There are several reasons why Nascar is different than conventional stick and ball sports, but one of the biggest is that they are always ready and willing to give back. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, all the drivers ran special decals and raised money and supplies for those affected. They also support our military in all that they do for our country. So with the recent tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, several teams, drivers and sponsors jumped at the chance to lend a helping hand to those affected.
Jamie McMurray, driver of the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy, is a native of Joplin and still calls that city home, despite living in North Carolina. This past weekend in the Coke 600, while many drivers were sporting red, white and blue paint schemes, McMurray's was the same orange, black and camo Impala that he runs every week. But it did have one major difference.
Johnny Morris, owner of Bass Pro Shops and close friend of McMurray, took Tracker Boats off the side of the #1 car for the weekend and replaced it with the phrase "Hope Joplin, Mo." along with the website convoyofhope.org. But the race quickly turned to heartbreak for this team because as Jamie ran second, fighting for the lead, his engine let go and sent him out of the race. Jamie is a guy who flies under the radar a lot and is a hell of a race car driver. He is also a really great, genuine guy and seeing that Hope for Joplin car heading to the garage was disappointing not only for him, but for the fans as well. That would have been a really great feel good win and a great boost of moral for that city.
On his way to Kansas for this weekend's race, Jamie also stopped to tour the devastation around his hometown. He stayed pretty calm during the majority of the trip, until he arrived at East 25th Street and saw where house number 4471 once stood. That is when McMurray let his emotions show.
Jamie Mac walked through the rubble that was childhood home and managed to talk through his tears about remembering Christmas as a child and how he now had a greater appreciation for what those affected are going through now. He also saw what remained of Joplin High School, from which he is a graduate. This site was one of the few places left where clean up had not yet begun, so it really gave the Earnhardt-Gannasi Racing driver some perspective about the damage that was actually done.
You can watch McMurray's reaction in his interview with ESPN reporter Marty Smith by visiting http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/6/3/2204586/nascar-jamie-mcmurray-joplin-tornado-damage-2011. You can also access this link by clicking on the above picture of McMurray's car. The video was posted on the SB Nation website by writer Jeff Gluck and really helps to paint a vivid picture of McMurray's emotions. Just being able to hear Jamie's voice and see his reaction, just breaks your heart and really puts things into perspective. It's impossible to imagine being in that situation.
Another team doing some fundraising this weekend was Michael Waltrip Racing. MWR drivers David Reutimann, Martin Truex, Jr and Bobby Labonte, as well as the teams sponsors Aaron's Rent and Bass Pro Shops held autograph sessions and collections for the folks in Joplin. Reutimann and Labonte signed autographs for fans at an Aaron's store in Kansas and Truex did the same at a Kansas area Bass Pro Shops. (They are only an associate sponsor on Truex's #56 car. Most of their sponsorship dollars go towards Jamie Mac's car). The team's #00 and #56 pit crews were also on hand to load tons of supplies onto trucks bound for Missouri.
That is what makes Nascar different. The drivers that we see race every Sunday are not big time celebrities like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and LeBron James. They are real people and they have not forgotten where they came from. From big time drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, to those that fly under the radar like Jamie Mac and Reutimann, they all do great things from setting up foundations for different causes, to visiting disaster areas and collecting supplies for disaster relief. It's great to see that McMurray, Reutimann, Truex and Waltrip care about what their fellow Americans are going through and that they are there for them, using their "celebrity" statuses for good. Please keep those affected by the tornadoes in Joplin, Tuscaloosa, Mississippi and Massachusetts in your thoughts and prayers as they rebuild their homes and their lives.
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