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Chads Ramblings About
Garrett "HotPants" Hudgins
Garrett "HotPants" Hudgins
It was through Clint Johnsons family that I met him at the SugarCreek Track in 2005. It wasn’t
his racing that I noticed first but that big huge smile and those eyes that, when he looked at
you, you thought he could see right through you.. The biggest thing I noticed about him
though was his voice. He had the cutest, sweetest southern boy voice I think I have ever
heard. I loved to tease and joke around with him just to hear him laugh and talk..I also
noticed his racing. When he raced he gave 110%. It was all about Garrett. But when he was
off the track, it was all about him and his friends.
In the Spring of 2005 my company, CLAJ Enterprises, started looking to sponsor more
racers. It wasn’t by invite but by open enrollment. We had a lot of applicants but none from
Garrett. I was disappointed, as I wanted him on our team, but he didn’t apply. About 3 months
ago I decided to start looking for more racers to work with. I wanted Garrett Houston Hudgins
BAD…He had to be a part of our team. I spoke to Garrett and his parents about joining our
racing family and they agreed to let Garrett join. I told Garrett I wanted to sign him but it
probably wouldn’t happen until this fall. Something told me I better move the date up and
move it FAST..
his racing that I noticed first but that big huge smile and those eyes that, when he looked at
you, you thought he could see right through you.. The biggest thing I noticed about him
though was his voice. He had the cutest, sweetest southern boy voice I think I have ever
heard. I loved to tease and joke around with him just to hear him laugh and talk..I also
noticed his racing. When he raced he gave 110%. It was all about Garrett. But when he was
off the track, it was all about him and his friends.
In the Spring of 2005 my company, CLAJ Enterprises, started looking to sponsor more
racers. It wasn’t by invite but by open enrollment. We had a lot of applicants but none from
Garrett. I was disappointed, as I wanted him on our team, but he didn’t apply. About 3 months
ago I decided to start looking for more racers to work with. I wanted Garrett Houston Hudgins
BAD…He had to be a part of our team. I spoke to Garrett and his parents about joining our
racing family and they agreed to let Garrett join. I told Garrett I wanted to sign him but it
probably wouldn’t happen until this fall. Something told me I better move the date up and
move it FAST..
| Chad and Garrett June 24, 2006 |
June 24, I had planned on having a sponsors luncheon with all of my racers. I contacted Garrett and told him he HAD to be there but I didn’t tell
him why. I don’t know if he knew it or suspected it, but we signed him immediately following the luncheon and he became one of our Team mates!
To say the least, I was THRILLED to finally have Garrett as part of our racing family. Garrett had THIS SPONSOR wrapped around his finger. Alot
happened from the time we signed him until his death.
I have a few stories about Garrett Id like to tell you about, like the time he had an accident and got gas spilled all over him. Word has it, that the
HIGH OCTANE fuel started stinging and he had it down his pants. He could be seen pouring bottled water and anything else he could find, down
his pants to get some relief. That is how I came to nickname him HOTPANTS. He thought that was pretty funny, and so did the girls.
I remember just a month or so back when he got his first, first place trophy from River Valley. I was sitting at his truck waiting for him to return from
whereever he was at. He comes walking back with Clay and I think Pami. His face was GLOWING with that smile that he was known for. He said to
me “I can't believe it. I never thought I'd get a first place trophy from this track.” I'm not sure who was more proud, his parents or me but we all
rejoiced in his accomplishments.
As I mentioned earlier, I liked to tease Garrett. I remember him telling me about how easy school was and most of the time he and his friends got
their work done early in school and spent the rest of the time goofing around. After coming off of a long holiday weekend, Garrett told me he
hated to go back to school. I told him, “Man I wish I would have had it so easy, just going to school and partying in class.” I told him all he was
going to do anyways when he got to school was party so what was he complaining about..HE JUST LAUGHED! I brought this to his attention more
then a few times whenever he complained about school..
