Auto racing has been my favorite sport for as long as I can remember, at least all the way back to when I was 5 years old.

It’s provided me countless thrills along the way, and allowed me to meet some of my heroes, and make some friends.

It’s also provided some tears.

May 1st, 1994 was one of those days.

So was October 31st, 1999.

And for a couple of minutes, I thought this past Saturday would be one of those days.

If you didn’t see it, Will Power and Nelson Philippe were both injured in a savage crash at Infineon Raceway in California.

Thanks to advances in safety, and a little luck, both escaped with their lives, although both suffered some serious injuries.

I’ve only briefly met Nelson Philippe.

I’ve met Will Power several times, although it would certainly be presumptuous for me to call him a friend, he is a person I have enjoyed talking to.

Will Power is a very interesting person, when you meet him, you wouldn’t immediately think he’s a world famous race driver. Will is very shy when he meets people, and only opens up after he’s talked with you a little bit.

But the neat part about Will is, he genuinely enjoys his fans. I’ve seen him react with real happiness when he’s received gifts from fans. Some drivers put on a show when they meet fans, only pretending to have a passing interest in them.

Not Will Power.

Will was having a breakout season for Team Penske. If you’re a regular reader of this space, you know I have beat the drum for a full-time ride for Will, for oh, since my first blog.

He’s now facing a long recovery, but hopefully not an uncertain future in racing, because he’s a true talent that makes any series better.

So in my own way, I am sending good thoughts and well wishes to Will and Nelson. I hope both recover very quickly from their injuries, and I look forward to seeing them back in my favorite sport as soon as possible.