Brian Z.: The man, the myth and me
by Monte Dutton
Gazette Sports Writer
Brian France fascinates me. No, that’s not entirely accurate. The chairman of NASCAR doesn’t fascinate me. His image fascinates me. It’s not entirely an image because, as best I can tell, he has impressed people, some of whom I even admire. To me, this seems inconceivable, but maybe I’m just blind to his many estimable gifts. And others, that are inestimable.
Here’s my take. The titular head of the sport about which I write is extremely ambitious. In that area, France is unquestionably world-class, as were his father and grandfather before him. My opinion of him is the same as Jim Hightower’s take on the 41st president of the United States: “He was born on third base and thought he hit a triple.”
Those words were written about George H.W., not George W., Bush. These concern Brian Z., not William C. and not William H.G., France.
snip~
This, though, is the topper. Perusing the Internet, I discovered there is something called www.racespeakers.com that offers Frenchy’s services to companies and organizations as a motivational speaker.
Then again, he has often motivated me … to laugh.
Here’s the text of remarks by France after Sunday’s drivers’ meeting. I feel it’s important to run the full text so the motivational impact can register. Print probably won’t do justice to the thundering crescendo, but here goes, anyway:
“We’ve got big things for ’07 with the Car of Tomorrow, Toyota, the return of ESPN and a lot of other things, but this is still going to be a big day today, too. Great weather, great crowd on hand. We’ll see what happens.
snip~
“I think, listen, it’s harder to grow when you reach the level we’re at. We think there’s no question it’s an under-covered sport today. That will change over time as the acceptance of this sport all over the country gets better. ESPN is going to help us go after the casual sports fan in the area that we’re weakest. I love where we’re at, and we’re excited about where we’re going.”
On Juan Pablo Montoya’s arrival: “I think it’s going to be great. If he has success, he’s a charismatic guy and obviously the Hispanic market, he could rev that market up for us. We’ll see. I’m optimistic.”
On whether the races should be shorter: “We’re not looking at that right now. We have shortened a couple in the past. Dover is one that has come to mind, so we’re not opposed to that, but I think, by and large, there’s complications with that with TV partners and everything else. Race fans like a longer race, believe it or not. Some of them will argue that maybe they’re a little bit too long, but on balance, it’s pretty good.”
He’s the visionary leader of a bold, new generation of robber barons. All around him are men paid to inform the world this.
Great article, I had to butcher it because it's too long - so go here to read the rest
Monday, Nov. 20
Man, I can't believe the season's over, and I can't believe I'm up so early on a Monday morning writing about it. We wrapped up the '06 season yesterday with a 19th-place finish at Homestead. It wasn't the way we wanted to go out, but we locked up a top-five points finish, which is something to be proud of considering we finished 19th in the standings last year. We didn't win the championship, but we laid the groundwork for what I think will be a strong run for the championship next season. We've got a great team. We've got great people - good, hardworking, blue-collar type people who don't get the recognition they deserve. And now we have legitimate teammates in Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard. There was a point in yesterday's race that Martin, Paul, and myself were all racing up near the front. It's been a long time since we had three legitimate contenders out of the DEI stable.
But as I reflect on a season that is now in the books, I can't help but notice the one similarity it had with all the other seasons - the overwhelming fan support. I see you guys every weekend. You're in the grandstands, you're at autograph sessions, you're on TV, you're on the internet, you're in the grocery store, you're everywhere. You motivate me to do my job - whether it's shooting commercials, attending sponsor appearances, recording my radio show, making smart decisions as the owner of the #88 Busch Series team, or driving the #8 car on Sundays.
I am always humbled by the fan support shown to me, my team and my sponsors, but there is always one moment that sticks out above the rest. This year it came at my Celebrity Sports Auction. Most of you already know how special Make-A-Wish is to me. I began hosting a Celebrity Sports Auction several years ago to benefit Make-A-Wish, hoping that my fans, friends and family would rally behind me to help kids with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The support has been amazing. Many of you showed up at this year's event in Charlotte, and together we raised over $275,000 for Make-A-Wish. If you could see the expressions on those kids' faces like I do each weekend, then you would know why that money is so important. So I thank you for the loyalty and support you've shown me, not only on the racing side but the personal side as well. And as a token of my appreciation, I hope to provide you with more wins, and even a championship in the near future. Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team. I'm happy for those guys, especially Mr. Hendrick.
http://www.dalejr.com/8.html