Rick Crawford, Milt Bishop and Red Cross volunteers formed a water brigade line to unload water from the Circle Bar hauler into one of the Red Cross's 18-wheelers. (CBR Photo)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver and Mobile, Alabama native Rick Crawford along with teammate Milt Bishop in the No. 14 Circle Bar Truck Corral hauler moved 500 cases of water to Gulf Coast residents in the Mobile area affected by Hurricane Katrina. 

Many of the members of the No. 14 Circle Bar team have close ties to the Gulf Coast and they moved into action. Having just returned from testing at Richmond International Raceway and were in preparation for the Cheerios 200 - those plans changed when the devastation on the Gulf Coast became evident.  The team unloaded a race ready hauler to make room for the basic necessity of survival, water. On Friday, Rick Crawford and his Spotter/Hauler Driver Milt "Magic Man" Bishop left on what would become more than just another delivery.

Because of the tight supply of bottled water the closest place to buy water was in Atlanta.  Arriving after 5:00 on Friday night Bishop and Crawford hand loaded the 500 cases into the Circle Bar hauler and set a course South to the Gulf Coast.  After a short nights rest in a truck stop parking lot in South Alabama the load was ready for delivery to the American Red Cross.  In reverse roles, Bishop as driver and Crawford as spotter, Crawford helped navigate Bishop through his hometown, picking their way through the debris and carnage that Katrina left behind. Clear-high took on new meaning with the downed trees and power lines.

The Red Cross and its volunteers were waiting on the Circle Bar hauler to start the unloading process.  They formed a water brigade line to unload the water from the Circle Bar hauler into one of the Red Cross's 18-wheelers.  The 100 plus degree heat index would take it's toll on the water brigade but there was no quit in this group, there is simply too much to be done.  With the last bottle of water unloaded Crawford thanked the volunteers and Bishop readied the hauler for the return trip.  Sore, covered in sweat and needing rest Bishop and Crawford turned the Circle Bar hauler North to get it ready for Richmond.

Settled in for the long ride back to North Carolina Crawford had a chance to reflect on the trip,

"I lived in Mobile when hurricane Frederick hit in 1979 and it took years for Mobile to recover. I didn't really know what to expect when I returned to home after Katrina but I knew home is where I should be.  The South part of Mobile county, down by Mobile International Speedway got hit really hard, even Forrest Gump wouldn't recognize Bayou La Batre.  I think the magnitude of the disaster hit me hard when we got to the Red Cross in Mobile.  They had volunteers ready to help us unload and as I talked with the men and women that helped us, most of them weren't from Mobile.  They were from all over the southeast lending their time as volunteers, sleeping on cots, living like vagabonds all to help people they had never met. In some small way I hope what our Circle Bar team has done will help relieve some of the suffering and help shine a light on the problems as real and the need as immediate."

www.redcross.org