What is greatness? This is an age-old question that comes up in every sporting endeavor. Is it just winning? Is it winning with a panache that others do not have? Is it winning with the expectation that each accomplishment is a lily pad to the next one?
Honestly I am not sure and cannot answer any of those questions.
What I do know is that greatness is not fleeting and not confined to any level. I know track champions that have dominated their local strips or series. I know people who have accomplished things that no other human may ever match in my lifetime. I know a small number of people who have chatted their own greatness and illustrated none of it.
To be great there has to be a well-spring of drive, a fountain of hatred to fail, a gusher of unwillingness to let anyone’s doubts breach the walls of a mental citadel.
This is a guy who has it.
Steve Jackson is my friend (in full disclosure) but as a guy who lives my life in this deal and who has studied every inch of its past, there are a small cadre of individuals who have exhibited the traits this man does.
It’s not singular. The team is ridiculous. They’re all as mental as he is. They race constantly. They don’t understand the idea of fatigue, the idea of quit, the idea of not chucking the hammers at it every run.
From a kid messing around with his step dad at the drag strip to a man who has doggedly climbed every wrung of drag racing’s impossible ladder, you are looking at one of the sport’s greatest performers. Ever.
He has more places he wants to go. More things he wants to do. More cars he wants to drive.
They doubted him to this point. The establishment. He done gone and blowed that all up this year as he’d say in Georgia-speak.
To Billy Stocklin,Drew Mcclure, Jack, Bob, Robbie, Stevie, and the rest of the guys. Congrats. No sleep for the wicked, boys. Get on down to SGMP and make Donald Long pay up. Could be a pretty profitable week.
This is the kind of guy you either love or hate. He has proven that, as he said, you can achieve great things if you are focused and work hard enough. Now go donkey stomp those guys in GA this weekend!
In my case love rather than hate. He is a real racer and seems like a great guy to me. Well deserved championship. I only wish he\’d held it off until Las Vegas so I could see it.