Thrills and spills.

• Author: Kinney, David
• Position: UPFRONT - Column

It's not unheard of for a journalist to risk his neck for a story, but Doug Kalajian had his throat cut reporting one. Wielding the blade wasn't someone trying to thwart this month's cover story, but a doctor saving Doug's life.

I've known the guy for 31 years, since we were both assistant city editors at The Miami Herald. We've kept in touch since my family returned to North Carolina, which is where he and his wife are planning to move once they sell their place in Boynton Beach. Since he's one of the brightest people I've ever met, plus a gifted and polished writer, I've been eager for him to get to Charlotte and start contributing to BNC. Not willing to wait on the vagaries of the Florida real-estate market and knowing that, though he had the misfortune to be born (to run) in New Jersey, he's a longtime race fan, I suggested he do a piece for us about the current state of NASCAR. I'll let him take up the tale from there:

"I started reporting this story shortly before the end of last NASCAR season, and 1 figured the season finale at Homestead would be a great opportunity to talk to some people and gather a little color. I got to Homestead-Miami Speedway, 40 miles south of downtown Miami and about 80 miles south of where we live, around midmorning Saturday, Nov. 20.1 had plenty of time to catch practice for the following day's Cup race and to see the Nationwide race, too.

"I can't really explain what happened after I picked up the credentials that would give me access to the normally restricted areas where I could find team members. All I remember is getting on a tram for a ride across the parking lot to the media center. Somewhere along the way, I took a tumble out of the tram and landed on my head. Paramedics had me airlifted to the regional trauma center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where doctors diagnosed a skull fracture as well as bleeding in my...