DON ONEAL...#71
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CALVERT CITY, KENTUCKY
JULY 10, 2004
SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE ROAD SATURDAY TRYING TO GET TO THIS RACE.... GETTING THE INTERVIEW WITH DON ONEAL MADE IT ALL WORTH WHILE..
I HAVE SEEN THIS GUY RACE AT ELDORA AND AT HAUBSTADT.. WAS SO EXCITING TO GET TO MEET HIM IN PERSON...
HE WAS SUPER NICE AND VERY EASY TO INTERVIEW.. DON LIVES IN MARTINSVILLE, INDIANA...
I ASKED HIM WHEN HE HAD STARTED RACING AND HE TOLD ME IN THE LATE 80'S... I ASKED HIM WHAT CLASS HE HAD STARTED OUT IN AND HE TOLD ME THE "STOCK CAR DIVISION"..
I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS AGE WAS WHEN HE FIRST STARTED AND HE SAID "WELL.... I TURNED 40 TODAY..." I HAD MY LITTLE GRANDDAUGHTER KAYLA WITH ME AND I TOLD HIM THAT HER BIRTHDAY WAS TOMORROW....AFTER MY INTERVIEW WITH HIM HE TOLD ME TO HOLD ON A MINUTE.. HE GAVE KAYLA A DIE CAST OF HIS #71 CAR.... I TRIED TALKING HER OUT OF IT BUT THERE IS NO WAY SHE IS GIVING THAT UP!!!!
I ASKED DON WHAT HAD INSPIRED HIM TO RACE AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD GREW UP AROUND IT..THAT HIS FATHER MARVIN ONEAL HAD BEEN A RACECAR DRIVER...
WHEN ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN ANYONE THAT HAD INFLUENCED HIM ALONG THE WAY AND HE TOLD ME THAT HIS FATHER HAD AND HE ALSO SAID THAT CJ RAYBURN HAD..YOU COULD TELL HE HAS A LOT OF RESPECT FOR RAYBURN......
WHEN ASKING A LATE MODEL DRIVER OF THIS CALIBUR WHERE THEY RACE AT REGULARLY... THEY RACE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY......
I ASKED HIM WHAT HE THOUGHT IT TAKES TO BE A GOOD DRIVER AND HE TOLD ME THAT YOU HAVE TO "LIVE IT...EAT IT.... BREATHE IT".... BASICALLY HE WAS SAYING THAT IT JUST HAS TO CONSUME YOUR WHOLE BEING..
WHEN ASKED WHO HIS TOUGHEST COMPETITOR WAS HE TOLD ME THAT ANYONE ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT CAN BE THE TOUGHEST...
I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS LONG TIME GOAL WAS AND WITHOUT HESITATION ....."TO BE THE BEST"
WELL I WOULD SAY HE HAS A REAL STRONG POSSIBILITY THERE...DON'T THINK HE IS FAR FROM THAT NOW....
HE REALLY THREW ME FOR A LOOP WHEN ASKING THE QUESTION OF WHAT HAD BEEN HIS MOST MEMORABLE EVENT AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT HASN'T CAME YET!!!! WITH ALL THAT HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED AND HE STILL HAS NOT DONE THE ULTIMATE....
I ASKED HIM WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS HIS GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR AND HE TOLD ME THAT TWO YEARS AGO HE DOMINATED THE SPEED WEEKS IN FLORIDA MAKING OVER $80,000... (WOW)
I ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS ANYTHING HE WOULD CHANGE IF HE COULD AND HE ANSWERED THAT HE FEELS SO FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT HE LOVES SO MUCH...FEELS VERY BLESSED....
HE TOLD ME THAT HIS CREW CHIEF IS TONY THOMAS AND HIS PIT CREW IS AUSTIN HARGROVE... SAID IT IS JUST THE THREE OF THEM.... **whatever the 3 of them are doing they sure do have the right combination cause it is diffinately working for them**
HE SAID THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO HIS SPONSORS...THEY ARE MUCH APPRECIATED ..... AND TO HIS WIFE BECKY AND HIS BOYS HOUSTON AND HUDSON..
OH GEEZ DON ONEAL.... I CAN'T EVEN START TELLING YOU HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO ME TO GET THIS INTERVIEW WITH YOU....SO NICE TO GET TO MEET YOU... A REAL CLASS ACT YOU ARE!!!
CJ