I don’t pretend for a minute to be an expert about car racing but in the year that I worked for Delaware Speedway, I learned a heck of a lot about it.
The company I worked for and Delaware are parting ways, amicably, and that brings to an end my work with the Speedway. It was a heck of an education. A series of unforseen and unpreventable circumstances meant I was thrown into the deep end and had to tread water for what seemed like an eternity before I developed a swim-stroke of my own. Racing is its own world and it’s not easy to try to permeate it. The “tower people” as I thought of them were extremely helpful, friendly and supportive. My boss at the track is a really good guy and I met scads of people and soaked up the atmosphere like a sponge.
In general, the better the driver, the nicer they are, with exceptions of course. Ron Sheridan, DJ Kennington, Steve Robblee – the guys at the top were gentlemen and always willing to help me help them. They’re just all around great guys. They have supportive families and huge legions of fans. They speak well of each other despite being rivals on the track. They have class and long-term vision. They keep their cool even when some really silly stuff happens on the track. Some other drivers were, let’s say, not as classy, but their less-than-stellar driving records prove my theory.
Overall it was a tremendously rewarding experience. My bosses and pals at CPT Entertainment were supportive without fail and I respect the heck out of them. My colleagues in the industry have complimented me on my work and above all, I know I did my best. I won’t say I’ll miss being at the track every weekend but talking to the drivers, hanging out with Troy, Ken, Ange, Melanie (and her husband Derek), Lori and the rest of the officials in the tower, Jim Cressman from the Free Press and dealing with media and fan inquiries – I’ll miss all of that. Delaware Speedway offers terrific, family-friendly fun and I’m proud to have been a part of its 2010 season.