Sterling Marlin is about as fancy as a paper plate at a church potluck dinner. That's why I wish there were more just like him in Winston Cup racing.
In this issue of Stock Car Racing, writer Larry Woody provides excellent insight into one of the last good ol' boys of Winston Cup racing. It's the story of a kid from Tennessee who learned the value of hard work by tending tobacco fields, baling hay, raising cattle, and cleaning out barns.
In the black-tie world of Winston Cup racing, Sterling Marlin is blue jeans and a flannel shirt, sausage gravy and biscuits, and a sun-kissed farm field. He's a drive down a dirt road, with George Jones singing on the radio, "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes?"
Much has changed in Winston Cup racing since Sterling entered his first Cup event in 1976, driving a car owned by his father and picking up a check for $565. Wall Street has replaced Main Street in racing, pumping millions of dollars into the sport. Networks deliver races to millions of new fans.
Growth is good. But somewhere along the line, the criteria for making it to Winston Cup changed. Outstanding records aren't enough to land you a ride. In fact, downright average may do the trick as long as you're young, good in front of a camera, and come armed with plenty of clichs so you won't have to say anything original. In other words, DON'T be yourself.
Those who know Sterling say he's the same now as when he first started racing. He's won more than $20 million in his career, but that doesn't mean he can't still enjoy a bologna sandwich in the team's hauler. "With Sterling, what you see is what you get,'' says team manager Tony Glover. "I've known Sterling since me and him were kids, and he hasn't changed one bit. He don't put on airs.''
Dang it, Sterling ain't never gonna change. His ability to stay true to himself and his upbringing has won him many fans, and helped keep him in a Winston Cup car when at times it appeared he'd never win. His first victory didn't come until 1994, in his 279th Winston Cup start. This late bloomer really dazzled in 2001, finishing third in points and leading the point race much of the '02 season before a neck injury sidelined him.
I guarantee you Sterling's eager to crack open the Coors Light Dodge and get rolling in 2003. Yes, the guy who loves University of Tennessee football, digging around for Civil War artifacts, and who refers to his car as a "hot rod," will be back at the track and, as always, back to the basics.
Chances are, you know someone just like Sterling. Someone who can drive the wheels off a race car. Someone who really deserves a shot at the next level, but lacks the poise and the savvy to make it happen. Someone unwilling to change who he is.
That's reason enough to pull for Sterling, who's proven there's still a spot in big-league racing for a good ol' boy. He's country when country isn't cool, and that's good enough for me.
You can reach Editor David Bourne via e-mail at David.Bourne@primedia.com, or by writing to: Stock Car Racing, 5555 Concord Parkway South, Suite 330, Concord, NC 28027.
Editorial
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