Back in February, when we were changing over to a new layout for the auto racing blog at The Courant, I wrote a headline on the last entry of the previous layout style that read: “The Time Has Come To Move On To Something New.”
It was a trick, you know that old “Made ya look” kind of play on words that makes one wonder just what the story is really about it.
Today it’s no trick, no play on words. I’m not crying wolf.
By the time I was 15 years old I knew I wanted to be a sports reporter for a newspaper and for the last 18 years I got the chance to live out that dream at the Hartford Courant.
Now the time has to come to try to make another dream a reality.
I have accepted a buyout offer from the Hartford Courant and will be leaving the paper in the near future. My last day at the Hartford Courant has not been finalized yet, but it will most likely be near the end of this month.
For the last 15 years one of my main duties in The Courant sports department has been to cover the local auto racing scene in New England while also writing stories concerning national topics in motorsports. Over that time covering the sport has become more passion than work. Now I’m going to take that passion for covering the sport into a new venture that will make me part journalist and part small business owner.
In the not too distant future, hopefully within a month or so, I will be launching a new website devoted to motorsports that will have a focus on covering the New England racing scene. I’m excited and I’m terrified, but I know this, I can’t wait to pour myself into this project.
So that’s the news for now on the going forward part, and hopefully within the next couple weeks I’ll be able to share more details about exactly what the project will encompass and where people will be able to find it.
In September of 1993 I walked into the Hartford Courant’s Broad Street office as a wide-eyed college kid who had never before set foot in a real live working newsroom and I grew up there. In growing up I was molded by some of the greatest colleagues anyone could ever work with and built relationships – friendships – that will last for forever. I can’t believe I’m saying goodbye but the time has come to chase the next dream.
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Your honesty and passion will be missed. I look forward to reading your new web site!
You have a lot of followers who always looked forward to your excellent journalism & up-to-the-minute coverage posts. We wish you the best & are confident you’ll succeed in your next endevour.
Will be watching for your new site.
I have been following you on the web and also on facebook
and hope it will continue in the future.
Want to get on your new site-how do we find it?
I’ll be publicizing that information in the coming weeks.
Congratulations on your new venture, it’s sure to be a success.
Wow Shaun. It just goes to show. Never take anything for granted. You will have my full support in your future endeavors. I still like heats…..lol
I know we have not always agreed Shawn, but I have to say I respect that you were the one with the scoop most of the time.
May you have success in what you do, and good luck.
Ray Skoglund
Good Luck Shawn!
You will be great in whatever you do, Good luck!!!
Don’t let the door hit ya! Maybe now they will get someone who can cover NHRA Drag Racing
Shawn,
Your reporting is one of the best resources for people in CT that follow Modified Racing. While this column will be missed, I look forward to your future efforts.
Tony Mordino
Good luck, you have been an asset to the racing world and it’s the Courant’s loss.
Good luck Shawn
Shaun,cant imagine what the Courant is going to do w/o you.
I’m sure that paper will end up like the Herald as far as coverage for local racing,probably more stick+ball sports/high school. best of luck will follow
Nice work, Shawn. Connecticut’s race tracks will miss your Courant blog and articles and I will, too. Best of success with your new venture, and I hope the Courant recognizes the avid passion of area race fans. Wondering what this means for auto racing coverage going forward?
Good luck to ya buddy! Glad I don’t have to try to keep this a secret any longer!
Sharpie
Wishing you much success in your new endeavor and looking forward to your continued reporting of the racing scene in Connecticut and New England.
It was always a pleasure to work with you when you covered races at NHMS or racing news/events in Boston. Good luck with your new racing site. You will be missed.
You are best!!! Don’t be terrified! You make it look easy!!! Pinnacle Pete Motorsports (1999-2004) Waterford Speedbowl.
