Notes From My Knapsack 4-1-07
Jeff Gill

Excitement With Four Corners

Clint Bowyer should have a huge fan base and much more attention than he gets, in my ignorant opinion.

Am I missing some dark secret in his past, or is it because the driver of the “07” car is sponsored by an adult beverage (which, by the by, I don’t drink myself), or do we just need more pieces written on the poor man?

NASCAR has a driver who, a few weeks ago, at their premiere raceway – Daytona, fer Pity’s sake – crossed the finish line a) upside down, b) backwards, c) on fire. The fact that he was a top ten finisher is just gravy on them biscuits.

Upside down, backwards, on fire: is this not the glory that is NASCAR, in a handy carry-home pack? I find myself checking each week for how 07 is doing in his black Chevy, but apparently frontwards, greasy side down, wheels turning isn’t as good for him as the groove he found at Daytona.

Still, I’d think he could coast on that one finish for a very long time. Cheer for Clint, wouldya?

Maybe we’ll even get to see him race here in Licking County someday soon.

You see, what I think would be ideal for all concerned is this – ever since the NHRA moved their focus away from National Trail Raceway, down by Luray on US 40, the drag racing has continued, but what if they changed formats?

Next door is a small airstrip, paralleling the dragstrip. What if NASCAR came in, bought both, and added short straights north and south, banked ‘em some turns at the corners, and add an east grandstand to match what National Trail already has up?

Call it NASCAR Trail Raceway. You have an area between Hebron and Kirkersville that already is used to huge influxes of traffic a bunch of times a year, over half the track built already, and access to the Columbus media market and a short hop to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh. Throw in some Louisville folk who have sobered up after the Kentucky Derby in May, and you’d have a Midwest crowd hungry for live NASCAR action (although I hear they’re talking about switching from dirt to asphalt and converting Churchill Downs to NASCAR, so we’d better get hopping).

Why have all our local fans drive to Bristol and Charlotte and eastern Pennsylvania for their closest racing fix when we could draw those tourists right here to central Ohio? Between football season and basketball season for the Buckeyes, there’s room in our hearts for another sport, even with the Blue Jackets playing hockey until June.

There’s always time to sell more hotdogs, nights in hotels, shopping in local stores (like the new Hebron NASCAR Experience three story mini-mall), and the fan foam finger business could really take off. People may not love a down-wind ethanol refinery, but who wouldn’t want a race venue nearby? Especially any auto parts or RV repair businesses.

Yes, there’s a little thing called the Brickyard nearby, but no one really thinks that’s going to catch on. Indy is open wheel and really should stick to what they know, and leave the bumpin’ and runnin’ to the stock cars that can take it.

NASCAR Trails. What do you think, Licking County? Can we make this happen? I want to see Clint cross the line in front of the tower off the old National Road, upside down, backwards, and on fire!

Oh, and Happy April 1 everybody . . .

Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and supply preacher around central Ohio; tell him a story at knapsack77@gmail.com.