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Dan
Pardus, who will be in the booth for most of the 2004 ARCA RE/MAX Series
events, drove cars fielded by Jim Gardner’s J&J Motorsports team in 38 ARCA
RE/MAX Series races from 1997 to 2001, leading 61 laps in 7 races, with a
best qualifying run of outside pole at Pocono in 2000 and a best finish of
3rd at Talladega in ’98 before moving on to the NASCAR Busch Series.
More at
arcaracing.com |
Cowboys Without Horses
Being a racecar driver without a ride is a lonely feeling. It’s like a cowboy at a rodeo without a horse. Speedweeks, the Super Bowl of Racing has come and gone and the racing season moves on. This season there are many more drivers without rides. These is no solace that
I am just one of many Nascar drivers still looking for a ride this season. Friends I competed against and others I know in the racing community are all searching. Like Kevin Lepage, Elton Sawyer, Tim Fedewa, Hank Parker Jr, Tim Sauter, Jay Sauter, Steve Grisssom, Chad Chafin, Shawna Robinson, Mike McLaughlin, Shane Hall, Mark Green, Jimmy Kitchens,
Lyndon Amick, Steadman Marlin, Geoff Bodine, Chad Little. New names are being added to the list almost daily.
The competitive nature of racing today has significantly raised the cost of participation. It is not unusual to see a starting field today where the pole sitter and the provisional field are separated by less than one second per lap. Every facet of racing has to be scrutinized and improved to be competitive. All this adds to the cost of racing. The
recently completed Busch Rockingham race was won in the pits. No longer can a team go to the track with “over the wall” weekend volunteers. Trained, professional pit crews have become a necessary and another added cost factor.
Sponsors are the most important ingredient to keeping this sport viable.
And the Sponsor money needs to be invested in race teams to bring competition to the track. Like the cowboy without the horse, another billboard above the rodeo arena is not going to save his sport.
I look back and swell with pride over the progress our team has made. From racing asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway, on to the Goody’s Dash Series, then up to ARCA and then the move to racing in the Busch Grand National and Winston Cup Series, we have continued to move forward. I have achieved these goals because of the dedication of family,
friends and fans and the help of many sponsors. There are Sponsors who have been visible with their decals on the car. And there are a number of sponsors and supporters who love racing and believe in me and have contributed their help and money without recognition. I thank you all.
While our progress has been good, the slowing of the economy had proven to be an obstacle. Our race team is intact and we continue to seek sponsor support. We hope to be entering races this season and will post here on the website when good news is available.
Thanks,
Dan
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