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Which racecar driver do you think is the most approachable and interes


Josh42

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Saw this on another forum I read.

Which professional driver that you have met do you think is the most approachable and had a fun time being around?

 

I met Jeff Gordon in 1992 while still driving for Bill Davis in the Baby Ruth car at Talladega. I literally walked up to him and asked are you Jeff Gordon because I didn't recognize him. We talked for over 30 minutes about 1/4 midgets and racing midgets and sprints. Then when I was walking through the Busch garage later that day they were sitting in the back of their hauler (at that time Bill Davis was one of the only with an 18 wheeler in the Busch Series) and he waved me and my cousin over asked if we were hungry and told us to go grab a sandwich in the front of a trailer.

 

 

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Bobby Allison or Richard Petty. Both were 100% approachable and incredibly honest and open with everyone. Bobby even used to look me up when at TWS and introduced me to Davey who was just getting into racing at the time and was going to race his first Texas Race of Champions. Davey and I became "suspension buddies" and we'd share setup information every time he came to TWS.

 

Nick

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Kenny Schrader. He talked to me and my friends for a little while as they were setting up his table for an autograph session at Texas World Speedway one year in the 90's. He was very easy to talk to. Quite friendly.

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All of the Jarretts. Kenny Irwin, Adam Petty, Richard Petty, Kevin Czerwinski, Skinner, Hornaday, Sprague. Most all of the racers who didnt make millions at the time are great. Money does things to people. Wouldnt give you a bucket of manure now for Bobby labonte. Last time I seen him he said "Dont you know who I am?". Sat out a rain storm during testing with Gordon and his crew. Normal folks when you get them out of the racing motions. I can say I had the pleasure to of spent time with both Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin. Both regular guys just trying to make it in racing. I am willing to bet most everyone you meet that is working their a$$ off to make it to the next level welcomes fans. Its those spoon fed brats that never respect those fans in the stands. Sure they smile for the photo ops but only because they have to. Ill take a broke saturday night racers over millionaire brats any day. Guess thats one reason I came back. The real racing happens friday and saturday nights at tracks without million dollar lighting systems, jet dryers or a starbucks trailer.

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I met many of the old ASA/ARTGO guys before their NA$CAR time....Martin, Kulwicki, Trickle, Wallace, Eddy, Musgrave, Benson...Ran into Mark Martin event in the TMS media room and we talked for a bit just like the short track days.....The least Kyle Busch(my ex-fiance chased him across the TMS pits and he never would stop) and of course the little Princess, Danica.

 

I got to meet John Force at a hospitality tent meet-n-greet....He's just a much of a character as you see on TV....Matt Hagan was a real down home guy when I met him at the LODBRS at Marble Falls....We had a nice interview that NHRA and LODBRS both used....Alexis Dejoria and Jesse were not near as approachable with their entourage...

 

Funny story; While wandering around the pits with the ex-fiance I saw Robert Richardson, who was running a Xfinity(Busch) car at the time.....Knowing him for ROMCO/USRA we stopped to talk about the decline of Super Late Model racing in Texas....I could hear other autograph seekers in the background asking who he was.....After I told him good luck tomorrow Robert, then everyone was wanting his autograph....Guess you had to be there...

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Bobby Allison for sure. He was the biggest reason I was able to make the field at Copper Classic at Phoenix on the mile when I was 18. We had no business even being there but he reached out and helped me get qualified. Told me to follow him until I was comfortable and showed me the way around the place, I followed and kept pace until he pulled over and let me go. Then he come around me on the outside going into 3 and drives away instantly. That was a moment that you never think about until much later in life, I helped him and Neil Bonnett change a motor in Bonnett's car that afternoon, priceless memories now.

 

Jeff Purvis was an amazing individual that was an incredible talent on dirt or asphalt. He helped me a lot when running dirt late models. He would have made it to cup in a different era for sure.

 

It seems so different today. Schrader and Tony are pretty much the last of the guys that want to race anything and anywhere because they love to race. Most of the rest of them are entrepreneurs that race for their money and could care less about short tracks or the racers.

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at the time in Rockingham Earnhardt had won the 500 before the race there.it was the race next on tour.I got a hat with about 30 autographs on it Earnhardt was the only one in blue marker mark martin jumped across the barricades so he would not have to give autograph.same with dw. jerks.gordens wife great looking in person.

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Jimmie Johnson took a few minutes to talk with me a few years back. Very impressed that he actually came over as I stood there just to shake my hand and thank me for supporting he and his team.

 

AJ Allmendinger talked at length with me in the garage as well super nice dude.

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TERRY labonte .never had a problem with him bobby his head grew to large ..harry gant went right to him at texas motor speedway no problems it was enjoyable ..Clifford Allison met him after the big race at sas very kind we talked like we knew each other ..sad loss ..

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Met Jeff Gordon in Vegas for a meet and greet the first year he drove #24 for Dupont (was my automotive paint supplier at the time), he was very pleasant to all that approached him and he gave everyone an honest amount of time to ask and answer questions. Boy he's a little bitty dude.

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Richard Petty was/is great with that. Even with a lot of people around he would carry on a conversation with you and ask you about things in your world, not just about him. Kyle was too at least early on years ago.

