Taking a youngster to the races — which everyone should do at least once for the sake of our sport — can yield a bevy of emotional results. It can be gratifying, definitely interesting and at times downright taxing.

It can also go a long way towards altering your perspective of the entire experience. | Complete Summernationals coverage

My 10-year-old son is just getting to the point where he knows different drivers, recognizes their cars and understands that some are simply better than others. MORE

I know without a doubt that there are a lot of folks who would trade places with me. I have a decent job with a steady paycheck, a wife who loves me and two wonderful kids.

But as I sit in my office on a blistering hot Wednesday afternoon, preparing for a conference call with corporate office head honchos to discuss why circulation is lagging at the tiny newspaper I run — a paper that in my 20 months here I have never actually seen those said head honchos in Lynchburg — I know without a doubt MORE