Brad Luepke, Special to the Leader
M.J. McBride
In the realm of sports, you know you’ve made it when one word or initial is all you need to know whom someone is talking about.
LeBron, Kobe, Steph, Kareem and Magic in basketball. Nomar, A-Rod and Babe in baseball. Closer to home, A-Rod and Jordy in football. And finally in auto racing you have Jimmie, Dale and The King.
This trend holds true in our local racing scene, as well. When I say Pete, Nick and AJ, everyone knows instantly who I am talking about.
Yes, I forgot one — M.J.
In the Upper Midwest, if you are talking racing and you say M.J., there is no need to say McBride; people just know.
M.J. will forever be linked to Shawano Speedway. His legacy, like Dale Earnhardt’s to NASCAR, will live on with both young and old here.
As a young boy, I would come to the speedway early for time trials. I won’t lie. I was never the biggest McBride fan as a child, but I respected the driver he was on the track and the person he was off it.
As a young fan, I would run around the pits, checkered flag in hand, looking for any driver that would sign my flag. When I would get to the red and white hauler, it would never matter if M.J. won or failed to finish, he would not only take time to sign my flag, he would also take time to talk to me. He’d ask how I liked the races and if I had fun. That always stuck with me through the years.
I also remember the mix of boos and cheers among the crowd. I remember the blockade formed in protest of line-up procedures. I remember the night he blew up and tried to sneak a backup car onto the track so he could run the A main. I remember the shows he would put on slicing and dicing through the field to the front. I remember the battles with Parker, Buckbee, Thielke, Anvelink and Guigere. The list and memories could go on and on.
A year ago or so, M.J. stopped at the track. We put him in the gator and took him out on the track he helped put on the map. We showed him all the changes, the concrete wall, the increased banking, among other things.
I just sat and listened to him talk about the good old days. He was very modest, giving credit to his rivals that made him better.
He’d point out spots on the track and tell me about an event that happened there. We pulled him into victory lane, and I told him, “I bet you remember a lot of good times here.”
He smiled, with a gleam in his eye, and said, “Man, I had a hell of a run here.”
You could see the pride, but he quickly gave credit to the pit crew that worked hard to give him a great car, week in and week out.
“I could be a pain in the butt in the shop sometimes,” he said.
Saturday, we honor a legend who left us too soon. A touching tribute is planned, and the M.J. McBride Memorial race will hit the half-mile. Look up to the sky Saturday and smile, because if you look real close, you will see M.J. looking down and smiling. He will be smiling, not because we are honoring him, but because it is a packed house at a place he loves.
We have a long and storied history at Shawano Speedway, and it is important that we never forget that. Always look to our future, but never forget our past.
M.J. was a huge part of our past. That’s right, I said M.J., because one name is all you need.
Enjoy the show, M.J. This one is for you.