And yes, Freddy was always willing to talk to anyone. Never heard a bad word about him from anyone. Best quote from him was one of the big races at Hiway16/SAS when he brought in the #46 car and proceeded to cut a tire and back it into the turn 3 wall on first lap of qualifying, but then wound up driving Waldo Harper's old Howe house car for the weekend. We were standing around behind the trailer that night and someone walked up and Freddy stuck out his hand and said,

"I'm Freddy Fryar and I wreck race cars. Glad to meet ya"

 

Another not so big star but real easy to talk to was Hal Goodson. He had been over here for the Big Shot race at Thunderhill and we talked to him. Then ran into him down at the Snowball on pit road and he came up to us saying "Aren't ya'll the guys from Texas?" and acting like he had known us for years. There was nothing uppity about him.

 

Billy

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I tend to give the NASCAR guys a bit of a break depending on the situation. As great as he is with fans, I've seen Richard Petty blow by several people wanting an autograph or a photo opportunity. There are a lot of demands on their time and they can't please everyone, and if they stop to please one or two, there are others who will be disappointed and speak badly of them. I think this is where NASCAR really blew it with the souvenir trailers as the opportunity to meet these guys in a controlled environment took a big hit.

 

I met DW at Nashville during the AA 400 weekend. He was really friendly and joked around with us after signing autographs. Bill Elliott sort of hid in the trailer, but did come out for a couple of minutes that weekend.

 

I've told the story here before about meeting Terry Labonte in a relaxed situation at Pocono, and spending about 5 or 6 minutes chatting before the race.

 

I found a new respect for Jimmie Johnson at Fontana. I signed my son up for a Lowe's "Build and Grow" event with Jimmie, where the kids got to ask Jimmie questions and build a wooden version of the Superman car. He was very friendly answering some surprisingly tough, unscripted questions from the kids, stayed past the scheduled time and made sure everyone had "their moment" with him. He has a pretty good sense of humor as well. It doesn't come out well in the TV interviews.

 

I will agree with others in that Kenny Schrader is great, as is Bobby Allison. I was also a big fan of Jeff Purvis who I saw race on the dirt tracks near home, but didn't meet personally until an All-Pro race in Mobile, Alabama several years later.

 

And I have to mention Neil Bonnett, who I met at Dover in June of 1993. He was working for TNN at the time and we were walking across the track when I heard that familiar voice. He stopped in his tracks and took a picture with me and signed my pit pass. Super nice guy and a moment I will always cherish.

 

Steve Kinser is also surprisingly approachable if you catch him before or after the races. I will also add Kenny Jacobs and Stevie Smith to that list.

 

Other than Drew Hessler, I didn't really get to know any of the Texas locals outside of this board. Everyone has been real friendly though and I wish I could have been more involved while living there.

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One other person I forgot to mention, who is no longer with us: Mr Junie Donlavey.

 

I also met him at Dover in June of 1993. It was after Winston Cup time trials, and in the midst of this crowd of people heading back to the garage I noticed this older gentleman. He was lost in the shuffle among fans looking for the biggest "stars" of the day. I approached him for an autograph, trying not to break stride, and he stopped short and looked at me. He said with a sly smile, "Young man, what would you want my autograph for?"

 

I said "Sir, you are a legend in this sport, and it's an honor to have the opportunity to meet you".

 

He smiled wide, and said "Why thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to sign your program. You have a great weekend. Stop on by and say hello later if you have the chance."

 

We never did get the chance to catch back up with him, but it was another great moment from that weekend.

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  • 7 months later...

Ed Sczech will always be my favorite. I used to hang around and watch them work on race cars as much as I could. He taught me so much about cars, and really race cars. I don't even think he realized what an impression he made. I met a lot of the local racers, but at that time, 1970 till the mid 70s, they were just "the guys over at Ed's." Now after being away from San Antonio, and all of that life, reading on here, I see I was hanging with future famous race car drivers! I am still fascinated with the speed demon cars, and want to get an old Chevy and build it up. I am kinda old, but I can still sit in the engine well of an old Chevy and take it apart. I just love the oily sound of those engines and the uncapped headers send me somewhere I can't even describe.

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grannyk,

 

Ed is easily one of the nicest, kindest, gentlemen in the sport. You'd think someone like that would be pushed around or made fun of, but Ed is one of those guys that everyone, and I mean everyone, looks up to. The ladies noticed him for sure and the guys all naturally gravitated to his easy personality and lack of ego. I consider Ed a good friend even though we don't see much of each other these days.

 

I worked on the suspensions of Ed's cars from 1976 until he retired from the sport, so I probably did not get to meet you. Glad to see you posting on this site.

 

Nick

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  • 4 weeks later...

I met Joe Nemechek at Richmond back when he was still in the 01 Army car and I asked him what his favorite meal was to eat before he got in the race car. He replied quickly by saying spaghetti and that no fan had ever asked him that before. He never forgot it. A couple years later I saw him again at Charlotte and without me prompting him he said he still likes spaghetti before a race. He remembered me several years later in a totally different city and I wasn't even going to bring it up. Carl Edwards was awesome when I met him too. Can't say a bad thing about Brad Keselowski either. I think he's more in touch with his fans than any other current driver.

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