Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won. ~Author Unknown

I am constantly seeking inspiration to keep me fired up. My own energy seems to flag at times if I don't keep it fueled up. What inspires each of us is a very personal matter. What inspires me may do nothing for you, so we each have to search for our own sources.

I love to be around positive people...their vibe gives me strength. And I love watching dedicated people go about their business. It is one of the reasons I love racing. So here's an example of how I am inspired by it.

I was one of the few who actually stuck out the long rain-delayed race from Fontana, California last weekend. It was pretty dreary and the fans and the drivers were all anxious to get the race underway. When they did start it, it was soon clear that the track was not ready...there was water seeping up from seams in the track and several cars were taken out in accidents as a result. One of the most heavily damaged cars was that of Dale Earnhardt, Junior.

After an awful season last year, Junior is with a new team, in a new car, and with new sponsors this year and has already won 2 of the pre-season races. There are very high hopes for him this year and being taken out early in only the second cup race of the year really hurts because valuable points are lost and they can mean the difference in winning a championship in these very competitive contests.

Now this is where the inspiration comes in. This team was upset...they were down...they could have lost their focus. But they didn't. This is what makes a winning team.

They repaired the car...major repairs. Junior got back in the car, got back on the track about 80 laps down, and continued the race. At this point, he was not going to win the race, but he could save some of their valuable points. When the end of the race neared, the experts in the booth predicted that Junior would leave the track because they had reached the point where there was nothing to be gained in point standings by him remaining on the track...but he didn't leave. He kept driving and finished the race even when there was no outward reward for doing so.

He stayed because he is a winner. He doesn't give up when the going gets tough. And, it is obvious, he loves what he does and is dedicated to completing what he begins even when there is no obvious payback for doing so.

His own father, Dale Earnhardt, Senior who won nearly every major event and title NASCAR had to offer, including seven championships, was dogged by the fact he had never won the Daytona 500. He went back year after year and the win eluded him until 1998 when after 20 attempts, his 575th Winston Cup start, he finally made it to Victory Lane in Daytona!

As he drove into Victory Lane, every crewmember from every team lined up to congratulate him as he drove by. It was one of the greatest and most inspiring stories in NASCAR history.

My own personal fav, Michael Waltrip won the 2001 Daytona 500 after 463 consecutive Cup races without a victory!

The moral of this story is that you can't achieve greatness unless you are willing to stick out the disappointments that you will inevitably meet along the way. When we look at successful people we often tend to think that they are lucky or live charmed lives, but if we dig a little deeper, we find that luck had little to do with it.

To win, you have to stay in the race. You can't park the car after a spin-out. You can't stop trying because conditions seem to be against you. You only win if you are willing to stay on the track and keep your eye on the finish line!