You will be missed, my friend

David Poole types his notes while Mike Mulhern and I record our interview with Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008. 

Photo by Dwight Drum, racetake.com

On Tuesday morning, I knew exactly what this week’s column was going to be about, but that all changed at 3:28 p.m. when I received an untitled e-mail from the National Motorsports Press Association.

The first line of the e-mail was clear enough. “It is with great sadness that I inform you that David Poole of the Charlotte Observer died this afternoon of a heart attack,” wrote Dustin Long, NMPA president.

I had to read it a couple of times and I even fired off an immediate response hoping this was some sort of sick joke.

But it wasn’t. My friend, David Poole, had died.

Now, I know this doesn’t mean a whole lot to anyone out there other than the most devoted NASCAR fans that remember me mentioning David’s name in my column from time to time, but to me it was chilling — in more ways than one. I couldn’t believe it. I had just heard him doing his radio show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio a few hours earlier. And in two weeks, we were going to meet and discuss a project that we began last year because he had better access to some of the people were needed to speak with. On the radio, he sounded a little congested but I would have never known he was about to die. And neither did he, apparently.

Later in the day, I found out that he had made plans to meet with NASCAR legend Buddy Baker about an upcoming article he was working on and that he had just spoken with Texas Motor Speedway’s Eddie Gossage the night before. No one knew that David’s heart was about to give out.

If you ever saw Poole or heard his show, it was no secret — he was a big guy. He and Tony Stewart would even joke about finding the buffet in the media center during race weekends.

Anyway, David would probably deny it but he was a nice guy. Behind his gruff, ornery demeanor he was always willing to help. And that included reporters who were still trying to gain membership in the tight-nit group that is the NASCAR press corp. David helped me with that and he would always give a wave or yell “Hey, Jerry” or “Hello” from across the room when he saw me. He was my friend and I know I will miss seeing him at the track later this month when I go to cover the All-Star race and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.

After the news set in, I did some basic research and found that each year there are about 1.5 million people in the United States that suffer from a heart attack and that one-third of them die. So, 500,000 people each year die from a heart attack. Someone is stricken by a heart attack about once every 20 seconds, which means that someone dies from a heart attack every minute or so. Wow, that is a pretty strong statistic.

Suffice it to say, if you are at risk of a heart attack you probably should get checked out or, at the very least, start eating healthier and exercising.

Leave it to my wife to point out that I am no poster child for the cover of Men’s Health Magazine. Yeah, I can stand to drop a few pounds — hell, I can stand to drop a few dozen pounds. This wasn’t something that I wanted to face just 30 minutes after I told her of David’s death, but it is a harsh reality.

To those in the NASCAR community — the ones that travel the circuit regularly — David Poole was the go-to guy for NASCAR news. Think about it this way. When David Poole wrote a column, covered a race or interviewed a driver, it was people like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jack Roush and Richard Childress who read his work. Being based in Charlotte and working for the Observer, he was the “local” reporter for the NASCAR. In the media center, he was the person that set the tone and he could be very vocal about it. But if there was something that he could do to help facilitate getting the story out to the fans quicker, he would push for it.

I have read a lot of quotes about what David meant to different people but I think the one from Dale Jr. says it all, “David Poole was as much a fixture in this sport as the actual cars themselves.”

As for David’s wife, Katy, his grandson Eli, daughter Emily and sons Matthew and David and other loved ones, you all should know that David was very special to a lot of people that you never met, including myself. As I listened to Sirius throughout the afternoon on Tuesday, it was overwhelmingly apparent that David Poole had touched many, many people’s lives. He cared about what he wrote and he cared for the people he wrote it about. That is an ability that not every journalist has. I looked up to David Poole and I hope that I can be half as good at covering this sport as he was. I will miss seeing him at the track each time I cover a race in the future. His loss is huge and I don’t envy the person who has to come along behind him and try to fill his shoes.

NASCAR remembers David Poole

 “The NASCAR community is stunned and saddened by the loss of David Poole. David was as passionate about NASCAR as anyone and had very definitive opinions about the sport. He served the industry, and most importantly the fans, through his reporting and commentary in the Charlotte Observer and Sirius Satellite Radio. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David’s family and friends. He will be missed.” — Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO

Texas Motor Speedway’s staff offers its thoughts and prayers to the family of respected veteran Charlotte Observer motorsports reporter David Poole, who passed away today. Speedway President Eddie Gossage also expressed his sentiments: “David was a powerful and prolific voice in NASCAR as a result of his role at The Charlotte Observer. He called me just last night and we talked for a while about a column he was working on, so this is very stunning to me. The thing I liked about David was that you could argue a counterpoint to his thoughts and while he might argue his point vociferously, he had an open mind to understand your position. Even if he still disagreed, he would respectfully concede the validity of your position. I’ve lost a friend and colleague, the sport lost a prescient voice but, worst of all, the Poole family lost a vital member.” — Eddie Gossage, president, Texas Motor Speedway

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of NASCAR beat writer David Poole. Our thoughts go out to his wife, Katy, and his entire family. Our sympathy also goes to everyone in the NASCAR community – David’s extended family.

