Orange Crush runner Carl Brouwer was hurt Third Night when he took an unintentional driver’s door from Junkyard Dog and former teammate, Tom “Brickman” Lewis. The entirety of the situation surrounding that hit stuck with me throughout the weekend and across the following few weeks. As Brouwer remained in the hospital, stories trickled back to me about how he was doing and they too stayed with me. Brouwer’s was the first serious injury the TDA has seen in a number of years; Robbie Stahulak’s injury as the middle of a car sandwich was probably the last one and that took place in 2009. Matt Wilson was on the receiving end of a wicked driver’s door shot in 2011 and taken to the hospital, but he was released before some drivers had finished towing their cars out of Route 66.
Brouwer is one of the nicest guys in the TDA, but this isn’t about that; it’d be just as much a shame if the biggest asshole at the track was injured… which probably lends itself nicely to some sort of Leroy Brown joke. What this is about is the gaping disconnect between the two distinct types of people watching the race that night: those who knew Brouwer and were worried about him and those who didn’t and weren’t.
I first heard at 2PM that the TDA’s Third Night was sold out. It was the earliest I’d ever heard of the event selling out. And this meant one thing: a lot of the people who couldn’t get tickets to the stands were going to be heading into the pits. In a sign of just how desperate things were, attractive women looking for tickets were approaching the drivers at the autograph session to see if they could give them extras.
“Wait, you think I have extra tickets?” one confused driver asked one of the women.
“Well, yeah,” the woman said. “Like, they give you tickets because you’re a driver.”
“Wait, you think they give us free tickets?” the befuddled driver questioned.
I was talking to Mean Green Machine’s Matt “Fear the Beard” Pierce at the time this exchange was happening and we could only laugh.
The joke, however, turned out to be on us as I later saw the woman in the pits cheering on “Orange Crash” with some of her friends.
It’s been more than four years since I last sat in the stands at Route 66 and I’d completely forgotten what it was like. For most people in the stands, the focus during TDA races is on beer, cars crashing into each other, more beer, hoping something will start on fire and discussing the finer works of Renaissance era oil paintings. I’m sorry, I mean even more beer.
When two cars are primed to hit each other in a head-on collision, everyone stands up, partially to get in a better position to high five their buddies but mostly because the jackasses in front of them are standing up and it’s impossible to see otherwise. All of these things came flashing back to me on Saturday when, thanks to the sell out, spectators came flooding into the pits, filling up the bleachers to capacity and then some.
One of the things that I find most beautiful about the TDA (and the pits) is the sense of family that runs throughout. The drivers don’t all like each other, but, for the most part, there is a begrudging respect that they show for one other. And, save for very rare instances, no drivers ever want to hurt a fellow driver on the track. This sense of fellowship extends to the supporting crew and families themselves. The wives, parents and siblings of the drivers might not personally know the other drivers, but they wish them well.
So when Lewis accidentally hit Brouwer in the driver’s door in the finals, I gasped, as did the relatives of the other drivers who were sitting around me. The spectators in front of me, however, high-fived and talked about how awesome of a hit it was.
It was startling to see the difference in reactions.
Watching this unfold—several people wondered whether there was enough time to make a beer run as Brouwer was being sawed out of his car—was almost a refresher course for me as to what the demos are about/marketed as. It was the proverbial splash of cold water to remind me that for most spectators, the TDA races are just about random cars crashing into each other at (hopefully) high rates of speed. The drivers are immaterial to the amount of havoc they are able to cause. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Ryan Bleuer or Phil Matlak crashing, just so long as it’s smash-tastic.*
* Why is the above picture a photo of Brouwer’s car? Because there are no publicity photos of Brouwer himself. Well, there are three. Two are of him from behind (see right) and one is him from the far side. C’est la vie.
This differs greatly from almost every other sport out there. When the Bulls’ Derrick Rose landed awkwardly and instantly grabbed his knee during the 2012 playoffs, the entire city of Chicago recoiled in horror. It wasn’t simply because Rose was the most vital player on the Bulls team and his absence would hurt the team—though there was an element of that—but also because the fans felt for him. They liked Rose and you never want to watch someone that you care about on any level get injured. Period.
