by Darrell Waltrip

Updated: April 5, 2008, 3:25 PM EST 3 comments

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He came over and introduced himself to us and asked us about him moving back East and starting a ministry in NASCAR. It was just ironic because at that particular time, Stevie and I, Lake Speed and his wife Rice and Bobby Hillin, Jr. and his wife Kim had been part of a ministry at the track, but we decided we wanted to do our own thing. We just decided we'd meet in our hotel rooms every race weekend on a Friday night and hold a Bible study on our own.

While we were having these Bible studies on Friday nights, we were praying that God would lift up someone to come to NASCAR and develop the right kind of ministry for our sport.

(Motor Racing Outreach)

That's what made meeting Max at Riverside so ironic. He was an ordained minister of a small church out there in California and he was very serious about starting this ministry in NASCAR. He even already had a name for it. He told us he wanted to call it Motor Racing Outreach. He had given it serious thought and had a plan ready to go. He had prayed about it and believed this was what the Lord had called him to do. His sincerity, his desire and passion for racing made him the right choice.

Max loved racing. He loved the people in racing. He even raced go-carts himself. Again, it was just ironic that we were praying and searching for someone like Max, and lo and behold, the Lord lifted him up to us. He's been a real treasure to our sport. In 1988, he packed up his family and moved to North Carolina just on faith. Motor Racing Outreach was in its infancy. It was new, it didn't have a lot of support and no one really knew who Max was. There was skepticism on a lot of people's part because of some bad experiences with previous attempts at a ministry in NASCAR.

But that was the thing that made Max so unique. Once you met him, once he looked you in the eye and once you prayed together with him, you felt his sincerity and his love of the Lord. But the biggest thing is you truly felt that Max cared about you and your family — which he really did. When people got to know Max, they really liked him because he was so easy to be around. He just had this incredible love and concern for the people he came in contact with. You could tell he was truly a man of God.

Max shared that with everyone. He did it in a non-invasive, non-offensive, non-threatening kind of way. He was the epitome of "living by example." That's what made Max so cool and made him so perfect for NASCAR. Max could walk up into the back of a hauler at any time and no one would say a word about what he was doing there, or that it was the wrong time for him to be there. Max always said the right things. Whether they were words of encouragement, comfort, concern, whatever it may be, Max just knew the right thing to say to you.

Max just had this vision of what MRO — Motor Racing Outreach — should be in the NASCAR community. He literally built it up from ground zero to where it is today. Then, as time went by, Max also truly believed in starting a World Ministry. He wanted to use MRO as the template for expansion. We had and have MRO in the motorcycle series, the ARCA Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series — you name it — that's what Max's vision of what he wanted the ministry to be like.

Max wanted to take MRO to Formula One and he did. He wanted to take it all over the world and he did. Max was one of those very unique visionaries that you only come across a few times in your life. And that's something we used to kid Max about. I am humbled and blessed to be the Chairman of the Board for MRO. I used to tell the rest of the board members that we needed to quit calling Max a visionary because we could never keep up with him and keep up with his expansion.

When Max felt he had taken MRO as far as he could, he turned the leadership over to Billy Mauldin and me. Max then started World-Span Ministries. That was the name of his new ministry because he wanted to save the world — the racing world. He had been doing that for the last two or three years very successfully before he got sick.

Max Helton was the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, most loving person I have ever known in my life. He has been in my family's life ever since 1988. He was there for the birth of my children. He was there through thick and thin when my team was struggling. He was right there by my side when I was struggling. He was always encouraging me and praying with me. I wasn't the only one. He went up and down pit road and prayed with every driver before each race. The Bible studies he did were incredible. It didn't matter to Max over a weekend if it was one Bible study or 100. He loved doing them all.

He was just the right guy at the right time for what needed to be done in NASCAR. Jean, his wife, and his four daughters were right there with him the entire time. Max is like some of those other treasures we have lost in NASCAR. He will never be replaced and never be forgotten. Motor Racing Outreach is Max Helton's legacy. It's our job and our responsibility to carry on his legacy. Through triumph and tragedy throughout our sport, Max Helton was there by our sides. He will dearly be missed. I loved the man like a father and he was that kind of figure to me.

I love you, Max. I miss you, Max and I am so grateful that God brought you to our sport.

Oh, by the way

We all attended Max's funeral on Wednesday in North Carolina. He was 67 years old. I do think it was too soon for him to be called home to the Lord, but one day we will understand why. Jimmy Spencer got up and spoke. Bill Elliott spoke. Ned Jarrett got up and talked about what Max meant to the Jarrett family. It was a great service. It was nice to hear people tell stories about Max. A lot of them were really funny. Max always reminded me of Columbo. He was just that always there, unassuming kind of guy but you just knew he was taking notes and paying attention to everything that was going on.

Oh, by the way too

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has already gotten off to a great start to what I think will be a magical weekend for him here in Texas. He won the pole position on Friday in qualifying. He loves this track. This is where he won his first Nationwide race and his first Cup race.

If I were you, I would tune in Sunday to NASCAR on FOX to watch him win his first Cup race for Rick Hendrick because I am telling you, it's going to happen!