We've had a couple changes in our BDI Racing operation lately and sometimes change can be difficult to take and manage. After four years with two young drivers, both sides decided to part ways because of a difference of opinion between the parents involved. After a couple of weeks of plenty of personal emotion, things began to come into perspective for me at the press conference for the Joey Logano's Sprint Cup announcement at Joe Gibbs Racing.

I was there to host the program live on SPEED. As I sat there watching Logano and Gibbs speak, I wondered what it was like for Gibbs when Tony Stewart told him he would like to leave the operation that had given him his break in NASCAR and helped him win two Cup championships. Gibbs has handled everything, as usual, with class and dignity. That's when I realized that it is how you handle yourself in adverse times that defines your character or who you are as a person.

I am not a perfect team owner, nor am I a perfect person, but I do the best I can with the talents that God has given me. In California this weekend, I had a chance to meet up with an old friend, who happens to be a racing preacher, Joe Bubbico. He asked me about what has been going on. I told him about the change we have experienced and he explained about how difficult the emotional side of these things can be. Then he reminded me of this; it can be difficult for both sides and that there are some things that both sides have done to probably make the other party aggravated. In the end, he said, “Bobby, I know you, and everything you have done is with good intentions and that's what you have to remember.” As I thought about what Joe said, I compared being a team owner with a dad and what he said is the truth; everything you do is with the best of intentions for the integrity of the people involved.

I happen to be reading Dale Beaver's (former MRO preacher) book, “before the thunder rolls.” On Labor Day, I was reading the second chapter where he quotes a verse from the bible, 1 Samuel 16:7, …People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions.” Dale happened to be a friend of mine when he traveled with the Cup circuit and his wisdom always helps if you remind yourself to think about it. While on the outside, there can be many questions about the context of our changes, on the inside we all know our intentions were nothing but good.

To explain how I felt about everything before our changes, I am linking a blog that I wrote in June on the way to Sonoma. While many of these emotions have changed, this will give you an idea into my thoughts before the thunder rolled. Bob's Blog 6/22/08

On our team right now we have people I enjoy working with; some of them are my best friends. “Duke,” Bondo and Dustin are the leaders while people like Mr. Bob, Scottie, Derek and Steve and Logan Kenseth are people whom we could not do without, both personally and professionally. We enjoy working with all of our drivers, from my kids, Meghan and Blaise, to Kyle Fowler, Kyle Plott and a few to be announced shortly.

The New England Patriots are my favorite football team, have been since the days of quarterback Steve Grogan. One of the most inspiring stories in recent years comes from linebacker Tedy Bruschi. Less than two weeks after his third Super Bowl victory, Bruschi collapsed at home from a stroke. In his book, which I am reading as well, he says, “everything I stood for would be challenged… my career was in jeopardy, I thought it was over.”

While my experience recently with our race team pales in comparison to what Tedy Bruschi went through, survived and succeeded again, it puts in perspective everything that has recently happened. While my opinions and ideas have changed, the title of his book is something that I live by every day, “Never Give Up.”