HAMPTON, Ga. – Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Danica Patrick and Kurt Busch are fully in support of their boss, Tony Stewart, being back in a race car this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“It’s going to be great to have our boss and teammate in the field,” Busch told host Claire B. Lang Thursday night on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Dialed In. “To have him and the heavy hearts that’s been around Stewart Haas Racing the last few weeks, back at the track and focused on making laps, that’s the best medicine for everybody.
“… His name is on the company’s logo. He’s our leader and it’s great to have him back in the car.
While Busch and other teammate Kevin Harvick did not hear from Stewart during his three-week seclusion and absence from NASCAR, Patrick was one of the few that had a brief communication with Stewart.
“I heard from him last weekend, telling me good luck and it was good to hear from him,” Patrick said Friday morning. “It’ll be good to have him back. Obviously, he is the namesake to our team name. We’ll be all on board to help him with whatever he needs, but he’s Tony Stewart, so I’m sure he’ll be fine.
“Obviously with it being such a tragic accident, it’s something to work through.”
Busch compared some of the emotions Stewart is going through as to military veterans experiencing post-traumatic syndrome. Busch works extensively with veterans during his non-racing time.
But Busch said having Stewart back at the track will be a boost of support for the overall organization. He also addressed the possibility that Stewart is still eligible to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
“We’re just trying to get the staff back to normalcy this weekend,” Stewart said. “I’m glad it’s happening and we’re able to move forward. With the Chase around the corner, it’s great for Harvick’s team, my team and Danica still has a chance.
“And Tony, I don’t know how it’s all going to shake out with the rule of not qualifying and being eligible, but sometimes you just have to go out there and take the medicine. I’m glad that Tony has decided that it’s time to get back in the car. He’s the only one who could have made that choice.”
Added Patrick, “Trying to feel something normal again probably might feel good to him. But again, it was a tragic accident and there’s no timeline when you work through that.”
Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.
At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.
Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.
Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.
“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”
805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”
Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.
The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.
“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”
Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer
While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.
“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”
Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.
Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.
Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer
“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.
“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”
The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.
“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.
“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”
