Chip Swanson smiled.
As he embraced his son’s surprise arrival Sunday at Daytona International Speedway on the start-finish line. As he danced with his daughter in the VIP section of Luke Combs’ pre-race infield concert. As he met Hendrick Motorsports champion driver Kyle Larson and team owner Rick Hendrick with his wife on the starting grid. As he watched Cup Series rookie Austin Cindric win the 2022 season opener from inside the Daytona 500 Club.
The 67-year-old did what most people take for granted.
“With Parkinson’s, I don’t smile a lot typically,” Swanson told NASCAR.com. “And everybody kept saying how much I was constantly smiling. That was very rewarding for my family to see. See me happy and not crying happy. I was smiling and taking it in. I’m still not quite sure why I deserved all the fuss, but I’ll take it. I can’t thank everybody enough for what a wonderful experience it was for me.”
https://youtu.be/HnzXdxcqSN0
On Jan. 16, Swanson’s 32-year-old daughter, Mikaela Kostaras, posted a TikTok video asking for help. She wanted to get her father, a lifelong fan of the sport, to the Daytona 500, and the only tickets remaining were general admission. Grandstand access and stairs would be too difficult, and she explained why in the short video.
Swanson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a little more than a year ago. Before that, he had already undergone two brain surgeries that affected his eyesight and equilibrium. He has not had the ability to taste or smell in a decade.
NASCAR responded and provided the family with the ultimate Daytona 500 experience on Feb. 20.
“Honestly, it’s been a few days after and it still doesn’t really feel real, but like all that happened,” Kostaras said. “My dad’s never been the person that like wants attention. He always does things for me, for my mom, for my brother. And he’s so selfless. So, to be able to give this gift to him was incredibly special as a daughter.”
Swanson felt like a rock star. Kostaras called him one.
The father-daughter duo was joined by Swanson’s wife and Kostaras’ mother, Karen. They all live in Phoenix, but were in Daytona Beach, Florida, for all of Speedweeks, arriving Monday and leaving the next Tuesday. Swanson’s son, Jeff, and his wife, Kelly, came into the picture Sunday, race-day morning. Everyone but Swanson knew about their long-awaited visit ahead of time.
Swanson and Jeff, who works customs and border protection in Puerto Rico, used to attend NASCAR events at Phoenix Raceway together for at least 15 years. They’ve also been to Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, just not nearly as often. They were actually at the 2006 Daytona 500, too — about a month after Swanson’s first surgery. Those tickets were a Christmas present.
“You could probably hear it when he talks that he never complains, which is really admirable,” Kostaras said. “Because I would have been a horrible person if that would have happened to me. I would have probably complained a lot.”
Said Swanson: “Well, I just accept it for is it is and do what I need to do to try and be better the next day than I was today.”
In order to ensure that, Swanson maintains his strength and health through regular exercise classes, where his competitive instincts kick in to be the best and push his peers. He admitted to taking off the Wednesday after travel — “They kept me moving, I got my exercise.” — but returned Thursday, wearing his brand-new Daytona 500 hat.
That prompted a soft smile. Of course he had to show off the swag. It was visible proof of the full week of activity he just had.
“Parkinson’s doesn’t end your life,” Swanson said. “You get to keep going. You just got to deal with it. And I hope people understand that it’s not a death sentence. Sometimes people look at me like I’m weird, you know? And it’s like I’m the same old guy. Yeah, there’s some things I can’t do as good as I used to be able to, but I’m still out there doing it and I’m doing it as best I can, so I hope people get out of it that Parkinson’s isn’t the end-all situation. You do can wonderful things like go to Daytona and enjoy it. Have fun.”
