Savage Words: ‘This ain’t nothin’ Haudenschild’s post-race comments put it in perspective

I’m not a Sheldon Haudenschild fan. And I don’t know why.

It’s not like I have anything against him, I’ve just never gotten an emotional “fan feeling” when watching him.

Same with his dad, Jac. Never really liked him, never really disliked him…just never had a strong opinion about either of them.

But that might have changed after Saturday night’s High Bank Nationals.

For me, it’s less about accomplishments on the field, court or track that makes me admire an athlete. That stuff is cool when they succeed, and humility tells me a lot in a loss, but it’s also the little things that are said or done that inspires me.

I interviewed Jac back in 1996 when the Indy Racing League (IRL) was formed. The IRL launched in part to give short-track American racers a shot at the sport’s biggest stage – the Indianapolis 500.

When the IRL announced its intentions 32 years ago, there was a real buzz about guys like Jac, Steve Kinser, Doug Wolfgang, Sammy Swindell, and other sprint car drivers getting a shot at the 500.

The World of Outlaws came to town in 1996 for a race at Huset’s. The series held a meet-and-greet in the parking lot of the Ramada Hotel on the corner of West Avenue and Russell Street in Sioux Falls. The race cars were all on display, the drivers were made available, and several hundred fans showed up.

Jac and I sat in his trailer, and I asked him about making a run at Indianapolis. That seems far-fetched today. The IRL’s hopes of opening some doors to sprint car drivers fell short and the idea of someone like David Gravel, or Buddy Kofoid, or Sheldon, making it to the 500 in today’s racing landscape is a long shot…at best.

Jac actually had an IndyCar test at Texas Motor Speedway in December of 1998. He turned 44 laps at TMS with a top speed of 192.77 miles per hour. He never returned to an IndyCar after that one-day test.

I always thought that was pretty cool, but again, I was never enamored with Jac.

When Sheldon came around, I sort of felt the same way. “Meh,” was my initial thought when this Haudenschild came around.

But on Saturday at Huset’s, the 34-year-old from Wooster, Ohio made an impression, one I’ll never forget.

Before the racing on Saturday, Huset’s Public Address announcer Shawn Neisteadt read the biography of the track’s Hero of the Night, Kenny Brinker of Sioux Falls, who Presented the Nation’s Colors. 

Neisteadt spoke of Brinker’s upbringing on the west side of Sioux Falls, and how he became a race fan by being the neighbor to Huset’s Hall-of-Famer Glenn Anderson.

Brinker started to come to Huset’s as a youngster before being drafted at the age of 18 to the United States Army to fight in the Korean conflict. He served for three years on active duty in South Korea.

As Neisteadt continued, the massive crowd at the race track grew quieter and quieter, taking in Brinker’s story.

That story included Brinker witnessing a tense chapter in American military history. In 1968, North Korea attacked the USS Pueblo, a spy ship for the U.S. Navy that gathered intelligence from its adversary. The ship was captured, and over the next 11 months, 82 U.S. sailors were abused and tortured. One was killed. The entire ordeal became a major Cold War incident, raising tensions between western and eastern powers.

Brinker returned to Sioux Falls after the war and worked in various jobs at Huset’s over the years. 

On Saturday, the 78-year-old stood in the infield, American Flag in-hand, in front of the huge attentive crowd, as Neisteadt read his bio.

Eleven minutes later, Sheldon won Heat race No. 1, securing his spot on the front row of the $300,000-to-win feature race later in the night.

“This could be the highest-paying win of your life,” infield track announcer Conner Wade asked Sheldon as he sat in his car on the front stretch after his heat race win. “How much pressure is on you?”

Sheldon’s answer, in a word, was inspiring. 

“Let’s just put on a show for the fans tonight, man,” he said when asked about the big money on the line, and the pressure that was potentially mounting. “Hearing that old vet story right there before the opening ceremonies, man, this ain’t nothin’. Them guys are what it’s all about.”

So yea, that was the right answer. Sheldon finished sixth in the race, but I’m pretty confident he won over a few hearts with the answer.

And now, consider me a fan of Sheldon Haudenschild.