A Father, A Son, and the No. 21 Citgo Ford: How I Became a NASCAR Fan

Perhaps it's fitting that this next article that I'm writing about circles around the subjects of racing cars, a passion in which legendary actor Paul Newman had a true interest in, as a fan to the very racer on the track.

Dedicated and always particular in having the highest quality in whatever he worked with, you could be assured that it would garner attention and praise.

This feature/personal anecdote is dedicated to Newman, an actor whose legacy is certainly going to transcend the generations of pop culture and our world.

Whenever I'm with family or friends, there seems to be discussions that make me recall my childhood. It seems like every time I do, I recall about the day I became a racing fan. How could that be possible? 

For those who want a textual time machine, I'll take you back to the summer of 1991, when a Bush ran the country, the Giants were Super Bowl champs, and when Rob Tiongson, age 5, developed NASCAR fever, an ailment which hasn't been cured for 17 years.

Every fan has their most memorable account of how they became a devoted follower of a particular sport. Whether it was huddling in the living room with your family to watch the hometown NFL team scoring a triumph in the very last second of regulation, or going to your first baseball game as a kid with your dad or mom.

My case as to how I became a NASCAR fan might mirror a lot of stories from fans who started following this particular racing series, at least if you were a kid in the late 80s to early 90s.

It was a very beautiful and picturesque August afternoon of '91 somewhere in the suburbs of the Boston area in Medford, Mass. Mom or Dad would take my siblings and me to this particular local toy store, which always excited us.

I was just starting to develop a passion for cars and starting to shy away from alphabet blocks and board games. On this particular occasion, it was not just a typical visit to the store.

With my oldest brother, sister and parents, we hit the aisles and immediately, my siblings found what they usually had mom and dad buy for them. As usual, my sister got her Barbie doll and my brother got an action figure or "doll" as my sister jokingly labeled. As for me, I'd normally want just any kind of die-cast car, as I could care less if it was a Matchbox or a Hot Wheels model of some random vehicle.

But something caught my eye that day. It was this beautiful Ford Thunderbird that had a white base, but had lines and numbers that were red, and had some words around it that were labeled "Citgo."

Little did I know that my mother's purchase of a 1/24 scale Dale Jarrett's No. 21 Citgo Ford would start the lifelong interest and passion that is in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

We were all smiles with our new toys, and for some reason, my smile was even wider having that race car in my collection.

It was unlike any other car that I owned at the time. It had decals that were so smooth and slick, detail and parts that I had never seen in any of my other cars, and most of all, it looked exactly like the real thing. And amazingly a few weeks later, I'd see the real thing in victory lane.

Dad is about the biggest channel surfer that I know. He's never quite content until he finds that program or show that will catch his attention, so until he finds it, well, be prepared to see the channel list scroll by as fast a lap at Bristol.

Anyways, I was watching TV with him on this particular Sunday afternoon (August 18, 1991) and he stopped his search on ESPN.

We almost always never watched ESPN back in those days. Instead, what would be on TV in the Tiongson household in the summer would be the Red Sox, but on this day, it was the Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

It was the closing moments of this race and it appeared to be a very competitive race since I saw my diecast replica racing with Davey Allison. It had to be for the win since the announcers' tones were very excitable but tense.

Much like the fans at the track and those in living rooms nationwide, the ESPN Speedworld broadcasting crew were in for a treat.

I saw the 28 and 21 trading paint in those last few laps, and even if I wasn't quite sure as to what implications were on the line in this race, I couldn't stand myself with how the race would turn out.

We NASCAR fans probably remember that famous call by Bob Jenkins:

"They touch, they rub going down the backstretch, side-by-side, wheel to wheel! Who is it gonna be in the Champion Spark Plug 400? Jarrett has the slight advantage as they go into the third and fourth corners. Davey Allison battles back on the outside.

It's gonna be a photo finish! They touch coming down through the tri oval! At the line Who wins it? And the lead....Jarrett!"

I was about as ecstatic seeing Jarrett win that race as I was getting the die cast model car. It was a wonderful moment, as two fathers and sons celebrated this wonderful win.

Ned Jarrett was tremendously emotional about his son finally earning his debut win in the greatest stock car racing series in the world. And my father got to see his youngest child develop a true passion of racing cars much like his old man had.

Every time I look at that old No. 21 car in my room these days, it brings me back to 1991. I'm able to go back to the living room of the very first house we lived in, when my mom buying a NASCAR replica truly made me a sports and racing fan for life.

Despite living hundreds of thousands of miles away from the racetracks of America, I am still the addictive NASCAR fan I was as a boy. It's amazing how sports can bring families together and make any fan, be it young or old, feel like a child again.

Thanks NASCAR, Dale Jarrett, ESPN, and most of all, thanks mom and dad. Racedays to me are family days.