A SALUTE TO FATHER’S DAY!
Quotes from Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, and Others

It’s common knowledge that behind any successful man is
usually an exceptional woman. By the same token, behind most talented race car
drivers is a Dad who helped make a little boy’s dream come true.

Dad was the one who generally influenced, molded, and
encouraged their son’s from the go-kart tracks to the elite divisions of NASCAR.

As the nation celebrates Father’s Day this month, what
better tribute to Dad than to hear how these wonderful men played such an
integral part in the success their son’s bask in today.

 

Rusty Wallace, # 2 Miller Lite Ford:

"My Dad definitely shaped my destiny in racing
because he always allowed me to help him work on cars. I’d go to school and come
back at night and my brothers and I would work on his car and help him out.
Going to school wasn’t a lot of fun to me, the fun for me was going to races,
meeting all the people, and working on the cars. It’s the only life I really
ever knew."

"Dad had a car that he raced and got into a bad wreck
and tore it all up real bad. I was about 15 years old at the time. He looked at
us and said if we could put the car back together then when I turned 16 he’d let
me run it. Well, we put the car back together and I ran it. My very first race
was great considering I won! I was racing in what was called the
"semi-feature" race. I was so excited about the win because it put me
in the "feature" event. But, in all my excitement I forgot to put gas
in the darned thing so with 4 laps to go, I ran out of gas! Anyway, that wasn’t
real smart, but it was a cool deal."

"I guess I’m helping to shape my son’s destiny a
little too. My youngest son, Stephen, is 13 years old now and has already won
two championships and 56 races in the bandolero cars. He’s really been kickin’
butt! He’ll be the next Wallace racer I think."

"My oldest son, Greg, is 20 years old and just got
his pilot’s license, kind of like the old man too. Greg also sells cars and goes
to nearly all my races."

"My daughter, Katie, is 15 years old and is probably
sitting on the Internet right now searching for her dream car. She’s a straight
A student, so she deserves it! Man, I’ve got two kids wanting cars and my hands
full with them. They’re all great kids though, great kids."

"Like my own father, I’m trying to help my kids and
to do what I can to see they achieve their dreams and reach their goals."

 

Dale Earnhardt, #3 GM Goodwrench Chevy:

"My Dad raced and put me around that atmosphere all
the time, just like with my own four children. Although, I did a lot of other
things in my life besides racing. My Dad wasn’t too supportive in the beginning
because he was looking out for my future and back then there wasn’t much money
in racing. I guess he thought I would need a better way to make a living. So, I
worked jobs like insulation, mechanic, front end alignment, tanker repair, among
other things to make ends meet and still be able to race a little."

"You know, if you grow up watching your own father
doing a certain profession, you have a tendency to want to follow those
footsteps, which is exactly what my two brothers and I did. My two younger
brothers, Randy and Danny, would have probably pursued racing more, but our Dad
passed away and they really didn’t pursue it as much as I did after that. Randy
drove a race or two. Danny was the one I thought would become the next racer,
but he decided to choose marriage and family, which is great! I chose marriage
and family as well, but never gave up on racing either."

"I’ve never really compared myself to my father nor
have I compared my children to me, especially Kerry and Dale, Jr. I have a great
relationship with my both my sons, with all my children actually. Dale, Jr. got
into racing, not because of me, but because it’s truly what he wants to do. I
didn’t really encourage it nor discourage it. I did encourage him to finish
school and he even got a few years of college under his belt, which is important
too."

"I always try to help my kids as their Dad and
encourage them to do the right things in life, including my girls, Kelly and
Taylor. I’m proud of all my kids and how they’ve turned out as people. That’s
the most important thing a Dad can probably say about his kids."

 

Kenny Irwin, #42 BellSouth Chevy:

"My Dad got me started in racing when I was only 6
years old. My Mom wanted me to play baseball or something. I remember Mom taking
me to the baseball field on Saturday’s and halfway through the game my Dad would
show up with the race car and we’d go on off to the track."

"If it wasn’t for my Dad, I probably would not be
involved with racing at all. You know, somewhere along the line, someone has to
be there to help you and influence you and that’s exactly what my Dad did for
me. He always wanted to race and was around it constantly, but he never got the
opportunities I have."

"Dad always loved racing and thankfully got me
involved as a little kid. After reaching a certain stage in my career, it sort
of grew past what Dad could actually do for me, but he always attended my races
and he and Mom still do. My Mom is probably my best friend, I’m a little closer
to her than Dad, but I give him all the credit in the world for where I’m at
today."

 

Elliott Sadler, #21 Citgo Ford:

"My Dad has been a big influence on my career from
day one. He owned race cars back in the seventies when Hermie, my brother, and I
were little. I also had three uncles who raced all over the South as well. Dad
got us started into racing at a very young age, I was around 7 years old. He
invested a lot of money in go-karts for us, put the right folks in place to help
us, bought the equipment needed, and traveled all over with us to race."

"To this day, my biggest supporter is my Dad. He’s my
biggest critic too, which is good. He keeps us centered. He let’s us know when
we aren’t doing our best or if our head is getting a little too big. But, he
also let’s us know when we’re doing things the right way. Dad has been through
this racing deal for a lot of years and his positive influence as a businessman
is great. He knows how to handle problems and how to handle the public."

