For a while now, reading racing web-site message boards is more a place for cutting a track down than to give it praise when it deserves praise. Yes, all tracks have good points and bad points but they are still run by the same everyday person that you yourself are.

These are humans with feelings and hearts and when they do
something that is not expected but brings so much joy to one
child, then I owe them their praise.

We have seen tracks collect money for burned racing victims, for driver's families when we have lost one tragically at the track and for the future education of a driver's child. But this Christmas, I had many Christmas Angels watching over my family.

It is no secret that my family and I have had the winds taken out of our sails and almost totally been destroyed. Besides the personal lost and betrayal that we felt, we were robbed of every cent we had and as we all know, it is almost impossible to replace money and still have money for present bills. I knew that there was no way I could give my kids anything for Christmas but maybe a few stocking
stuffers which would have been fine with my oldest two kids but my 7 year old still believes in Santa.

And a miracle happened, one that I did not expect at all. First, Racing Diva, a new NASCAR web-site gave me an auction to try and help me save our home. Jack Smith, our KARNAC boss, helped in every way he could and hopefully once the money is in, I can save our home. But the tracks, Orlando SpeedWorld and New Smyrna Speedway, gave my kids a Christmas.

You always hear of the kindness in people but seldom do we get to see it firsthand. This Christmas, I did over and over again. Not only did the track buy my little boy a new bike but warm jackets, new socks and underwear, toys, a bike helmet, and even a Christmas stocking. Without
them, he would have had nothing. They truly were Santa Claus for me and forever in my heart they will always be for the unselfish acts shown to a family in dire straits.

Not only did the track help us but fellow racers that I had helped along my path at karnac and some that I met thru other web-sites, sent things for Christmas to my kids. And by all these acts, my kids got a sense of love and that people do care about victims and not always the person accused of the crime.

All I can say to everyone is thank you. You, and you alone, made my kids know that they are loved not only by me and their grandparents but by their other family, their racing family. You can cut down tracks all you want but you can never say anything bad about the people who run them or own them, they are good people.

Thank you sounds like so little but thank you is all that I have to give and a heart full of love for my racing family.

-Jane Smith


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