Preacher and Family Follow NASCAR Circuit
April 29, 2002 -- Dale Beaver lives in a self-contained world that is high-speed, high-stress and high-stakes: NASCAR. But he is not a pit boss, a mechanic, or even much of a fan.
He is a minister. In fact, for the past four years, Beaver has been the official Winston Cup series chaplain, whispering encouragement to drivers in the pit, and performing at weddings and funerals, most notably that of driver Dale Earnhardt.
Beaver, his wife, Andree, and their sons, Adam, 7, and Andrew, 4, are on the road 10 months a year, following along with the NASCAR drivers, mechanics and car owners as they travel from city to city, week after week. Beaver admits to being a preacher with an unusual congregation.
"All of these guys in this sport are thrill seekers," he said. "They live on adrenaline highs pretty regularly."
Though most people wouldn't link NASCAR with spirituality, there has been a fairly formalized spiritual system since 1988, when senior pastor Max Helton founded Motor Racing Outreach in Charlotte, N.C. Beaver is one of 13 full-time chaplains for the non-denominational group, which provides religious services for Winston Cup, 10 other racing series, and 21 other motorsport series, including motorcycle and boat racing, and Formula One racing in Europe.
Falling Into the Life
When he first started preaching in the town of Dixon, Ky., his wife was a bit tentative about moving. Although he enjoyed going to races, he did not know about the Winston Cup opening until a friend called him and told him about it. His wife, Andree, agreed.
"She said she'd follow me off a cliff, and when we went to Kentucky, she thought she had fallen off a cliff," Beaver said. "And then when we went to NASCAR, she really felt like — she knew she'd followed me off a cliff."
"I knew," agreed Andree Beaver.
For the past three years, Beaver and his family have traveled the NASCAR circuit, setting up a mobile community center out of an 18-wheeler at each stop.
That center is a safe haven for the drivers, providing day care, Bible study, and a small gym. Plus, it provides respite when things go wrong, as happened with the death of racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr., who died in a crash at the Daytona 500 in February 2001.
Caught Up in ‘Our Little World’
Beaver is also there to help those who are dealing with family issues. One who says he has found solace through Beaver's ministry is Jeff Gordon, a driver who is going through a very public divorce.
"Sometimes we get so caught up in our little world of racing," Gordon said. "Everything relies on winning and losing, everything relies on how fast that car is, and you can spend a few minutes with Dale and say, 'Wait a minute, there's a much bigger picture here, there are other things out there in life.' "
It's not easy on the Beaver family. Andree Beaver home-schools the boys. The family sometimes feels a bit homesick — not surprising, since they are on the road three weeks a month, 10 months a year. Each time they head out, they pack up toys, sneakers, food, even their pet gerbils from their home in Charlotte, N.C.
"Controlled chaos is what getting on the road is like, and we're on the road a lot," Andree Beaver said. "Each road trip of three, four, five weeks, we're faced with a new challenge."
But, she added, "We're doing it as a family and then the rewards are we are closer as a family."
The Last Hand Before a Race
On a typical day, with the thermometer hitting 95 degrees, Dale Beaver notifies the NASCAR folks about his chapel service. He meets with the drivers, coaxing them in, and then holds a service for almost 200 people.
Then it's back to being dad. He fixes son Adam's bike, and then heads back to the races, where he walks past throngs of people, making his way to the drivers.
"It is cool because it's a real glamorous sport right now, and, yeah, you're walking down the grid," Beaver said. "There's hundreds of thousands of people looking at what's going on. You feel the energy."
His is often the last hand to touch the drivers before they reach 200 mph on the track.
"It's just that touch-point moment, I think, of where they get grounded in the eternal things of what they're doing," Beaver said.
While the race is on, Andree Beaver helps takes care of the NASCAR children, leading them in prayers for their fathers, songs for their spirit, and activities for their minds. All the while, they keep an ear open for the sound of their dads' cars.
Andree also listens for the engines' roar. After all, she's married to a preacher who works to foster the faith in the fast lane, and he may be called to an accident scene at any moment.
"I'm just more aware than any other time during the race of the noise and the fact that I want to hear it," she said. "Because when that stops, something has happened."