Is Racing Really Like Falling In Love?

    I’ve heard some sprint car drivers say that, racing is a lot like falling in love. I, personally can see why they say that. Just remember back to last November, when Denny Hamlin, was the points leader headed into the last race of the 2010 season, and he left there a disappointing second place, allowing Johnson to have his fifth consecutive championship. I can’t just imagine how heart-broken Denny really was, he was so close, but in his mind he was so far.

  When you first meet someone that you really like, you get that rush, where you think that your invincible, and that nothing is going to bring you down, and racing is a lot like that, believe it or not. When people get behind the wheel for the first time, they want to see how “fast this puppy can fly”, paying no regard to safety, which can cause people their lives, but that goes into the whole, being invincible thing, they think they know everything that there is to know about it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sprint car, late model, pro-stock, or a NASCAR Truck or Car.

  Then comes the second part, where they have good and bad days, they realize that they aren’t invincible, and they to, can get hurt, and hurt really bad. So they realize that they are are going to have days together that are great, and that they’ll remember for a long time, and then they will have bad days, where they will remember those also, and much like relationships, they tend to remember the bad times more so, just to learn from their mistakes, and it makes them a better person, and a driver, because they aren’t out there purposely wrecking someone.

  Then comes the falling in love, when all you think about is that person, and for these drivers is about getting back in their car, and racing. Racing to prove to everyone that they belong there, they are there because they know how to drive, and they know how to win races, and believe it or not that’s just like falling in love, because for a lot of these drivers that’s all they think about. Is being in a car, and doing what they love to do, but with falling in love also comes heartbreak. .

  Heartbreak, can change everything that you thought you knew. Imagine being Denny Hamlin last year, headed into Homestead Miami, the last race of the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup as the points leader, for the first time in 4 years, only to have his hopes of being the sprint cup championship taken away from him. As I watched that race last year, my heart broke for Denny, he worked so hard all year for that, even battled back after having knee surgery, during the season. After the race, you could just see the disappointment and heartbreak in his eyes, and everyone’s heart went out to him, he even took a hiatus from twitter, and that’s a lot like falling in love, because when you get your heart broken, you fall back on friends and family for support, however. Denny knew that his fans would be there waiting for him with open arms when he was ready to come back, and he knew that his fans would stand behind him regardless of if he won or not, because that’s what fans of NASCAR do, they are loyal to their driver, just like family and friends are for you.

  I never thought that I would be writing about, falling in love, and racing, but after looking at this, I can now see why people think that falling in love is a lot like racing, because even after that person that you love the most hurts you, you might be down for a while, but you' get back up and brush the dirt off, and go back at it, just like these drivers to. Sure its not all rainbows and sunshine, but without it, they would go crazy.