SUPPORT FOR GREATER CHATTANOOGA IS PROVIDED BY EPB FIBER OPTICS AND UNUM.
EVERYTHING ABOUT RACING JUST DRAWS YOU IN, FROM THE SOUND OF THE ENGINES TO THE RUMBLE
OF THE EARTH.
THE DIRT PEPPERING YOU IN THE FACE AND THE WIND BLOWING IN YOUR HAIR, TO THE SMELL OF
THE FUEL, ONCE YOU’RE IN IT, YOU’RE IN IT, AND YOU’RE HOOKED FOREVER.
THE RUSH, WHEN YOU’RE SIDE BY SIDE GOING THROUGH THE CORNER.
THE TRACK’S A CIRCLE, YOU GOT A START FINISH LINE, AND YOU KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT SAME
PLACE, SO YOU’RE TRYING TO MASTER THAT CIRCLE.
JUST THINK OF THE BEST ROLLER COASTER YOU EVER BEEN ON, THAT’S ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE.
IT’S JUST ALWAYS BEEN PART OF MY LIFE ALL MY FRIENDS ALL MY FAMILY, I JOKE THAT, YOU
KNOW, I HAVE LOTS OF BLOOD RELATIVES, BUT MY TRUE FAMILY’S HERE IN THE DIRT.
RACING COMMUNITY, I TELL PEOPLE, WE’RE A CULTURE OF OUR OWN, AND YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT
FOR EVERYBODY, BUT MAN IT’S CLOSE KNIT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DO THINK YOU KNOW, “OH, THEY JUST DIRT TRACK RACE, THEY’RE A BUNCH
OF RED NECKS.”
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF MENTALITY, BUT IT’S REALLY NOT LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE FACTORY WORKERS ALL THE WAY UP TO LAWYERS AND ENGINEERS, WE HAVE THEM ALL.
I THINK THAT’S WHAT ALSO MAKES IT GREAT, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, EVERYONE BUYS THE SAME TICKET.
IT CAN’T JUST BE ABOUT WATCHING US RACE.
YOU KNOW WATCHING THE COMPETITION.
IT HAS TO BE, YOU KNOW, A CONNECTION AMONG THE CULTURE THAT WE ARE.
YOU’RE LIKE A HOMETOWN HERO TO THEM, IT’S PRETTY CRAZY, YOU KNOW.
PEOPLE ACTUALLY KEEP UP WITH YOU AND YOU’RE JUST A LOCAL GUY.
BUT THEY LOVE RACING SO MUCH, THAT, YOU KNOW THEY CAN COME HANG OUT WITH YOU, THAT’S
SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN’T DO IN THE BIG LEAGUES.
MY GRANDFATHER WAS E.A.
BOYD, AND HE LOVED RACING AND ALWAYS WANTED TO BUILD A TRACK LOCALLY.
IT WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE CLOSER OVER TO SPRING CREEK AREA, HERE IN EAST RIDGE,
BUT THERE WAS A COUNCILMAN WHO WAS ADAMANT THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO BUILD SUCH A RUCKUS
HERE IN EAST RIDGE.
WE HAVE THE PITS IN TENNESSEE AND THE TRACK IS IN GEORGIA THAT WAY THE COUNCILMAN COULDN’T
SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRACK’S LOCATION.
SO HE BROKE GROUND IN 1951, OUR FIRST RACE WAS OCTOBER 5TH OF 1952.
IT’S A HALLOWED GROUND, IT REALLY TRULY IS.
WHEN IT COMES TO RACING, THIS IS A HALLOWED GROUND.
IT’S FAMILY, IT’S BROTHERS, AND IT’S FATHER AND SON, AND, YOU KNOW, SONE IN LAWS,
AND YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GETS INVOLVED, AND EVERYBODY FALLS IN LOVE WITH IT.
I GREW UP AROUND IT, MY DAD RACED.
WHEN I THINK OF A DYNASTY, ESPECIALLY HERE IN CHATTANOOGA, I THINK OF JOE LEE JOHNSON
AND HIS SON RONNIE.
I MEAN THEY HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR CHATTANOOGA RACING, AND JOE LEE WON THE VERY FIRST WORLD
600 AT CHARLOTTE.
THERE WAS A POINT WHEN I WAS ABOUT 13 OR 14 OR SO, THAT I’D SIT IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
AND WISH THE RAIN AWAY ON A FRIDAY HOPING THAT SOMEBODY WOULD COME GET ME AND TAKE ME
OUT TO BOYD’S TO WATCH HIM.
I ALWAYS KNEW THAT THAT’S WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
MY MOM WAS TOTALLY AGAINST IT, SHE’S IN TEARS IMMEDIATELY, SHE’D SEEN HIM UPSIDE
DOWN AND ON FIRE, IN HOSPITALS.
HE HAD SEEN US ALL DO WITHOUT, BECAUSE OF THE RACING.
BUT I THINK HE WAS HOPING I’D SEE IT AS A HOBBY, MAYBE I’D GROW TIRED OF IT OR WHATEVER.
THAT WAS IN 1973.
I MEAN, IT IS MY LIFE, IT’S NOT JUST AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
IF THERE’S A DECLINE IN WHAT WE’RE DOING, IT’S BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.
I DON’T THINK THERE’S AS MUCH INTEREST, IN THE AUTOMOBILE AS THERE WAS.
SOME OF THOSE LITTLE MEMORIES ARE KIND OF DWINDLING AWAY, SO GETTING YOUNGER CHILDREN
INTO THE SPORT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF WE DON’T HAVE THE YOUTH, WE’RE NOT
GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR SPORT.
