Andy's Angel
by Andy Belmont-ARCA Driver and Staff Writer
10/17/2002

We've lost a family member and dear friend.

The cruel reality of the danger of what we do rears it's ugly head every now and then. Life for all of us will go on, just very different than we knew it to be just a few days ago.

As legacies go, the sporting world and the media frenzy that drives it will never know what a champion person a one Mr. Eric Martin was. Martin was as committed a racer there ever was. He loved life. His priorities may have appeared skewed to some who can't permit themselves to understand. But, rest assured, his family, his wife and those two little boys were the dearest thing in that great big thing he had called a heart.

Looking into Eric Martin's heart was never an issue, it was so big. Big, with an intensity level that most folks can't operate at. This was life and business as usual for an extraordinary young man.

Timing is everything in this life. Time is a fragile thing. Our Chaplain spoke of the three minute clock we have in racing. It is the stop watch in the tech inspection line. You have three minutes to get your car right or go to the end of the line. ARCA Chaplain Bill Krick poses the question: What if it is "your three minutes in life, to get it right?" There is no question here, Martin had it right.

Like most who live this dream of racing cars, there were never enough hours in a day and always plenty of work left over. Outside of our little community, most won't permit themselves the capability to grasp what it is or why it is we do what we do.

Class and dignity are labels that some pretend to have acquired. There is no question with Eric Martin. He is in a class by himself. A tireless worker, the practical joker of the garage area, upbeat in the worst of situations, the driver, the tire changer, the body man, husband and father. The order is backwards of course, and there was never a moment when you had to question where he stood on that order. He offers us all a standard to work from.

The TV and internet media covered the tragedy. The sharks circled and saw the details they chose to see. Someone died in a race car at Lowe's Motor Speedway and someone has to be blamed. It is our society of pointing fingers and saving ourselves from ourselves. Rest assured, you have all missed the story. These are not the headlines Eric or anyone else would want. The media quickly turns the story to the sports superstars for answers, as if there are any. But it makes for headlines, sells newspapers and makes folks tune in at 5, 6 & 11.

So for those of you who missed it, a wonderful human being has been taken from us. The memory of his little boyish grin will brighten our days forever. We will race again. After a long day in the garage area, we will sit around the fire where our campers are parked with one less lawn chair. Our families will have the grill going and the coolers full. We will toast this man and cherish the memories that only he, Eric Martin, created for us.

Thank you Eric. Godspeed.

You can reach Andy Belmont at: abelmont@catchfence.com