Krista Voda: Love for Elvis gives Rick Crawford a strong connection to Memphis
Circle Bar Racing's Rick Crawford is ninth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings heading into this weekend's race at Memphis Motorsports Park. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
COMMENTARY
When you think of Memphis, you think of Elvis, and there is probably not a bigger Elvis fan in NASCAR than Camping World Truck Series star Rick Crawford.
Crawford loves Elvis so much he sometimes uses Elvis lines or Elvis impersonations in his television interviews. He has even sang Elvis songs to me a few times.
Growing up in Mobile, Ala., Crawford remembers his mother, grandmother and aunt always listening to Elvis. They particularly loved the song “Guitar Man,” in which Elvis sings about leaving Memphis and winding up playing in a club in Mobile.
“My family really liked him because he was this clean-cut young man who sang great songs,” Crawford says.
Crawford has built a similar persona in the Truck series. Widely regarded as one of the sport’s good guys, he exudes the same Southern charm that Elvis had.
Crawford often visits Graceland during his trips to Memphis. During his last visit, he got a behind-the-scenes tour with former teammate David Starr and Lisa Mitchell, the daughter of Circle Bar Racing team owner Tom Mitchell.
Crawford has become a student of Elvis’ career and legacy. He is good friends with George Klein, one of Elvis’ oldest friends, and is often a guest on Klein’s show on Elvis Radio on Sirius and XM.
“Elvis was an extraordinary entertainer,” Crawford says. “In 24 years of entertaining, he recorded over 3,000 songs. To be able to do so much in such short period of time is pretty impressive. … You would have thought he had been around forever, but he has stood the test of time.”
The same can be said of Crawford, who has become an iconic figure in NASCAR’s Truck series. He began racing in the series full time in 1997 and has continued to drive for the same team and the same manufacturer (Ford).
Crawford sees some parallels between Elvis and NASCAR drivers.
“One of the reasons Elvis had such a following and became such a legacy is because he was so good to his fans and always tried to put the fans first,” Crawford says.
“That is something that, as drivers, we have to do. NASCAR is all about the fans. Without the fans, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”
His love for Elvis is just one reason Crawford circles the race at Memphis Motorsports Park on his calendar each year.
He enjoys eating at Rendezvous Ribs across from the old Peabody Hotel and soaking up the history and culture of the city. His crew chief, Kevin “Cowboy” Starland, also has a home in the area where he often entertains Crawford and his team on race weekend.
“You can’t go to Memphis and not have a good time,” Crawford says.
The winner’s trophy at Memphis is a replica of the Elvis statue that stands on Beale Street in Memphis. And this year there is another Elvis connection: the trophy for winning the pole is an acoustic guitar from nearby Sun Studios, the “Birthplace of Rock ’n’ Roll,” where Elvis and other legendary stars recorded.
In 11 races, Crawford has a best finish of fourth at Memphis. Nothing would be more fitting than for him to add that Elvis trophy to his collection.
Krista Voda hosts the popular SPEED prerace show, "NCWTS Setup", leading into each NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Voda is also a regular host on The SPEED Report and serves as a pit reporter for NASCAR on Fox coverage of the Sprint Cup Series.
