Normally I’d be really fired up for what’s about to take place this week.
Starting on Wednesday is the 56th Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa, which is the biggest sprint car race in the world and one of my favourite events of the year.
A total of 112 cars are entered with only 25 making into Saturday night’s A-Main.
The original plan for this column was to write about that event and how Donny Schatz, who has won nine of the last 10 races, is easily the best driver on the planet at the moment.
However, I’m not in the mood for that at the moment.
On Monday morning, dirt track star Bryan Clauson passed away at the age of 27 from injuries that he sustained in a violent accident while leading the Belleville Midget Nationals in Kansas on Saturday night.
Clauson was a racer’s racer. He didn’t have the mainstream notoriety as those who run in NASCAR or Formula 1, but he was one of those drivers that would run anything at any time, including this weekend’s Knoxville Nationals.
He was embarking on a wild 200-race odyssey this year in a number of different cars.
To try and do that is pretty insane, but Clauson was doing a great job of it.
Going into Saturday night Clauson had picked up 27 wins in 117 starts. He also led the Indianapolis 500 in May and went on to win a midget race later that same night.
I found out the news of his passing when I woke up and I’m still numb as I type this column up. Heck, I’ll be probably still be in an absolute daze for the next couple of weeks.
I’ve been a racing fan since I was two years old. When there’s a really good battle out on the track, it fires me up in a way that nothing else can in the sporting landscape.
As a fan, you always know the danger is there. Since I started watching racing in 1990, I’ve watched greats like Dale Earnhardt, Ayrton Senna, Greg Moore, Dan Wheldon and countless pass away while behind the wheel
However, with the advancements in safety over the years, you start to grow accustomed to the drivers being able to walk away after a wreck.
That’s why Clauson’s death has left me and countless others shaken. He was such a talented driver behind the wheel that it comes as a complete stunner that he would perish in a racing accident.
Now you’re probably wondering how in the world I keep on watching racing events despite the fact that the people I enjoy watching could be gone at a moment’s notice.
I was thinking about that on Monday morning and came up with a couple of reasons.
For starters, it’s what I’ve grown up with my entire life. Like those who live and breathe hockey or curling, auto racing brings a sense of normalcy to the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.
The second reason is the sense of excitement I get from when I watch a really good race.
On Sunday morning, as my mind raced wondering what Clauson’s condition was, I watched the highlights of Saturday night’s World of Outlaws sprint car race from Missouri.
In that race, Rico Abreu made a daring three-wide pass to take the lead and the win that left my jaw on the floor. That was all I needed to remember why I love racing as much as I do.
I’ll be following along to the Knoxville Nationals this weekend and living off of every turn. However, I’ll be doing so with a feeling of loss and remembrance that will take some time to go away.
Godspeed Bryan Clauson. I look forward to seeing you race again somewhere along the way.
