Throwback
I think Tony was right in his element, I truly think he identifies with the low budget racer. This is the kid that started racing a 10 year old Go Kart at the Columbus Indiana 4H fairgrounds, the same kid that would be late to qualifications for a USAC Midget Race because he was racing RC Cars across town and had to finish his race. He is the same "HOT HEAD" that doesn't like loosing at anything, perhaps that is why he is the driver he is and perhaps that is why he is probably the the best thing that has happened to Open Wheel racing in a long time. When you are racing a 410 Winged Sprint car you are not racing with Chump Change no matter where you race. Now if he borrows a TQ he might just be racing on the cheap, (and he has also done that) but he is still giving back to his roots.
I remember back several years ago to when they were still racing Midgets In Indy at the center. On the Sunday after the races I took my son and a few of his friends to "Steve Johnson's indoor Go Kart track" to get some laps in before heading back home. Tony was there as usually with a few fellow Midget Racers. One of My boy's more reserved friends managed to get into a race with Tony and starting behind him >>>WELL>>>> he managed to spin Tony out. This today is still one of his magic moments in racing, and Tony did not even get out and throw his helmet at him.
Tony and racers like him are an integral part of dirt open wheel racing, when they show up to race, so do the crowds, like in the good old days when we could watch all the Indy 500 Stars on any given weekend by just going to a Midget or Sprint race at our local track. They were doing what they liked best.
Granted throwing a Super Star in the field of "Weekend Warriors" is much like putting a camera in a Court Room, it will bring out the Show Boat in most anybody. What the Weekend Warrior needs to keep in mind is there is very little talent separating them and the Super Star the difference is sometimes nothing more than luck of the draw. Race them as you would race anyone else, they usually don't show up to steal your thunder but on the contrary they might add to it.
An old comedian Dave Gardner once said "There is no such thing as an accident, just premeditated carelessness." We need to be very careful around race cars, and hopefully when the mainstream media drops it's coverage for bigger juicer story's we can all get back to normal.
I wish that Kevin like my son's friend was back in his garage right now telling his friends stories about banging wheels with "OL Smoke" on the race track.
Honest Dad himself
