Richard Beal
Vanderbilt, PA

^{“Illustrating interpretation at a recursive level”}

T h e  C o m p e t e t i v e  S p i r i t

     FOX Sports Network Commentator Mike Joy once said, “Ricky Rudd coulda, woulda, shoulda won the last three races and is finally victorious today at California’s own Infineon Raceway.” If Rudd was not satisfied until he claimed victory, how valuable was winning? Why does victory cause a professional driver to shed tears of excitement? Winning is so special because it eases the pain of past “what ifs,” while allowing an individual to celebrate taming of the challenges and fierce competitors of the sport.


     The sense that only one person can finish first makes winning both motivating and sweet. Dale Adkins’ drawing depicts such a passion. Adkins’ untitled line drawing of NASCAR veteran Sterling Marlin and his Coors Light Dodge Intrepid demonstrates that the spirit of competition involved in racing enables a passion for victory. The imaginary moment the artist isolates in his drawing is a vision of victory. For example, Adkins shows passion through the triangle formed between Marlin’s smile and the checkered flag reflected in his sunglasses. Faded in with Marlin’s uniform near the bottom of the drawing, the artist depicts Sterling’s Coors Light Dodge Intrepid. Adkins uses the uniform to symbolize the sponsor’s support, the sunglasses to reflect the checkered flag, and the car to represent teamwork, while the smile exemplifies the passion for victory.


     Through his illustration of the driver’s uniform, Adkins shows the importance of victory to a racecar driver. The artist includes the uniform to show how the business of racing demands victory. When the driver signs a contract, victory and solid credentials will prove their capabilities to the team owners, while ultimately keeping their job. While fulfilling their current contract, racecar drivers are motivated to win because winning satisfies fans and sponsors. Fans support racing through their demand of products relating to a driver, while sponsors provide teams with money to purchase equipment and experiment with racing fundamentals. If the driver does not win, fans and sponsors may decide to no longer support the team causing the flow of money to cease. Adkins demonstrates a vision of victory to show how support and security forces a driver to win.


     The artist reveals the idea of competition through the reflection of the checkered flag. Outrunning the competition makes winning such a glorious feat because of the complex tactics involved in capturing the checkered flag. The struggle to contend for victory motivates a team to distinguish themselves from the rest of the field by strengthening their racing program. With confidence in the quality of the racing equipment, the driver can believe in the team, while viewing competitors as “just bricks in the wall.” As competition demands sleek and sophisticated cars on the track, mechanical secrets and strategies provide a team with the knowledge to come out on top. Intimidation raises the bar as tricks and strategies ultimately sweeten the passion for victory.


     In his drawing, Adkins depicts the concept of teamwork through the illustration of the racecar. Teamwork involved in racing makes victory priceless because without support, a driver would try to fulfill a vision under pressure while helpless and focused on aspects outside of their racing specialty. Effective teamwork is essential to motivate the driver while getting the most out of the racecar and track conditions. Along with tweaking the car’s setup for tenths on the racetrack, a fast pit crew can help a driver gain seconds on pit lane. Teamwork is vital to victory because a team’s performance and effectiveness play a role in determining the driver’s chance for victory. The artist includes the idea of teamwork to show how synergy plays a role in the pursuit of victory.


     Adkins illustrates a passion for victory through the driver’s smile. Why is a driver so excited after winning a race? Winning is not only demanding from a business standpoint, but is a product of luck, teamwork, and the competitive spirit. The reality of racing provokes obstacles from flat tires and mechanical failures to accidents and penalties, leaving the driver to deal with the pressures of racetracks and rivals. When a driver is pressured, they exercise their competitive spirit by doing whatever it takes to make their vision come true. Overall, winning is so sweet to a driver because they must avoid racing obstacles and defeat their competitors, all while dealing with pressures and beating the odds. After several miles of stress and decisions, who wouldn’t be emotional after the victory lane champagne celebration?


     Dale Adkins’ drawing tells the story of the competitive spirit, associating victory with passion. Whether a driver wrecks people or starts a brawl after the race, when it’s their turn to visit victory lane, fame is inferior to the emotion embedded in the victory burnouts imprinted on the front stretch. Even though NASCAR veteran Ricky Rudd’s stellar history at Infineon Raceway presented proven experience to the equation, the level of competition, the effort involved in outrunning the field, and the easing of the past’s “couldas, wouldas, shouldas” made the win feel just as sweet as it was the first time.