The weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing colors, the days are getting shorter … and there’s no on-track NASCAR action for a while.
All of the above means one thing: It’s Thanksgiving.
Given that this is a time to pause and reflect on the many things for which we are thankful, here are some of the many NASCAR-related things the editorial staff of NASCAR.com are thankful for:
We are thankful for …
• Jimmie Johnson. NASCAR is fortunate that one of its greatest drivers is also one of its greatest men. — Brad Norman
• Martin Truex Jr.’s mean air guitar on the NASCAR on NBC intro song of “Bringing Back the Sunshine.” Truex showed off his rock star-like ability on the track this season in one of the feel-good stories of 2016. Seeing Truex and girlfriend Sherry Pollex tackle her fight with cancer head-on has been especially impactful for me on a personal level as my mother was recently diagnosed with cancer. — RJ Kraft
• Kyle Larson‘s penchant for riding the high line ever-so-close to the wall. It adds an element of edge-of-your-seat excitement to any race where he’s running in the front because you never know what’s going to happen next. — George Winkler
• Seeing the Tide car ride again at Darlington. — Kathy Sheldon
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s positivity and transparency. Not many athletes would let fans and media into a very personal concussion recovery process, but Junior has been as honest and upbeat as ever throughout his healing. His continued presence at the track and positive voice in the sport has been a blessing to us all. – Jessica Ruffin
• Jimmie Johnson. Being able to work for NASCAR and have a front row seat to history being made with his seventh Sprint Cup Series championship is something I’ll never forget. I’m in awe of his talent. This must be what it was like working for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. — Pat DeCola
• SAFER barrier and safety personnel. We haven’t stopped writing about injuries, but the instances are much less frequent today. — Kenny Bruce
• Martin Truex Jr., Sherry Pollex and Barney Visser, who had the courage to do something different and run a race team from Denver. All the time and effort the Furniture Row Racing team puts in is clearly paying off, and I look forward to watching them grow to two teams next season with Erik Jones. — George Winkler
• Night races in the summer heat. — Kathy Sheldon
• Short-track racing. The action at Bristol and Martinsville is typically among the most entertaining of the season. Richmond produced a bump-and-run between teammates in the spring, and Iowa also is a great track. Tempers tend to flare at the smaller venues, and the racing is among the tightest you’ll see all season. — RJ Kraft
• Local short tracks. Dirt? Asphalt? Quarter-mile? Three-eighths? Yes. — Brad Norman
• Daytona in February and Homestead in November. There aren’t two better places, or tracks, to begin and end a season. All the ones in between? Yeah, they’re pretty nice, too. — Kenny Bruce