BLOG: Getting Older

News of Marty Little's passing this week has hit home here in the Cheap Seats.

Marty was a great guy and someone I'd known since the first Bush was in the White House. You'd see him at Daytona and Homestead, with his faithful wife Janet in tow, doing things the way he did them. He was a writer, track announcer and the King of Hialeah Speedway in Florida. From the Goody's Dash Series to ARCA to all of NASCAR, he was your guy in South Florida.

Billy Standridge recently passed, too, and while I didn't know him well, I did know him to talk to. I met Lynda Petty once, and still remember it.

Bobby Waltrip, the Waltrip who didn't race in NASCAR, passed as well. He was one of the people who made it possible for me to move to North Carolina, where both of our daughters were born and where the ONMC became my home.

Gary Bettenhausen died too, and that hurt. So did the passing of Richmond Gage, a kindred spirit who just loved racing and wouldn't hesitate to call you up and say, "hey, the Modifieds are racing at Caraway tonight...you in?"

The longer you're in the sport, the more friends you make. Unfortunately, that has a flip side, and this is part of it.

So long, friends. See you on the other side.