Shawn
Thanks for great reporting and reading even when I didn’t completely agree! We’ll be looking for your new venture,
LD71
I haven’t met You, but I feel like I’ve come to know you or should know you from reading your articles. Good luck with your new venture, no doubt you will have a good following and be successfull
Brian E. Hanaford (NH)
Best of luck with your new venture! All of the newspapers in Connecticut are really trying to stop people from subscribing to them by doing away with so many interesting things.
I wish you the best of luck with your new venture. Although the Courant will be that much poorer for losing a writer so dedicated to the sport, it sounds like the sport will be richer for what you plan to do. Short track racing needs all of the help that it can get and even though we haven’t always been on the same page personally, I have respect for you and admire your writing. I hope that this new project is very successful for you and there is no Tony Stewart-style sarcasm in that comment either.
Good Luck.
Good luck! Looking forward to more great local racing coverage.
Shawn, as a person who still works in the newspaper industry, I know how tough it is. When you took over covering auto racing for the Courant and met you for the first time, I knew that you would be an asset to the newspaper and for the sport of auto racing and you proved to be. Best of luck in your new gig and still look forward to seeing you at the track.
… yea, I didn’t really care for this “new place” anyway – it lost something in the cutover.
As a racefan (and not just a Modified fan) I think this blog has been a huge success the last 4 plus years (I wonder if the Courant understands that?) – we’ve had some great dialog based on your fine reporting and opinion Shawn – and hey, we’ve had a few flat tires along the way as well, and those can’t be avoided.. Good times and bad, you brought it all home here for us to digest and comment on.. and let’s not lose sight of your efforts before this newfangled digital age – the years of coverage in the good ole fashioned hard copy version of the courant were very much appreciated – from weekend results/on the beat reporting to feature stories – you’ve really had us covered, when other local papers and outlets did VERY little..
The good news is – I know you’ll be taking it to the next level elsewhere and I look forward to that….. much more so than say some generic cup racing article about Jimmie Johnson or Carl Edwards, written by some non-local Tribune / AP guy or gal… yawnnn…
This is the Courants loss (Hummm, what do I need the Courant for now?? – Not much) – but hey, we’ll pick you up on the flipside.. THANKS and best of luck with your leap of faith!!! We’ll all be there…
I really enjoyed your column. I know whatever you are doing it will be great.
Good Luck Shawn….I’ve been following your coverage for a long time and will look forward to what you bring to us next. Had a chance to say Hello to you at the Concord TGIF a couple of years back while up at NHMS with my son for the race weekend.
Like Mike Joy…I hope the Courant doesn’t forget about local racing.
Keep us tuned in Shawn!
Shawn: Best of luck on your venture. While you gained alot the past years with the Courant, don’t look back. Continue to look towards the future.
I’ve enjoyed your reporting and writing, both the blog and the paper, big loss for the Courant. Good luck in the future.
It will be a loss for the Courant. I will look forward to your new venture! Best of luck, Scott
Good luck Shawn
Thanks for the great coverage during your years at the Courant! Hope your new project is up and running soon.
Shawn, I can’t get to all that many races but reAding your blogs each week makes feel like I was there. Good luck with your new venture, looking forward to it.
George Sorrentino
“You never knew what you had until it was gone.” I think that sums up what I feel. I’m really happy to hear that you are not going away and that you will have another place for us to read your news/blog.
Good luck Shawn. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
As a New England race fan transplanted in Virginia, I will have to say I’ll miss the coverage of the CT Modified racing scene. I frequented your blog on a regular basis to keep up to date. Best of luck on your next move.
Always looked forward to your columns.You have alot of followers from Longisland.Good luck, I will be looking for your new site
Although the Courant may be losing one of it’s best sports writers, the New England racing scene certainly won’t be.
When I wrote an article about the racing action in New England, I always compared it to what you wrote to see what I missed or how we differed in our opinions (actually I really looked to see if I finally caught something you didn’t!).
I’m very much looking forward to the new site, and wish you all the best in your new endeavor— you deserve it.
All the best,
Mike Fields