Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

I've been reading a lot of comments on Facebook fan pages about negative fan interactions with drivers.  First of all, read the room. 

1. Are you picking a good time to have an interaction with the driver?  Is the driver openly interacting with fans at the point you're approaching him/her?  Or, are they in the middle of getting their car and gear ready for the nights show?  At their hauler while getting ready for the show, or in the pits before/during the show are both bad times.  If I were a driver, I would ignore you, and if you continued to pester me, I would be rude to you.  

2.  Does the driver offer any autograph or meet/greet sessions?  If so, go to those!  Most drivers are very happy to interact with you during a time set aside specifically for that!  (besides sammy) 

3.  Are you a grown ass adult, trying to get yet another selfie with the same driver you already have 10 selfies with?  If so, STOP!  Those are called groupies.  When you meet, and interact with a driver, and the interaction is positive, there is no reason to pester that driver again.  He's not your buddy.  He doesn't remember you.  How many times do you need his autograph?  The exception to this is kids.  Kids are the future of the sport, and these are their heroes.  Kids (like my son before he became a grown man) want to see, and interact with these drivers daily!  Almost all drivers recognize this, and treat kids like kids, and I think this is great.  Even Sammy would take time out at his hauler for pictures and a smile with my son when he was little because he was a huge Sammy fan growing up. He wouldn't give me the time of day, so I didn't try to make him interact with me.  Same with a number of drivers.  If you have a young fan, take them to see as many drivers as they want to see.  Let them meet the drivers and let the drivers interact with them.  If you're an adult, step back and let them do their work or enjoy some peace and quiet!  If they look like they want to interact, then interact!  

4.  If you see a driver after an event, and they are not at a place where they look like they want to interact, give them some space.  If you want to interact, give them a compliment and respect their time.  The number of people shoving things in Larson's face for autographs, as he tried to walk from the pits to the press conference, was embarrassing.  Are we really that needy as a fan base that we cannot just say "Great run Kyle" and wait until next race, or next Nationals to get that autograph?  He handles it much better than I would, I can tell you that.  

I talked extensively to 2 drivers during the entire Nats.  I approached neither of them.  One was introduced to me through a mutual aquaintance, and we had a good converation.  The other was Tanner Holmes.  If you haven't talked to that kid yet, he is truly a great kid to talk to.  After buying a t-shirt at his hauler, I attempted to walk away and leave them to their business when his (I'm assuming) mother struck up a converasation with me.  We had a great conversation about the Wed night qualifying race, and how nervous they were about their race that night.  She then asked me if I had met Tanner yet.  I said no, but I don't want to bother anyone as you're getting ready to race.  She called him over and the kid talked my ear off!  GREAT KID!  I likely won't ever bother him again, and I'll be a fan for life.  I met Kyle Larson after his Knoxville WoO win in June 2020.  Awesome interaction.  I won't bother him ever again in my life.  I met David Gravel after a win at Wilmot one year.  Great interaction.  I won't bother him ever again in my life.  Get the pattern yet?  These guys/gals have lives.  Let them live 'em.  Meet them.  Support them.  And, if you've met them before, leave them alone unless they ask to be interacted with.  

I like getting down to the pits ASAP after the races and let the crews know how they set the car up wrong and the drivers where they should have went high or low and which laps they should've done it on. lol 

I agree with most of what you state, and I'm assume some fans awareness levels are low, or they've been drinking lidquid courage. 

I think each driver is different, which hopefully you can pick up on, and tell if they're busy or not making eye contact, and not wanting to engage.

There are very few drivers that I've approached and had a poor interaction. Donnie Schatz is one of them, during an autograph session in the pits. One of the only times, where they opened the pits prior to the races for fans. 2020? 

Most drivers likely won't remember you, unless your name is Robert Bell, who remembers a conversation and taking a picture with him 15 years ago. 

Keep It Real

I agree it's strange they had an autograph session prior to the race.  Weird.  My only interactions with Donny Schatz have been positive, but brief.  

Fantastic post Egras. You are spot on. We probably read the same facebook post the other day. 

Drivers are people and have good days and bad days, don't be needy or rude!

