the race each and every week, with little guys – non-chartered teams – scuffling for the few remaining “at-large” starting spots. The usual teams will continue to win poles and qualify in the Top-10, and the usual teams will end up going home. 

On race day, the proposed Charter System will have even less impact. Teams will race the way they always have, with no discernable changes. The only significant difference then, will lie in the ability of NASCAR to attract men and women of comfortable financial circumstance into ownership roles.  

Look at it this way. Right now, nobody is calling Rob Kauffman to inquire about purchasing the defunct race team he previously co-owned along with Michael Waltrip. That’s because there’s virtually nothing of value for anyone to purchase, unless you’re looking for a few year-old (read: obsolete) race cars or a nice, shiny race shop to rent. 

When NASCAR rolls out its new Charter System in the next couple of weeks, however, Kauffman could become the proud owner of two shiny new medallions. And if he does, his phone will immediate explode with offers from team owners – both current and potential – willing to pay top-dollar for a guaranteed starting spot for the entire 2016 season. 

That’s proof positive of the value of a charter-based system. 

In 1989, Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys National Football League franchise for a reported $140 million. Today, “America’s Team” is valued at $4 billion; the most valuable sporting franchise on Planet Earth. The NFL remains – and almost certainly will remain – the 800-pound gorilla of North American professional sports. Joe Shlabotnik Racing will likely never be valued anywhere near the Dallas Cowboys, but with a limited supply of charters available and a potentially limitless number of buyers, it suddenly becomes possible for Ole Joe to exit the sport with his wallet still intact. 

Perhaps he could even turn a profit.

BREAKING: Grubb Returns To Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports has named Darian Grubb to the newly created role of vehicle production director, where he will oversee every aspect of race car manufacturing for the 11-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, effective immediately.

Grubb, 40, assumes responsibility for production operations in the Hendrick Motorsports chassis and body groups. He will work alongside vehicle technical director Kenny Francis to support and grow the company’s overall car development capabilities while collaborating across vehicle engineering, vehicle production and four Sprint Cup teams. Both Grubb and Francis report to general manager Doug Duchardt.

“We’re excited to welcome Darian back to Hendrick Motorsports,” Duchardt said. “His résumé speaks for itself, and he already has a deep understanding of our people, processes and culture. Teaming him with Kenny on our vehicle efforts mirrors the management structure of our engine operation, which has been very effective, and it adds more depth to the organization as a whole. Darian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we know he will make us stronger.”

A native of Floyd, Virginia, with a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech, Grubb originally joined Hendrick Motorsports from Petty Enterprises in January 2003. He served as lead race engineer for the No. 48 Sprint Cup team from 2003-2006 and was interim crew chief during the first four races of its 2006 championship-winning campaign, leading Jimmie Johnson to a pair of victories, including the Daytona 500.

Grubb earned one win as crew chief for driver Casey Mears in 2007 before being named engineering manager for the Nos. 5 and 88 Hendrick Motorsports teams for 2008. In 2009, he moved into a crew chief role at Stewart-Haas Racing, where in three seasons he won 11 races and the 2011 Sprint Cup championship with Tony Stewart. Grubb then joined Joe Gibbs Racing, winning nine races with multiple drivers from 2012-2015. As a crew chief, he has 23 career Sprint Cup victories.

“It means a lot to come back to Hendrick Motorsports,” Grubb said. “This is a role that will allow me to contribute to the success of the entire organization, which was very important to me. Kenny is someone I greatly respect, so the chance to work side-by-side with him was a big factor. Everything is familiar, and I think that will make for a smooth transition. The more we talked about the opportunity, the more it felt right. I’m ready to get started.”

COMMENTARY: Remembering Judy Allison

Judy Allison passed away December 18, following complications from surgery at Iredell Memorial Hospital in Statesville, NC

Allison and her husband, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, were married for 55 years, shouldering more sadness and heartbreak than most couples could endure in a hundred lifetimes. Bobby claimed 84 checkered flags in NASCAR’s top division – still third-best on the all-time list -- before his career came to a shattering end in June of 1988 at Pocono Raceway. An exploding tire sent his Buick spinning in Pocono’s high-speed Tunnel Turn, where he was hit in the door by journeyman Jocko Maggiacomo. The track’s safety team used the "Jaws of Life" to extricate the unconscious Allison from his battered machine, and he was airlifted to the Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he lingered in a coma for weeks. Doctors put a steel rod in Allison's shattered left leg and opened his skull to relieve swelling on the brain; battling to save his life.

