No other major sport offers better access to its stars than NASCAR. At the track during a race weekend, fans can purchase pit passes and other “special packages” that allow direct contact with their favorite drivers. Often we discover that our perception of a driver’s personality is not quite the same after meeting them.
This weekend I had an opportunity to mingle with the stars of NASCAR while they visited the Tricky Triangle better known as Pocono Raceway. Over the course of the weekend I had contact with most of the drivers and many of their crew members. Often my prior perception of them was changed drastically after just a few minutes.
Here’s a brief run down on some of the highlights from A NASCAR Weekend at Pocono. We’ll start with the disappointments.
Meeting NASCAR drivers: A Weekend at Pocono
The go or go homers:
AJ Allmendinger: The bright cheerful Allmendinger we see on television is very different from the Allmendinger I saw over the weekend. He had no use for any of the fans and made no effort to hide that fact. Not a pleasant guy.
Kurt Busch: “Hurry up! I got things to do you know,” was what Busch told a 7 year old who was struggling to find his pen. It’s one thing to be gruff with overzealous adults but it takes a special person to bully a 7 year old. Not a good impression.
Joey Logano: The Logano we see on TV was NOT the same Logano I saw this weekend. Head down ignoring all around him and then with a sigh and a roll of the eyes, he signed a few autographs while walking. Disappointing.
Danica Patrick: Perhaps we caught her on a bad day but she was the grouchiest and most unpleasant person we made contact with this weekend. Talk about an attitude. NASCAR President Mike Helton was standing nearby, and after Danica’s bad attitude a young boy’s parents went over to him and informed him of her behavior. Mr. Helton apologized to the parents saying that he was sorry. An awful impression.
The Checkered Flags:
Jeff Gordon: Ever the professional, Jeff politely signed autographs and posed for photos for the throngs of fans who seemed to show up wherever he was. Gordon’s smile and eyes lit up when a young fan asked for his signature and he seemed energized by the younger fans. A real Pro both in and out of the car.
Jamie McMurray: He gets it! The warm smile we see on TV greeted every fan who welcomed him. Signing autographs and posing for photos seemed like a joy to him, not a chore. As pleasant as anyone I met. Good guy.
Clint Bowyer: I must admit going into the weekend I did not like Bowyer. Coming out of the track Sunday night, he is now one of my favorites. What a wonderful, energetic, happy go lucky guy. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy visiting with the fans. As Bowyer was walking into the garage area, NASCAR President Helton yelled for him to meet him in the NASCAR hauler. Bowyer smiled and said, “Oh boy. The boss says go in the hauler, you go in the hauler.” He escaped several minutes later unharmed and still smiling. A great personality.
Brian Vickers: Another driver who seems to enjoy meeting fans. He cheerfully signed autographs and posed for pictures. A guy that makes it easy for you to root for.
Mike Helton: The President of NASCAR sat in front of his trailer for a good part of Friday, happy to greet and chat with fans. Can you imagine Gary Bettman, Bud Selig or any other major sports commissioner hanging out with fans? Helton’s intimidating snarl is reserved for the drivers. Fans get a smile and a handshake. A leader of a sports league who gets it.
Austin Dillon: I was expecting a spoiled rich kid but what I got was a genuinely pleasant and happy young man. We ran into Dillon several times over the weekend and he recognized us every time, always stopping to say hello and asking how we were doing. Even before the Camping World Truck race on Saturday, he took time to shake hands as we wished him good luck in the race, which he went on to win. Sometimes nice guys do finish first.
Justin Allgaier: One of the nicest people I’ve ever met in sports. What a joy. This young man set down and chatted for several minutes. He willingly shared stories of his life in racing and answered any questions from the fans. He made you feel that you were his friend. A great smile, great sense of humor, and the kind of person you’d like to hang out with. Just a treasure of a man.
There were many more good guys than bad. Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick, though somewhat rushed, took a few minutes to sign and chat. Claire B. Lang from Sirius/XM Radio is a joy and a classy lady. Norm Benning a driver in the Truck Series always had time to chat. Pocono President and CEO, Brandon Igdalsky is everywhere on race weekend, happy to meet and greet with the fans. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting with Brandon in the past and he and his staff always make the trip to Pocono a pleasant one.
In today’s sports world filled with stories about bad boy athletes, NASCAR seems to have a superabundant of good guys!
On to Watkins Glen for some road course racing. My picks and you know why:
1) Justin Allgaier
2) Clint Bowyer
3) Jamie McMurray
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