NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

[D S.]

A friend and retired co-worker, Earl Gearhart, tells me he has been selected to be one of 45 Corvette convertible owners to be in a parade prior to the race to drive NASCAR drivers around the track. If it's televised look for Earl in a white 2003 Corvette convertible. I'm told that the Corvettes in the parade range from C-2s up.

Hey, I'd like to see 45 Corvettes in ANY parade.

Scott Sims
Texas Chapter

[Tom H.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

I'll be watching !!

[D S.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

Rats! I only saw three Corvettes in a half hour. A late model red one, another late model but couldn't see the color, and a red C-2. Foul! I wanted to see a whole field of Corvettes.

[Tom H.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

At least he was there. Hopefully somebody took a picture for him and he'll send it to you ! Post it up !

Long live the Corvette !!

[Stuart F.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

There is no substitute for being at the race to view the entire spectacle, i.e. driver intros, rock band, sky divers, fighter flyover, etc. But, if you just want to see the race then TV or the internet is the way to go, cause you won't see it there - least wise, not all of it.

Last year at Daytona, an A.F. squadron of F-15's did the flyover. On their return to land at the airport just behind the backstretch, they each did a "burners on" hard bank right over us to line up for landing. One of them had a compressor stall and we thought he would land on us! - nice flame about 50' long out the pipe before it flamed out. These things you don't see on TV - probably just as well.

Stu Fox

[D S.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

When Earl gets back home from his experience from that and if he does have photos I will post them here and include his email address. He said he would try to get me an autograph from one of the NASCAR drivers. I only have a Rusty Wallace and a Richard Petty autograph.

It did prod me into driving my '70 today here in the D-FW area. It was over 80 degrees (still is) and I drove with the top down for over an hour. Lovely weather. I saw one Corvette in that whole time. One. That might prompt me to compose another post on the subject of "driver" Corvettes.

[D S.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

No autograph. Earl says in an email,
"Scott, can't believe that I ended up with a dang Toyota driver
Joe (expletive deleted) Nemechek, that would not autograph anything. Never had an opportunity to get any other autographs.............from any other driver................sorry
P.S. WHAT A THRILL TO GO AROUND THE TRACK!!!!! can't wait until September for the next race maybe then I may get Jeff Gordon,,,,etc."

I asked him for photographs of the Corvette parade and if he has any to share I will post them here.

[Kurt B.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

Seems pretty rude of Nemecheck to not even give you an autograph.
After all, if it weren't for the fans, there would be no big paychecks for the drivers.
One autograph to the guy driving you around the track doesn't seem like asking to much.
Kurt

[Michael H.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

Seems pretty rude of Nemecheck to not even give you an autograph.
After all, if it weren't for the fans, there would be no big paychecks for the drivers.
One autograph to the guy driving you around the track doesn't seem like asking to much.
Kurt

I probably would have told him to get outa my car! No autograph, no ride. He would have looked pretty funny standing in the middle of the track as everyone else passed by.

[D S.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

I totally agree. Back in the mid '90s I was an autograph hound and got several personally from the likes of Gordie Howe, Cassius Clay/Joe Frazier, Sam Baugh, Julius Erving, Hank Aaron, Tom Landry, Kirby Puckett, Nolan Ryan to name a few. But I have also encountered a few super-inflated egos in the pro sports world who acted like their very presence was sufficient. A few that you see on television that come off as humorous, outgoing, friendly did not seem so in real life. Until Earl's comment I had heard that NASCAR drivers were the most likely to sign autographs and were the most accessible. Nemechek is not nor ever has been the hottest ticket in motorsports so endearing himself to race fans might help raise his stock. Especially to Earl who got the opportunity to drive his Corvette on a NASCAR track for a major NASCAR event only to be snubbed by the NASCAR driver who was on board with him. What a slap.

On a few occasions I have bumped into pro sports figures doing things in their every day lives and have conversed with them but did not ask for their autographs. I respect that they have personal lives, too.

[Clem Z.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

I totally agree. Back in the mid '90s I was an autograph hound and got several personally from the likes of Gordie Howe, Cassius Clay/Joe Frazier, Sam Baugh, Julius Erving, Hank Aaron, Tom Landry, Kirby Puckett, Nolan Ryan to name a few. But I have also encountered a few super-inflated egos in the pro sports world who acted like their very presence was sufficient. A few that you see on television that come off as humorous, outgoing, friendly did not seem so in real life. Until Earl's comment I had heard that NASCAR drivers were the most likely to sign autographs and were the most accessible. Nemechek is not nor ever has been the hottest ticket in motorsports so endearing himself to race fans might help raise his stock. Especially to Earl who got the opportunity to drive his Corvette on a NASCAR track for a major NASCAR event only to be snubbed by the NASCAR driver who was on board with him. What a slap.

On a few occasions I have bumped into pro sports figures doing things in their every day lives and have conversed with them but did not ask for their autographs. I respect that they have personal lives, too.

mrs clem and i were setting on the pit wall at a NASCAR race during practice and mrs clem made a comment that joe nemechek seemed like a smart ass. i told her to be quiet because joe's mother was setting next to her.

[Stuart F.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

Not much need to be concerned about old "front row Joe" any more. He's a has been. He won't be around much longer. He has bad equipment and no sponsorship much to speak of. Lately he's been "old back row Joe". I'm sad to admit he's a Floridian. His brother is the only smart one left as he's got a good TV job and is, in fact, darn good at it.

Stu Fox

[D S.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

Earl Gearhart sent me some photos but some of the ones I really wanted were a bit blurry. His wife was taking photos from the stands with some kind of digital camera that didn't have a zoom feature on it. I will share the more clearer ones. Earl said he hopes to find some one within NASCAR or the AMS who will share clearer, closer shots.
No doubt it was exciting for Earl to be a part of 45+ Corvette convoy on a NASCAR race track in front of thousands of fans witnessing America's only truest sports cars. Think I'll try to sign up for one at the Texas Motor Speedway.
I think Earl is also scheduled to drive his Corvette at the AMS in the Fall. Maybe he'll drive Harvick or Stewart then.

[Michael M.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

We did the Daytona 500/Speedweeks driver introductions and it was suggested that we not ask for autographs...most drivers (I had 5 different drivers over the week) were very nice and accommodating.

Tell Earl that Jeff Gordon is a cool guy, I had him for one of the twin 125's and we had a good chat. The crowd around my car was pretty intense as there had to be 35 photographers taking pics when he got into my car.

Fortunately, I got a ton of pics...

Mike

[D S.]

Re: NASCAR-Atlanta Motor Speedway

Someone associated with the Corvette event at AMS took some really good photos and sent them to Earl who forwarded them to me yesterday just after my last reply here. Sadly the only shot of Earl's Corvette was partially blocked. In the latest photos I saw Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, Robbie Gordon, etc. These might make good photos to have autographed by the drivers. The majority of Corvettes I saw were C-6s with a few C-2s and I saw one '74 or '75 C-3 convertible.

Anyone interested in seeing the photos email me at ss396t6@sbcglobal.net. I will forward them to you.