| |
March 28, 2006
Section: features
Edition: BRADENTON
Page: 32E
BRADENTON RACING FANS MEET THEIR HEROES
Scott Lockwood, Special to The Herald
For most sports fans, meeting their heroes is a dream come true.
On March 18, local NASCAR fans got to realize theirs and met some of the sport's
legends at DeSoto Speedway. Former Nextel Cup champions Rusty Wallace and
Bill Elliott, as well as two-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin, Harry Gant and
Stephen Wallace, took some time to meet and greet some of their supporters.
"This is a lot fun, and it's not about driving the car but meeting the people, saying
hello to the fans and getting to meet them all, build your fan base and really thank
them for supporting you for so long," said Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR champion
who retired from active driving at the end of last season.
The first fan in Wallace's autograph line was 41-year-old Frank Lukas of Largo. It
was his 20th time meeting Wallace, and he is always the first in line, no matter the
weather or anything else.
"Rusty has been my favorite driver since day one, since him and Dale Earnhardt
used to battle it out in the late '90s," Lukas said. "Him and Earnhardt became best
of friends, and I became best of friends with Rusty. There was no better racing
than there was back in the day when you had Rusty, Earnhardt and Bill Elliott all
kicking butt and taking names.
"This is great NASCAR, great people, and Rusty is the most fan-friendly guy there
is. You don't get any better than this . . . Bradenton, Florida, and the greatest
driver there is, Rusty Wallace and his son that's going to be taking over the reins."
Wallace was also quick to point out Lukas' unwavering loyalty throughout the years
as he signed a full-size replica hood of his former race car for him.
"This guy is definitely one of my biggest fans," Wallace said of Lukas. "He's been
on my cruises with me, been to a lot of neat places with me, and he's a really neat
guy. It's nice to meet loyal fans like that . . . Sure is."
While Wallace may have had the longest line for autographs, many fans were just
as eager to meet 1988 NASCAR champion Bill Elliott, who is a 16-time recipient of
NASCAR's most popular driver award and is still extremely popular even though he
competes on a limited schedule.
Damien Winn, 17, of Port Charlotte was holding a clock he had just had signed by
Elliott. It was his first time meeting Elliott and he came away impressed.
"He seems like a normal guy, just like everybody else," Winn said. "All of these
people out here shows you how much of a fan base all these legend drivers have,
and even though they may retire, they're still here."
T. Charles Jackson, 47, brought his son, Charles, 20, from Tampa for the evening.
The elder Jackson had Gant autograph an original T-shirt from Gant's driving
days, and Charles Jackson got a hat autographed by Marlin. Both are regulars at
DeSoto and enjoyed seeing these drivers so close to home.
"He was always one of the best guys out there," T. Charles Jackson said about
Gant, who retired 15 years ago and is still one of Jackson's favorites. "He's a
friendly guy, he never caused any trouble and never tore anybody up and always
raced real clean."
After the autograph session, the fans were treated to a twin eight-lap exhibition
race featuring Elliott, Marlin, Gant and Stephen Wallace. Marlin won the first
segment, with Elliott taking the second. When the race was over, Marlin talked
about the growth of the sport and what it means to him going back to the "roots" of
racing at tracks such as DeSoto.
"The racing's always been about the fans, and hopefully as the corporate images
grow, the fences between the drivers and the fans won't."
PHOTO/Sterling Marlin, left, and Rusty Wallace sign autographs for fans March 18
at DeSoto Speedway. After the autograph session, the fans were treated to a twin
eight-lap exhibition race featuring Marlin, Bill Elliott, Harry Gant and Stephen
Wallace. Marlin won the first segment, with Elliott taking the second.
|
|
|
|
|
