Just When You Think It’s Over

I think short of losing a loved one, few things can humble a man more than loosing his job. Especially when he has been with the same company a long time. And especially when he’s no longer a young man.

That’s how David Pearson probably felt in the middle of April, 1979. The three time NASCAR champ had just been let go as the driver of the famous Woods Brothers #21. Pearson had won 43 races in the past 7 seasons for the team, but had only won 6 races in the two previous seasons. Then an embarrassing mistake on April 8th at the Rebel 500 at Darlington put the final nail in the coffin. Pearson had forgot he had signaled for four new tires on a pit stop, and he drove away after only 2 tires were changed, with the other two tires loose. The wheels came off leaving pit road and the car crashed. The Wood Brothers, who were renowned for their pit stops, had decided it was time for a change.

Now, at 44, David Pearson, the “Silver Fox”, was contemplating returning to some fun racing, and just running at the local dirt tracks near his home in Whitney, SC.

Some NASCAR Cup teams had contacted Pearson about driving for them, but he didn’t want to start over again with a young team, and run a full schedule.

Then in July, one of the top NASCAR teams lost there rookie driver to an injury at Pocono, and wanted an experienced driver to fill in. Pearson decided that it was only for a few races, so why not.

The ride was his for four races, and he took full advantage of it. In the first three races he finished 2nd, 4th, and 7th. The last race of the 4 found him back at Darlington, the track where his trouble had began 5 months earlier. Drivers called Darlington the”Lady in Black”, and as a track, she was fickle. No driver ever felt they had the track figured out. But this day, Darlington smiled on David Pearson, and he won the race going away.

And all the gloom from the spring vanished.

David Pearson continued to race in NASCAR’s premier division seven more years, ending his career with 105 wins, 2nd only to Richard Petty for the most Cup wins.

As a Christian, when doors are suddenly shut in our face, it’s can be hard not to lose some hope. But the Lord is faithful, and it is these times when believers can rely on the knowledge that not only is God with us, but He will give us the strength to endure. And when you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you know better things are coming.

Thinking about it, I guess that rookie that got hurt at Pocono was feeling probably down too in 1979, hoping he wasn’t losing his big chance. But he came back also, and went on to win seven NASCAR Championships.

His name was Dale Earnhardt.

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. "

Habakkuk 3:17-19