It’s almost impossible and rather horrifying to imagine a situation like Rose’s—the best player on the best team got severely injured—where the fans would all shrug apathetically and start looking around the stadium to see if there was something else to entertain them while the player was being attended to. However that is precisely what happened at Route 66 in the aftermath of the Lewis/Brouwer collision.
And it’s a shame because, from my perspective, it’s hard to think of a driver that is more deserving of serious marketing than Brouwer. For starters, Brouwer has proven to be the best runner in the league for the last two years. Since he returned to racing last year, when he has raced, his teams have gone to an amazing six straight finals. Brouwer pulled off the rare feat of winning all three races that he raced in 2012’s Fifth Night and has taken deking crushers to a new level this year, constantly juking opponents and driving by them unmolested. It is a true sight to behold. After three nights of racing this year, Brouwer has been the best driver on the best team and is leading the pack of potential MVPs. He is also as nice a guy as you could imagine and he drives the 69 car! If this combination of things can’t get fans (and bros) to take note of a driver, I’m not sure what will.
One of the reasons that I first started writing about the TDA was because of the beauty and intelligence of the sport that never saw the light of day thanks to the relentless trumpeting of the sport’s big crashes. Judging from the reaction of the fans to Brouwer’s injury, I still have my work cut out for me.
————————————————
7 comments
Kathleen Foulk says:
Aug 23, 2013
I was in the stands that night and I saw that hit. I was horrified when I saw him in that car. I could tell immediately he was injured badly. My prayers went out right then and there. Yes I come to see the crashes, and I love the hard hits as much as the next person. But, I was glued to my seat until they were able to get him out of his car. I continually asked people who go to the demo’s if they have heard about his condition. No person should ever be injured for the entertainment of others. My prayers and thoughts continually go out to him and his family. I will be there tomorrow night. Drivers, be safe and thank you for what you do.
Mike Poma says:
Aug 23, 2013
Your article was very well written. As a spectator, I applaud the spectacular hits for the entertainment value but I also wish for the safety of the drivers. When I saw the hit Carl took, I knew immediately he was hurt. Hopefully, the teams will be allowed to armor the drivers door more going forword. I understand that Freak was trying to keep the event entertaining but I think he shouldn’t have downplayed the severity of it like he did. Maybe more of the spectators would have shown more concern. As for the fans not having a connection with the drivers, who is to blame? There is the teamdemo.com web site but none of the teams have a web page or facebook page that they run. It wasn’t until I found the fundraiser page and subsequently your article that I learned about the extent of Carl’s injuries. If donations are accepeted Saturday night, I think you’ll see how much fans really care about the drivers. Carl and his family is in our thoughts and prayers.
2013 Third Night Thoughts | Behind the Destruction says:
Aug 24, 2013
[…] fact that there was actually a great night of racing Third Night (Carl Brouwer’s injury aside; read more about that here). Oh, yes! What stuck with me the most about the racing was how The Junkyard Dogs looked like […]
Robin says:
Aug 28, 2013
Very well put, Chris. The last few race nights have been scary to watch and you could almost draw an analogy to today’s demo drivers and Roman gladiators. Here’s hoping that the Orange Crush tandem of Carl and Iron Man heal quickly and EVERYONE stays safe when the final night rolls around.
Bill says:
Aug 28, 2013
Did this guy just compare the TDA to the NBA? I guess it a close comparison! Glad Carl is starting to feel better! Go Orange!
Dan Mackin says:
Aug 29, 2013
Chris,
I think you wrote a very good article and hit upon some good points. I used to watch this sport as a kid back at Santa Fe and after I was discharged from the service was able to race a bit for Mean Green back in 1987. This motor sport is unique, in that you it only race, you also try to knock your opponents out of the race. Fans eat up a good collision, and expect it. It’s what fuels the sport. It’s unfortunate that fans don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes and the people that put all on the line to put on such a show, the drivers. This sport like many other sportsman motor sport is done for the love of the sport due to the fact that the payback just isn’t there and never was.
