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Biography;  noun from greek bios ‘life’ + graphia ‘writing’

My life experiences don’t include race car driver, pit crew member, spotter, announcer, official, sponsor or any number of other industry related titles. In this arena my hat is off to the men and women with the guts to take the risk.

My ‘risks’ in the past ran to the thunder of horse power on hooves while sprinkled with sprints on a Harley now and then. The needs of Wives, kids and grand kids, horses and their facilities (Sunny Brook Equestrian Facility), along with work dictated the need for an unbroken husband, father and maintenance man for the last several of my decades. I did have a mare named Mariah though, who could run like the wind.

For as long as I can remember, the Berlin, Winston, and Thunderbird race tracks, around my life long home of Muskegon, have been producing the meanest, strongest, and loudest entertainment bang for the buck around... I’m old enough that it was a buck, but don’t laugh.

I was old enough, and when it happened, had been his fan long enough to think racing was over after ‘my driver’ , ‘Dirty Dale’ took his last lap while defending his title, Michael and Jr. ... where were you when ...

Every aspiring writer has multiple moments such as that to draw upon; impossible to delete. Many of mine came from entertaining people in theaters, clubs, media, and shows as a writer, musician, actor, and singer. Not much else to do with college training in the arts during the 1980’s recession. I worked days with my dad in the family construction business, and evenings with buddies on our cars. It was races and rock 'n' roll on Friday and Saturday nights.

I find myself now going back to school for more training in today’s media, due to the current recession. Through it all was baseball, yes. But, also auto racing.  Allot of other kids who grew up in West Michigan in the sixties, grew up with both. My home town made tanks for the U.S. Army and the most badass motors in existence. Entire families worked in the automotive industry in the birthplace of cars, Michigan. My kids and theirs will grow up with it too if I have anything to say about it ...  and I do.

Mario Andretti, the Unsers and open wheels got my attention back when and Mario was my man. Watching local racing as a kid, I looked at those cars skidding around corners at what I thought was a million miles an hour, and figured I was watching the next Mario. ‘Live racing is better’ bumper stickers should be issued, ya know?

Now, I just love to smell, feel, hear, and watch the live racing action. I love to watch my kids watch races. I watch as they cover their ears while a huge smile is spreading ear to ear at the same time, then laugh hard at the power blowing by ... as they look up at me ... looking down at them. It’s the same laugh as the lone driver, out of his car, waving the checkered at the finish line ...just like a little kid.

That's why when I need a moment to clear my head..  I take "A Drive To Think"

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