Lady’s Goin’ To Pieces! (and I got one!)

You've seen it before.
When a stadium closes, or a theatre is torn apart, fans and other passionate folks rip the place apart, trying to take home a piece of history.
Some people have pieces of Lambeau Field turf.
Some people ripped seats out of the old Tiger Stadium in Detriot when it closed, and RFK Stadium in D.C. when the Redskins moved to the suburbs.



Well, I received a unique piece of sports history on Thursday, and it's something I will hold on to forever.
The good folks at Darlington Raceway handed over a mounted piece of the historic track surface, that, soon, will be completely paved over.
It's not just like they're handing out clumps of asphalt.
No, no, no!
This is mounted on a little stand, with a commemorative little plaque, giving some important dates in the long history of The Lady In Black.
I told track president Chris Browning that I wouldn't keep it at my desk; I want to take it home for safekeeping.
Browning said Tony Stewart (whose yet to win at the Track Too Tough To Tame) is lobbying for a piece of the start-finish line constantly.
I don't know where this piece I ended up with came from.
Maybe it's from the treacherous turn 2 (formerly turn 4, before the flip-flop of the straightaways about a decade ago.) You know, you remember from "Days Of Thunder," when Robert Duvall tells Tom Cruise to watch that turn 4. Cruise won the race.
Or maybe it's from the frontstretch, scene of the closest finish in NASCAR history, when Ricky Craven beat out Kurt Busch in 2003, on the day Darlington hosted its 100th NASCAR race.
But, really, it doesn't matter.
It's a piece of history, and I'm honored to have it.
Move over, Cecil bobblehead.
Make room for a piece of the Lady!

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