The More I watched Garrett, the faster he was getting and this was creating a stir amoungst some of the other racers. Racers started to complain
publicly about this really fast racer, racer #7. They said he really needed to be moved up in the class he was racing in. They began saying some
NOT NICE things about Garrett. It bugged Garrett, his parents, AND ME. Pami called me and asked me what I thought he should do, and I said he
probably should move up, but he should really talk to the track owners at River Valley about it. I saw Garrett and Pami at the next race and they
told me he had been moved up. Garrett was nervous about this move. He feared that other racers MIGHT try doing something to him. In his sweet
southern voice he told me "I just don't want other racers to hate me." You see, Garrett loved racing and he loved the other racers. I have heard
more then one story of how he would always look at the racers around him at the starting gate and give them the THUMBS up and tell them
GOOD LUCK before the gate dropped. That's my Garrett, always wanting the best for others, even though he wanted first place. When Garrett
said it, HE MEANT IT. If you've ever had the chance of him saying that to you at the gate, he really did mean it! Hold tight to those memories of
him!
My last conversation with Garrett was on July 26, 3 days before he passed away. He called me just as I was leaving church. He apologized for
calling me while I was at church. I told him that NONE of my racers EVER have to apologize to me for calling me at ANY TIME. I accept their calls at
all hours. I'm there for my guys. He also apologized and asked me if I would be upset if he didn’t go to Ponca City with me but instead race at
Challenger and maybe Playground that weekend. He felt he needed the seat time because he had just spent 3 weeks on vacation. I told him that
he had my blessings and GOOD LUCK and report back to me after the race. We also spoke about his vacation and how he enjoyed traveling to
my homestate in Minnesota. He told me how he and his friend went swimming in Lake Superior and that it was so cold they jumped right back out
of the water. I shared with him how my buddy and I went swimming off of the lighthouse walkway by the lift bridge in Duluth MN and how we
narrowly escaped getting in trouble by the police. He thought that was sooo funny and he just laughed. He told me how much he enjoyed the lift
bridge in Duluth and I told him that was my favorite part of Duluth. It felt kinda kewl knowing that he got to see some things I enjoyed back home.
One final story. One evening I was sitting in the stands watching my boys race. All of a sudden I didn’t see Garrett anymore. Being the good and
overly concerned sponsor that I am, I raced out of the stands to the fence line. I spotted Clay on the track and yelled “WHERES GARRETT
WHERES GARRETT” and with a puzzled look Clay looked up and said “There he is, “ just as I looked up, there was #7 flying highover my head.
July 29 2006 is a day I will never forget. I went to Ponca City that day alone. Excitedly wondering about what I would find at Ponca, yet wishing I
was at the track with Garrett. I got home earlier then expected from Ponca and gave it some consideration to drive to Challenger. Id only miss
about the first 30 minutes of the race. I decided against it. The hardest thing for me to do was to call the rest of his team mates and tell them
about Garrett and yet try to keep myself together for my guys. Monday morning I got an email from another one of my racers telling me that he
had a bad wreck and that part of his memory was gone. I was devastated. I started asking God what was he doing to my racers? If he's upset, why
not take it out on me and leave my guys alone. Even as a Christian I started to ask God WHY. I tried really hard not to ask that but I did. I started
asking myself why am I in the sport? Why do I take time with the racers, even those that I don’t sponsor. Am I really making a difference in others?
Why do I continue on when I know that at any time any of my racers or myself could be gone. I started considering leaving the sport and dropping
the sponsorships and walking away from it all, just like I know some of you racers and parents are feeling right now. Then I started getting email
from parents encouraging me to stay in it. They said I had no idea how I was positively affecting and helping their kids out. Some of these are kids
I don’t even really know and I don’t sponsor! I went to Racers Edge last weekend and immediately I had other young people and parents asking
about Garrett. Later on Two brothers, 15 and 16 yrs old came up and started asking me about how I thought they were progressing in their racing
and asking for advice. Patrick grabbed my hand and said thanks then gave me a big hug. Something most teenagers wouldn’t consider doing. At
that moment, I really began to reflect back on Garrett and my other racers. How could I possibly leave them and the sport? If Garrett could, I think
he would have kicked me in the butt but with that big ole smile he had and in that awesome southern voice say..DON’T STOP…
I believe today,Garrett would probably tell you guys to DON’T STOP..When he heard about 14 yr old Ryan Foreman passing away, Garrett kept
racing. I can't tell you parents whether you should keep your kids in racing or not. Kids, I can't tell you whether you should keep racing or not.
