The NASCAR driver: A busy life
By Liz Allison, Turner Sports Interactive
August 1, 2001
4:39 PM EDT (2039 GMT)
I have been in this sport for more than 10 years, and I have been about as close as you can be to being a Winston Cup driver without strapping in the seat.
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Liz Allison
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It still amazes me after all the years how incredibly focused these guys are and how they all have one goal in mind: racing!
It used to be that driving the car was the only thing on their minds. They would load up on a Friday night, head out to a track do a little racing and drive home all night to get ready to race again the following weekend. That is, of course, if their funds would allow.
The popularity of Winston Cup racing has grown so much that many more demands are put on the drivers than in times past.
The grueling Winston Cup schedule, along with the big corporate sponsors, have changed the face of the sport certainly for the better -- but it is more demanding on the drivers nowadays no less.
Have you ever stopped to think about how busy a race car driver’s life is? I have lived it as a driver’s wife, so I can tell you it is exciting but totally exhausting.
The Winston Cup circuit is one of the longest running seasons of any professional sports organization around. The Winston Cup schedule runs mid-February through the end of November, with only three weekends off in between. And it does not stop there.
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Ken Schrader signs autographs during a break in the action.
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The so-called "offseason" is filled with sponsor meetings and test sessions at several tracks, mainly Daytona, where the season kicks off in February with the Daytona 500. The testing starts in the offseason and continues on throughout the racing season.
The schedule can be quite tiresome for the drivers and their crews. With Winston Cup hosting 36 points races and three non-points races, you can figure the teams are away from home around 113 days a year just to race. That number does not include travel days or personal appearances.
Some drivers will do up to 50 appearances a year. You add in test sessions and what do you have? Not much!
That little bit of time left over is what they have for their personal time. It just goes to show how committed these guys are to their sport.
I have often said that racing is a lifestyle -- it is not a job. That seems to be the case now more than ever.
The growth and success of Winston Cup racing has definitely played a key role in how a driver spends his personal time. Some guys have yachts and head to the Bahamas while others take every opportunity to race.
Jimmy Spencer, Kenny Schrader and Tony Stewart will race every chance they get. You give them wheels and they will race them any time, anywhere.
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Ricky Rudd poses with his family in Victory Lane following his win at Pocono.
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The old saying "race car drivers have fuel running through their veins" does not seem too far from the truth.
I find it fascinating that someone could love something as much as these guys love their race cars, and racing in general. The Winston Cup drivers will log more than 51,000 miles a year on the racetrack, and other than the hectic travel schedule, they would choose to race every day if they could.
At no time is the driver’s dedication more obvious than after a racing accident. On any given race day, you can have a car out of the race and the first thing out of the driver’s mouth is "Can I drive it?" or "Can we get back out there to finish the race?"
Ernie Irvan was seriously injured in Michigan in the early 1990s. The first thing he said when he awakened from a coma was: "How bad am I hurt? Can I race again?"
Davey Allison had a horrific accident at Pocono in 1992. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The first thing he said to me as I entered the room was, "I am racing Sunday. I have to keep up the points lead."
Bobby Allison, who had a career-ending accident at Pocono in 1988, once said that losing his ability to race was like "having his legs removed."
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Kevin Harvick gives his wife a smooch after winning at Atlanta.
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Bobby Hamilton had a talk with his son, Bobby Hamilton Jr., after the deaths of Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin. He tried to talk him out of driving race cars.
Bobby Jr. responded, "Dad, I don’t know how to do anything else. That would be like someone telling you to not ever drive a race car again."
The sport does continue to grow, with two new tracks added to the schedule this year, and there are many hopeful tracks out there waiting to get a Winston Cup date in the future. The demands are much more than they have ever been on the drivers and their crews and, of course, their families.
The one thing that will always be the same is the intense desire a race car driver has for his sport. These guys are living out their dreams every single weekend. They are loving every minute of what they are doing and they will continue to keep up with that crazy Winston Cup schedule as long as they can race.
As Davey once told me, "I am so lucky to make a living doing what I love to do. I am living out my biggest dream."
I bet almost every Winston Cup driver would tell you the same thing.
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