The Hoosier Race Report: Dave, Wolfie, B.J., and Me

By Danny Burton

Danny Burton’s Hoosier Race Report appears courtesy of OpenWheelRacers.com

I often re-read books, and one result of that is that one can pick up something from a book (or movie, etc.) the second time around that isn’t noticed the first time. One is not the same person re-reading the book, in a sense. It’s much the same as seeing something with new eyes, or a new appreciation for whatever is seen, or read. The challenge is to see something new with the repeating of a familiar journey, such as this race fan’s weekly jaunts to Bloomington, Lawrenceburg, etc.

So re-reading yet another Louis L’Amour novel for the umpteenth time did this for me. A scene was described of golden leaves that had yet to fall from the trees, contrasted with how men and women love gold, the so-called precious metal. It occurred to me that we can and should, when feasible, have a bit of both. And I also thought about gifts, and their meaning. Gifts are a symbol of our feelings for the recipients. Those feelings include respect, gratitude, and even love, though there can, of course, be other feelings. This all brings me to the title of this little essay, but it mostly concerns B.J., the good-natured, caring young man who has made his life’s work that of a caretaker (dorm parent) at a very special private school deep in the eastern Kentucky mountains.

Oneida Baptist Institute has a black belt in turning out young people who are better off than when they enter the school, one of which would be my own son. http://www.oneidaschool.org/ is where you can find out more. Their ministry grew out of the need to teach kids of long ago that feuding was not the way to live and now the little school attracts kids from all over the world. Literally.

Several years ago when visiting my son, at some point I fell into conversation with B.J. Sure enough it turned out that we were both race fans. One thing led to another and even after my son graduated from OBI, B.J. and I kept in touch via the internet. Somewhere along there I was encouraged to send racing material to the school, as B.J. had some kids there who were race fans. Over the years, what started as an occasional package filled with racing magazines, newspapers, t-shirts, etc. has expanded to include clothes of all sorts, plus whatever supplies the kids can use at school. We’ve been entertained to see pictures that B.J. has sent of the kids wearing caps, for example, not to mention pictures of the dorm parent himself at places like Eldora Speedway (at the World 100). We’ve even had success with a couple of my friends donating items for the kids’ use, namely Dave and Dick, who stepped up big time and gave me some clothes to mail to the school. As B.J. has told me more than once, some of these kids have no one to send them anything, unlike most kids, who do have a family for support.

Dave Plays an Unwitting Role

A few months back, Dave Argabright wrote a book with legendary racer Doug Wolfgang. Dave was good enough to ask us to review the book and we did so accordingly. The book was vintage Argabright, told from Wolfgang’s point of view about his life and career in and out of racing. It was, to be brief, a story that could only happen in America, warts and all. I’d venture to say that both Dave and Doug were both glad the making of the book was over, and were also both pleased with the result.

Mystery Package

Soon after Christmas I received a package in the mail. It was the neatest thing, a 1:24 scale die cast of one of Wolfie’s sprint cars, Bob Trostle Racing on the side of the hood and all. It was an orange number 20, leading my grandson to exclaim, “Tony Stewart!” when he saw it.

The only possible fly in the ointment was me wracking my brain to try and figure out who could have sent this. Early suspects included my daughter and Dave Argabright himself, both of whom denied involvement. Finally I called the company who had mailed me the package and had myself one of those “Eureka!” moments.

The mystery was over. The “criminal” had been found, hiding, as it were, in those beautiful hills and hollers of the Appalachian Mountain chain. He had told me of wanting to send me a gift many weeks before, but I’d forgotten. As if that never happens to me.

Gifts and Thoughts Behind Them

At Christmas we are fond of saying, “it’s the thought that counts.” A cliché, but when you think about it many clichés are true. We live in a world that is all too often a bit overly materialistic. But from time to time we reminded that there is more to our lives than a mountain of gifts, even die cast race cars. We are reminded that there are plenty of people out there who certainly need gifts, but who need support, kind words, and yes, even prayers as well. When we give, we get back. As my friend John Hoover will tell me, “it’s just a way of giving back for all we’ve received” and he’s right, of course.

To put it another way, the reasons that we do good works are as important, if not more so, than the actual giving. Dave Argabright doesn’t write as well as he writes just so we can all say what a great job he does and what a great guy he is (though both are true). Doug Wolfgang, I’m reasonably sure, did not approach Dave and say, “hey, how about us writing a book about me?” I reluctantly mention the things that my wife and I have sent to Oneida, but only because it’s a part of this story. I certainly don’t wish for any compliments for doing what we should all be doing if or when we’re able. And finally, B.J. didn’t have the die cast of Wolfie mailed to me so I’d say what a great guy he is (though it, too, is true). Instead we all were able to put the ego aside for awhile and went above and beyond to do something for others, B.J. especially, who does it most every day in his position.

To me, this is how we advance and move forward, through people caring for others in some way. It may not be much in many ways, but even holding the door open for someone, for example, matters. And if we’re in a position to do more than that, we’d best do it when and while we can. This is meaningful, no matter what, if any, religion you may be. I happen to believe that we please God Himself when we’re spending at least part of our time helping others in some way. Rewards may be in this world or the next, or maybe both. All I know is that the reward that B.J. sent me is what we’d call your basic “keeper,” as is B.J. himself.

It’s silly to put too much emphasis on the car itself, but it is an excellent reminder of the spirit in which it was sent. I’ll cherish the thought behind it, no matter what becomes of the material gift itself.

Preparing to tell my little buddy Landon that this car is not Tony Stewart’s, I’m…

Danny Burton

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