LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's a hot Saturday night at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the roar of a racecar engine fills the night air.
As it passes the grandstand, you can also hear sniffles and soft sobs as members of the crowd fight back tears.
The #38 car travels around The Bullring seven times to honor the life of Scott Gafforini, who won seven championships there.
Gafforini died last month due to cancer. He was just 57 years old.
On Saturday night, the Las Vegas racing community came out to honor him in several ways. That included writing messages of love and support to the family on Gafforini's racecar, his car circling the track, and keychains were handed out. Some of the best competition along the West Coast also came out to race.
Gafforini was a staple of the Las Vegas racing community.
His family moved to Las Vegas when Gafforini was two years old and racing is in their blood. His dad used to race NASCAR "way back in the old times", according to the Gafforini family.
Gafforini got his start with a soapbox car and racing kids in the same neighborhood. He worked his way up to racing go-karts at the old Craig Road Speedway when he was 13 years old. He transitioned to racing late models at The Bullring in the mid-1990s.
Gafforini won the most races in the history of The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He won 69 races overall, including seven championships. He won his first in 2006 and after being down by two points going into the final race, he made up one point in qualifying and beat his competition on the last lap to take home the title.
"After the very first one, it did get easier," Gafforini told NASCAR.com last year. "The first one always seems to be the hardest because you're trying so hard and you don't want to make mistakes and you overthink it. Once you get the first one behind your belt, I think everybody takes a little sigh of relief and you know what it takes to get there. I think it makes a big difference."
Gafforini stayed humble throughout his career and even said he was surprised to win the title in 2022, saying his team was at the top of the standings because "we showed up to every single race."
"That counts because you've got to support your local race track," Gafforini said. "We were there every single weekend duking it out and we just supported the race track and were consistent. We had a top-five car. It wasn't going to win but it was still a top-five car so we knew we could capture points that way."
He was also a big mentor to up-and-coming drivers like Johnny Spilotro.
"I met Scotty through my dad. It was all the way back in 2005, when he first started driving late models for him," Spilotro said. "I was nine years old back then. He kind of encouraged me to get into the steps. It's one of the things I always wanted to do."
Spilotro said Gafforini may have given him a lot of advice for how to navigate races on the track but he also helped him learn how to be the best version of himself.
"He taught me how to run the correct lines. He showed me how to drive these racecars at a really high level. He taught me a lot about how to handle the competition because we always compete with elite-level teams every single week," Spilotro said. "But the most important things he taught me were inside the shop, how to pay it forward to help others, how to do whatever it takes to get the job done. He always taught me you have to do every job like your life depended on it and that's kind of true with life."
Spilotro said Gafforini has also been a good example and is beloved by many on the Las Vegas racing scene.
"I think Kurt Busch said it before the Las Vegas race a couple of years back. He's like [Gafforini] always sets the tone and sets the standard for how you want to set up your racecars and get the job done," Spilotro said. "He was always the type of guy that would find a way."
That's why when Gafforini was diagnosed with cancer, it was a shock to everyone. According to his family, Gafforini went in for stomach pain and doctors told him he had cancer. They explained he had about three months without chemo and about two years with chemo. Gafforini had a chemo treatment the next day but passed away 33 days later.
"It came out of nowhere. He always kind of stayed out of that type of trouble throughout his whole life so when it came on, we had no idea how to handle it," Spilotro said. "But he wanted to fight this thing, like on the racetrack, to the bitter end and he did tooth and nail. By the manner in which he lived, I don't want to consider it like he lost his battle with cancer. It's that he won the championship season of life."
Gafforini's family told me the support from the racing community has been overwhelming and they've worked together to keep Scott's garage open so his friends could still use it.
"It's a tight-knit community," Spilotro explained. "That's one of the reasons why we're having this tribute for Scott. He was as close to the fans as anybody and he would want the fans and the drivers to be close to one another. His legacy isn't necessarily measured by wins and championships, although he kind of set the benchmark for that. Your legacy is also how you've impacted the fans, how you've shared the camaraderie with the other drivers, and all other classes as well. He was a true gentleman."
And as for the legacy Gafforini hoped to leave behind, last year, he told NASCAR that it's about always moving forward and not giving up.
"You need to learn that in life anyhow. You have to show up, no matter what. Even if you don't think you're going to win, you still show up and you do your very best," Gafforini said. "Don't quit or don't get disappointed. Figure out what it's going to take to raise your very best up that extra notch or two. It's important and it pays off. It may not pay off immediately but it will."
In honor of Scott, his racecar was driven around the track seven times to recognize his seven championships. pic.twitter.com/ZvMQEjYah3
— Jarah Wright (@jarahwright) June 16, 2024