“It is extremely difficult to put into words the impact David Poole had on our sport. His talents went beyond the ability to craft mere words into a story. David had a gift for debate that drove fans wild, and he was sometimes as entertaining as the action on the track. He was a passionate racing fan and cared deeply for the sport he treasured. His passion was evident in the countless hours he invested from the earliest of wake-up calls for his live SIRIUS show to the latest of nights at the track to meet his deadline for the Charlotte Observer. David was a staple in the sport and always will be remembered as a NASCAR legend. He will be missed.” — Statement from Sprint, title sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to David’s family. He was a friend of everybody in the garage area. He could be controversial from time to time but he always wrote and spoke what he believed. He didn’t pull any punches with anybody and that’s what people respected about him. He was good for the sport and will be missed.” — Richard Childress, President and CEO Richard Childress Racing

“David worked his ass off for our sport, whether it was in his writing or on his radio show. His life revolved around the sport and we’re obviously very saddened by the loss. He will be missed.” — Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet

“I’ve gotten to know (David) Poole really well over the years. He spent a lot of time with the No. 31 team every weekend and would sit and have conversations with us on just about everything. He was fun to agree and debate with. I admired his professionalism and work ethic and he did a great job of reporting our sport to the fans. He’s someone I have a lot of respect for and he will definitely be missed.” — Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet

“David was a great person. I loved being on his radio shows because he always found a way to make you laugh during the interview. He always made you feel like you were best buds that had known each other for years. He was a superb writer that always had creative angles to make a story the best it could be. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time. We’ll all miss seeing his face in the garage area. It’s a sad day for our NASCAR community to lose this incredible writer and dear friend.” — Stephen Leicht, driver of the No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet

“David Poole was a professional and his passing is a big loss to our sport. I always had a very good working relationship with David. He always knew when the right time to approach a driver was and when it wasn’t. He was a fair and objective reporter and someone who I had a great deal of respect for. I always appreciated his no nonsense approach. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.” — Casey Mears, driver of the No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet

“Losing David is a huge blow to the NASCAR community. I feel we have lost one of the “old-guard” of the NASCAR press corps. As a longtime motorpsorts journalist, David was as knowledgeable about NASCAR as anyone I have ever met. I want his family to know that the thoughts and prayers of everyone at Talladega Superspeedway are with them during this difficult time. “ — Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey

 “I am shocked and saddened to hear the news that our sport has lost David Poole. My thoughts go out to his family. He was someone who loved our sport and wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion. That’s what made him one of the most respected members of our media. I know I worked twice as hard to make sure I earned his respect. I am proud of what he has done for our sport and I know he will be truly missed by everyone in NASCAR.” —Jimmie Johnson, driver of No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet

 “David was one of those guys that I always looked forward to seeing in the media center, because David and I always understood each other.   We always gave each other a hard time, in a fun way, whenever we were in the media center and that normally got everybody laughing.  It’s going to be different without seeing him every week.  He was a huge part of the sport.  Being with The Charlotte Observer and with Charlotte being the hub of our series, he was right in the middle of it all the time.  He’s very well respected in our sport, and definitely in the media center.  We’re all just going to miss him.  It was just a big shock to hear the news." — Tony Stewart, Owner-Driver, Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet

“The staff at Auto Club Speedway is saddened to learn of the passing of David Poole. His passion, knowledge and dedication to motorsports will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and colleagues.” — Gillian Zucker, President, Auto Club Speedway

Edwards jogs across finish line after horrible crash

In a scene reminiscent of the worst movie in history, Carl Edwards was leading the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway when he was wrecked on the final lap just a few feet from the checkered flag. And when the cars came to a stop, Edwards climbed out of the No. 99 Claritin Ford Fusion and made a dash for the finish line on foot — just like Ricky Bobby did in “Talladega Nights.”

I think I am going to be sick after writing that but there just isn’t any other way to describe it. I absolutely hated that movie and to see it play out on live television was almost too much. Now, if Edwards had gone up and mouth-kissed race-winner Brad Kesolowski, I would have turned in my NASCAR credential and switched my fandom to water polo.

Seriously, the crash was horrific and resulted in injuries to seven fans seated along the front stretch.

And given the ride that he had just taken, Edward wasn’t lost for words in the post-race interview concerning his feelings about NASCAR and restrictor plate racing.

“NASCAR puts us in a box,” Edwards said. “We will race like this until they kill somebody, and then they will change it.”

Edwards words hadn’t even cleared his lips and the paramedics were already rushing to the scene to immediately assess those who were hurt.

