Jeff Purvis (CloseFinishes.com Photo)

I was busting my butt through the baggage claim area at Chicago's Midway Airport a couple of weeks ago when I heard someone calling "John, hey John."

I turned around to see Jeff Purvis, an old friend that I worked with in 1994 when he drove the No. 51 Country Time Lemonade car in the then NASCAR Winston Cup division. Despite running late, I immediately did a 180 and headed Jeff's way.

It had probably been two years since I had seen him, but Jeff Purvis is the someone you'd always make time for - a person that when you were friends with him, time and distance never mattered. We spent about 10 minutes chatting about everything from old times to what was happening with each of us in present day life.

We reminisced about the 1994 season when he took over the seat in the Country Time car after Neil Bonnett had died during practice at Daytona that year. Thinking back now, the times I spent with Jeff and his James Finch racing team that were some of the best I have ever had in racing.

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