Tim Richmond

Days of Thunder: Tim Richmond: To the Limit

“I’m more afraid of being nothing than I am of being hurt.” Officially, those are the words of Cole Trickle, as written by Robert Towne and as delivered by Tom Cruise in the auto racing flick Days of Thunder. In spirit, though, they are the words of Tim Richmond. A fearless driver who became one of the best racers on the NASCAR circuit under the guidance of a crusty crew chief, Richmond was the flamboyant real-life character upon which Cruise’s Trickle was loosely based. But Days of Thunder isn’t Richmond’s story.

Not by a long shot. Richmond was confident, talented and brash, and, appropriately enough, he had a Hollywood icon’s sense of the spotlight, but his life wasn’t blessed with the stereotypical Hollywood ending. Just when Richmond was beginning to show his potential for legendary greatness, he died at the age of 34. What killed him wasn’t overconfidence on the racetrack but ignorance off of it. Richmond fell victim to something he didn’t think he needed to fear: sex. ( Read Tim Richmond more... )

Will time away from the track hurt Brian Vickers?

In 2010 Brian Vickers season ended prematurely due to blood clots in his legs and around his lungs. He only raced in eleven races before his health condition sidelined him for the rest of the year.

The question Fantasy Racers are wondering is, will his extended absence hurt him? The obvious answer to that question is absolutely not. Why would it hurt him?

Brian Vickers health issue was an internal issue, not an outward physical condition. When you see him on the track he will not be nursing any broken bones or be suffering a psychological setback of being afraid to put his car in certain situations. ( Read Tim Richmond more... )

NASCAR showman the focus of documentary on ESPN

NASCAR fans will not want to miss ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary – Tim Richmond: ToThe Limit

In the 1980s, U.S. racing car driver Tim Richmond lived his life the way he raced cars – wide open. Born into a wealthy family, Tim Richmond was the antithesis of the typical Southern, blue-collar, dirt-track racers who dominated NASCAR. Nicknamed “Hollywood”, he was a flamboyant showman who basked in the attention of the media and fans, especially the attention of female admirers.

But it was Richmond’s on-track performances that ended up drawing comparisons to racing legends and in 1986, when he won seven NASCAR races and finished third in the Winston Cup series points race, some believed he was on the verge of stardom. When he unexpectedly withdrew from the season-opening Daytona 500 in February 1987, media reported that he had pneumonia. In reality, the diagnosis was far more dire: he had AIDS. Richmond returned to the track in 1987, but he was gone from the sport by the next year as his health deteriorated. He spent his final days as a recluse, dying on August 13, 1989, at the age of 34. ( Read Tim Richmond more... )

Local NASCAR fan, collector ‘at whole new level’

LEE CENTER —

Mike Rogers has no trouble remembering when he became a fan of NASCAR racing.

The year was 1979, the race was the Daytona 500 — the first televised live in its entirety — and it ended with leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough wrecking on the final lap and then fighting over it.

“That’s what got me hooked,” Rogers said. “That got me hooked stupid.”

Don’t believe it?

The 55-year-old Lee Center fan has a NASCAR collection to prove it, a most impressive man cave with a bar, pool table, four televisions and walls lined bumper-to-bumper with thousands of die-cast race cars. ( Read Tim Richmond more... )

The Gaytona 500

Montreal stock-car racing legend Dick Foley was not just the first Canadian to race in the Daytona 500, back in 1959, but Foley also inadvertently caused the biggest pile-up in NASCAR history at Daytona Speedway the following year.

After losing, then regaining, control of his Chevy Impala - the words "Montreal, Canada" painted on his fenders - Foley spun out into the infield. Thirty-seven cars (in a record 73-car field) behind Foley weren't so lucky, crashing in a spectacular demolition derby that you can still see by surfing to www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eb3Sf6Kf1I.

Stock-car racing's storied bootlegging past, car crashes and stunts - one driver was even offered $1,000 cash to race without a roof in Daytona's 1959 inaugural race - established NASCAR as a macho club of good ole boys, thrill-seekers and speed demons. ( Read Tim Richmond more... )

Countdown to the Daytona 500: NASCAR Number 11

We are counting down the days until the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. Each day we are highlighting a number that corresponds to the countdown number. Wednesday's number: ( Read Tim Richmond more... )

Courtesy : The Cooler , On Pit Row , ESPN Media Zone , Uticaod , Hour.Ca & Sporting News