07/12/2021
We would like to thank Dennis Punch for his kind words and his columns throughout the years. Here is his final column:
One Last Time
by Dennis Punch
This is a column that I never thought that I would write. When I got a call from Debbie (Young) a few days ago with the news, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. However, I came to realize that the news Debbie was telling me was, in fact, the truth. With this issue, Fastrack Racing Journal will cease publication. I feel your reaction right now. I had that same feeling when I heard.
So, I began thinking and making notes on what to say in my final column for Fastrack. This would be the first ever “final” column in my career. What do you say? Or, more importantly, what do you not say?
How can you put what Fastrack has meant to me and the motorsports world into a single, final column? I knew that this column would require much more thought and assistance that any other. And, in some cases, that’s saying a lot. I have always based my columns on numbers, stats, and the facts. However, I have had the freedom to express my feelings and my thoughts, whether I agreed or disagreed with a ruling, race outcome, series decision, or, heaven forbid, someone’s opinion. That’s what has made my association with Fastrack so special.
I decided to get some comments and thoughts from some of my friends in the sport who have followed and read Fastrack for many, many years. Their comments were valuable and put an exclamation point on what this decision truly means.
Andy Hall worked with NASCAR Public Relations for many years. When I worked with Busch Beer and Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and their involvement in NASCAR, Andy and I worked very closely to market, promote, and publicize the NASCAR Busch Series. Our work together spanned the early years of the Busch Series and lasted nearly ten years. Both of us feel very proud of the exposure that the Busch Series received during those first years of existence. And, Fastrack played a huge role in that success.
“I remember Fastrack being a publication that was serving some areas of motorsports that were underserved, particularly some forms of short track racing. In my years as part of the NASCAR PR team, their coverage was always welcomed and played a major role in the Busch Series and NASCAR growth and success,” Hall commented.
I contacted a dear friend, Tim Southers, and asked for his thoughts about Fastrack and their final issue. As I read his comments, I thought of all the race fans who would share the same feelings.
Southers said, “When I look back on my career in motorsports, I can’t begin to describe how much I always enjoyed reading Fastrack. For me, it was the first publication I read on a regular basis and always appreciated their focus on all types of motorsports, not just the NASCAR Cup Series. They (Fastrack) employed some of the best writers in the business and I always looked forward o their columns.”
“Working as the Ho***rs ProCup Series PR Director back in the early 2000’s, Fastrack was a publication that treated me and the series with respect equal to what was shown on NASCAR,” Southers added. “That always meant something special to me and our series. They believed in bringing all types of racing to their readers each week and were dedicated in their coverage.”
“I’ve been blessed in my nearly 30-year career in motorsports to have had some good jobs and work with some great people,” Southers continued. “At a tough time in my life, Hal and Selma Hamrick, and their daughter Debbie, offered me an opportunity to work with them at Fastrack. Honestly, I never felt worthy of that job, but they believed in me and gave me the opportunity – and quite frankly – kept my career going in the sport. I’ll always be grateful for their faith in me and the opportunity to join a who’s who list of writers, photographers, and editors that worked for Fastrack.”
“Newer or younger fans or people working in NASCAR probably never heard of Hal Hamrick,” Southers concluded. “But his contributions to the sport of auto racing and NASCAR I felt were never fully realized or appreciated by the masses. I don’t know of many people who have the career resume of working and helping build up tracks or the sport in general as Hal did during his tenure for over five decades. I’m truly saddened that Fastrack will cease to exist. They have been a vital part of my racing career.”
My final conversation about Fastrack was with my brother, Dr. Jerry Punch. A motorsports announcer and broadcaster for over thirty years, Jerry had fond memories of Fastrack through the years.
“Even before I had the opportunity to work in motorsports, I read Fastrack so that I could keep up with the sport I love. At that time, there were only a handful of racing publications to read and get your motorsports news and results. One of the major reasons I enjoyed reading Fastrack was the fact that they coverage various racing series and the short tracks. Fastrack was the “go to” publication for news about many of the short tracks around the Southeast. They also covered the modifieds, dirt tracks, sprint cars, really all forms of racing. Throughout my motorsports career, I could always read Fastrack to keep up with so many young drivers who were beginning their racing careers and follow their rise in the sport. Fastrack has been able to remain a valuable asset to our sport for decades. The news that they will cease will leave a huge void in many race fans, as well as those in the sport. My sincere thanks for all Fastrack has done for motorsports for decades.”
When I thought about the length of time that Fastrack has been in publication, I took a long look at the current state of the sport and its competitors. When I researched the current list of drivers who have won championships in the top three divisions of NASCAR – Cup, Xfinity, and Camping World Trucks – I found some amazing facts.
If you look at the NASCAR Cup Series champions back to 1999, only Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart were born before Fastrack started publication. Looking at Xfinity Series Champs since 2000, only the 2000 series champion Jeff Green was born before Fastrack debuted. And, in the NASCAR Camping World Trucks, you have to go back to 2010 Todd Bodine to find a championship born before Fastrack.
In fact, Fastrack began publication before the NASCAR Xfinity (1982) and Camping World Truck Series (1995) ran their first races.
To put Fastrack and their “run” in motorsports, NASCAR tracks like Las Vegas (’96), Texas (’97), Nashville Superspeedway (’01), Phoenix (’88), Kansas (’01), Sonoma (’89), New Hampshire (’90), Chicagoland (’09), and Auto Club Speedway – California (’97) among others were not in existence when Fastrack started.
When I thought about how to close, I must admit a tear rolled down my cheeks. When I was working in NASCAR motorsports with Busch Beer, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and several drivers and teams, Fastrack was always there. Some of my best friends in racing at that time worked for Fastrack. When my career as a Public Relations representative ended, I had the opportunity to begin writing columns for Fastrack. That relationship kept me involved in the sport and enabled me to relay many personal experiences of my career to our readers. I can’t begin to tell you the many calls, letters, and personal “thank you notes” I have received from fans and people within the sport about some of my columns.
I totally understand the decision that Debbie (Young) and Jeff and Lindsay Norris made to cease FasTrack. Their dedicated efforts to keep the publication alive and current when other racing publications fell by the wayside speaks to their love for the sport and fans. But, the culture in motorsports now makes it so difficult to obtain information on a timely basis to publish each week.
A old adage says, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone!”. Well, I’m certain that I will have that same feeling when I sit at my computer next week and realize that I have no Fastrack column to write. But, I realized what I had with the opportunity to remain active in the sport through my efforts with Fastrack. The people at Fastrack have given far more to our sport than they have ever received. And, although no longer published each week, Fastrack will always have a lasting position in the history of motorsports. Other racing publications have come, served the sport well, and moved on. Fastrack came before them and outlasted them.
In conclusion, I remember being told “Don’t cry when it’s over, smile because you had the opportunity”. I can’t promise that I will never shed a tear because Fastrack is over, but I know that I will smile just thinking about the opportunity that I had to be a small part of the Fastrack family. Thank you Fastrack for what you have meant to me, both personally and professionally. It’s been a wonderful ride!
