NASCAR crazy to allow 72-year-old driver in Daytona 500

[The Straight Story]

NASCAR crazy to allow 72-year-old driver in Daytona 500

By Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel

Last update: February 13, 2007 – 6:43 PM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Hey, gramps, are you going to drive the entire Daytona 500 in the right lane with your left blinker on?

What kind of car are you going to drive — a Ford Crown Victoria or a Chrysler New Yorker?

Are you going to wear racing boots or sandals with black socks?

And what sort of tires are you going to use — rubber Goodyears or stone wheels?

James Hylton, the 72-year-old racer trying to become the oldest in history to qualify for the Daytona 500, has heard them all. And even laughs at most of them.

"Jay Leno said my crew is going to have to change my catheter during pit stops," Hylton says, chuckling. "That's funny."

At the risk of sounding like the worrywart whippersnapper trying to pour Pennzoil in the old guy's prune juice, dare I say this really isn't a laughing matter? As kind a man as Hylton is and as good a racer as he once was, there's no way a septuagenarian should be driving a stock car at 190 mph — two centimeters away from the best drivers in the world and one muscle twitch away from disaster.


http://www.startribune.com/694/story/1000329.html

[hippiechick]

1. I agree.

Not only is he too old, but even at his prime he was never a top notch driver - certainly doesn't have the innate skills needed to avoid being a hood ornament, let alone the physical and mental conditioning (I'm talkin' personal trainers!) the top-level younger dudes have now.

:scared: I can't imagine NASCAR letting him race.

[Suich]

2. Paul Newman is 81 and still a competitive driver.

:popcorn:

[devilgrrl]

3. At least he isn't a broad.

:sarcasm:

http://www.autographedtoyou.com/xq/asp/parentid.395/id.872/Shirley+Muldowney/qx/celebpics/shirley_muldowney4.jpg

[Rick Myers]

5. Shirley Muldoowney kicks ASS!!!

Her and Big Daddy Don Garlits!!!

[devilgrrl]

7. I'm busting chops...

just so you know.

[BlackVelvet04]

13. BRISTOL!!!!!

Fond memories of watching those two.

[Rick Myers]

4. Saw him in qualifying last Sunday

He did great for his age, but still posted the 50th time. NASCAR runs 43 cars in a race, and some driver's get in with owner points, so he has to race in one od the Duel races tomorrow for a chance. I think it's great he did it, and his car had Retirement Times magazine on the hood!!!!

"Yeah, the Depends Chrysler New Yorker was runnin' pretty good today..."

[Missy M]

6. I guess if he qualifies he's OK to be in it....

if he doesn't at least he's having a last fling at it.

[northofdenali]

8. WTF is NASCAR thinking?

From the article:

"Says racer Michael Waltrip: "I'm only 43 and I'm amazed at what we do. If you tacked on another 30 years and told me to get out there, I'd say, 'You're crazy, man."'

Redford races competitively, but NOT in a 190 mph stock car race! This is being done for pure hype for a new cable television station. When I first read the headlines, I thought, well maybe the guy's doing each lap for charity, like getting multiple sponsors at X dollars per lap.

Nope. Sponsored solely by the TV station.

Anna Nicole Smith. Britney. Whacked astronaut. 73 Year Old in Daytona 500.

Pure media bullshit. :nuke:

[Bunny]

9. He'll probably have his turn signal on the entire time.

[Edweird]

10. Hey, why not? If he qualifies, then let him ride.

I will say, though, that I have to wonder if maybe he saw the latest rocky movie lately. Other than that, more power to him.

[kenny blankenship]

11. I'm all for it. What I want to know is

is there any way we can get George Russell Weller registered for the race too?
You know, some kind of last second, Little Miss Sunshine type thing, where we find the pissed off data entry guy, and he sneaks our entry into the field as an act of kindness and rebellion against his freakshow employers?

[bbinacan]

12. I say go for it Gramps

and good luck. How old was John Glenn when he flew on the shuttle?