Two weeks after the accident, Bobby still had not spoken a word, and while the coma eventually lifted, long months of rehabilitation lay ahead.

"For two solid months, I couldn't add two and two," recalls Allison today. "I was conscious, but I had no idea who was who or where I was or what year it was. I sat and cried, like a two-year old. The world was really mixed up to me. I was mad that they let me live."

Judy was by his side through it all; sitting vigil at his bedside, cheering the triumphs – as she always had -- and minimizing the failures.

She seemed indestructible in those days, displaying a rock-solid stoicism that served her well in the dark days of Bobby’s recovery, and in the even-darker days to come.

 

In August of 1992, just as she and Bobby had begun to right themselves, youngest son Clifford Allison died in a NASCAR Busch Series practice crash at Michigan International Speedway, pinwheeling driver-side first into a concrete retaining wall and dying en route to the hospital. Once again, Bobby and Judy braced themselves against fate, stumbling through the unfathomable grief as best they could.

Then, just 11 months later, came the final blow. Eldest son Davey – a NASCAR superstar cut from his father’s mold -- died in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway. Tragedy sent the Allison family reeling once again, as Bobby and Judy grasped to understand what they could ever have done to deserve such heartbreak.

Burying two sons – and Bobby’s own career – was too much for even the towering Allisons to bear. Finally overwhelmed by grief, Bobby and Judy drifted apart, eventually divorcing. They spoke little, if at all, for a very long time, as each attempted to chart their own course through the hurt, making sense of the loss in their own private way.

Their estrangement was not to last, however. And ironically, it took death to repair what death had torn asunder.

In May of 2000, Adam Petty died in a horrifying practice crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Like Davey Allison, Adam was the heir-apparent to one of NASCAR’s greatest family dynasties. Bobby and Judy were together that day – or at least in the same place -- attending the wedding of Davey's widow, Liz, in Nashville. As news broke of Adam’s crash, Judy Allison knew that the time for silence had passed.

She approached her ex-husband, saying, “the Pettys need our help.” They quickly agreed to make the eight-hour drive to Adam’s North Carolina funeral together, and as the miles clicked past, a remarkable reconciliation occurred. No one knows what was said during that drive; what wounds were closed and apologies made. But at the end of it all, Bobby and Judy Allison were together again.

Forever.

The Allisons were rarely apart in recent years. Reunited in marriage, they were once again “Bobby and Judy;” a single entity, instead of two individuals. They had weathered the storm and found their way back to safe harbor, or so it seemed.

In recent months, word came of Judy’s latest battle; a struggle with breast cancer. The diagnosis was serious, but not terminal. With proper treatment, her prognosis was encouraging, and late last month, she quietly underwent surgery. Post-operative complications proved too much to overcome, however, and Bobby, daughters Bonnie and Carrie, grandson Robbie, brother-in-law Donnie and Donnie’s wife, Pat found themselves saying their final goodbyes to a woman that they – and so many of us – loved dearly.

NASCAR issued a statement on Judy's passing, calling her “the matriarch of a cornerstone NASCAR family (who) provided the foundation for the careers of a legendary husband and two sons who both lost their lives entirely too soon. Her love extended well beyond her own family, as many in the NASCAR family leaned upon Judy for support and compassion during many difficult times. We are deeply saddened by the loss of a true friend, and a woman who has given much to our sport."

Bobby Allison will continue on, as he always has, wrapped in the loving embrace of a community that is struggling once again to accept the harsh realities of life. The Allison Family will chart a new course, as they always do, moving forward without the compass that guided them so well, for so long, through so many troubled seas.

Rest in peace, Judy. You will be missed.

For The Wood Brothers, Panch Was Like One Of The Family

Of all the drivers who have taken the wheel of the Wood Brothers Racing Fords over the years, none were as close to the Wood family as the late Marvin Panch.

Panch, who died Dec. 31 at the age of 89 in his hometown of Port Orange, Fla., drove the No. 21 from 1962 to 1966, winning eight races, including a sweep of the superspeedway races at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1965. When Panch drove the Wood’s Ford, now driven by Ryan Blaney, he was more like a member of the family than an employee of the team.

“Of all the people that ever drove our cars, Marvin was the closest to our family,” team founder Glen Wood said. “When we were on the road, we always stayed at the same motel. We ate together, and we always went to a movie together.”

