I am so happy David Rogers won last night and also the overall World Series championship and if you’re a real short track fan, you should be as well. David Rogers represents a dying breed of short track asphalt late model racer. Someone who has done it for many years, makes some money at it, does it for the love of racing, and yes if big time NASCAR would have been in the cards it would have been nice, but even though it didn’t he still continues to race for the love of it. What I can’t stand about asphalt late model racing today is it seems to be for the 12 year old with a rich daddy and if after one or two years of racing, that now 13 or 14 year old does not have a developmental contract with a NASCAR team the kid and his daddy give up on racing and is replaced by the next 12 year old with a rich daddy. Because of this. I worry there won’t be any David Rogers, Dick Anderson, Wayne Anderson, Daniel Keene Sr, Jimmy Cope, Jack Cook’s or many others who have raced a long time who I didn’t mention. I just think none of these young kids will hang around racing late models for thirty years just for the love of it and ten years from now, the asphalt late model series will be nothing but a revolving door of young spoiled kids not willing to hang around for the love of it if they’re not promised to be the next Joey Logano. Just my thoughts.
Why do you have to pick on the young kids?
I was very happy to see David Rogers win. At the same time, I enjoy seeing the up and coming talent. There are some young kids and families who are out there chasing their dreams, and why dog them for that. As far as any “12 year old with a rich daddy” Did you ever think that maybe some of those “rich daddy’s” work their butts off to be able to provide for their family and to be able to let his son do what he loves to do? It’s like anything in life, you work to be the best you can be in your business. For those dad’s who work to maybe get their kids to live their dream kudos to them.
Just to give you a little history since you bring names up like “Jimmy Cope” and “Daniel Keene Sr.” The young 13 year old Stephen Nasse’s grandfather, Steve Stanford, sponsored Jimmy and Mike Cope’s InterBay Marine Late Models for years. Also, Stephen’s current crew chief, Jerrad Warren, was Daniel Keene Jr’s crew chief last year (he is also his Daniel’s cousin).
I know you aren’t picking on anyone specifically or anything, it just irritates me to see people clump some good, work-working talent, into a a group of “spoiled rich kids.”
You are dead on in both fronts.
1st - Congrats to David! Job well done. He has gotten his new car tweaked out and it is showing big time. Good to see him passing the “kids” again.
2nd - The trend towards the teens in the SLMs is going to take a toll on things, people being able to remain active in it for years like the great ones you mentioned is fading away. There was a time when if you made it big in the SLM world, that was good enough, I am here to tell ya, I would trade John Wes Townley for another Dick Trickle or Jr Hanley any day.