I don't bother the drivers too much, but sometimes I will say something or try and joke with them or compliment them...and only way before engine heat....when they are not doing anything and are not busy with the car or crew or whatever. One day back in the pits, I attempted to joke with a well known racer and he was pretty rude. That put me off....but I later found out that his very close friend and important crew member had just passed away.....like the day before. He was obviously grieving and upset and still had to race that evening with a lot on his mind....but I didn't know any of this at the time.  

Then the next time I bumped into this racer, it was a year or two later. Very random and at the consession stand.....and He was very nice and out of the blue joked around with me. 

I like point 3 above. We all need to act like adults. 

Working on a crew, fans tend to irritate me during the night. We were pitted few cars down from Larson on his qualifying night. We was constantly bombarded with fans as he and Paul were trying to talk or watch the track. Other thing that irritated me, during the open red on Saturday was fans walking through the work area while times are scrambling to get their cars ready. And even people told them to please not walk through and they continued to do that and almost ran over by other crew guys running back and forth. 

Ive had many conversations with drivers over the years.  Schatz and Sammy were always friendly, but alot of people complain about them.  Only interaction Ive had with Gravel, he came off as a ahole, but he coulda been having a bad night or whatever.  But being in the pits for alot of races Ive seen firsthand how fn rude people can be.  I think sometimes they forget that these people are working.  

My brother was really impressed by his interaction with Rico, who was at his t-shirt trailer when my brother bought his shirt.   Rico offered to sign it for him.   My brother said he was very friendly, and of course I think everyone know Rico is great with fans.   

I bought a t-shirt and hat at Carson Macedo's trailer Wednesday.   I wore the hat and after the feature that night I'm walking out of the track and some guy slaps my on the back of my shoulder and says "nice hat man!".   Turns out it was actually Carson, which I thought was pretty cool.   

LOL! That was good!

Great topic. Autographs are for kids. Leave the selfies to the duck lipped pit lizards. 

You forgot berating the track crew about how much water to apply and when and how it should be done.

We have gone down to the pits after a race is over and I am always amazed at how many people expect the drivers to be available immediately after getting out of their car, and have a smile on their face no matter the finish. I have seen many people get upset because a driver is "taking too long" to come out of the hauler after the feature. And use the stupid excuse of if wasn't for them(the fan) that driver wouldn't have a job or the "I pay your salary" crowd. That is a huge over generalization.  I have seen and heard idiot fans yell out "what's taking so long" to crew members as if it is their fault then get mad at the crew members because they ignore them. Give them a few moments, you (the fan) are not that important in that moment. Let them catch their breath a little bit and decompress

I hardly ask for any autographs anymore but a number of drivers happen to know my son very well now due to the amount of races we go to. A lot of them generally walk up to him more than he walks up to them because even though he is 7, he does not pester them near as much as some adults. And I have seen a number of drivers do that to other kids that are always at the races too, some even know them on a first name basis which is great. Egras mentioned Tanner Holmes, ue told us of his interaction with him so we just walked by his trailer just to see the car as my son watches Tanner's youtube channel. We walked to the car, stayed a distance just to see what was going on and Tanner actually stopped what he was doing to talk to him. But it was the courtesy shown to not just walk up while he was working on the car and say "hi Tanner how's it going I am so and so from whereever." That is the main reason why my son is a Brad Sweet fan. Before Brad started winning championships and even the Nationals we went to the May Eldora race 2017. After the race we to the pits and my son went to the Napa car because he loved blue cars. Brad was talking to his crew chief on the trailer ramp and I told my son wait he's talking and doing something important so give him a minute. But Brad saw a little fan and actually stopped his conversation, grabbed a sharpie, got down to my son's level and introduced himself. The conversation lasted maybe 30-40sec but at that point my son was hooked. To this day he always wants to see Brad after the race but he understands that he has to wait and on the very very rare occasion that he misses him by getting down too late, it is not intentional and he has had about 100 other interactions with him prior. 

OMG that was awesome!!! There is a time and place for everything and many people just plain don't understand that. I think autograph sessions are great for the sport but bumbling around in a busy pit area for a selfie during an event is dangerous for all involved. Teams have enough to worry about throughout the night they are trying to focus on winning and not so much about what you want because you bought a pit pass. Let them do their business during the night then go see if they're in the mood for some chat. BTW, I'm 60 and still like getting a selfie with some drivers I have enjoyed watching.

