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http://Swtwok.00game.com
I met Mario Andretti last year at the Detroit GP. He acted like a***,
though. He seemed pissed that I didn't buy something just to get his
autograph. If I was an autograph collector, I might have. Since I'm not, I
didn't... He was all about the money, and not about the *fans*... :(
Eldred
--
Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999
Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.
Chris
<snip>
> I met Mario Andretti last year at the Detroit GP. He acted like a***,
> though. He seemed pissed that I didn't buy something just to get his
> autograph. If I was an autograph collector, I might have. Since I'm not, I
> didn't... He was all about the money, and not about the *fans*... :(
> Eldred
> --
> Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999
> Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://www.racesimcentral.net/
> Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you
> with experience...
> Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.
You must understand though, when a racing driver is at a track, he is at
work. Even a retired racing driver<g>. I don't know what you do for a
living, but I'll bet that if a boatload of tourists waddled up to your desk,
armed with cameras and pens and the same inane questions you've heard every
day for 30 years, you'd be a little edgy too. True, there is an element of
celebrity involved and a driver has to play that game to some extent, but it
gets old after a while. These guys are only human and have their good days
as well as their bad, just like the rest of us, which leads me to my Mario
story. I hated the bastard<g> for years because the first time I met him he
had just knocked my favorite F5000 driver, Brian Redman, off the pole at
Ontario Motor Speedway. Of course, like most American race fans, when Mario
went off to F1, I felt he could do no wrong. Watching him win at Long Beach
against Lauda and Scheckter is still one of the highlights of my racing
experience. Later I had a chance to meet Mario away from the track, he used
a photograph of mine in one of his books, and he was a perfect gentleman,
charming and very disarming, but very business like, no bs. Mario has added
a great deal to our sport and gets a great deal of respect in my book.
I've met my fair share of drivers over the years, my step-dad raced sports
cars in the 50's against Gurney and Ginther and the west coast crowd. I was
brought up around those guys so it was never a big deal...if I'd known then
what I know now<vbg>...hell, my girlfriend used to baby sit Dan and Eva's
kids, Alex and Dan(don't call me Danny)Junior. They were just the Gurney
family, down the block!
One of the best days I ever spent with a driver was with Danny Sullivan, two
weeks after he had won Indy. I worked for a commercial photographer in LA
and we were shooting Sully for some hair care product, "cashing in" as he
said<g>. He was still buzzing from his win, I think you could have told him
his dog had died and he wouldn't have stopped grinning! He told me it was
just beginning to hit him, that he had won the lotto, hit the big one, he'd
won at Indianapolis! Dan's is the only autograph I ever asked for, I had the
Autoweek from his 500 win in my car and just couldn't resist having him sign
the "Spin and Win" cover.
Now you have to go through layers of PR people(scum) and handlers to get to
most racers, but it's a big time professional sport now. Imagine trying to
get to Shaq while he's sitting on the bench during a game, they'd haul your
ass off to the greybar hotel. I'd say we race fans still have it pretty
good, most racers if approached correctly, are pretty tolerant of race fans
and realize how important that reationship is to the future of the sport.
Oh, and I guess I should make this sim related<g>. GPL was released here on
a thursday and I picked it up that night on the way home, As I was leaving
early in the morning to shoot the CART race in Fontana, I only had enough
time to load the CD, set the controls and sample a few of the cars and
tracks. Friday evening I ran into Gurney in the garage area and asked him if
he knew of the game. He had heard about it of course, they had to get his
permission to use his name, but he let the lawyers handle the deal and had
not seen it. He seemed skeptical that a simulation of something that
happened so long ago would hold any general interest, and in retrospect, he
was probably right. All the more remarkable that GPL ever got made.
Sorry for rambling on so...it's just that racers are some of my favorite
people...away from the track. At the race track... well you never know if
you're going to get Jekyl or Hyde, just try to excercise a little common
sense and you will find most drivers very approachable.
--
don
New GPL Program Covers for Converted Tracks:
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
> I met Mario Andretti last year at the Detroit GP. He acted like a***,
> though. He seemed pissed that I didn't buy something just to get his
> autograph. If I was an autograph collector, I might have. Since I'm not, I
> didn't... He was all about the money, and not about the *fans*... :(
--
Chuck Kandler #70
K&S Racing
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Your freedom's just a state of mind. --Gene Simmons
From the song "War Machine", 1982
Pete
John
>> Eldred
>> --
>> Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999
>> Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://www.racesimcentral.net/
>You must understand though, when a racing driver is at a track, he is at
>work. Even a retired racing driver<g>. I don't know what you do for a
>living, but I'll bet that if a boatload of tourists waddled up to your desk,
>armed with cameras and pens and the same inane questions you've heard every
>day for 30 years, you'd be a little edgy too. True, there is an element of
>celebrity involved and a driver has to play that game to some extent, but it
>gets old after a while. These guys are only human and have their good days
>as well as their bad, just like the rest of us, which leads me to my Mario
>story. I hated the bastard<g> for years because the first time I met him he
>had just knocked my favorite F5000 driver, Brian Redman, off the pole at
>Ontario Motor Speedway. Of course, like most American race fans, when Mario
>went off to F1, I felt he could do no wrong. Watching him win at Long Beach
>against Lauda and Scheckter is still one of the highlights of my racing
>experience. Later I had a chance to meet Mario away from the track, he used
>a photograph of mine in one of his books, and he was a perfect gentleman,
>charming and very disarming, but very business like, no bs. Mario has added
>a great deal to our sport and gets a great deal of respect in my book.
>Now you have to go through layers of PR people(scum) and handlers to get to
>most racers, but it's a big time professional sport now. Imagine trying to
>get to Shaq while he's sitting on the bench during a game, they'd haul your
>ass off to the greybar hotel. I'd say we race fans still have it pretty
>good, most racers if approached correctly, are pretty tolerant of race fans
>and realize how important that reationship is to the future of the sport.
>Sorry for rambling on so...it's just that racers are some of my favorite
>people...away from the track. At the race track... well you never know if
>you're going to get Jekyl or Hyde, just try to excercise a little common
>sense and you will find most drivers very approachable.
Eldred
--
Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999
Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.
I've met Mario (and was too awestruck to say anything). The nicest driver
I've ever met was Alessandro Zanardi. My wife (a huge Alex fan) and I went
to a Target in-store signing in Houston two years ago (before the inaugural
Havoline GP) and I watched my lucid, capable wife turn into a blushing
schoolgirl when she met Zanardi. A few days later, she was taking pictures
in the paddock area* when Alex was once again signing autographs before the
race. He looked over at her and said, "I remember you. You're the pretty
lady who blushed and didn't say anything." He invited her to take a picture
with him, but she had just run out of film, so he kissed her hand and
thanked her for being his fan. That, in my opinion, was class.
*the paddock area in Houston is inside the convention center. The $25.00
paddock pass is the best deal of the weekend.
Theron Bretz
Houston, TX
Yep, it was at the souvenir truck. I don't think that's any excuse, though.
Maybe I'll see you at the track - do you go for the Free Prix Day? I won't be
at the race itself. Not at the moment, anyway...
Eldred
--
Tiger Stadium R.I.P. 1912-1999
Own Grand Prix Legends? Goto http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Never argue with an idiot. He brings you down to his level, then beats you
with experience...
Remove SPAM-OFF to reply.
