I've been very fortunate in my job. I've gotten to do some pretty cool things. I've met several presidents, been to the White House, a Final 4, and met more than a few celebrities.
Being a big NASCAR fan I would have to say my favorite opportunities through work involved being at race tracks and down on pit road, witth a chance to meet some of the drivers--including my favorite-- Dale Earnhardt. As we approach the tenth anniversary of his death, I thought it was time to share some of my close enounters with The Intimidator.
In 2000, less than a year before Earnhardt's death, I persuaded my news director to let me and a part time sport photographer travel down to Watkins Glen for the day for a NASCAR Winston Cup Series test session. Among the drivers testing their cars for that summer's race was Earnhardt. Track officials told us we were free to shoot the morning test session, they would provide Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin for a news conference at lunch, and then we were free to roam the garage area trolling for other driver interviews.
One person did suggest that it would be unlikely Earnhardt would talk, because the day before in the race at Pocono a flat tire gave him a terrible finish, and dropped him farther behind Bobby Labonte in the point standings.
Well after lunch, I and most of the other media there went to Earnhardt's garage stall anyway. I spotted the Intimidator walking from the #3 race hauler back to the garage, carrying what was left of his lunch and tossing it in the trash. As he turned to head back to the hauler, I called out asking for a word with him. He kept on walking. Well I guess no interview. But Earnhardt went to the rear of a Chevy Impala, popped the trunk and removed a new "Earnhardt" hat from a box in the trunk and came back to my direction and told the group of us, lets go boys...
Wow, he was great. He wouldn't stop talking. He answered every question and then some. I got a big grin out of him when I pointed out that he must have a soft spot in his heart for the Glen, since in 1996 he set a track record for speed when he won the pole there. A feat that added to the legend of Earnhardt. He set that track record two weeks after a horrific crash at Talladega that broke his collarbone and cracked his sternum.
Midway through the interview, a photographer from Empire Sports Network showed up, and joined the scrum. At one point he apologized for arriving late, and asked Earnhardt to repeat what he said earlier. Earnhardt grinned at the opportunity to give a media member a hard time. He ribbed the photographer, Jason Hy, that he needs to get up earlier, because he was missing all the good stuff.
Another Earnhardt encounter happened in 1999 at Daytona. The station had sent me as a field producer as our sports anchor and a photographer headed to the legendary track to gather material for a pre-race show.
Now my wife is a huge NASCAR fan. She got me interested in the sport. When I first arrived at Daytona on qualifying day, I gave her a call from pit road to share with my partner what I'd done so far. In an excited voice I told her that we had already interviewed Daryl Waltrip, Mark Martin, Ernie Irvin,and Sterling Marlin. I had made contact with Jeff Gordon's PR rep (A Cicero native) about our interview set for Monday. I told her how I was covered in sweat from running up and down Daytona's pit road in 80 degree temperatures. There was silence at the other end of the phone where the temperature was 25 degrees, and Sandy was home with a ten year old and 5 year old. I was in trouble.
But an Earnhardt win in a qualifying race later in the week got me my pass to get back into the house. I was sitting on the stairs behind the facility we used for video editing provided by CBS. The stairs led to a studio used by ESPN during the week leading up to the Daytona 500. As I was sitting there writing some notes for a web story, here comes Earnhardt, right by me on his way to the studio for an interview.
As he entered the studio a couple of staffers told a woman from the network at the bottom of the stairs to wait there, and that Dale would do it but you had to ask...I sensed an autograph was being set up. Sure enough here comes Dale after the interview, he heads right to the woman, and I'm next to her--she asks for an autograph and Earnhardt gives her one. I whip out my press credential, which featured the 1998 winner on the pass (Earnhardt) and handed it to him. And there it was that familiar signature on my press pass. I could lose my credentials for a stunt like that but I had to make it up to my wife.
She was thrilled to see the autographed press pass, but told me she was going to Florida next year for the Daytona 500 and bringing the kids.
That brings to mind an other story involving Dale Junior but that's for another time.