Great post. I wish I had wrote it...but my writing is so terrible.  That was perfect and I'd disagree with nothing. 

Also..I had similar experience meeting Tanner Holmes. That kid TOTALLY gets it. He's going places. However, I did meet him at the 360 Nats. I also met Shane Golobic...mostly by accident. Was just out early walking around looking at cars with my kid and my dad.  My boy loves loves loves to go early and look at cars outside the trailers all over knoxville.  Anyway...was looking at Shane's car and was standing by the mule when the kid there struck up a convo with me. NOt even sure what it was or how we got started. Anyway, I didnt even know it was Shane until I asked him what he does with the team. I felt so dumb.  But it goes to show if you just act like a human and be decent, some interaction may fall into your lap.  Dont push it.  And if you want to maybe see drivers adn say hi....go super early and walk around. 

I saw the interaction your son had with Brad when I met you by his hauler on Thursday.  I figured that's the first place he would want to go when you headed out that day.  As you and I talked, Brad continued to interact with him and showed him his new helmet paint scheme up close.  Before we left, I simply told Brad the new paint scheme was sharp and he said thanks.  No reason for me to ask him for a selfie, act like we're buddies, or try to strike up a conversation about nothing.  If he wanted to do those things, he'd ask me.  I'm a grown ass adult----I don't need to go to Red Lobster with Shooter McGavin.    

Thanks!

Yes, we probably saw the same Facebook post.  Shaking my head as I read it thinking of how I see some of the fans act when they're around these drivers.  

A lot of years back, Husets Speedway used to have a driver & car get together at a motel parking lot the night before a WoO race. (I really miss that.) One year, my very young son spent alot of time flirting with Kenny Jacob's mom. She wanted to take him home. I stood at the next car over and had a long, relaxed conversation with Stevie Smith.  Instead of the usual race car stuff, we ended up talking at length about the geography of the area around Pennsylvania where he was from. He was a nice guy and seemd to enjoy conversation that didn't revolve around his job for a change.

I remember that. And the biggest thing that started that interaction was we were out his and the team's way. Brad had actually walked out of the dealership sometime before that but neither I or my son ran up to him going "Brad Brad over here!" while shoving something in his face. By now with going to so many races and racing himself my son knows that the drivers have a job to do. I told him hey be patient, hes talking to his crew chief to get things ready and if he takes too long we have the whole week to see him. A 7 year old had no problem with that. Then as you saw came the interaction.

The funny thing for us is more drivers actually initate conversation with us just because we stand back and do not bother them. Carson, David Gravel, Brad, Donny, Rico, a few regional/local drivers, Mckenna all have brief conversations with us, mainly with the little one. The biggest thing is that these converastions are brief and respectful. We are not in their personal space, we are not intoxicated, we are not rude, we do not try to make horrible cheesy jokes because its a race track not a comedy club, and we do not have 10 things for them to sign or take 10 pictures. 

This subject has been cycled, recycled and discussed probably thousands of times on this forum since it's inception and it all comes back to one thing: people are stupid. Not all people, but a good many. Possibly even a majority in this day and age. I spend a lot of time in the pits. Mostly before the races or if it's during races, I'm in a secure spot well away from the action. Pit etiquette is basically just common sense and most people don't seem to possess one damn bit of it. The same shit that most of us were taught in kindergarten that gets you across the street without becoming a road pizza go a long way....look both ways, stay off the road, make sure you're visible etc. But leave it to the jackass who bought their "upgrade" to stand in an open pit during engine starts with their stupid souvenirs that the driver quite frankly doesn't give one shit about to be surprised when said driver comes in off the track and damned near kills them. Then the idiot fan will probably get on social media and shit talk that driver for "giving them a bad experience." Most drivers are better people than me because I personally wouldn't be able to handle dealing with so many morons in one day without offending people. Especially those who think their kid is your #1 fan and you should kiss their asses for it. 

They used to have a golf tournament too where you could golf with drivers, I think one driver and three regular people in a foursome. My dad did it one year and his foursome was with Mark Kinser. My dad said he was an absolute riot, funny as hell, and abused the shit out of the golf cart. Fan events like that are special.