MichiganCircleTrack.com is the online home of the MARC Times Racing News & Michigan Racing Scene and MARCTimesTV.

My first true introduction to stock-car racing came on an overcast spring morning back in the early '90s when I was a guest of the Tru Mark Motorsports team at Toledo Speedway. I was there to watch Phil Massuch pilot the No. 02 Pontiac Grand Prix in an ASA race.

Up until that gray morning, all I could have told you about stock-car racing was the cars went in circles, they were loud and there was some Petty guy who I had heard about a few times before.

Once we stepped through the pit gate though, my racing education began.

I was the “student” of Chris Throgmartin. For anyone who may not know Chris, he has forgotten more about auto racing than many of us will ever even be exposed to. Throgmartin seemed to know everyone in the pits. He also possessed the unique talent of being able to quickly summarize a driver’s history, highlights and a few interesting tidbits (in 15 seconds or less) before introducing me.

The names – Mike Eddy, Dave Sensiba, Glen Allen Jr., Butch Miller, Joe Nott and Gary St. Amant – didn’t mean much to me that day, but looking back now on my first exposure to this incredible sport, Chris had introduced me to ASA royalty.

Since my “first day of school,” I have been fortunate to have logged a number of memorable laps. While mine haven’t come on the track, I have been able to put the microphone and note pad in front of some of racing’s finest.

Just as he was in the ASA pit area, Throgmartin was masterful at pointing me in the direction of great interviews and classic introductions in the NASCAR Garage.

I interviewed a young Jeremy Mayfield at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) when he was driving for owner Cale Yarborough in the No. 98 RCA Ford Thunderbird. At that time in his career, Mayfield was happy to have anyone asking for an interview – it didn’t matter that I was a media rookie myself, learning the sport and writing weekly columns for the Community Newspaper chain. He invited me into his hauler for a chat. It was getting near noon, and he asked “Ya hungry?” I was, and the Cup driver proceeded to make us both turkey and cheese sandwiches. We repeated our standing lunchtime interview for the next couple of years during his stops at the MIS races.

Upon his return to MIS after a near-fatal accident in turn three, Ernie Irvan granted me a few words before climbing behind the wheel. I’ll never forget how gracious he was in speaking to each and every reporter who crowded him before his first practice. I naively asked if the accident would enter his mind when he made those initial circuits on the two-mile track.

He responded with a confident grin and said, “If I thought of everything that could go wrong every time I got behind the wheel, I’d never complete a single lap. This is my job, and I’m here at MIS to do it well.”

More recently, my racing highlights have been made under the banner of the Michigan Racing Scene. I’ve spent a great deal of “ink” commenting on the business end of the sport. And, in spite of the way the sport has grown, I’ve continued to be amazed at how approachable and accommodating its stars have been.

From Dennis Setzer or Terry Cook in the truck series, to Bobby Hamilton Jr. or Kenny Wallace in the Nationwide Series, to Clint Bowyer or Tony Stewart in Cup, they’re all regular guys just doing a job. They haven’t forgotten their roots, and they are all generous with their time.

The “big boys” of NASCAR aside, though, the real entertainment in racing happens on Friday and Saturday nights at quarter- and half-mile ovals all over the country. We’re blessed here in the Midwest to have some of the best venues – and top talent – keeping us on our feet under the lights.

The teams, regardless of the series, run the gambit of high-dollar and polished to minimally-funded and all banged up. Crews may be plentiful in number and sport matching uniforms, or a “team” may be just a driver and his mechanic – who in some cases are the same person.

Regardless, they too are “real.” They have the same loyal followings – although not as large in number – as the “big boys.” And the excitement of being on top of the action at a Dixie, Berlin or Kalamazoo Speedway can satisfy anyone’s need for an adrenaline rush.

My racing education continues, and I’m looking forward to making many more memories at the track in ’09. Maybe I’ll even make a few that rival Throgmartin's. Doubtful … but a fan can hope!

dgo