The economic atmosphere for independent owner/drivers, the very type of racer this sport was founded on, is difficult enough these days. Most have given up long ago. However, there are a handful left in the upper NASCAR series, but, with the exception of one or two, all struggle to compete against the high end, multi-car, well funded high tech teams. It has been that way for Mike Harmon for as long as he can remember. Mike started racing in his home state of Alabama when he was a teenager and raced against some of the drivers who eventually became known as the infamous Alabama gang. Harmon is also well known for surviving what has been described by many as the worst wreck in NASCAR history when, during a practice lap, he blew a tire and struck the crossover gate at Bristol in August of 2002. The badly damaged car was then struck by Johnny Sauter’s car and completely ripped open. When the car came to a full stop, Harmon simply stood up, unhooked and walked away unharmed.
This tough as nails driver was back on the track within a couple of hours and practicing his back up car. The footage is shocking to watch. It is hard for most of us to understand what makes these drivers put these horrifying accidents out of their minds and continue racing like they do. Harmon has told me on more than one occasion that it is because that is who they are. Check out the crash video below.
Busch Series Crash at Bristol – AOL Video
Harmon’s been running the Nationwide Series on a limited basis this season. And with no primary sponsorship, this has been the toughest year to date for his efforts. With his Nationwide car wrecked, he worked a deal to run the Camping World Truck race at Vegas. Trevor Boys drove the hauler along with 2 other people while Harmon and 3 others drove nonstop for 36 hours in the mini van to save on expenses. That is one of the many money saving ways the smaller teams must operate to survive. Harmon finished 25th in the race. Then early the next morning, Harmon and several other people who had traveled with Mike left for home while Trevor stayed another day. When Boys was ready to leave, he noticed a spare trailer tire leaning against the hauler and a window to the lounge section was open. Thinking the window was left open from the day before, Boys closed the window, placed the tire in the hauler knowing someone would claim it and hit the road for home arriving Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday morning they opened the doors to unload.
“We had doubled up with Chris Lafferty to go out there and took the #89 and the #42 trucks in the same hauler to save more on expenses,” began Harmon. “The way our hauler is laid out we could not put our big pit boxes under the trucks, so, we had to take our equipment out of the pit boxes and put it in plastic totes and transport them in the lounge area. When we opened the lounge door there was nothing left inside. The screen was pushed out of the window and was laying on the couch. We stayed at the Stratosphere and were parked in the lot across the street. We know the equipment was in the hauler when we left the track and we didn’t stop until we got to the hotel. Trevor left Vegas about 2 in the afternoon Sunday, so, it was all taken while it was parked in the Stratoshere lot. I called Norm Benning to see if he lost anything. His hauler blew up on the way back so he hadn’t had a chance to see if anything had been taken. I knew his hauler was the only one that tire would fit. We realize now what had happened. The thieves took the tire from Norm’s hauler and stood on it to get in our window and steal everything inside. Norm was at the ARCA race in Kansas and his hauler was in the shop 500 miles away so he didn’t know how much stuff he may have lost.”
“As far as what I lost personally I lost 2 driving helmets, 2 fire suits, and all my radios, headsets and chargers. Trevor Boys lost his helmet, suit, HANS device, and shoes, the whole works. The crew guy lost a new Hurd pit gun that was $2400, 2 fire suits,a pit helmet and a driving helmet. 2 more pit guys had their stuff in there, too, and Lafferty lost his radios, as well. They also lost their helmets, their gun and their pit suits. Everything all together is in the neighborhood of $25,000 to $30,000.”
“It’s rough. We were trying to get to Vegas and make a little money to put towards our operation here. We were lucky enough to get some sponsorship from Chrome Soda and we sure appreciated their help. Until we got home and saw what happened, it looked like we had done pretty good in our efforts, but, unfortunately the trailer we were using belongs to a friend of mine and the tractor belongs to Trevor and we didn’t have content insurance. We just couldn’t afford it, so, we’re just out on all the stuff. That was a well lighted parking lot. It was wide open so it took somebody pretty stupid to do that. I do think it was someone there locally that did this. It will probably be pawned for enough money to get a rock or whatever. I don’t know how criminals think, but, I don’t think this had anything to do with anyone in the sport.”
“I’ll figure something out, but, this economy has made the racing situation harder than ever. People that used to be there to help are just not there anymore and it’s hard to compete in an industry where teams are funded with 3 million dollars and up. And what frustrates me is that any week there are 10 to 12 bona fied cars that qualify with the intent to start and park. I can honestly say I have started and parked 3 races this year because I couldn’t afford to finish the race. Those were Kentucky, Darlington, and the first race with the truck was Memphis and I love that track. I don’t want to or like to do that. I want to race. That’s all I want to do, like at Vegas. I ran 90 laps and had handling problems. I didn’t have to do that, but I wanted to race so I did as long as I could.”
“It is more expensive than ever to race and it is more expensive for the fans to attend races. The industry is hurting in every aspect, but, the independent teams are really hurting. I just want people to know what is what, what is really going on,” he concluded.
I know I have never heard Mike sound so concerned.
Today, it seems the sponsors of this sport are picking the “young guns” to finance in hopes of attracting the younger race fans. That is understandable I guess, but, think about veteran Mark Martin leading the points in the Cup Chase. He is proving that the veterans can and will win. Look at Hornaday and Skinner in the Camping World Truck Series….again veterans showing what they can do with quality equipment and sponsorship. And think about one of the greatest driver/sponsor duos of all time..Dale Earnhardt and Goodwrench. Look at that alliance. It was amazing and that sponsorship spanned quite a few tough years with no or few wins for Dale. It was the perfect coupling of veteran driver and sponsor and is still widely recognized and coveted years after Goodwrench has left the sport.
I wonder if somewhere there is a company who has worked long and hard to become successful…a company that offers a quality product to the average hard working American racefan who can appreciate and who requires that quality at an affordable price. A company that is tough and has been able to survive these difficult economic times. A company that realizes a truly tough, veteran driver could be the perfect promoter for their company. Mike Harmon certainly fits that criteria.
If the current economic hardships continue in racing, then the sport of racing itself will be the biggest loser. Independents will undoubtedly become extinct. Multi car teams will be not only the financial norm, but, required because of survivability. Any given race will be won by a driver from a handful of owner stables. It will be something like owner A,B,C or D with driver 1,2 3,or 4 who grace Victory Lane. You get the picture. Will faces, personalities or ability count any longer at that point? Some say it is already like that to some extent. Time will tell. I do know one thing for certain, drivers like Mike Harmon are what this sport was built around and when those hard working independents who represent John Q Racefan, the long term, dedicated racefans cease to exist, the excitement will cease to exist, as well. I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think so. The reality is that it’s quite difficult to fill the grandstands as it is now. Expense is certainly part of the problem, but, could interest in the sport be waning in favor, perhaps, of golf or some other interest? My blessed late father used to say, “Too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing.” He would love to hear me say what I seldom said back then and that is, “Dad, you are absolutely right.”
I hope something good comes Mike’s way soon before racing loses one of the toughest drivers on the track today. I would love to see the veterans become well funded and acknowledged as the heart and soul of racing and not overlooked because of being thought of as a liability. I am hoping this grim scenario is just my unfounded fear.
Good luck, Mike.
Anyone interestied in a sponsorship opportunity can email Harmon Racing at kim@mikeharmonracing or call 704-799-1434