That is a decision you have to make. But if you do keep racing, only do what you feel comfortable with. Don’t push it.
I know it hard after what happened. If all you want to do for awhile is practice, THEN PRACTICE, TAKE IT SLOW…All I know is that Garrett kept
racing after Ryan died and Pami told me he would probably say the same thing to you if he could. Because of Garrett, my life will never be the
same. I'm not the same sponsor I used to be. If my guys haven’t found that out already, they will. A hug is now accepted where before..It was
unprofessional. I have told my racers that I love and care about them on and off the track. Something I never told them before Garrett raced on
into glory. I told Clay earlier that I hoped some how that Garrett knew how much I cared about him and loved him. I just wished I could have told
him this myself.
My faith in God is the only thing that has kept me sane through this. I know that when I get to heaven, I will see Garrett, Ryan, and my big brother
Mark and my high school friend Mike tearing up those streets of gold. I have this funny image in my mind of the angels telling them to SLOW
DOWN SLOW DOWN..And being the good teenagers they are, THEY WON'T…hahaha
Our only hope in seeing Garrett again is by having a personal relationship with Jesus. You can't get there by being a good ole boy, or just by
believeing there is a God. You have to accept Jesus. Clay and I were talking at the funeral and Clay said that he believes there is a book with a
date in it and when it's our time to go, it's time to go. I believe Clay is so VERY RIGHT….That’s why we have to be ready at any moment should
our time arrive. When I die, I want to die peacefully like my dad, and die doing what I loved to do. What a better way to go!
It's alright to hurt, it's alright to be upset. And yes, It's even alright to be angry. But don’t blame God. Death took Garrett but God gave Garrett
eternal life with him, and we can have the same thing. I don’t know why Garretts life was so short, but it's by FAITH that I have to believe that there
was a reason, and sometimes it's not our business to know the reason why. The bible says it's by faith and not by sight that we believe. The
preacher at Garretts funeral said nearly the same thing I just said. I really appreciated what he had to say.
I close with the words of a song I was taught as a small boy.
It goes, Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, Jesus has Garret Hudgins #7 in his site. Jesus
loves the little children of the world.
To the family: next time you begin wondering where Garrett is, Clay, remember what you told me..HE’S UP THERE cheering everyone on down
here!
I have made commitments to the Hudgins family to keep Garretts name alive. We have renamed the XMR fun run race to the Garrett Houston
Hudgins Memorial Race. Proceeds from this will be distributed to the families of other racers who have died doing what Garrett loved to do. The
family has given their blessings to this and will be active with this race EVERY YEAR.
Garrett is still part of the CLAJ Family. He always will be. He's just racing on a HEAVENLY TRACK now.
him why. I don’t know if he knew it or suspected it, but we signed him immediately following the luncheon and he became one of our Team mates!
To say the least, I was THRILLED to finally have Garrett as part of our racing family. Garrett had THIS SPONSOR wrapped around his finger. Alot
happened from the time we signed him until his death.
I have a few stories about Garrett Id like to tell you about, like the time he had an accident and got gas spilled all over him. Word has it, that the
HIGH OCTANE fuel started stinging and he had it down his pants. He could be seen pouring bottled water and anything else he could find, down
his pants to get some relief. That is how I came to nickname him HOTPANTS. He thought that was pretty funny, and so did the girls.
