Fri, 1 Feb 2002, 08:55 AM He Could Go All The Way!!

By Bob Frey

The expression, "He could go all the way," was made popular by ESPN’s Chris Berman. You usually heard it when he was doing the highlights of an NFL game, and a player was heading for a touchdown. They didn’t always "go all the way," but it was fun listening to Chris anyway. Well, there is a drag racer who came about as close to combining football and racing lately, and, with the way he is progressing, he really could go all the way!

Bobby Martin isn’t exactly a household word in the world of drag racing. In fact, he isn’t even a household word in Division 3, where he competes in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class. But, on the speaking circuit, it’s a different thing. And, when it came to helping the less fortunate in New Orleans recently, he was almost a folk hero.

Martin's car on display.

I first came in contact with Bobby at the Greater New York Automobile Dealer’s Association (G.N.Y.A.D.A.) technology competition a few years back. Held annually in the "Big Apple," this competition brings together some of the brightest students in the country. As part of the activities, various automotive companies often supply drivers or other personalities to set up displays, show off their products or cars, and to talk with the students. Since Bobby, and his Dodge Avenger Funny Car, has been sponsored by the "College Automotive Program," or CAP, (a program which serves the "Chrysler Group," of DaimlerChrysler, and includes Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge), for the past several years, he was their designated spokesman at the competition. After several days of displaying the car and talking with the competitors, Bobby would always end up as the featured speaker at the award’s dinner. The first time I heard him I knew that he was something special. The message that he brought, and the way that he presented it to the students, their parents and their teachers, was captivating. A glance around the room while he was speaking was all it took to notice that everyone was paying close attention to him. And, when you’re talking about a room full of 17 and 18 year old kids, many of who were in New York for the first time in their lives, that’s saying something. Sure, there were bigger names in attendance, like NASCAR drivers and various television personalities, but none caught the attention of the audience as much as Bobby did.

Martin sharing with some of the youth.

A few weeks back, I called Bobby and asked him what his plans were for 2002. "Well, I’d like to race several national events and all of the Division 3 races, if I can," he said. "But first, I’m taking my car to New Orleans to be part of the Supper Bowl."

"You mean, ‘Super Bowl,’ don’t you?" I asked.

No, he really meant "Supper Bowl," a special program set up by the Super Bowl host committee and sanctioned by the NFL that was designed to generate food for the underprivileged families of the host city, in this case, New Orleans. "We generated about 100,000 pounds of groceries and that fed about 6,000 families," Bobby said. "It was a huge success." So just how did a sportsman racer get to be part of such a giant undertaking?

Bobby told me that he recently was contacted by a member of the Christian Sports International, a group that books current and former sports personalities for speaking engagements and other personal appearances. Their current roster includes members of the NFL, Major League Baseball and even the Harlem Globetrotters. To date, Bobby is the only member of the automobile racing fraternity in the group. "They asked if I wanted to go to the Super Bowl and be part of this special promotion. Since I had the time, and I really enjoy doing these kinds of things, I agreed." Bobby’s sponsor, "CAP,

Martin delivering his message.

" a part of DaimlerChrysler’s technician training program, is always eager to put its message in front of young adults, so they were more than happy for Bobby to participate. "I had the only race car there," Bobby said, "and the kids absolutely loved it. I signed autographs and gave out pictures for hours on end. It was great." After the autograph session, Bobby went to an area school where he was the featured speaker. As usual, his message was about hope and about never giving up. He talked about his own, personal trials and tribulations in the racing business, and how they have made him stronger and more determined. He told the kids about setting goals, and how to reach them. And, as usual, the kids listened intently. Now I don’t know if you have ever had to speak before a group of school children, but I can tell you from experience that it’s the toughest audience there is. I can also tell you that no one handles the situation better than Bobby Martin.

In his racing career, Bobby’s biggest success came at the D-3 race at Quaker City back in 2000 where he made it to the finals. Like all racers, he hopes to do better this year. He will open the season in Florida with an appearance at the Orlando Division 2 race, and then head to Gainesville to mix it up with all of the east coast stars at the MAC Tools Gatornationals. In between, he hopes to book a few more speaking engagements through the C.S.I. One of the things that he already had lined up is a return appearance at the 2002 VICA conference in Kansas City, one of the biggest gatherings of vocational students in the country. He’ll be there, with his race car, and his wife of thirteen years, Lori. "They have people who talk about almost every vocation you can think of," he told me. "The students have to earn the right to be there, so you really do have the best kids in the country participating. It’s a great show." When Bobby first went there several years ago, he had the only race car at the conference. Last year, there were dozens of cars including "The Professor," Warren Johnson. "Companies, like my sponsors and Warren’s, have seen the value of having a race car and driver represent them at these shows," Bobby said. "I love being able to speak on behalf of DaimlerChrysler, and to have an opportunity to talk to the kids. It really is very fulfilling." Bobby will also be at the G.N.Y.A.D.A. tech competition in New York, again, this year, bringing with him his message of hope and perseverance. He’ll be the guest speaker on award’s night, and a whole, new group of youngsters will get to hear him talk about his life, his faith and his career, and how intertwined they are. If they pay attention, as I know they will, they’ll go away better people for having heard Bobby’s message. I’ve been fortunate to see a lot of race cars, teams and drivers over the years, and one of the great parts of it is watching the progress that they make from year to year. I’ve also been able watched Bobby Martin, and I firmly believe that if he continues on his current path, both on and off the track, someday soon, he could go all the way!!

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