On this Father’s Day, we take time to honor all the dads out there and thank them for everything they do. In sports, just as in life, fathers can be the driving force and the ones that are looked upon for guidance and support. Being the father of a NASCAR driver is no easy task, but the years of hard work to make it in the big leagues develops a bond unlike any other.

“I'll never forget when he won the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship in 2004,” Martin Truex Sr. said of his son Martin Jr. “It was at that moment that I felt like we had "done it." You dream of getting to that point with your son and work so hard to get there, so when you actually do it, the feeling is amazing.”

Growing up watching his father race around the northeast, Martin Truex Jr. learned all he could from his father. As he got older and moved up the ranks, he eventually got the chance to race against his father and looked to show him he could get the job done.

“My favorite memory was the first time I raced against my dad; it was the only time we raced against each other,” the driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet remembered. “It was at New Hampshire Speedway at a Busch East Series Race. I qualified fifth in one of my dad's old cars, and he qualified fourth in a new car. We ran about 20 laps or so, and he was leading the race. I was about five car lengths from passing him for the lead when my engine blew. I was so close to passing him!”

For many of today’s drivers, their careers started at a young age. Just like any sport, racing perfection is achieved through years of persistent practice and proper guidance. Growing up running go-karts, quarter midgets, motorcycles, whatever, most of NASCAR’s top stars have been brought up through the ranks thanks in large part to the support of their families and fathers.

“I remember using my foot to show him where to hit the corner when he was racing in quarter midgets at the age of 4,” Ryan Newman’s father Greg explained. “I would put my foot on the track and tell him to hit my foot - that's where he needed to be on the track.”

“One of my earliest memories is when Casey would sit for hours racing his little Hot Wheels cars when he was about 2 years old,” Roger Mears said of his son Casey. “When he was about 3, we took him to watch different bicycle races, and they had kids racing Big Wheels. Next time we went, Casey was racing Big Wheels with them.

“I remember being proud of him at a very young age when he decided he wanted to race and then went after it - on his own, 110%! Obviously, I'm proud of his successful moments in racing, too - bicycles, quads, go-karts, SuperLites, Indy lights, and now NASCAR.”

Much like Roger Mears, Jim McMurray, father of Roush Fenway Racing’s Jamie McMurray, has enjoyed watching his son work his way up the ranks and into NASCAR’s top division both on and off the track.

“In 1989 we went to Russia and ran go-karts with a quarter midget club,” Jim McMurray explained. “We got to spend 10 days in Russia, and in the mornings we had the opportunity to tour all the sights like the Kremlin, Red Square, etc. Jamie got to speak at a school because he won the first race over there, and I just remember it being a very proud moment for me to see him speak.”

The elder McMurray pointed out watching Jamie race in NASCAR is not much different than watching his boy race around at seven or eight years old, but he still gets butterflies.

Clyde Vickers, father of Red Bull Racing’s Brian Vickers, echoes McMurray’s sentiments, “It's a world of emotions. It can be the greatest feeling in the world if he has a good race, and it can be the worst feeling in the world if he has a bad race.”

At the end of the day, it really does not matter whether the result was good or bad. The support of these fathers has helped get their sons to one of the most exclusive racing series in all of motorsports. This weekend as their sons take to the road course in Sonoma, their fathers will be doing what they have for years and years, supporting their sons.  

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