Randy, Rudy and Travis lead us over the double jump

It is my belief that we find our best people during tough economic times. When things are good, the so-called experts are everywhere flashing phony smiles and offering cheap advice.

So as we continue to struggle with every conceivable element related to the economy nowadays, there is a select group of people who deserve a salute considering their tenacity.

In particular, Saturn of St. George general manager Travis Bostwick and Mesquite, Nev. casino mogul Randy Black come to mind as individuals who are struggling but refusing to give up at the same time.

In Bostwick, we have a 40-year-old native of St. George, Utah whose voice can be heard all over radio stations when so many others in his profession are throwing in the towel. During the Easter Weekend, I must have heard him pitching his dealership no less than 10 times a day.

He is believable even though rumors out of General Motors have been dire to say the least. Even with a high level of bad public relations messages, Bostwick has been pushing full-speed ahead telling anyone who will listen that he’s going to be here and his product remains a good purchase especially with incentive plans that have been offered during the past few weeks.

Consistency is king in business nowadays. Bostwick probably isn’t selling as many cars as he was a couple of years ago, but his delivery is proof positive that he’s not taking down his tent.

Proof is Bostwick’s radio commercials during a time when so many automobile executives have cut or eliminated their advertising budgets. If you’re driving anywhere near Southern Utah, the Travis Bostwick messages illustrating his continued belief in Saturn are both convincing and effective.

Like Bostwick, Randy Black possesses an interesting pitch that never seems to die even when the television or radio commercials have subsided. The owner of the Casa Blanca and Virgin River hotel casinos in Mesquite, Black is a tireless worker who has participated in a long line of competitive ventures ranging from real estate to homebuilding and even off-road racing.

In fact, the former resident of Kingman, Ariz. once explained off-road racing provided the ultimate challenge with a pair of possible outcomes.

“When you’re running an off-road car, you put your foot flat on the floor and one of two things happen,” Black once said.

“You either win or you die.”

AJ Foyt and Richard Petty could not have said it any better. And while it’s been many years since he got all he could out of an off-road car, his philosophy remains the same only with a different set of logistical challenges.

In both Bostwick and Black, you will find a couple of characters who face frightening double-jumps every day. They may apply the brake simply to slow down and regroup, but neither one of them will ever be seen getting out of the car and throwing their helmet in disgust.

They don’t know how to quit even when so many others around them are doing just that. They smile when things are good and they keep the faith when things are not so good.

The key to both Bostwick and Black is that they don’t go to the extreme in either situation. They keep telling the world that their products are available while also presenting incentives encouraging their customers to believe in their pitches.

While Bostwick keeps selling Saturns in St. George, Black tells anyone who will listen that Mesquite is the ideal getaway with inexpensive rooms complemented by gorgeous golf courses, skeet shooting, and even better, a chance to chill out with a world-famous massage.

Frankly, I get tired of people who complain when things get tough. It’s more difficult to find the good when things are bad and only lazy people choose to cry about everything from the economy to the weather and the traffic.

In the meantime, I’ll gladly adopt Bostwick, Black and Rudy Ruettiger as my motivators since they’re true examples of individuals who refuse to give up. Bostwick and Black have competed in at least one element of automobiles and Ruettiger once sold Cadillacs before vaulting his career as a motivational speaker.

Ruettiger made the Notre Dame football team even though he stands only 5-foot-6. To say he has drive is an understatement.

Whether they’re driving it or selling it, competitive and successful people usually have some sort of a tie to the automobile.

No, it’s not easy right now, that’s for sure. But I have more respect for those who refuse to give up than I do for those who hunker down.

And if you have a group of worn-out souls looking for a boost, just remember that Bostwick, Black and Ruettiger have been successful simply because they refuse to take their foot off the gas even when they are facing a massive double jump.

Banquet, second Cup race make sense in Vegas

The recent announcement that NASCAR is moving its year-end awards banquet from New York to Las Vegas not only makes good sense but is also overdue.

In fact, back in 1981 at the Nevada Motorsports Awards at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, guest speaker and stock car driver Harry Gant hinted that NASCAR needed to take a look at what Vegas had to offer clear back then.

"Man, this is really something," Gant said of the Nevada Motorsports Awards which featured rising stages, showgirls, multi-media presentations and a full-bore stage presentation in the Siegfried and Roy Theater. "In fact, it's nicer than what NASCAR does at the Waldorf Astoria in New York."

And you can bet Gant's words were echoed by many other drivers and members of NASCAR more than 28 years ago. It's a well-known fact that NASCAR drivers, their crews, sponsors and the media love coming to Vegas anytime of year considering the hospitality, the glitz and the chance to enjoy the Adult Disneyland of the world.

New York was supposed to land a Cup race years ago, but that possibility has since been ruled out, so the awards ceremony almost seemed out of place - and when the city of New York ruled against a parade of stock cars running through the streets as part of the hoopla associated with the event, it was time to move on anyway.

God knows what Las Vegas and Las Vegas Motor Speedway spent to get the NASCAR awards brought to Las Vegas, but the move is a win-win in every single category. Vegas can use the business, those attending can use the getaway and the sport of stock car racing will benefit through added exposure and the professionalism affiliated with awards ceremonies in the city that never sleeps.

However, there is even more that needs to be added to the story. NASCAR needs to move its season-ending race from Homestead in Florida to Las Vegas where a combined year-end race and awards ceremony makes as much as much sense as high octane fuel in a race car.

Since SMI Chairman Bruton Smith purchased LVMS in 1999, he has preached that (a) Las Vegas deserves a second race and (b) Las Vegas should be the site of the season-ending NASCAR awards banquet. He came to town more than a decade ago, outbid NASCAR Chairman Bill France for LVMS and went to work finishing a drag strip that had been left unfinished.

And when he had time, Smith was preaching to the world that he was going to take Vegas and LVMS to another level. He also wasted little time telling anyone who would listen that LVMS deserved a second Cup race especially considering the fact that other tracks had two dates and didn't deserve more than a single event.

Well, now that the banquet is headed to Vegas, the wizards of NASCAR should follow by moving the year ender in Homestead to Las Vegas where a blockbuster combination would undoubtedly gain world-wide attention for a week.

However, while the combination makes good sense for every reason, the fact that International Speedway Corp. not only owns NASCAR but Homestead Raceway at the same time.

Can we spell "C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T" without too much trouble? An obvious head-butting contest between the outspoken Smith and the France family (Bill France has died and has son, Brian, is in for the fight of his life) has been ongoing for years and you can bet Sir Bruton isn't about to let up this time either.

In fact, Smith's nature as the PT Barnum of auto racing will most certainly reach 200 mph during the coming months as he puts both NASCAR and the France family on their heals - this time with the powerful Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority joining his efforts.

Smith beat the France family to the punch when he bought LVMS and you can bet he's about to throw the knockdown punch on this topic, too. He has too many teammates not to win this battle.