From: April's NASCAR Illustrated
The Whitford File:
Anyone familiar with VH1’s “Behind the Music” treatment of Aerosmith knows the band has endured its ups and downs. While the Boston quintet has sold over 140 million albums and scored 21 top-40 hits since its 1973 debut, heavy substance abuse nearly destroyed the band in the late-70s and early ’80s.However, after rap pioneers Run DMC sampled “Walk This Way” in 1986, they reclaimed the spotlight (and virtually invented the rock-rap genre). The renaissance gained momentum with the 1987 release of Permanent Vacation, which featured the hits “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” “Angel” and “Rag Doll.” Two years later, Aerosmith earned a Grammy Award for “Janie’s Got a Gun” from the album Pump, which also included “Love in an Elevator.” By the time the band scored early-90s hits with “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Cryin’,” “Crazy” and “Amazing,” Aerosmith had cemented its place among the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time. Brad Whitford, who has played rhythm guitar on Aerosmith’s wild ride since they formed in 1971, is a diehard race fan, even taking his RV to several NASCAR events. The 55-year-old owns the F1 Boston go-kartracing facility and his bio lists,“burning fuel at the race track” as his favorite smell.
Brad Whitford on. . .
NASCAR: I love it. It is, by far, the best racing to watch because guys are battling it out all the time. I like open-wheel racing, but the fields are too small and there’s never enough passing. That’s why guys like Juan Montoya are coming over from F1. They want to mix it up with the best on the biggest stage for the biggest money.
. . . being a guy from Boston who digs NASCAR:
I’ve always loved cars. Growing up, I had a neighbor who built dragsters. They were like street hot rods — ’30s Fords and such— but they were gorgeous. He would get ’em out in the driveway and fire up the engine. Flames would shoot from the short-pack exhaust. Seeing that as a kid, I got hooked on anything with four wheels that goes fast.
. . . his favorite cars:
I’ve got some old Chevys and Porsches, but today you just have to love what’s going on. Even with gas prices soaring, there are horsepower battles being waged between manufacturers. Street cars with 500 horsepower and all the modern amenities … that’s just awesome. It’s like a return to the days before the first gas crisis in the early ’70s when everyone was going for lighter and faster. It may be the last hurrah,but I’m just glad I’m here for it.
. . . going to races:
My schedule doesn’t allow me to go very often, but when I do, I like to stay in the infield and have the total experience.
. . . the craziest race fans:
The 12 Hours of Sebring gets a really wild crowd. The race is definitely secondary for those people.
. . . the two lives of AEROSMITH:
In the beginning, everything we did came right from the gut. We didn’t listen to anybody and made a lot of great music, but we also made a lot of lousy decisions. After the Run DMC thing and Permanent Vacation, we started listening to people and doing things differently. We were more mature and knocked the cobwebs away.
. . . music today:
One nice thing is that it seems young people are starting to rediscover Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendix. Maybe they’re sick of how “packaged” music has become. Groups today don’t tour around in station wagons playing clubs and developing as bands. It shows in their performance, musicianship and how disposable they are. They have no bones, no foundation. So much of today’s music is just forgettable.
. . . hearing Aerosmith songs on the radio:
I still turn ’em up … especially the old stuff .
. . . reworking “Back in the Saddle” for ESPN’s NASCAR coverage:
As you can imagine, I’ve wanted to partner with NASCAR for years, so I’m really excited to combine two classic American icons:AEROSMITH and NASCAR.
Check out Aerosmith's ESPN/NASCAR Video HERE
