It started with a phone call. "Hey Ronnie... This is Scott Stevens. I'd like to talk to you about being on my radio show The Motor Mile Speedway Power Hour." I had no idea how busy Ronnie Thomas would be. After all, we haven't spoken in almost 20 years. We haven't talked on a radio show in almost 25 years. Would Ronnie remember me? A fellow Christiansburg boy from back in the day. Got a text that night, and a phone call a couple days later. "Hey Scott long time no see! I heard you moved out of the area." Lynchburg was hardly out of the area, but yeah 75 miles is more than a country mile. "Man I would love to chat with you. I also want to show you my collection." A phone call to talk about getting together turned into a one hour conversation. So two days later, we were standing in his garage looking at his collection. The pictures below is only a portion of what he showed me. Keep in mind, the recording for the radio show, link to the podcast is also below, turned into a 4 hour visit. In fact, 90 minutes into the chat I said... "Man Ronnie I am taking up your whole afternoon!" He didn't mind. After all we were talking about racing, his Dad Jabe Thomas, our mutual friends and family in Christiansburg, our ladies, and life in general.
We eventually got around to talking into a microphone about the old Winston Cup Grand National Series, now just "The Cup," as well as Pulaski County Speedway becoming New River Valley Speedway, now Motor Mile Speedway. About the "good ole' days" of NASCAR. About being loved and booed for winning... but the most fun, for me, was just hanging out with Ronnie for an entire afternoon. Never mind that I had other work to do. It would have to wait. Reconnecting with an old friend, even going for a ride to visit with another old friend and racer, Terry Lawson, who lived just down the street, was the top priority.
Thank you for a great afternoon, Ronnie. Oh yeah. Thanks for being on the Motor Mile Speedway Power Hour.
To hear the podcast, press the play (>) button below.