|
Post by thirddegree on Oct 25, 2021 7:52:04 GMT -8
I'm sure the folks in this board have encountered some characters through their time as fans or as part of the sport. I'd like to hear some stories of memorable interactions, because I know there are some to be told.
I'll start: I've ridden in a 1970 Camaro with Al Unser Jr., and it was an absolute thrill. Little Al was super cool and easygoing. We discussed Goodyears vs. Firestones and he left me with the unforgettable quote, "Goodyear can't make a fuckin' good tire."
|
|
|
Post by Power Fan79 on Oct 25, 2021 10:01:32 GMT -8
I have met a lot of drivers but the one that stands out is Rick Mears. My brother and I were walking around the infield at Milwaukee in 2005 and we notice Rick eating lunch in the Penske hospitality area. We were not about to bother him, but a team member saw us looking into the hospitality area and asked if he could help us with something. That was pretty nice in itself. We just asked if that was Rick Mears, and the crew member confirmed it was. We started walking away and the crew member asked if we wanted to talk to Rick, and we said yeah but don’t bother him while he’s eating. The crew member walked over to Rick and said something to Rick and he put his food down and walked towards us. We talked about 5 minutes and I said to him, if he needed to get back to lunch, it’s understandable. Rick said, no big deal and proceeded to talk at least another 10 minutes about everything from the CART days, the 500, and what should be done to improve oval racing and eliminate pack racing. This was my favorite conversation with a driver. Other top conversations were Adrian Fernandez, Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, Sebastian Bourdais, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal. Oh, and Patrick Carpentier is really cool.
|
|
kidrybot
Full Member
Dr. Jerry Punch's future son-in-law
Posts: 1,456
|
Post by kidrybot on Oct 25, 2021 15:50:36 GMT -8
Met Sebastian Bourdais when he was moonlighting for Indy 500 with Newman/Haas (Centrixbux). Told him to give PT the chrome horn. Also met Boris Said (Who Said?) at that job. Down to earth guy, taller than me.
|
|
|
Post by thirddegree on Oct 26, 2021 5:13:26 GMT -8
I've been fortunate enough to meet quite a few Indy 500 winners (Little Al, Mario, Rick Mears, Emmo, Hornish, Villeneuve, Wheldon, Kanaan, Dario, Dixon, Rossi, Power) as well as some guys who might've won one with a little better stroke of luck (Marco, Alonso, Stewart, Scheckter, Carpenter) and some who I think are favorites for next year (Palou, Newgarden).
Marco was always really cool -- one reason I've always rooted for him. His mom is also nice. Mario's fantastic as well. Mears, Alonso, Danny Wheldon, Newgarden and Palou also stand out.
Honestly, all the guys above were good interactions, whether it was for a few seconds or for several hours. Hornish is a fellow Freemason, so the two most recent times I've seen him (had to be about 6 years ago) it was cool to shake hands, say, "Brother Hornish, how are you?" and et cetera.
|
|