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July 17, 2014
To paraphrase President Lincoln when writing a personal condolence letter to a Mother who had lost three sons in the Civil War, please excuse the long letter…time will not permit me a short one. It is with no small degree of sadness that I must make this final announcement. Saturday, June 12, 2014 has turned out to be my last race as the Announcer for Boyd’s Speedway. David Duplissy and Dale McDowell have decided to go in a different direction with the P.A. and promotion of the track, and after thirteen years, three tracks and four promoters my weekends are now freed up to explore other opportunities, (like the endless backlog of car and home projects) or just hang out with my wife and daughter.
When I began this journey it was on a dare from my Dad. We had attended the first race of the then TN/GA Raceway when it came back from a six week break after losing its latest promoter. Owner Hershel McKee was trying to do everything that he had no one to do, including the P.A. My Dad sat next to me and said, “You know you could do that…why don’t you ask him?†After I hem hawed around for a while, my Dad said, “Ask him! No one can take away your birthday if he says no!†So I did… and the rest will be written as a very tiny part of the long and colorful history of Boyd’s Speedway.
I’ll always be grateful to my Dad for that little nudge. Because I accepted the dare, I’ve had experiences that I wouldn’t trade for all the world. To all the fans, words fail to express how grateful I am to all of you for allowing me to share your racing experience. Thank you for sharing your birthdays, anniversaries, homecomings and departures, joys and sorrows. Thanks to everyone who sat in front of the announcer’s booth…your feedback meant more to me than you’ll ever know. Thanks to the “kids of any age†who participated in Story Time with Steve…you are all precious.
To the racers, thanks for letting me be a part of your losses and your victories, especially the first ones. Thanks for helping me understand just a little of the technical side, even though it was often more than I could comprehend. Thanks to all the drivers who could have loaded up and gone home, but instead chose to bring themselves and their cars out on to the front straight so some little future racer could have you sign his flag and maybe even get his picture with you in your car.
To the ladies in the scoring tower, thanks for straightening me out when I made a big goof (and there were plenty!). Thanks for the fist pump and the whispered Yes! at qualifying time that told me who your favorites were… (Your secret is safe with me!)
Thanks to turn one exit gatekeeper Steve Gravitt for being undoubtedly my biggest fan (outside of my Dad) and supporter through the entire fourteen years. You are the epitome of a true race fan, and a big part of what kept me going.
To Scorekeeper Extraordinaire Peggy Meadows (Miss Peggy), thank you for your sweet, humble spirit (and your delicious brownies!). While yelling is sometimes necessary, it’s nice to know someone like you that you can’t even imagine raising their voice.
Thanks to Gar Dixson for being a firm but fair boss, always willing to make the tough calls when nobody wanted to.
Thanks to Chuck Christopher for giving me rides in the pack car at Cleveland.
Thanks to the late Joe Lee Johnson for letting me drive a pack car and never letting me do it again after three crashes in two laps!
Thanks to brothers Richard Harvey and Robert Harvey for seeing the potential in a dilapidated facility and spending so much of your time, treasure and energy to breathe new life into the old track, making it again worthy of its founders name.
A special thanks to Dale McDowell and David Duplissy for bringing Dale’s solid reputation as a racer and David’s skills and resources to bring Boyd’s into a new era. The equipment being installed and the facility upgrades going on right now are nothing short of amazing, and will make the racing experience for the folks in the pits and in the grandstands unforgettable.
Most of all, thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; without Him I could do nothing; with Him all things are possible.
Racing has been an important part of my life, but my life is not all racing. I intend to use this time to reevaluate my priorities, especially where my wife and daughters are concerned. With only one year left before Amelia goes to college, I’m going to do my best to suck the juice out of every minute we have.
Thank you all for a wonderful thirteen years.
Steve Milling
To paraphrase President Lincoln when writing a personal condolence letter to a Mother who had lost three sons in the Civil War, please excuse the long letter…time will not permit me a short one. It is with no small degree of sadness that I must make this final announcement. Saturday, June 12, 2014 has turned out to be my last race as the Announcer for Boyd’s Speedway. David Duplissy and Dale McDowell have decided to go in a different direction with the P.A. and promotion of the track, and after thirteen years, three tracks and four promoters my weekends are now freed up to explore other opportunities, (like the endless backlog of car and home projects) or just hang out with my wife and daughter.
When I began this journey it was on a dare from my Dad. We had attended the first race of the then TN/GA Raceway when it came back from a six week break after losing its latest promoter. Owner Hershel McKee was trying to do everything that he had no one to do, including the P.A. My Dad sat next to me and said, “You know you could do that…why don’t you ask him?†After I hem hawed around for a while, my Dad said, “Ask him! No one can take away your birthday if he says no!†So I did… and the rest will be written as a very tiny part of the long and colorful history of Boyd’s Speedway.
I’ll always be grateful to my Dad for that little nudge. Because I accepted the dare, I’ve had experiences that I wouldn’t trade for all the world. To all the fans, words fail to express how grateful I am to all of you for allowing me to share your racing experience. Thank you for sharing your birthdays, anniversaries, homecomings and departures, joys and sorrows. Thanks to everyone who sat in front of the announcer’s booth…your feedback meant more to me than you’ll ever know. Thanks to the “kids of any age†who participated in Story Time with Steve…you are all precious.
To the racers, thanks for letting me be a part of your losses and your victories, especially the first ones. Thanks for helping me understand just a little of the technical side, even though it was often more than I could comprehend. Thanks to all the drivers who could have loaded up and gone home, but instead chose to bring themselves and their cars out on to the front straight so some little future racer could have you sign his flag and maybe even get his picture with you in your car.
To the ladies in the scoring tower, thanks for straightening me out when I made a big goof (and there were plenty!). Thanks for the fist pump and the whispered Yes! at qualifying time that told me who your favorites were… (Your secret is safe with me!)
Thanks to turn one exit gatekeeper Steve Gravitt for being undoubtedly my biggest fan (outside of my Dad) and supporter through the entire fourteen years. You are the epitome of a true race fan, and a big part of what kept me going.
To Scorekeeper Extraordinaire Peggy Meadows (Miss Peggy), thank you for your sweet, humble spirit (and your delicious brownies!). While yelling is sometimes necessary, it’s nice to know someone like you that you can’t even imagine raising their voice.
Thanks to Gar Dixson for being a firm but fair boss, always willing to make the tough calls when nobody wanted to.
Thanks to Chuck Christopher for giving me rides in the pack car at Cleveland.
Thanks to the late Joe Lee Johnson for letting me drive a pack car and never letting me do it again after three crashes in two laps!
Thanks to brothers Richard Harvey and Robert Harvey for seeing the potential in a dilapidated facility and spending so much of your time, treasure and energy to breathe new life into the old track, making it again worthy of its founders name.
A special thanks to Dale McDowell and David Duplissy for bringing Dale’s solid reputation as a racer and David’s skills and resources to bring Boyd’s into a new era. The equipment being installed and the facility upgrades going on right now are nothing short of amazing, and will make the racing experience for the folks in the pits and in the grandstands unforgettable.
Most of all, thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; without Him I could do nothing; with Him all things are possible.
Racing has been an important part of my life, but my life is not all racing. I intend to use this time to reevaluate my priorities, especially where my wife and daughters are concerned. With only one year left before Amelia goes to college, I’m going to do my best to suck the juice out of every minute we have.
Thank you all for a wonderful thirteen years.
Steve Milling
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