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Prep Roundup
Columnists Brian Meadows Brad NormanMembersLocal Connection› Iredell County Young Athletes Association› South Iredell Athletics Association › SHS athletics › WIHS athletics › NIHS athletics › SIHS athletics › LNHS athletics Syndicate RSSAP NASCAR NASCAR Features A look at this year's schedule A look at this year's drivers Differences between stock car and open-wheel racing NASCAR Research & Development Petty Enterprises splitter testing Aerodynamic testing in Concord's wind tunnel Top 10 moments in Daytona history Site StatisticsThis page has been viewed 801226 timesPage rendered in 0.2068 seconds Total Stories: 2136 Total Comments: 34 Most Recent Entry: 08/15/2008 01:53 pm Most Recent Comment on: 04/17/2008 11:54 pm Most Recent Visitor on: 05/23/2012 01:06 am |
• Racing
2007 Oct-08
Lowes Motor Speedway prepares for weekendBy Josh Lanier There are few lawns in Concord that compare to Danny Furr’s, but few residents share the same passion for theirs. Furr, groundskeeper at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, treats the grass on the tracks front stretch like his child, and he talks about it just the same. “It’s an uphill climb all year long,” he said. “You’re out here battling the elements and working around the track schedule and trying to stay on top of it. It ain’t easy, but it’s worth it.” Furr works year-round on all the grounds at Lowe’s — cutting, planting, seeding — and cleaning when he can find time around the track’s busy schedule. But his schedule reaches a frantic, break-neck pace in April, shortly before the Coca-Cola 600 and the Auto Fair and doesn’t let up until after Saturday’s race, which he calls “the show.” “When it’s show time, it’s serious business,” he said. “You work ‘round the clock almost to get everything done, and it almost seems like you’re not going to make it, but we always do. I take pride in that.” Furr laughs constantly — primarily at his own jokes — and always seems to have a smile on his face. “He’s such a fun loving guy. He’s just one of those people you want to be around,” Chuck Stegall, an LMS maintenance crew painter said. “And he’s always willing to work and help out with just about anything.” But Furr’s love is his lawn. The deep green Bermuda grass, Augusta 419 variation, on the front stretch was hand-picked by Humpy Wheeler when the track was built, and it’s Furr’s job to make sure that grass stays in perfect condition, but it’s not his only job. “I do a little bit of everything out here,” he said. “I’ll put out flowers, picks up trash, I just want to be the go to guy.” He started at the track five years ago working on the clean up crew: pressure washing seats after events and cleaning up around the track. “This is just a great place to be,” he said. “I’d do just about anything they asked me to, I love it here.” Furr grew up a racing fan. He even tried it out for a while; winning four championships at local Concord tracks driving late model stock cars. He passed the love of the sport onto his kids and wife of 30 years. Furr said he’s too old to be racing anymore, now he enjoys watching Dale Earnhardt Jr., but he won’t get to see him drive at Saturday’s race, there’s too much work to be done. “On Saturday, I’ll be running around with a pressure washer cleaning up messes and fixing things that need to be fixed,” he said. “If I get to see one full lap, I’ll be surprised.” But if Earnhardt is able to win on Saturday, Furr said he wouldn’t mind if he did a few doughnuts on the front stretch grass, even though that’s a lot more work for him. “It’s all part of the experience for the fans,” Furr said. “It used to bother me, now I think it’s kind of fun.” Furr said he hopes everyone enjoys their time at the race, all he asks is that they be mindful of the grass. Bookmarkz |
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