Finished 13th out 26th
July 20, 2009
Hershel finished 13th out of 26 cars! He drove the heck out of the car and was absolutely amazing!! It’s been an awesome day. I’ll update with loads of video and more photos on Tuesday evening…I am in transit all day tomorrow (Monday), so until then, suffice it to say, today was spectacular!
Ciao…
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Hershel McGriff 
One of my favorite authors, Richard Bach, whom wrote Jonathon Livingston Seagull also wrote ‘Illusions’ and some how it just seems to tell a story about Hershel…
“Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. (Possibly Oregon) The current of the river swept silently over them all – young and old, rich and poor, good and evil, the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.
Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth.
But one creature (Hershel) said at last, ‘I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom.’
The other creatures (All over 50) laughed and said, ‘Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you will die quicker than boredom!’ But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks.
Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more. And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, ‘See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the Messiah, come to save us all!’
And the one carried in the current said, ‘I am no more Messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure.’ But they cried the more, ‘Saviour!’ all the the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a Saviour.” That Saviour is who we know as a living legend… Hershel McGriff.
Well done, Hershel! That had to feel very good, both to be back on the track and to be contending. I selfishly hope you will continue to race, just so I can watch. Today was terrific.
You were awsome, H. I wish I could have been there in person to watch you race. You are an inspiration to everyone.
Warning; DO NOT Google Hershel McGriff unless you had days to read them all. There are more news articles about his race at PIR than there are articles about President Obama. The only difference between the articles about Hershel versus Obama is that ALL of Hershel’s articles are GOOD ones.
But something very interesting that none of those articles point out is a list of famous drivers that Hershel raced with and this is from just one Winston West race in 1986, the same year Hershel won in Portland. Check out somne of these very impressive names.
Hershel McGriff
Tim Richmond
Dale Earnhardt
Geoffrey Bodine
Darrell Waltrip
Joe Ruttman
Bobby Hillin, Jr
Bobby Allison
Rusty Wallace
Neil Bonnett
Terry Labonte
Ken Schrader
Dave Marcis
Mark Martin
Bill Schmitt
Kyle Petty
Glen Steurer
Jimmy Means
Buddy Arrington
Ricky Rudd
Al Unser
Richard Petty
Ruben Garcia
Bill Elliott
Alan Kulwicki *Rookie
Jim Robinson
Michael Waltrip
Benny Parsons
Rick McCray
Buddy Baker
Ted Kennedy
John Krebs
Jim Bown
Ron Esau
Terry Petris
Chad Little
George Follmer
Harry Gant
Morgan Shepherd
Jim Fitzgerald
Rick Wilson
Derrike Cope