I remember just a month or so back when he got his first, first place trophy from River Valley. I was sitting at his truck waiting for him to return from
whereever he was at. He comes walking back with Clay and I think Pami. His face was GLOWING with that smile that he was known for. He said to
me “I can't believe it. I never thought I'd get a first place trophy from this track.” I'm not sure who was more proud, his parents or me but we all
rejoiced in his accomplishments.
As I mentioned earlier, I liked to tease Garrett. I remember him telling me about how easy school was and most of the time he and his friends got
their work done early in school and spent the rest of the time goofing around. After coming off of a long holiday weekend, Garrett told me he
hated to go back to school. I told him, “Man I wish I would have had it so easy, just going to school and partying in class.” I told him all he was
going to do anyways when he got to school was party so what was he complaining about..HE JUST LAUGHED! I brought this to his attention more
then a few times whenever he complained about school..
The More I watched Garrett, the faster he was getting and this was creating a stir amoungst some of the other racers. Racers started to complain
publicly about this really fast racer, racer #7. They said he really needed to be moved up in the class he was racing in. They began saying some
NOT NICE things about Garrett. It bugged Garrett, his parents, AND ME. Pami called me and asked me what I thought he should do, and I said he
probably should move up, but he should really talk to the track owners at River Valley about it. I saw Garrett and Pami at the next race and they
told me he had been moved up. Garrett was nervous about this move. He feared that other racers MIGHT try doing something to him. In his sweet
southern voice he told me "I just don't want other racers to hate me." You see, Garrett loved racing and he loved the other racers. I have heard
more then one story of how he would always look at the racers around him at the starting gate and give them the THUMBS up and tell them
GOOD LUCK before the gate dropped. That's my Garrett, always wanting the best for others, even though he wanted first place. When Garrett
said it, HE MEANT IT. If you've ever had the chance of him saying that to you at the gate, he really did mean it! Hold tight to those memories of
him!
My last conversation with Garrett was on July 26, 3 days before he passed away. He called me just as I was leaving church. He apologized for
calling me while I was at church. I told him that NONE of my racers EVER have to apologize to me for calling me at ANY TIME. I accept their calls at
all hours. I'm there for my guys. He also apologized and asked me if I would be upset if he didn’t go to Ponca City with me but instead race at
Challenger and maybe Playground that weekend. He felt he needed the seat time because he had just spent 3 weeks on vacation. I told him that
he had my blessings and GOOD LUCK and report back to me after the race. We also spoke about his vacation and how he enjoyed traveling to
my homestate in Minnesota. He told me how he and his friend went swimming in Lake Superior and that it was so cold they jumped right back out
of the water. I shared with him how my buddy and I went swimming off of the lighthouse walkway by the lift bridge in Duluth MN and how we
narrowly escaped getting in trouble by the police. He thought that was sooo funny and he just laughed. He told me how much he enjoyed the lift
bridge in Duluth and I told him that was my favorite part of Duluth. It felt kinda kewl knowing that he got to see some things I enjoyed back home.
One final story. One evening I was sitting in the stands watching my boys race. All of a sudden I didn’t see Garrett anymore. Being the good and
overly concerned sponsor that I am, I raced out of the stands to the fence line. I spotted Clay on the track and yelled “WHERES GARRETT
WHERES GARRETT” and with a puzzled look Clay looked up and said “There he is, “ just as I looked up, there was #7 flying highover my head.
July 29 2006 is a day I will never forget. I went to Ponca City that day alone. Excitedly wondering about what I would find at Ponca, yet wishing I
was at the track with Garrett. I got home earlier then expected from Ponca and gave it some consideration to drive to Challenger. Id only miss
about the first 30 minutes of the race. I decided against it. The hardest thing for me to do was to call the rest of his team mates and tell them
about Garrett and yet try to keep myself together for my guys. Monday morning I got an email from another one of my racers telling me that he
had a bad wreck and that part of his memory was gone. I was devastated. I started asking God what was he doing to my racers? If he's upset, why
not take it out on me and leave my guys alone. Even as a Christian I started to ask God WHY. I tried really hard not to ask that but I did. I started
asking myself why am I in the sport? Why do I take time with the racers, even those that I don’t sponsor. Am I really making a difference in others?