When the team raced near the Wood family home in Stuart, Va., Panch stayed in Glen Wood’s home on race weekends. And Glen Wood bought a home adjacent to “Pancho’s Rancho” home in Port Orange, which made them neighbors twice each year when the circuit raced at nearby Daytona International Speedway.

In addition to his victories as a driver, Panch played a big role in the Wood’s first Daytona 500 victory in 1963. Panch qualified the No. 21, but was seriously burned in a crash of a Maserati sports car he was testing at “The World Center of Racing.”

Tiny Lund, who helped pull Panch from the burning car, was hired to replace Panch and drove the No. 21 to the team’s first of five Daytona 500 victories.

Panch had his greatest success for the Woods on the shorter tracks, but dominated at Atlanta in 1965 – with relief from A.J. Foyt in the first race – before winning on the road course at Watkins Glen that year. Watkins Glen dropped off the Cup schedule after that and didn’t return until 1986. For that race, Panch was the Honorary Starter, and the green flag from that event, along with the signatures of all the drivers in the starting field, was recently given to the Woods by the Panch family.

Leonard Wood, who was the team’s crew chief and engine builder during the Panch era, said those dinners and movies on the road back in the day had a way of facilitating success on the race track.

“We’d get to talking about the car, and that would help us pick up things to make it better,” Wood said. “Something would come up in conversation and it would ring a bell, and we’d know what to do the next day.”

Wood recalled a race weekend at Charlotte in which the No. 21 Ford handled great for most of the practice sessions but developed a handling issue the day before the race.

“I was trying to figure it out at dinner, and Marvin said that it felt like the right front was low,” Wood said. “Sure enough, when we checked it, the air pressure in the right-front tire was too low.”

Wood said the easy communication with Panch made it easier to tune the car for him, and when he got on the track, his driving style was just what the team needed to be fast.

“He backed off the gas at the right places, and got back on the gas at the right places,” Wood said, adding that Panch was especially good on superspeedways like Atlanta. “From the old pit road, you could see all the way around the track, and I remember watching him pulling away from guys off the corners.”

Wood said that between the dinners, the movies, the races, the discussions about the car and the joking back and forth, the Woods and Panch had a great relationship that continued to the week he died, when he phoned the Wood family to wish them a Merry Christmas.

“I can’t say enough good things about Marvin Panch,” Wood said.

The Panch family is planning to hold a memorial service sometime around Speedweeks at Daytona.

 

Photos by Tom Kirkland / Smyle Media

Tommy Baldwin Racing Announces Personnel Moves

Tommy Baldwin Racing has announced major changes within the organization for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. 

Francois "Frankie" Bergeron joins the team from Joe Gibbs Racing, where as Fabrication Shop Manager, he oversaw the construction of their cars for the past five years. Now, he will assume the same role at TBR. 

"Frankie brings with him a resume full of race wins and experience," said team owner Tommy Baldwin. "His knowledge and leadership will be an invaluable asset to our program. We're excited to have him join us." 

Chad Walter, who worked at Michael Waltrip Racing for the past three years, will lead the race engineering efforts. At MWR, he served as an engineer and R&D Manager. Walter will flank Ed Nathman, who has assumed the role of Simulation and Vehicle Dynamics Manager. 

Veteran Mike Brill joins TBR as Car Chief of the No. 7 Chevrolet. Most recently at Richard Childress Racing, Brill has been a fixture in the NASCAR garage for many years. He takes over for Ken Davis, whose focus will be at the shop as a chassis specialist and mechanic. 

 

TBR’s newly revamped body shop will benefit from the addition of two other former MWR employees. Both Doug Trader and Brent Patzack bring a wealth of experience to TBR and will complement the existing staff.

Additionally, longtime TBR team member Jamie Tomaino has been promoted to Shop Foreman. 

"This is probably the most excited about a season than we've ever been," said Baldwin. "I feel that we've put together a team capable of bringing us to the next level of competition. This business is all about the people and I think we've assembled some of the best."

Busch Undergoes Successful Surgery

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, had successful surgery this morning to remove two metal plates in his left foot and a metal rod and screws in his right leg. Busch is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2016 NASCAR season in February.

The scheduled offseason surgery removed the plates, rod and screws that were used to help stabilize his foot and leg following injuries suffered in an accident at Daytona International Speedway in February 2015.  

Today’s surgeries were performed by Dr. Robert Anderson of OrthoCarolina and Dr. Stephen Sims of Carolinas Healthcare System.