JOSH IS ONE OF OUR YOUNGER RACERS HERE AT BOYD’S IN THE SPORTSMAN DIVISION.
DAD AND I WERE LIKE, WELL WE WANT TO GO WATCH A RACE, SO WE WENT FRIDAY NIGHT.
REALLY ENJOYED IT, AND I SAID, “IF I COME BACK, I’M GOING TO HAVE A RACECAR.”
JOSH IS THE TYPE OF GUY, HE DON’T LIKE TO BE A SPECTATOR, HE WANTS TO BE INVOLVED, SO
THE NEXT TIME WE WENT, HE HAD A CAR.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED, I COULDN’T TELL YOU WHERE THE FLAG STAND WAS OR WHAT CORNER I
WAS IN, IT WENT BY SO FAST.
AND THEN OVER TIME, AND NOW I CAN TELL YOU IF SOMEBODY IS WAVING AT YOU FROM THE STANDS.
BUT I RC RACED WHEN I WAS A KID, THAT’S WHAT MY DAD AN I DONE, WE RACED FOR YEARS.
YOU CAN PREP FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS, AND THEN YOU PULL OUT THERE IN HOT LAPS AND
SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPEN AND YOU’RE DONE FOR THE NIGHT.
AND THAT’S THE ROLL OF THE DICE AND THE GAMBLE AND I THINK THAT’S A BIG PART OF
THE DRAW WITH RACING IS BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A GAMBLE.
YEAH, I’M NOT SCARED AS FAR AS DANGER.
I MEAN, YEAH, THERE IS SOME BAD WRECKS AND ALL, BUT, I MEAN, THERE’S DANGER IN ANYTHING
YOU DO.
I DIDN’T THINK THE WHEEL WOULD BREAK, OR THIS WOULD HAPPEN.
WHEN HE STARTED TUMBLING, I KEPT THINKING I HOPE HE LANDS ON HIS WHEELS.
BUT WHEN HE LANDED UPSIDE DOWN AND THEN YOU’RE WONDERING IF HE’S OKAY.
IT WAS DEFINITELY THE RIDE OF MY LIFE.
FANS WANT TO SEE IF YOU’RE OKAY, MAINLY MY DAD, HE WAS BACK HERE, I WANTED HIM TO
KNOW THAT MY EMOTIONS WERE GOOD, AND I WAS OKAY.
IT WAS A RIDE, THOUGH, I’M TELLING YOU.
MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT THEM TWO KIDS AT THE HOUSE, THOUGH.
CARS CAN BE REPLACED, BUT YOU KNOW.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE WAS FINE.
WE’VE ALWAYS DONE EVERYTHING TOGETHER, EVEN WHEN HE WAS LITTLE.
AND RACING REALLY FIT BOTH OF US BECAUSE, WE BOTH WORK ON CARS FOR A LIVING.
IT’S FUN, DAD AND I, WE WORK TOGETHER, RACE TOGETHER.
WE JUST ALWAYS HAD A GOOD BOND.
SEE HIM WHEN YOU COME IN, GET A THUMB UP, THAT’S PRETTY COOL.
THERE’S NO GREATER FEELING THAN WHEN YOU PLEASE YOUR DAD, YOU KNOW.
WE RAN SECOND THERE.
AND UM, THE GUY THAT WON THE RACE, GOT DQ’D OVER A RULE INFRACTION.
AND SO WE GET THE WIN. AND WE’RE HAPPY FOR THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE SHOE’S BEEN ON THE OTHER FOOT BEFORE.
THERE’S UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF TECHNIQUES THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO TRY TO MASTER THAT CIRCLE
OUT THERE.
THERE’S HUNDREDS OF GUYS, SOMEWHERE TONIGHT WORKING ON SOMEBODY’S ENGINE, THAT’S JUST
GOTTA HAVE THAT ENGINE FOR THIS WEEKEND.
YOU KNOW, THEY’RE PROBABLY MISSING A DANCE RECITAL, OR A BALL GAME OR A BIRTHDAY PARTY
OR SOMETHING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE HOPING THAT THEY’RE GOING TO BE FORGIVEN.
THEY’RE HOPING THAT.
WE’VE ALL HOPED THAT WE’RE GONNA COME HOME AND OUR STUFF’S NOT SITTING OUT ON
THE PORCH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE’VE GONE RACING.
BUT IT’S WHAT YOU DO, YOU PUT ALL THIS INTO IT.
YOU PUT YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO IT.
EVERY ONE OF US DO.
THE FLAG MAN, THE CAR OWNERS, THE SPONSORS, THE FANS, THEY ALL HAVE A PASSION FOR THIS
SPORT.
I KNOW GUYS THAT I RACE WITH RIGHT NOW, ABOUT ONCE A MONTH THEY’RE, “THIS IS IT, I’M
DONE WITH THIS, I QUIT.”
AND THEN THEY’LL CALL YOU ON THURSDAY, “HEY, WHO’S RACING TOMORROW?”
YOU KNOW, IT’S WHAT WE DO.
I HOPE WE LAST FOREVER.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY GRANDFATHER’S LEGACY.
THIS IS HIS BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS.
I MEAN, THIS IS A LOT OF PEOPLE’S BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS.
IT TAKES ALL OF US TO KEEP THE SPORT ALIVE, EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
IF YOU'RE A FAN OF GREATER CHATTANOOGA, SUPPORT IT.
BECOMING A SUSTAINING MEMBER OF WTCI IS EASY AND AFFORDABLE, AND IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
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