Back in the eighties we got many of our cars for a hundred bucks or so, or even scored some out of the junkyards for free if you were able to get a sponsorship from one. Then came the task of finding out what the major problem with the car was, fixing it and then prepping it to your liking to do battle on the clay oval. Many hours went into the prepping a car for race night and course each member of the team was responsible to prepare three cars in anticipation of going all the way! Much of the wrenching was done in the pits behind the track which was actually a blessing because many donor parts were available from pre raced cars and you could bring cars to the track over the course of a week or better and then after the races just drag them out to the pits. Big car candidates were plentiful as well. As in many racing sports, the sky was the limit on how much you wanted to invest in your cars. Back then, in my opinion, it was Sudden Impact that took the sport to a higher level. Their cars were solid as a rock and fast as shit! Their motors just plain sounded healthier, and they were.
Now the cars are a different breed. Much knowledge has been gained over the years and it shows in today’s demo cars. The cars withstand a phenomenal beating and are faster than they ever were. There were some hard hits back in the day at Santa Fe due to a bigger track, but whenever someone got injured, out the water truck would come and slow everything down. Like other motor sports, whenever the ruling agency does something to slow the drivers down for safety, drivers come up with a way to overcome the obstacle and go faster still. That is evident today at Route 66.
I was much younger, single, and had little responsibility other than my job and rent, back in 87 which brings me to my point. I was not married, and had no one counting on me for support, and was able to take chances by racing in the sport. It was a great time, but now I see some veteran drivers who have some permanent effects from racing and maybe even racing too long. There are still some drivers racing that were racing back when I did and that was 26 years ago! Wally, Art, and Johnny are legendary. When I broke my wrist, I had health insurance, but luckily Howard Tiedt, the owner of Santa Fe, took care of my medical bills. My brother replaced me after I was injured and he raced a few team demo races, and ended up breaking his wrist in the free for all demo race and needed surgeries and pins. Again, he had insurance and again, Howard took care if it. Everyone who straps in a car knows the chances they take and odds are, at some point, may get injured, in fact in my personal opinion, it’s not may, but will. The more you race, the higher your chances.
Would I like to race again? Yes. If someone said, Okay, you’re in. Would I accept it? Absolutely not! Why, you ask?
I would like to do many things that I used to when I was younger, but the fact is that I’m not young anymore, and I have much more responsibility than I did back when I was 22. I pull muscles easier, and I heal slower. Don’t we all?
I don’t know Carl at all, other than from the stands as a fan of the sport, on the rare occasion that i am able to attend due to living in Nashville now, but because I know what it takes to race team demo, I hate seeing someone get a close call by getting their bell rung, or worse yet, an injury. From all the postings of concern and well wishes to Carl, I can only assume he is an upstanding and respected man. I hope Carl has a speedy recovery so that he can resume his life, get back to work and help to support his family again. The fund raiser on his behalf is a very nice gesture, but I think it sends the wrong message. That if you don’t have a plan in place to activate in the event of an injury, others will help to take care of you and your family. I don’t mean to sound uncaring, because I do care, or I wouldn’t be writing this.
If anything good can come from the unfortunate event of Carl getting hurt, I hope that other drivers will look and see that it is very possible for your life to change for the worse in an instant, and if they are still willing to put it all in the line for the love of the sport, be prepared.
Maybe I don’t see the big picture, but what I see is drivers taking money out of their pockets, investing countless hours, and risking harm for the adrenaline and love of the sport while the track owners line their pockets, with little, if any risk for what happens on the track. I still love the sport, and even though no one forces a driver to participate, I sympathize with them and appreciate all that they do for the show.
Erin Ryan says:
Aug 29, 2013
Thanks for writing this, Chris. As a wife, mother, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law and friend of drivers I get it. This sport is SO much more than what a typical ticket buyer perceives. Over the years I’ve had to watch my husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law and family friends be taken away in ambulances and I’m gonna tell you…it was not a fun, exciting, bathroom-break, beer-run experience. Thank you for keeping it real.