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The first sprint race I saw included Thomson, Hinnershitz, and others of that ilk. They were running cars that had no roll bars, never mind cages. Although I was a typical cocky teenager, I knew I could never do what they were doing. I had neither the nerve nor the strength to wrestle those machines. The fear that something bad could happen at any moment was part of the experience of watching sprint cars in the 50s. There was a reason that many of the top drivers were guys who had just survived the horrors of WWII.
Now, that feeling is mostly gone. As I watch teenagers swaddled in metal/plastic/carbon fiber cocoons, I "know" that I could have done that. Of course, there is still a lot of skill involved, but the sheer bravado is gone. It's not the same, and I can understand why the sport is having trouble attracting a new audience.
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Last edited by Dick Monahan; 2/5/16 at 12:43 PM.
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