Boo's from fans at the 24 are really getting old

Becky Davidson
May 28, 2007

I am sure I will make some enemies with this editorial but so be it. For years fans have booed drivers in introductions and when they wreck and taken out of the race or return with a crippled race car to try and make up some laps. I have respect for each driver. Of course, there are drivers whose personality on and off the track I definitely do not like but I have never used the word HATE when talking about a driver. I also can say I have not booed any driver.

Sunday when Jeff Gordon was once again booed so much from the crowd at Lowe’s; to me it was an embarrassment. Jeff and a few other's like the Busch brother's might be use to it but no matter how long it has gone on, you are not a true fan of NASCAR to boo any one of them. There were some pretty bad wrecks Sunday and in the past. We all can think of driver's who had wrecks during the race or in practice that wrecked and had their lives cut short. What were they doing? Something they love and that is racing. Sure they do it for the money but they do it for us fans. Without 43 cars we have do not have a race on any given race day. I was and always will be a Dale Earnhardt fan and like millions of others, I hated to see his life end at Daytona in February 2001.

Over the years attending races I sit and heard Dale called names I could never repeat here. I was called names and some of my friends who were wearing some of our GM Goodwrench merchandise showing support for our favorite driver. Still, when their drivers were introduced I applauded them as my friends did. We did not boo and we darn sure did not boo if they had a wreck during the race. Oh no matter what some might think, Dale was booed at one time as bad as they boo Jeff Gordon for years.

I am not sure what stopped it because Dale drove the same way until his life came to an end way too short of when it should. Just like Adam Petty in 2000, Kenny Irwin 2000, Neil Bonnet 1994, Blaise Alexander 2001, Tiny Lund 1975, Tony Roper 2000, and Davey Allison to name just 1% who has lost their lives on the tracks racing or in practice. If you want a link to show you the hundreds of names of drivers from all series that have lost their lives doing what they loved, I will be happy to send it to you. This certainly does not count the drivers who were injured so seriously they either never came back to racing or tried and had to give it up.

Each of these drivers some fans choose to boo have spouses, girlfriends, parents, grandparents, besides tons of friends who love each one of them. I guess seeing the horribly bad wreck that Jeff Gordon was in yesterday and then the boos from the grandstands were so loud you could hear them very clearly on the TV just angered me that we still have people who will not consider none of these factors about each of these drivers. The first thing Jeff said was that he wanted his wife who is pregnant with their first baby, a little girl due in June was home watching and he wanted her to know he was alright.

Yesterday at Lowe's Humpy Wheeler and every employee at Lowe's have a lot to be proud of for how they did the tribute to our Fallen Hero's and our troops. I felt very proud and sad at the same time when I saw the troops from Ft. Bragg, a place we were for a year standing on the front stretch. We are still an Army family but in Tennessee. I have been to so many Coca Cola 600's over the years, too many to mention and I have to admit, what we saw on TV was one of the best tributes I have ever seen. I commend Leann Rimes for the beautiful way she sang our National Anthem.

For our Veterans and our active duty personnel serving our country all over the world, we are able to attend NASCAR races and other events with our family and friends. This includes each driver standing and showing their respects for the troops and our American Flag. You could boo right or wrong, because you have the right to do so but it is and always show lack of maturity. Of course there are some individuals who could care less if a driver is wrecked and taken out of a race whether they are injured. To those individuals, you are not a true fan of any form of racing and truly, in my opinion and I am not alone in my thoughts, you have a lot of nerve and no compassion for any driver when you boo like a big baby or as I call it, spoiled brats. You should be ashamed.

Boo me all you want and I am sure even though I am a Earnhardt fan that there will be a few who will be wanting to tell me it is their God given right to act like a fool by booing. For example, the next time you boo Jeff Gordon, look around and I am sure you will see perhaps a child as I have in tears wanting to know why people hated Jeff. Go ahead and boo. 98% of us who do not boo any driver just look at each of you like you are truly acting like idiots. For once, think of these drivers families who have to sit and hear this bull from grown people in the grandstands.