Kenny Gilmore didn’t let a ripped door that occurred during a heat race faze him. Instead, he smiled and then went out and won the sportsman feature at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania.
Prior to the feature, Gilmore reached into a stack of fluorescent poster board, grabbed a marker, some duct tape, and scratched out a message.
“Don’t Sweat The Petty Stuff, Never Pet the Sweaty Stuff.”
He placed that on his car for the feature and since he won with it — his first feature win since 2015 — he’ll take it off and frame it. Gilmore’s positive attitude and fun sayings reflect his philosophy toward racing.
“We try to have fun at the races,” Gilmore, 56 of Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. “For many, it is hard to have fun with the stress level there is.”
Gilmore began the tradition of scrawling witty sayings on his car three seasons ago. Every week, his sportsman and the modified driven by his son, Brett Gilmore, carry a new message. They’re often driven by recent events.
For example, when Gilmore slowed for a collision in front him, the cars behind him ran into him. He carried this message after.
“Maybe if We Tell People the Brain is an App They’ll Start Using It.”
Gilmore has seen carnage over and over again, but he accepts that, he said, because of the competitive nature of drivers.
“Common Sense is Like Deodorant — The People Who Need It Most, Don’t Use It.”
Everyone likes to point fingers after a wreck.
“I Didn’t Say it Was Your Fault. I Said I Was Blaming You.”
Gilmore loves competition. He loves the drivers who raise the level of racing.
“The Bar Was on the Ground, and You Brought a Shovel.”
Racing since 1986, Gilmore knows where to find useful information.
“Stop Asking Questions on Facebook That Can Be Answered With Google.”
Gilmore finishes up front because his determination overcomes adversity.
“With Sufficient Thrust, Pigs Fly Just Fine.”
Everyone has critics, but Gilmore doesn’t let them bother him.
“Some People are Like Clouds. When They Disappear, it is a Beautiful Day.”
Gilmore’s win on June 26 had special meaning. His father, Charlie, died two years earlier on the same weekend. Gilmore credited his father, a former racer, as the force that helped him get into racing. Both of his parents, however, provided helpful advice.
“My Mother Always Said, the Older You Get, The Better You Get … Unless You are a Banana.”
Gilmore used his sense of humor to help racers and fans get through the pandemic.
“A Big Nose Isn’t An Excuse for No Mask. I Mean, I Still Wear Underwear.”
Kenny Gilmore said that the level of competition is “insane” at Grandview Speedway. He currently leads the point standings in the sportsman class.
“I Smile because I have No Idea What is Going On.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
