DASH: A note from the Hobgood Family

Hobgood's Salute IPOWER Dash Series with a Farewell Wish

When does racing become an extended family sport? When do people go the distance to share time for fun and laughter amid intense and fierce competition? When they're in the Dash Series.

The Dash Series was one of the best mixtures of rivalry and friendship. Many weekends brought the Hobgood family together with their extended Dash family at Southeastern tracks such as Daytona, Charlotte, Bristol and Myrtle Beach. During these weekends, we would be met by the contagious smile and hearty laughter of Faye Parnell as she handed out her two-page report known as the Dash Board. (She had her timing right, handing it out while you waited in the long registration line.) In the Dash Board, you could read about last week's race, driver stats and many personal tidbits that were of interest to our Dash family. Faye was also known to stir everyone to participate in charitable donations, raffles on lovely handmade items given by talented Louise Weaver, or in benefits for a fellow driver or crewmember in need.

I remember the day I found out that the pigeons flying around Daytona were really 'albino crows'! (Ha, ha) And then there was Jennifer Page with those delicious snow cones made fresh straight from the back of her Dad's parts truck. YUM, YUM! And how about the Five-Minute devotional leaflet that Chaplain Randy Claypoole would bring by to each team's hauler. It was just the thing one needed to slow down from the easily derived fast pace mentality that you constantly faced.

The Dash Series Ladies Auxiliary was kept constantly busy planning the progression of weddings and baby showers as the years unfolded giving way to Dash kids becoming Dash adults. Cindy York, only a teen at that time, could no longer pat little Justin Hobgood's redhead and tell me how she was going to show, "squirt" around the track. Now they each have little heads of their own to pat!

Rivals that gave strong competition during Dad Will's Dash efforts and continued in rivalry with sons Jake and Justin included Robert Huffman, David Hutto and Lyndon Amick to name a few. None were fiercer in wheel-to-wheel race action than the Hobgood brothers when racing each other however. That was always a nail-chewing night!

We've seen the series directors come and go, some good, some not so good. One of the best was Mike Simons. He was always fair. (I wondered a few times if some directors knew the carburetor from the gas tank!) Most of the officials were pretty good but there were those that supposed they were like E.F. Hutton.... the world stopped when they spoke. When it came to flag waving, Jimmy Howell was the man! Even today, it seems to me he could teach a few guys the correct way to wave the checkered flag!

Photographer Barb Saunders was always in my corner. She gave me great shots and delivery was never a problem. I always could count on Barb for the photos I needed for whatever purpose. She stayed on top of her game too always being innovative from personalized key tags, mugs and yearly calendars that scored a great hit with our sponsors.

Time doesn't permit me to say all I could about the friends and rivalry in the Dash series over the years. Will's 1994 Championship year, Jake's 2002 Championship year and Justin's NEAR Championship years...a speedy little fellow in Goody's Pharmaceuticals known as Jerry Haislip, a big bear with a generous heart called Tommy Torbert, engine building geniuses like Clyde Norwood and Richard Mash along with their soft-spoken enchanting wives Ruth and Hilda. All our team members with their voluntary self-sacrificing to become the Cedar Creek Race Team of whom we are so proud!

By: Ms. Rain

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