It is hard to believe that it has been over 20 years since off road racing,
SCORE, returned to Laughlin. Being involved as a sponsor, I would arrive a day
early and go be part of contingency, hang out with race teams, and do business,
while it was three days of business for me, it was three days of fun for my son
Andrew, who was 12 at the time. And this weekend would be no different, but
have a few surprises of its own, pleasant ones. With a new venue, no one was
familiar with it yet, so we all were rookies, pre-running it if you will.
Contingency was held on Friday night, and as the sun set late, I was able to
encounter many that I knew. Among them was Ivan Stewart, who had Don Laughlin
with him, he was showing him around, and acting as the goodwill ambassador for
racing. He introduced me, and when asked to come along, I did. The man who is
a legend in off road racing, The Ironman, and the man whose name the town bears,
I listened a lot, an hour I won’t forget. But I had more pressing things to
deal with, like finding the guy who made our room reservations, and getting
settled in. But Bill was no where to be found in these pre-i-whatever days, and
when I finally found him, he had not gotten the rooms,and was staying with a
friend. Good luck finding a room on race weekend! But I wasn’t worried, as I
knew other friends were there, too.....
Don Tebbe was the crew chief of Simon and Simon Racing, and a great brother
in Christ. When I told him my situation, he said “no problem, we always book
extra rooms, you can share one with a pit crew member.” Cool, and at a Ramada, I
would be going first class, Bill stayed at the lower end places. A big room,
which I ended up sharing alone, the pit crews busy during the night. Also
Andrew, was known by more people than I was, and was staying out at the course
in the race semi trailer with Jon, the head mechanic. In good hands, I never
worried, as teams were as family, and I knew many names, no last names, and only
at the races, and so I had no worries, and slept well. For the next night was
the Trophy Truck races, after the Laughlin Leap, with Jimmy Johnson winning,
jumping his Trophy Truck over 120 feet! That Jimmy, 7 or will it be 8 NASCAR
championships Jimmy. Who was also a racer I sponsored....
But somewhere during Friday night, really early Saturday morning, I found
out how a racer in a pre-runner had been pulled over at 3 in the morning,
clocked at 110 mph. Crazy, until an excited Andrew told me how he and Jon were
bored, couldn’t sleep, so went for a ride. It was Jon and him who were the talk
that morning. While I slept soundly, God had everything under control. But
Saturday night the race went off, and became a stop on the SCORE tour, the
Simons got their usual podium finish, and for many just another race had gone
off without a hitch. But for Andrew and I, we had stories to tell, and that
first Laughlin race will always be special to us.
Being on the inside, even just in the door as I was, I got to see and meet
different people, and see racing from a different perspective. So when I watch
it on TV today, I see things differently, all the work that goes into a race,
and all the play that goes with it as well. Some came to race, some to assist,
and some to spectate. Talking with Andrew his race weekend stories were much
different than mine, I met Mr. Laughlin, he met the police at 110 in a race
truck. Not sure which one is more impressive, I guess it depends on the
audience, I wish I had gone 110 in the race truck, too. My wife had a third
voice when weighing in...
Now I can associate with Jon and Andrew going out for a fast ride, it
releases stress, and too many suffer from stress because they are bored and
doing nothing. One good burst of speed will cure that, red lights in the mirror
will add more adrenalin neither event is boring. When you are stressed, how do
you react, what do you do? Not everyone has a race truck available to them,
what advice would your doctor give? A week in Hawaii, find a place where
nothing bothers you, seek peace by changing locations, go where nobody bothers
you. And don’t tell anyone of that place, or it won’t be any longer. But the
advice Jesus gave to his disciples was simple, required no money, no extra time,
no vehicles, and no police. He told them “peace I give to you, not as the world
gives,” where he is referring to a personal relationship with himself. His
guarantee is based on him, not you, but you are involved, playing a major part.
At its base, when we come to Christ and are born again, we receive his spirit
within us, knowing that if he is with us, who can be against us. The list in
Romans 8 includes famine, nakedness, peril by sword, and persecution and
distress. Not one of these things can get between you and Jesus, when his
spirit is within you. Yes tough times will come, you may be without a room on
race weekend, but God had a room ready for me, and I slept alone in air
conditioned peace. I knew Andrew would be OK, even the police were looking out
for him, and Jon received no ticket. Jesus’ guarantee is that he is working out
the solution before we even know about it or go to prayer. He quiets the storm,
and stills the waves, how simple to find a room, and keep your children safe
too? His peace is based on something internal, which affects the external, not
the other way around. Peace is not the absence of suffering, but the presence
of God, his spirit being the comforter, his words being wise and personal. No
one has ever fought God and won....if he is for us, who can be against
us?
Stressed, worried, confused? Return to that place of rest today, right
now. Rest in the fact that Jesus has everything under control, and don’t let
your circumstances control you. He already is working on the problem, remember
what Joseph said after all his brothers put him through, “what the devil meant
for evil, God meant for good.” Echoed by Paul, “for all things work together
for those who love the Lord, and are called according to his purpose.” His
purpose, to know Jesus and be saved. Only in the spirit will he be revealed,
and that same spirit is still calling many to repent today. You see, Jesus
loves the sinner just as much as the saved, but he gives us the pit pass to
heaven, and gives us the racer’s edge in life. Which is why we can say we have
this confidence in him, because we know he cares for us. Loves us, and protects
us, until heaven calls us home. I won big at Laughlin that weekend, and never
even raced! We race to win...who leads your race determines your outcome. And
I know the crewchief personally, and he knows me...
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com