I wonder if Art Arfons did his own laundry. I’m sure Evel Knievel didn’t. That’s what I was thinking the other night while switching the lights and darks down in my basement. I’ll go on the premise that Art didn’t either because I’d prefer to think of him head-down in a turbine engine preparing for his next assault on the land speed record. That’s far more fitting.
With the passing of both Arfons and Knievel a few years back, along with a many others of significance in the car hobby recently, our living Panthenon of hot rodding and racing heroes is shrinking rapidly. The saddest part of this equation is that despite several wildly popular racing series of all genres in this country, there is no one to step up and fill those open spots.
Arguably, the decade that produced the largest quantity of maverick competitors, promoters, and innovators was the ’60s. Unfortunately, the era of the guy who drove a different race car in a different professional series every weekend is over. Robby Gordon is about the last dude on Earth that fits the mold of the ’60s racer. Gordon’s competed at the Indy 500, he races NASCAR, he’s won the Baja 500 three times, and he’s the lead guy on a Dakar rally team. He’s also never been afraid to open his mouth and “share his feelings” on whatever racing topic is at the top of his tongue—another lost art.
We live in an era where its big news if a couple of drivers get their well coiffed hairdos mussed up in a shoving match. The racers of yore didn’t consider a matter closed, if they were slighted on the track, until they aired their grievances or someone was bleeding. There were heroes and villains for people to root for or against. There was never an attempt by the marketing department to create the façade that certain guys even liked each other.
Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt are still not exactly pals. All these years later, their battles, in so many different racing styles, still do not allow either of them to be in the same place at the same time comfortably. The best part is that’s something that both guys will admit to. Somewhere along the line we lost the fact that it’s OK to dislike the guy you’re trying to beat and it’s OK to let people know that.
WWE antics and theatrics aside, there is a true dearth of real rivalries in nearly every racing sanctioning body. Drag racing the ’90s held the last truly great one with Al Hoffmann and John Force slugging it out for Nitro Funny Car supremacy. The two had respect for one another, much the way a fighting soldier has respect for his enemy, but like the soldier, neither guy sent the other a Christmas card.
I watched virtually every broadcast minute of the 24 Hours of Le Mans a couple years ago and it was fantastic. For some of the reasons mentioned above. It was packed with great rivalries that have heroes (the Corvettes) and villains (The Aston Martins), great drivers from different genres, and teams going for each other’s throats. Manufacturer battles that still have the do or die feel they must have had 50 years ago. National pride and bragging rights were on the line for the world to see. I’ve not been able to commit that much time to the race since then, but the rivalries remain.
Well, the starkest contrast in auto racing was exposed when the Le Mans coverage ended and the NASCAR coverage started immediately thereafter. I went from the history and pageantry of a truly amazing event to something that had all the humanity and sincerity of an ATM machine. From the best steak you’ve ever had to a frozen plank cheeseburger.
Hot rods and racing are about passion, skill, the will to succeed, and personal achievement. Arfons, Parks, Foyt, Andretti, Jones, and the rest of their ilk recognized that and used it to their advantage. The events had meaning because their competitors gave them meaning with their performances. Whether is was Parnelli Jones racing a Trans Am Mustang like it was an Enduro car or AJ Foyt climbing out of a bad running car and beating it with a wrench, these men epitomized what it meant to leave it all on the track. Today’s guys complain how hot it gets inside the car during a race.
Somewhere out there, on a dirt oval, a drag strip, a road course, or in the desert, someone’s trying to out drive, out think, or just flat out kick someone’s ass in motorized competition. They are the next generation. Let’s hope for our sake there’s another immortal or two in there for us to enjoy.
Amen.
Sadly, it won’t happen that way when they get to the top level. The promoters and media won’t allow it. How about the Allison’s and Cale Yarbourgh kicking the shit out of each other? Priceless! Two photos I’ll never forget is Allison (or Cale, it doesn’t matter), climbing in the window of the other’s race car to punch him, and one of Allsion (or Cale, it doens’t matter) kneeling on the other guys chest, punding him in the face with his crash helmet. THAT is unfiltered passion!
I’m a drag racer. My Daddy told me real race cars don’t turn left. But if you want to see the passionate racers, go to the little outlaw tracks. The real legends in drag racing didn’t come from the Uber-Conservative NHRA, they came during the match race battles at little, narrow, short, poorly lit outlaw tracks. It’s just more fun there, anyway!
Your daddy was wrong. Real racers turn left . . . and right!
My Daddy was never wrong!
I completely agree with you Gary, once racers get to the top level these days everything becomes sanitized, the real racing is at the grass roots level,with no media or major corporate sponsorship involved.
But even then, the local rules are often written to protect traditional ways of doing things and to prevent current production technologies from seeping in. Don’t believe it? Just try to run a $200 junkyard EFI engine at many dirt tracks. Or try to run a “stock car” with a OEM-stamped body instead of a fabricated aftermarket body . . . .
The grassroots may be better, but it’s no panacea.
Sorry, Dude, but the Corvettes are the big corporate “villians” at Le Mans. Go Aston Martin!
Now that racing is big, corporate business and isn’t too related to production vehicles or “grassroots” technology anymore , the “show” doesn’t support petty human emotions as much as it once did. It also requires specialization by the drivers to guarantee success when the rulesmakers are so focused on “leveling the field.”
as sterile as the top may seem, the beginning is a leap beyond others. I guessed years ago, as these thoughts were asked back then.. the 60s fading away. I guessed rally drivers would work their way around, the next heros. Sure enough, there is a couple of them, they can do whatever. Add some years.. just my 2 cents.
as usual well said , with that outa the way if you wear all black you dont have to sort laundry.
Make sure to root for Bryan Clauson on Sunday at the Indy 500. He ran a silver crown dirt car tonight at the Indy fairgrounds on the mile, and Sunday he is poised for a great run. When was the last time an Indy 500 driver ran a dirt car days before the race? It’s been way more than a few years ago. And the nicest guy you could ever meet.
Why has noone mentioned Tony Stewart? Indy car champ, two time Nascar champ, USAC triple crown winner, dirt late model winner, and he has won in a winged sprint car this year. There is NOONE at his level who has the ability to win in anything.
hotrodcharlie. I agree completely about Tony Stewart….and a pretty good corporate image to boot!!
Brian, Good article. WELL SAID!
Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna were also a pretty good rivalry in the not too distant past.
Well said!
I watched the Senna/Prost battles and they were classic! F1 the sterile of sterile corporate images even had room then for such greats to do battle and let it all hang out. I miss that, but I am still on the edge of my seat every time I get the opportunity to watch an F1 race. I wish I could say the same thing about my own sport, drag racing. NHRA races are rather ‘ho hum’ these days….I’ll take an ADRL race any day.