"Dad not only taught us about racing, but more
importantly taught us how to be gentlemen. He showed us how to uphold ourselves
in public and how to deal with sponsors and what they all expect from us. He
showed us how to handle our obligations. Being in the oil and racing business
for nearly 40 years, he knows how to treat people and he taught us as
well."

"Hermie and I have raced each other a few times and
Dad always stressed he’d tolerate no fighting, jealousy, or animosity between
us. He would have pulled the plug on us both if we started acting like that in
any way. Dad taught us to care about each other as brother’s first and racer’s
second. I guess that’s the most important thing I’ve learned along the way and I
had a great teacher in my Dad."

 

Jeff Green, #10 Nestle Nesquik Chevy:

"Absolutely, my Dad helped shape my brothers and me
in our racing careers. When Mark, David, and I were growing up Dad was drag
racing. We would get to help him on the drag car and once we were old enough, he
helped us start out in the go-karts. My grandfather and father both helped to
give us our start in racing."

"I started when I was approximately 8 years old, so
needless to say, there wasn’t much of a job I could do back then other than
helping out Dad a little bit. I realize if it wasn’t for my Dad that we’d never
be where we are today or at least we wouldn’t have gotten all the experience of
being around racing at such a young age. Who knows, maybe later in life we’d
still have raced, been able to afford it and may have succeeded, but I know
without Dad and Granddad, things would not be the same for any of us."

"I’m very close to my father, he lives in Kentucky,
but still doesn’t get to see us too often, but he tries to attend races when he
can. He has his own hobbies that keep him around the house, but we still manage
to stay close. I really think we could possibly be closer, but we could sure be
a lot further away too. We’re a happy family in my opinion."

"Dad enjoys racing and deserves much credit for what
all three of us have accomplished up until now. What we’re doing right now, he’s
the one who made it happen."

 

Bobby Hamilton, Jr., #26 Baywatch Restaurants Chevy

"My Dad is the one person I want to be like in life.
Not only the thing he does for a living, racing, but the way he lives that
involves the family stuff. He always puts our family first. I really want to
follow the way he does things. I look up to him so much."

"I was reading a story recently about Adam’s (Petty)
death and it was saying how he and his Dad, Kyle, were beyond best friends. It
made me really stop and think about my own father. I have 2 or 3 close friends,
but Dad is my best friend in the world. I can talk to him about anything and we
can be involved in each other’s lives more through racing."

"Dad can come by and pick me up and we’ll head off to
lunch and he may start to complain about this and that or I can go over to his
house and gripe a little myself, but it’s nice to have someone to talk things
out that really understands where you’re coming from. A lot of father’s and sons
don’t get that opportunity. Plus, Dad and I try to figure out a way to get away
somewhere together, but it seems we always gravitate towards something involving
go-karts or racing, we both love it that much!"

"From day one, Dad pointed me in the direction of
racing, but without pressure. He told me anytime I wanted to quit racing, just
walk away, he’s behind my decision 100%. That’s a big relief to know your Dad
supports you in whatever you decide for your own life. Dad would never get mad
at me for a decision I made concerning racing. He knows if I truly didn’t want
to race why waste so much money and time pursuing it. He’d be encouraging me to
go back to school to find a profession I really would be happier with. I never
went to college and I look at the Busch Series as my schooling for the
future."

"I really don’t see it, but we have people all the
time tell us we walk alike, talk alike, heck, even sign autographs alike! I
guess I really didn’t think about it until we were signing autographs together
one day and I looked down and couldn’t figure out if it was my signature or his!
Dad and I share the same hobbies, but you really don’t see all the similarities
until other people point them out to you. When I think about it, I have to admit
that Dad and I have a lot in common. Plus, I have the insight as to what I’ll
look like when I’m older!" (Laughs)

"My Dad is just cooler than hell."

 

Father and Son

Be more than his dad,
Be a chum to the lad;
Be a part of his life
Every hour of the day;
Find time to talk with him,
Take time to walk with him,
Share in his studies,
And share in his play.

 

Take him to places,
To ball games and races;
Teach him the things
That you want him to know;
Don’t live apart from him,
Don’t keep your heart from him,
Be his best comrade,
He’s needing you so!

 

Never neglect him,
Though young, still respect him,
Hear his opinions
With patience and pride;
Show him his error,
But be not a terror,
Grim-visaged and fearful,
When he’s at your side.

 

Know what his thoughts are,
Know what his sports are,
Know all his playmates,
It’s easy to learn to;
Be such a father
That when troubles gather
You’ll be the first one
For counsel, he’ll turn to.

 

You can inspire him
With courage, and fire him
Hot with ambition
For deeds that are good;
He’ll not betray you
Nor illy repay you
If you have taught him
The things that you should.

 

Father and son
Must in all things be one – –
Partners in trouble
And comrades in joy.

More than a dad
Was the best pal you had;
Be such a chum
As you knew, to your boy.

~ Edgar Guest ~