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Series founder and president Jack Bateman announced today that he is stepping aside and turning the driving chores of his #17 modified over to Connecticut veteran Todd Owen . Bateman said it was a hard decision but he knew the time had come. The decision ends a 46 year driving career. Bateman will focus on his race team and the VMRS he started 9 years ago.
Jack you will be missed on the track. You have a lot to be proud of!
So this means another front running car in an already competitive division!
Honestly, this is a move that should have been made 4 or 5 years ago.
For some reason drivers are the last to admit or realize their skills have eroded. Jack had a good career, but like RP, DW and a whole host of others, he stuck with the driving part several years longer than he should have.
Im thinking its more the fun factor and something that is part of you more than hanging on....
I do not think this is confined to racing, at all. I think there are examples that can be found in every professional sport. Golf, baseball, etc.
And - as with any competition (as bud said), there is the fun factor. I used to work at a golf course and the first group off every saturday and sunday AVERAGED 78 years old. They sure weren't shooting their best rounds ever but were having fun. If he has the means, is not a danger, and is still having fun, it should be up to him to decide when he wants to take a step back.
Except those 78 year olds aren't wrecking often like Jack was. I could buy that if he was running around the back of the field and coming home in one piece most nights, but in Jack's case it was just the opposite. If he made it out of qualifying in one piece, it was a 50/50 deal (at best) that he would finish the feature with all the tires pointing in the same direction. Hard to belive it was just fun and not ego that was fueling Jack to continue on the last several years of his career.Quote:
Originally Posted by fastbackss