Why do I continue on when I know that at any time any of my racers or myself could be gone. I started considering leaving the sport and dropping
the sponsorships and walking away from it all, just like I know some of you racers and parents are feeling right now. Then I started getting email
from parents encouraging me to stay in it. They said I had no idea how I was positively affecting and helping their kids out. Some of these are kids
I don’t even really know and I don’t sponsor! I went to Racers Edge last weekend and immediately I had other young people and parents asking
about Garrett. Later on Two brothers, 15 and 16 yrs old came up and started asking me about how I thought they were progressing in their racing
and asking for advice. Patrick grabbed my hand and said thanks then gave me a big hug. Something most teenagers wouldn’t consider doing. At
that moment, I really began to reflect back on Garrett and my other racers. How could I possibly leave them and the sport? If Garrett could, I think
he would have kicked me in the butt but with that big ole smile he had and in that awesome southern voice say..DON’T STOP…
I believe today,Garrett would probably tell you guys to DON’T STOP..When he heard about 14 yr old Ryan Foreman passing away, Garrett kept
racing. I can't tell you parents whether you should keep your kids in racing or not. Kids, I can't tell you whether you should keep racing or not.
That is a decision you have to make. But if you do keep racing, only do what you feel comfortable with. Don’t push it.
I know it hard after what happened. If all you want to do for awhile is practice, THEN PRACTICE, TAKE IT SLOW…All I know is that Garrett kept
racing after Ryan died and Pami told me he would probably say the same thing to you if he could. Because of Garrett, my life will never be the
same. I'm not the same sponsor I used to be. If my guys haven’t found that out already, they will. A hug is now accepted where before..It was
unprofessional. I have told my racers that I love and care about them on and off the track. Something I never told them before Garrett raced on
into glory. I told Clay earlier that I hoped some how that Garrett knew how much I cared about him and loved him. I just wished I could have told
him this myself.
My faith in God is the only thing that has kept me sane through this. I know that when I get to heaven, I will see Garrett, Ryan, and my big brother
Mark and my high school friend Mike tearing up those streets of gold. I have this funny image in my mind of the angels telling them to SLOW
DOWN SLOW DOWN..And being the good teenagers they are, THEY WON'T…hahaha
Our only hope in seeing Garrett again is by having a personal relationship with Jesus. You can't get there by being a good ole boy, or just by
believeing there is a God. You have to accept Jesus. Clay and I were talking at the funeral and Clay said that he believes there is a book with a
date in it and when it's our time to go, it's time to go. I believe Clay is so VERY RIGHT….That’s why we have to be ready at any moment should
our time arrive. When I die, I want to die peacefully like my dad, and die doing what I loved to do. What a better way to go!
It's alright to hurt, it's alright to be upset. And yes, It's even alright to be angry. But don’t blame God. Death took Garrett but God gave Garrett
eternal life with him, and we can have the same thing. I don’t know why Garretts life was so short, but it's by FAITH that I have to believe that there
was a reason, and sometimes it's not our business to know the reason why. The bible says it's by faith and not by sight that we believe. The
preacher at Garretts funeral said nearly the same thing I just said. I really appreciated what he had to say.
I close with the words of a song I was taught as a small boy.
It goes, Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, Jesus has Garret Hudgins #7 in his site. Jesus
loves the little children of the world.
To the family: next time you begin wondering where Garrett is, Clay, remember what you told me..HE’S UP THERE cheering everyone on down
here!
I have made commitments to the Hudgins family to keep Garretts name alive. We have renamed the XMR fun run race to the Garrett Houston
Hudgins Memorial Race. Proceeds from this will be distributed to the families of other racers who have died doing what Garrett loved to do. The
family has given their blessings to this and will be active with this race EVERY YEAR.
Garrett is still part of the CLAJ Family. He always will be. He's just racing on a HEAVENLY TRACK now.