What other sport allows such access for its fans?

I just returned today from Kansas City where I was shooting a few spots for the NASCAR awards in December on TNT. I interviewed Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex, and THE KING himself, Richard freakin` Petty! It takes about four flights to get from Los Angeles to Kansas City. I had layovers in Phoenix and Denver. I couldn’t help but think that if they just stuck me in Mark Martin’s car I would have gotten there a lot faster.

When I arrived, I checked into my hotel and waited for morning where myself and a small film crew would head out to the race track and grab some interviews. The traffic getting into the speedway was obscene. (you have to keep in mind that this was Saturday. the day BEFORE the race). It took us about an hour from the time we could see the racetrack, to be on the racetrack from all the die hard fans piling in.The interviews went really well considering the moronic questions I ask everyone and halfway through the day I was asked if I wanted to take part in the “Richard Petty Experience”. Not knowing what it was I immediately said yes.

THE RICHARD PETTY EXPERIENCE turned out to be where a guy named Wally Dalenbach drove me around the track at 170 miles an hour and interviews ME! I was just a little nervous. I had never heard of this Wally fellow and after asking around I learned that he had been on the NASCAR circuit for years back in the day and had won exactly ZERO races. Great. Why not take the guy with the worst luck on the track and have him run me next to a wall at 170? What could go wrong? Nothing went wrong. It was one of the most thrilling rides of my life. At one point the car we were in actually scraped up on the wall (trading paint as they call it) in turn four.

I was only supposed to go around once but I begged to keep going. We wound up making 6 laps and at the end I asked him if we could do donuts. He seemed surprised that I wanted to go in smaller circles than the giant ones we just completed. He asked me if I was sure and I told him, “Yeah! Why don’t you act like you would have if you had ever won a race in your life and spin out a few times on the grass!??!”

I think I pissed him off a bit because we seemed to spin for a half hour and I think one of my nuts is still in my chest.

I am such a fan of NASCAR. These people are so fan conscious and go SOOO out of their way to make sure every one that comes to the track has a great time. I sure did. By the way, I asked Jeff Gordon how tall he was and he told me he is 5`8″..not exactly the midget all the #24 haters out there think he is. With lifts in his shoes and a small afro, he is as tall as I am.

Be sure to check out the NASCAR awards show on TNT in December and remember when you are watching that I have the same amount of wins as Wally Dalenbach.