Opinion: Morgan Shepherd of NASCAR wins a race -- on foot

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Morgan Shepherd for president.

Or at least for the pole position in Sunday’s NASCAR race in Las Vegas.

And, while you’re at it, Crimefighter of the Week.

As Shepherd parked his rental car in a Wal-Mart parking lot Monday evening, three young men burst out the front door.

OK.

Two seconds later security guards burst out the same door.

You don’t have to be from Ferguson, North Carolina, to figure out that scenario.

So naturally, as a fairly fit visitor to Sin City, Shepherd lit out too -- in pursuit. ‘I just got out and took off after them,’ Shepherd recalls.

He tackled one of the young men just as he reached a parking lot fence. Shepherd sat on the struggling fellow. Seconds later a Las Vegas police officer raced by, tossing good samaritan Shepherd a pair of handcuffs.

The young man pleaded with Shepherd to let him go. ‘I told him he shouldn’t be stealing stuff,’ Shepherd says. Adding, ‘There is just too much of this stuff going on.’

All three suspects were apprehended. And Shepherd continued his Wal-Mart shopping trip with wife Cindy.

The good Shepherd drives the No. 89 car for Faith Motorsports for, of course, the Salvation Army -- ‘Doing the most good.’

Oh, by the way, Morgan Shepherd is 69 years old.

He’s been racing since 1970, 288 races so far. He’s been on the pole seven times, come close to a win 67 times as a Top Ten finisher and driven into Victory Lane 15 times in all those years.

Monday night he ran in.

Who you gonna cheer for this weekend?

-- Andrew Malcolm

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