NASCAR offers a unique bond between fans, drivers
By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
August 27, 2007
03:20 PM EDT
What if before the national anthem of the Super Bowl, you walked over to Peyton Manning, shook his hand and got the quarterback's autograph right there on the field?
Well, the chance of that actually happening for a football fan is about as likely as Mike Vanderjagt kicking for the Colts again.
However, what can happen -- if you're a NASCAR fan -- is getting a driver's autograph and possibly a photo as he prepares to slide into his racecar before the green flag drops on the Daytona 500, NASCAR's Super Bowl.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The unfettered access to some of NASCAR's most recognizable drivers is part of what makes the sport so popular. Unlike athletes in other major league sports, NASCAR drivers make it a priority to connect with and devote personal time to the fan base.
Namely, David Stremme, driver of the No. 40 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Stremme is known for becoming "mayor of the infield" so to speak at some of NASCAR's biggest races. Be it alone, or with his teammate Juan Montoya, Stremme loves to hop on his golf cart and drop in on unsuspecting NASCAR fans.
"It's what makes us different from everyone else," Stremme said. "Look at football, the players show up to the field, do their job and go home. Our sport is a weekend-long event and our fans become a part of us, a part of our personalities."
Spot on, Stremme commented that NASCAR is the only sport where fans can eat with, sleep next to and breathe the same air as their heroes for three consecutive days.
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/hea....cedwards.mkenseth.jyeley.dstremme/index.html

:Track: YEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWWWWWWWWW!! Look for me. I'll be the one wearing the yellow Mach 1 ball cap.
