That one word that sums up the racing community very well. We are one big family. And today, that family has heavy hearts. Steve Byrnes has spent over 30 years covering NASCAR. He started off on a little show called "Inside Winston Cup Racing", where he worked with the great Ned Jarrett, Randy Pemberton, and others. What stands out there to most who are familiar with the sport are those last names. Jarrett. Pemberton. We know those names not because of one person with that last name, we know them because of the multiple Jarrett's and Pemberton's who have been heavily involved in NASCAR for decades.
Family runs deep in our sport, and goes back to the very beginning. NASCAR was founded by Bill France, Sr. He passed it on to his son, Bill France Jr., who in turn passed it on to his son Brian, who runs it today. In the early days, we had the Flock's; Tim, Fonty, Bob, and their sister Ethyl Mobley. Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500, and his son Richard became simply "The King." His son Kyle had his own very successful career, and fourth-generation Petty racer Adam was the future, until his life tragically ended at New Hampshire in 2000 at just 19 years old. Big Bill, Bill Jr., and Richard Petty were three of the five members of the Inaugural Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame which opened in 2010.
 |
| Lee, Richard, Kyle, and Adam Petty in early 2000. By the end of the year both Lee and Adam would no longer be with us. |
Another member of that class was Dale Earnhardt. Yet he wasn't the first Earnhardt in the sport. His father Ralph was one of the greatest short track drivers ever, but passed away of a heart attack at just 45 years old. Ralph's grandson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., is without question the face of the sport today, having won the Most Popular Driver Award an astounding 12 years in a row. The only driver to win that award more times than Dale Jr.? Bill Elliott. And continuing the family theme, his son Chase won the Nationwide Series championship last year at just 18 years old, and will succeed Jeff Gordon in the famous 24 car next season.
Yet another family who is embedded in our sport is the Allison's. It started with Bobby and Donnie, two brothers who ruffled more than a few feathers in their day. It was these two brothers who were part of possibly the most infamous moment in NASCAR history in 1979, when Bobby went to defend brother Donnie after Donnie had crashed with Cale Yarborough on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Nine years later it was Bobby again having a family moment, this time as his son Davey finished second to him in the 1988 Daytona 500. Just four and a half years later, however, the Allison family was dealt a terrible blow with the death of Davey's little brother Clifford, who himself had started a career in NASCAR. Just 11 months later, Davey himself died in a helicopter crash.
 |
| Bobby Allison and son Davey celebrate in Victory Lane after their 1-2 finish in the 1988 Daytona 500. |
Why do I say all this about the families of NASCAR? Because it's what separates our sport from the rest. No other professional sport features family as much as NASCAR. During pre-race, we see not only the participants standing for the National Anthem, but more likely than not, their family. Wives and children, who we get to know literally from the beginning of their lives. One of the most iconic pictures of 2014 Sprint Cup Champion Kevin Harvick celebrating after the season finale last year was the shot of Kevin and son Keelan, just 2 years old, posing with the Sprint Cup. This past weekend at Bristol, the starting command was given by Jeff Gordon's two children, Ella and Leo. Chase Elliott has been at the track and seen since he was an infant, and now he's all grown up racing towards his own career as a Cup driver.
 |
| Kevin and Delana Harvick celebrate with son Keelan after Kevin won the 2014 Sprint Cup Championship. |
Can you name another professional sport where not only the athlete themselves, but their spouse and children are known by everyone, and in the case of the children, grow up before our eyes? You rarely see Lebron James' family during the telecast of one of his games. Tony Romo's significant other is shown when she's a celebrity herself. I can't think of a baseball or hockey player who I can name their spouse or children. Professional athletes are often stereotyped as "baby daddy's", having children with multiple women, even having children they don't even know. Yet in NASCAR, we feel like we know not only the driver themselves, but their families too. We feel like we are a part of their extended family. When Dale Earnhardt died in 2001, thousands of people went to Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to pay their respects. 99% of those had never met Dale before. But there they were, bringing flowers, lighting candles, consoling fellow strangers together as one family.
 |
| Strangers from all around consoled each other and mourned together after the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001. |
My first NASCAR race was just two weeks after Dale's death, attending the UAW-Daimler-Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I was only 15 years old. We camped in the motorhome lot outside Turn 3 on Saturday night. At various times during the evening, in our camp were complete strangers, all sitting around telling Dale Earnhardt stories, laughing together, crying together. I had no idea who those people were. But talking to them felt like I was talking to a family member. We all had one thing in common, our love for NASCAR. Since then, I have attended numerous races, mostly at Phoenix International Raceway. Every single time I find myself in conversation with a complete stranger, but it doesn't feel like they're a stranger.
That brings me to tonight. I find myself sitting here with tears in my eyes for someone who I never met, yet felt like was a member of my own family. Ever since those early days of Inside Winston Cup Racing, Steve Byrnes has been on my television nearly every week. We saw him as a pit reporter for TNN and then Fox, host of various NASCAR shows, and even as lead announcer for the Camping World Truck Series for several events last fall. I remember 12 years ago when his son Bryson was born. We saw Bryson on the first day of his life. Steve was introducing him just like I would introduce a friend to a family member. I felt like he was introducing Bryson to me. During the last couple years, as Steve battled cancer, we saw Bryson a few times during various segments about Steve's battle. Bryson is growing up. He's playing football just like his father. He looks and sounds just like Steve. Just this past weekend, Bryson was part of the introduction to the telecast. We feel like we know Bryson.
The outpouring of comments all across social media has been tremendous. During Sunday's IndyCar broadcast from Long Beach, the announcing crew went out of their way to mention Steve, despite the fact that he was never involved with IndyCar and never worked for NBC. I saw a tweet earlier today from Dave Rieff, lead announcer for ESPN and the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Steve's passing was mentioned this afternoon by President Obama, as ironically today was the day in which Kevin Harvick was honored at the White House for his championship last year.
That, to me, is what our motorsports family is all about. It doesn't matter what specific background we are from, whether it be NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, NHRA, or elsewhere. When we lose one of our own, we pull together to support each other. We put our arms around each other, whether figuratively or literally, and tell each other "it's going to be ok." When Brazilian Ayrton Senna died at Imola, Italy in 1994, Dale Earnhardt mentioned him during his victory lane interview later that day in Talladega, Alabama. Dale himself is still honored today by Australian F1 star Daniel Ricciardo, who chose his #3 in honor of Dale, and uses Dale's same stylized #3 on his helmet. When Englishman Dan Wheldon died in an IndyCar crash at Las Vegas in 2011, the following week tributes to him were all over many of the Sprint Cup cars at Talladega.
 |
| Daniel Ricciardo uses Dale Earnhardt's stylized #3 on his helmet. |
 |
| IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon was honored by numerous NASCAR drivers after his death in 2011. |
Our motorsports community is tighter than any other sport in the world. We may come from different backgrounds, cheer for different drivers, enjoy different forms of motorsport. But together, we are the motorsports family. No other sport can claim the term "family" like we can. No other sport is as tight-knit as we are. Throughout the entire history of our sport, family has been the strongest tie we have. And our family bonds together like no other when we endure a loss like we did today. It's what makes me proud to say I am a motorsports fan. It's what makes me proud be a part of this family.
Rest in peace, Steve Byrnes. Thank you for being an important part of my family for the last 30 years. We will miss you greatly.
 |
| Thank you, Steve Byrnes, for being a part of my family. |
#ByrnesStrong #IWentTheDistance
- Sonic99