Two people were flown to area hospitals but the most severe injury appeared to be a broken jaw.

As for NASCAR’s reaction and whether anything would be done to either slow the cars down or decrease the banking angle at the track, the answer is still up in the air.

A late-Monday press conference didn’t leave many in the NASCAR press corp. with a warm fuzzy feeling about the issue.

The following comment came from NASCAR Vice-president of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter: “In regards to Sunday’s late race incident at Talladega Superspeedway, it’s extremely unfortunate that a few fans suffered minor injuries. No one wants anyone to get hurt while attending one of our events and our thoughts are with each of the fans injured this weekend. Safety is, and always will be, NASCAR’s No. 1 priority, and we are glad that each of the safety devices at Talladega yesterday worked properly, including the roof flaps and the catch fence. As most of you know, we are constantly evaluating safety initiatives. It’s something we do every day we are at the racetrack, and it’s something we do every day at the R&D center.

“We tried letting the competitors police themselves when it comes to blocking and bump drafting. After reviewing all of those procedures, we might have to start making some judgment calls of our own and penalize, issue penalties for drivers who blatantly block and abuse the bump drafting. We are going to take whatever measures we need to in order to ensure the races are as safe as possible for everyone.”

So, what are we being told here? I am not really sure but it sounded like NASCAR was blaming the entire incident on a driver making a poor decision. And that may be the case but drivers make poor decisions at other tracks all of the time — they don’t result in a car ending up four-feet from clearing the inside catch fence and slamming into the crowd.

I admit Edwards and Kesolowski made mistakes but if NASCAR or International Speedway Corp. thinks that the track configuration and intense speed didn’t play a part in the No. 99 getting airborne, I am not buying it.

Here is what I know. It is called racing because you are trying to go faster than the other guy. Yes, there is an element of danger. Yes, people can get hurt — even die. But does that mean that every precaution in the world shouldn’t be taken to ensure the unthinkable doesn’t happen.

Had Edwards cleared the fence, this column would be totally different. I think the fact that Edwards didn’t end up in the stands is a testament to the safety measures that NASCAR has in place. I just hope they don’t sit back and say, “Hey, it worked. We don’t need to change anything.”

Even though Hunter proclaimed that all of the safety measures performed properly, we still had fans get injured. I saw a huge piece of metal get thrown into the stands. We were lucky. Several drivers have shared that same feeling. But just because we were lucky last week doesn’t mean we’re always going to dodge that bullet.

NASCAR, I implore you to assess the Talladega situation so that what Edwards said about people dying can be avoided.

Goodbye, my friend

David Poole and Mike Bagley on Sirius Satellite Radio's The Morning Drive Show from Hendrick Motorsports last year during between the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 weekends. Photo by Jerry Jordan

David Poole — 1959 - 2009

A lot of people knew David Poole as gruff and ornery but to me he was a friend and one of the first people to help me out when I had a question about the inner-workings of NASCAR.

I would never claim to know David Poole, as well as, other more regular reporters covering the sport but I still looked up to him for inspiration and advice.

David Poole invited me into a tight-nit club known as the NASCAR press corps and he would always make it a point to say, "hello" when he walked by me in the media center. He and I even started working on a major story together but we never got around to finishing it.

For his family and anyone that might stumble across my Blog, I want to let you know that David Poole will be greatly missed. My condolences to you as I know you are struggling to cope in this very difficult time.

UPDATE! Talladega nights - Redux - Kesolowski wins

PHOTO BY CIA STOCK PHOTO
In a scene reminiscent of the worst movie in history, Carl Edwards was leading the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway when he was wrecked on the final lap just a few feet from the checkered flag. And when the cars came to a stop, Edwards climbed out of the No. 99 Claritin Ford Fusion and made a dash for the finish line on foot — just like Ricky Bobby did in Talladega Nights.

Oh God, I think I am going to be sick after writing that but there just isn't any other way to describe it. Now, if I see Edwards go up and mouth-kiss race-winnerBrad Kesolowski I am turning in my NASCAR credential and switching my fandom to water polo.

It was a horrific crash that almost sent the Edwards into the stands on the frontstretch. 

And he wasn't lost for words in the post-race interview about his feelings concerning NASCAR and restrictor plate racing. "NASCAR puts us in a box. We will race like this until they kill somebody and then they will change it."

Early reports indicate that several fans were injured from debris sent into the stands. Paramedics rushed to the scene and immediately began assessing those who were hurt.

UPDATE: According to reports, there were at least eight people in the stands injured from debris and from people trying to get out of the way. The most severe injury appears to be a broken jaw. I will continue to post updates, as NASCAR releases information. And don't forget to pick up a copy of The Examiner Newspaper on Friday for a full recap of the race and any actions taken by NASCAR in the wake of Edwards' accident.