Legendary sportswriter Tom Higgins covered NASCAR for the Charlotte Observer from 1964 to 1997, and he still has a vivid memory of races he covered throughout his career.
Higgins, now 80, suffered a stroke in August, but he recalled various racing stories to Scott Fowler from the Observer in a recent profile.
Higgins said the one thing he misses most about covering the sport was the people he encountered along the way.
"I liked the people most of all - and that's what I miss most," Higgins said. "I met so many characters. I enjoyed writing about the personalities and the color and the history of it far more than the actual racing. Lord, the cast of characters was just beyond belief."
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NASCAR has always been full of characters, and that was especially true during its peak. Higgins covered multiple generations of NASCAR drivers, so he undoubtedly covered many intriguing personalities.
It's worth reading the entire story on Higgins, and there are several interesting stories in the piece from Fowler.
Higgins didn't graduate from college, and he didn't have any formal journalism training. Yet he still covered the sport for over three decades, and he became one of the most prominent sportswriters for NASCAR.
Hopefully Higgins can remain in good health so he can continue sharing the stories from his years covering NASCAR.