I suppose there is a bit of a time gap between Indianapolis and Homestead in the calendar, but I had known I was going to Homestead even before I knew about either of my Indianapolis trips.

I knew the moment Tony announced his retirement last September that I was going to Homestead. I had been a fan of his since I was six years old, and I knew it was going to be worth every bit of money and time I had to spend to make the nearly 13-hour drive to see his last race in person, so I did!

I also saw the XFINITY race as well, which I thought was quite fantastic (probably a better race than the Cup race, if we’re being completely honest). I met up with more friends from home and made some new ones in the stands from just outside of Toronto (we sat together and traded stories).

But on this day, I wanted to make a big point of being completely focused in on Tony. I couldn’t care less about the championship battle that day – there would be plenty more years ahead to see fights like that. But this was going to be the very last chance to see and hear Tony Stewart in a Cup race. So I flipped to his scanner channel from the start and just sat on it the entire race. I just wanted to take it all in one last time.

Of course, I did eventually keep some eye on the title fight, but that really didn’t even start until lap 200. For the most part, I was glued on Tony and nothing else. And after the race, it was all eyes on that beautiful paint scheme the No. 14 had for the occasion – and its now-former pilot. I didn’t leave the track until I couldn’t see and/or lipread Tony anymore.

So, those are just some stories from the year in racing that I will remember the best. It will undoubtedly be weird not having a driver to root for, but I figure that all of the lack of rooting interest this time around will make itself up in the experiences I’ll have on the media end of things.

Here’s to many more memories of a similar kind to be made in 2017!

Happy holidays and a happy new year to you all!

James V. Pike

About the Writer

James Pike is a multi-faceted reporter for Race Chaser Online and an analyst on the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.

He is the lead correspondent for Race Chaser Online’s coverage of Australian Supercars and also covers regional short track events in the Carolinas, including the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the NASCAR Whelen All American Series.

Pike is a graduate of the Motorsports Management program at Belmont Abbey College and currently resides in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Email James at: [email protected]

Follow on Twitter: @JamesVPike

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