Amy Walsh Stock

I've been thinking a lot about Monte Dutton and his era of NASCAR media, which overlapped with the first decade of my career. This was a time when newspapers were still so prominent in NASCAR that the Gaston Gazette -- the Gastonia, N.C. newspaper in suburban Charlotte -- not only had a full-time NASCAR writer traveling the beat, but a skilled and veteran wordsmith, at that. It's cliche to say Monte was one of a kind, but he certainly was. This is a guy who would take out his guitar late at night and play some tunes in the media parking lot after we all finished writing on deadline. He loved to hold court in the media center (at least until the Charlotte Observer's David Poole would scream at everyone to "SHUT THE F--- UP!") and all of his questions in press conferences felt like they were two minutes long. Yes, Monte had a lot to say. But he also had a beautifully artistic way of saying it, whether through his writing or music. When I started my independent site in 2017, I somehow convinced Monte to cover two Charlotte race weekends for me. He delivered with his unique style, as always. He has millions of words out there, including in book form, but I'm honored that a couple thousand of them live on my site. If you want to get a sense of Monte's race coverage, here you go: jeffgluck.com/tag/monte-dutt…

.@JimmieJohnson will drive the No. 48 for @LEGACYMotorClub in the 2027 DAYTONA 500 🤩 (via @JimmieJohnson)