"I know Doc would be honored to be in a class with Hunter and Squier," Brandon Igdalsky said Wednesday. "He respected both of them. These are three guys who defined the sport for a long time."
Igdalsky, the track president and CEO, also thinks Doc would be amused to be in a press association hall of fame.
"He used to give a lot of crap to the media," Brandon said. "For a guy who liked to fly under the [publicity] radar, his last few years, that changed. He liked to be recognized for what he'd done."
Under Mattioli's leadership, Pocono has hosted two NASCAR Sprint Cup races annually since 1974. In July, IndyCar racing will return to the 2.5-mile superspeedway for the first time since 1989.
In preparation for handing over administration of the raceway, Mattioli had Brandon and Nick do almost every job on the complex, including, yes, cleaning restrooms. That way, they would learn all about running a racetrack and decide whether they wanted to do it.
"The best advice Doc ever gave us," Brandon said, "was 'Don't run, walk: you'll get more done.' And, 'Your name doesn't define who you are: it's who you are as a person that's most important.' "
Words to live by . . .
Brandon, Nick and other family members plan to be in Charlotte for the Hall of Fame ceremonies.
