The Hoosier Race Report: Heroes

By Danny Burton

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

he·ro - Pronunciation [heer-oh] noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros.

• a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
• a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
• the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
• Classical Mythology.
• a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
• (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
• (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
• HERO SANDWICH.
• the bread or roll used in making a hero sandwich.

(From dictionary.com)

Are racers heroes? According to the above, at least for the first two definitions, they may well be. But are they? Few, if any, would argue that the deeds that racers do are brave. And the vast majority of racers have noble qualities. But maybe it depends on what your definition, or mine, might be.

For me, heroes and heroines are mainly people who are heroes every day that they get up and go to work. Their heroic actions seldom make the news or sports highlights. These people routinely go about their business with little fanfare. They would scoff at the silly notion that they are heroes.

These are the “everyday heroes”, those whose very work involves heroism, either every day or whenever the occasion arises. You know them as medical personnel who deal with hurting people daily, law enforcement people, soldiers and sailors, social workers, teachers, counselors, and ministers/chaplains/rabbis, and other religious caregivers, among others. The bravery that they exhibit may be physical in nature, or may take another form. Obviously, not every one of these people will completely fulfill the definition of heroes; we’ve read about or seen them on the news, most always in a bad light. Just as obviously, they are a tiny minority. I’d even venture that the vast majority of these people could wear halos at times. But that is for another article.

There are your “15 minutes of fame” type heroes too, and they also deserve the title. They are the motorist who stops at a wreck and saves a life; they are ordinary, anonymous people who rise to the occasion. They don’t wake up in the morning thinking that they might be put in such a situation; their odds are against it. But when it happens, they react as a hero should.

Yet another kind of hero is also anonymous, but they still are heroic. This hero may the single mom who is trying to raise her kids, minus a husband/father, work at a job, and keep her sanity. It may be a someone facing a serious, or even fatal illness with grace, courage, and even humor. Or it could be anyone going through any drastic change, new spouse, new job, different home, or even a divorce or widowhood. These people would deny being a hero/heroine, but they are. They are exhibiting bravery, an ability to cope, and they possess noble qualities. To me, at least, they are heroes.

But what of entertainers, athletes, and other celebrities? Are they heroes? Is what they do heroic in nature? Let us cast aside singers, talk show hosts, and baseball players for the time being and focus on race drivers.

Only the village idiot would question the “bravery” of the courage or race drivers, even with today’s advanced safety measures. As for “ability”, that, of course, varies from racer to racer, as well as the opinions of others. But what of “brave deeds” and “noble qualities”? With those two heroic traits the list of heroes and heroines becomes smaller.

Haven’t we seen racers do well on the track and considered them heroes? Of course, but why so? Was it merely because they took the checkered flag first? Or was it because of how they won?

As a child watching races, perhaps my first racing hero was some guy named Bob Kinser. I knew nothing of him other than the fact that he raced very well and my dad liked him too.

As a teenager, my racing heroes included racers as diverse as Andy Hampton, A.J. Foyt, and Paul Goldsmith. Usually they drove the “right” kind of cars (My dad was not a Ford fan, so at that time, neither was I. Andy, A.J., and Paul didn’t usually drive Fords. Go figure.).

Fast forward to the present and my definition of “racing hero” has evolved. Just winning a race in and of itself doesn’t count as being a hero. Being “colorful”, or flashy, or putting on a good show, doesn’t count either.

My list of people that I personally consider to be racing heroes is fairly short. I should hastily add that my list of racers that I admire is quite lengthy. But for me a racing hero is a person who not only excels on the track, but off the track as well. My racing hero need not be a choirboy; he, or she, is only human after all.

My racing heroes may not win the most races, nor may they win championships of any kind. Granted, that doesn’t hurt. But my racing heroes are well-respected by their peers, as well as most anyone else involved with racing, including race fans. They race hard, but clean. They will help fellow racers who need a new part, or advice. When they themselves have a car to fix, they get plenty of competitors who are ready to help. They give their time, money, talent, and efforts to further the cause of not just racing, but to help those in need. They may not be millionaires as their TV brethren may be, but they are rich folks in their own way. Race fans don’t need to stand in line to talk with my racing heroes. All they need to do is either buy a pit pass or wait until after the race to say hello, get a t-shirt signed, or just talk racin’. My heroes will be more than happy to do any of the above. I’d list them here, but as sure as my grandson will bug me to take him to Eldora with him, I’d forget someone. I will say that if my grandson has a racing hero, it would be one Kevin Besecker.

Too often words, to my personal distress, are somehow cheapened when they are misused or overused. The word “kill” comes to mind, as in “Jimmie Johnson is just killin’ them in turn one today.” “Hero” is another word that gets the same (mis)treatment. The real heroes go unnoticed by the public at large while mindless celebrities’ every move is scrutinized by an unthinking, uncritical society. Standards for what is considered to a hero are lowered, at least for some. And when that happens most anyone can qualify as being a hero. The meaning is lost. And then so are we.

Heroes and heroines are still around everywhere, and most certainly in racing. It is not required that they win the race and get the glory. But is required that they meet the accepted, real, and worthwhile criteria and definitions that have come to be defined, as we read at the beginning of this essay. They may not hold a steering wheel. They may hold a wrench, a flag, or maybe even a microphone. But on and off the track, they are heroes. They are there to serve us and each other. And is there any higher calling from God or anyone else than that?

Preparing for my own encounter with a group of heroes this week as my wife steps up for some serious surgery, I’m…

Danny Burton

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