To promote the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, all of the eligible drivers have been making appearances at the NASCAR Hall of Fame to spend some time with their fans.
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[/media-credit]Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski were the featured drivers this Tuesday for a fan question and answer session.
Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo started things off with a round of trivia questions and prizes for the fans. After the crowd was warmed up, Keselowski took the stage with the Executive Director of the Hall, Winston Kelley.
He delighted the crowd with both his honesty and humor.
The biggest laugh came when Keselowski was asked, “What is the strangest thing you’ve ever been asked to autograph?”
His answer was “the baby in a bucket of beer.”
Yes, you read that right.
A woman once asked Keselowski to sign her baby that she had placed in a bucket of beer. He drew the line at autographing the baby, signed the child’s shirt instead and sent the satisfied fan on her way.
Keselowski answered the tough questions too.
He was asked what he thought about the actions that NASCAR had taken after Kyle Busch intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday at Texas Motor Speedway.
“I feel pretty good about the way NASCAR handled the situation. I don’t think there’s any way that you can handle it that makes everyone happy because you can’t go back in time and fix it.”
He went on to describe the nature of racing as an evolution in progress. He used the ‘Boys have at it’ decree from NASCAR as an example of something that is constantly evolving to the next level until someone finally has to say, “Stop!”
Keselowski was also quite outspoken about NASCAR’s decision to switch to a fuel injection system next season.
Is he happy about the change?
“I’m not a big fan of it at all,” he said.
He went on to say that he thought the main impetus for the change was simply public relations.
Keselowski went into more detail when he talked with members of the media after the fan question and answer session ended.
“We’re not doing this because it’s better for the sport or better for the teams. I don’t even think we’re really going to save any gas.”
“It gives them something to promote,” he continued. “And we’re always looking for something to promote. But the honest answer is it does nothing for the sport except cost the team owners money.”
Keselowski knows that speaking his mind may get him in hot water with NASCAR.
“But that’s the honest part of it. I think it’s a disaster.”
After a short break, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the stage to answer questions.
Winston Kelley started things off by asking Earnhardt Jr. to name someone, in addition to his father, who he had looked up to while he was growing up or admired.
He answered with three names; Jimmie Means, Cale Yarborough and David Pearson.
“I always liked Jimmy Means a lot,” he said. “I just admired how hard he worked and how dedicated he was to what he was doing.”
“Cale Yarborough was a guy that I thought a lot of. I admired how he carried himself around the race track and how he handled his business.”
“I thought David Pearson was pretty cool but I didn’t get to know him that well as a driver. But watching old films and old footage and reading about him, he seemed like an interesting character.”
The questions from the fans ran the gamut from “What sports do you like?” to “What is the best way to pursue a career in racing?”
Quite a few of the fans simply stood up to proclaim that they were his biggest fan or to ask for an autograph.
We learned that he’s not particularly superstitious and doesn’t have any pre-race rituals.
“I just get up in the morning, put my clothes on and go to work,” he said laughing.
Then one young fan stood up and quietly asked, “Whenever you are racing do you feel your father watching over you or feel your father’s spirit when you are driving the car?”
Without hesitation, Dale Jr answered, “I think so. I think that you kind of carry that with you all the time and with everything you do.”
“I do feel like his spirit rides with me in the racecar and keeps me safe.”
A small ripple of applause spread throughout the crowd.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not be the most eloquent of speakers but at moments like these it’s easy to understand why his fans feel such a special connection to him.
