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.  

This 100%.

Anymore, I just say "Good luck tonight" or "Great run." If they win, maybe walk up and congratulate them, or hand shake. Very rare I get a photo with a driver. If they are at their trailer doing signings or even helping sell merchandise, then I will talk to them for a moment. But I keep it short, and that's it. Some of the ways adults act about these drivers is odd. I have even seen drivers walking from the merch area to the pits and people following them.

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

Let me stop you right there..... we have someone with expertise in track prep right here on the forum. No additional help or insight required. He can tell you exactly what should or shouldn't have happened during the track prep. He can even provide prescribed lap times at different intervals of the program. No introduction necessary.

The last time I took driver portraits was for a Cedar Lake program.  They wanted their top ten in every division so I'm guessing close to forty drivers.  It turned out so well that I kept it going and took portraits of some of the WoO Sprint and WoO Late Model drivers.  They came in handy for a few articles. 

I have never done that as a fan.  Pretty much most races these days are watched from the recliner in the man cave.  It was a job running around taking photos for magazines and promotional material.  Not something I would do for fun.  If I was walking around the pits I usually talked to drivers if they acknowledged me or I ran into them between the pits and concession.  I still know quite a few but half of them have hung up their helmets just since I hung it up and started doing PPV.