What is it like to live in the public eye where your every move, word and job performance is out there for all to see? For all to comment on? Combine that with hardly ever being in your own home much of the year. Where having a motor home and a private plane at your disposal in a necessity not a luxury. Where most of the “work” you do has nothing to do with the job you actually get paid for. And that is always the possibility of injury and death while working. Being one of the top rated, talented, highly paid Sprint Cup NASCAR driver isn’t all fun and fan adoration.
Let’s try to imagine this life. Monday thru Thursday you may have some time at home; sleeping in your own bed. There are meetings with you crew chief, team and maybe the team owner. Your main sponsor wants you to visit/meet with board members/staff. You have a autograph session at an sponsor’s store in the town of the next race. A TV commercial is supposed to be taped if the weather holds. One morning there are 6 radio call-ins scheduled. You have meetings set up to talk the people running your charitable foundation, businesses you own, personal finances and schedule. If you have a wife/girlfriend (and kids), a whole new set of issues are added to the mix. Are you spending enough time with them? Did the wife/GF get into this relationship with the full understanding of what it is like to be a NASCAR widow? I hope so! Not to mention the everyday things like finding time to go to the dentist, get a haircut or workout.
Finally it is race weekend. We will start with more meetings: NASCAR mandated for drivers, sponsor meet and greets, at hospitality tents for VIP ticket holders and with your team and crew chief. Then first practice, finally you get to do part of your real job. You are in the car for a few laps, bring it in for adjustments, back out for a few laps you get the idea. If you are really lucky, things go well and you get a set up you like. If they go OK, by race time you will get the set up you want. If things go bad and there is no practice because of weather or the car is damaged, OMG you don’t want anyone in you personal space. But according to NASCAR you must be available to the fans and the press not matter how you feel at the moment. It is not unusual for both to ask stupid questions. You can excuse the fan but the press should know better. With the fan, you can most times get away with a quick autograph as you are walking to and from your motor home and the pits. But sometimes the fan wants a bit more of your precious time. Most of the time, you are happy to do it, but every once in a while you can’t or frankly just don’t feel like it for reasons only you know. You hope the fan understands that there are times you are not available. If the fan doesn’t understand, oh well, you have better things to lose sleep over.
I know, some of you are saying: “Drivers make zillions of dollars and if it were not for the fans they wouldn’t make as much money” or “Want a little cheese with your WHINE?” how about “If I had that kind of money, I’d always be there for the fans.” First off, the driver makes most of his the money for his ability to drive race car and win. And unless you have actually live their life for just a few weeks during the race season, you have no idea what you would do.
I want to tell you a bit about me. I managed a travel youth sports team for 3 seasons that lasted 8 months each where we were on the road 3 out of every 4 weekends. The volunteer job required me to take meetings, attend practices, shop for food for the trips and make numerous phone calls during the week. The players, coaches and other adults would board a charter bus on Friday evening or very early Saturday morning and return back home on after the last game on Sunday or Monday afternoon. With hotels, restaurants, and games in between. We had buses break down, bad drivers, and bad weather to contend with. Players would get hurt, or sick. During one stretch we were on the road for 6 straight weekends before Christmas. By that 6th weekend we all were tired and cranky and ready for a break.
I know how bad it seemed for me to do all that travel; it amazes me what each Cup team endures during the 36 week race season. As fans we need to be more understanding about the gypsy life of a driver and crew.
Folks, there is no other sport where the fan has this much access to the teams and players/drivers. We should appreciate what we get rather than complain when we don’t get what we want. The drivers are human and sometimes they need their personal space.
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2.0.5.1/461 Mon Aug 25 20:51:19 UTC 2008
20 Comments
Smoke20Wins
Apr 04 2008 23:59
Some Of Us
know just a wee little bit the lives of these drivers from other sports. I’ve been in a racing situation 2 yrs & it wasn’t quite as hectic. Them drivers if you look close at them, they don’t really get the rest they need a lot of times. With the close calls they get, lack of sleep, stress of going here & there all the time, it isn’t any wonder they’re getting grey headed before their time. They appreciate the fans, but some have so many, it’s just too much to handle all the time. Can’t really blame them for shying away at times from them.
JrCanuckFan
Mar 22 2008 20:28
Awesome
blog Pug, way to put yourself in their shoes.
lottolou
Mar 14 2008 23:09
WAY TO WORD IT PUG!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
Heck, without them we wouldnt be here on this site! 
lol
ntimid88shun
Mar 14 2008 22:57
great blog Pug!!
reminds me to be thankful of the life I have. Our sport is a very demanding one, with very little time off. No other sport can lay that claim. Even in the off time, there is the areo shop, testing, etc. I can see where the stress would get to ‘em. I would pulled a “stewart” a looong time ago and probably been suspended!!
26Broad
Mar 14 2008 22:40
I could not
do it. I am a certified homebody and I would go insane.
Eminor
Mar 14 2008 16:36
Pics taken
I too am a musician. I am uncomfortable taking pics with anyone. It does not seem to bother my wife but I am not too keen on it. There would be trouble in the restroom should that ever come up.
JOYRIDE88
Mar 14 2008 16:23
could you imagine
someone tryin to take your pic in the bathrom!
JOYRIDE88
Mar 14 2008 16:22
ya I am sorry,I was not attacking you
I know I would be paying alot of heavy fines if I had that life cause I would be handing out @$$ woppins too!My 1st X hubby was a drummer in a band ,they wern’t that big but I did get a lil taste of what it’s like, that lil bit drove me crazy I can’t imagine what it must be like to be like them!
realist1961
Mar 14 2008 16:19
joyride
i’ve heard stories where drivers are asked for their autograph while doing their business in the bathroom. if that comes with the job, i sure hope they are ambidextrous.
Eminor
Mar 14 2008 16:14
JOYRIDE88
Well I must say that if you were poking me in the side one of us would be wearing an ass whippin’ but fair enough I do not truely know but “it comes with the job”. They knew it when they started.