That flash in the pan didn't last long

PlayDate said:
Further....look what has happened to NASCAR. They too had the same visions of grandeur and have been going backwards for 5 years because they oversold the product. The same things could be said for the NBA and the NFL.
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My daughters summer job is a hostess at a popular steakhouse in Indy. Mario Andretti came in and she walked him to his table. One question they ask any customer is "Have you been here before" he abruptly stopped her and said "Do you not know who I am?"...she just stared at him and he said "I am Mario Andretti" and dismissed her. She was so upset she called me and asked who is Mario Andretti?
Part of the problem with Nascar and IndyCar.... the next generation doesn't care
 
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It's not just this new generation that doesn't care. I'm not from this generation and I don't care.

In my life I've personally met two movie stars. Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. I spent 2-3 hours with Steve when I was in AK and ran the gun counter in a sporting goods store. He came in with his guide and spent time buying a few rifles, some winter clothing and other odds and ends.

With Eastwood I was skiing in Sun Valley, got altitude sickness and had to take a lengthy lunch to let my body settle down. I sat next to Clint's table and we talked for about an hour.

Neither time did they play the "Do you know..." card and neither time did we talk movies. They were both just being real people and that's what made both instances memorable.
 
I have met quite a few 'celebs' mainly due to my son racing. The 'coolest' stories about them were one was Mark Dismore (former IndyCar driver). We got to be pretty good friends with him and his son Mark Jr and pitted with them at nationals. If you had never heard of him you would have never known he was a famous racer. He never brought it up. He was the one that got Tony Stewart his IndyCar break. Haven't talked to Mark Sr since about 2012 but every once in awhile I talk to Mark Jr

Another was Jamie McMurray. I had met and talked to him but this story was about somebody else. Right before Jamie won the Daytona 500 he was practicing for a kart race and was at a track owned by Dismore in New Castle, Indiana. Most racers that we raced with knew nothing about NASCAR and followed IndyCar (asphalt road course racing). I was a member of a karting forum and one of the members there told this story about a guy showing up one weekend to test. The member helped him out and talked to him all weekend. The following February he sees this same guy on ESPN winning the Daytona 500. He never knew who he was. Jamie never brought it up. I only ever met Jamie that one weekend and that was the weekend after he won the Pepsi 400 in Daytona (2007 I think)

Another was Ryan Tucker. He used to play for the Rams an Browns. His sons raced with my son (younger age group though). I saw him every weekend for a whole season but didn't know who he was. I talked to him a few times. During the off-season somebody told me that he had played in the NFL. I looked him up and he was a pretty good player. The first race the following season he walked by our pit and said hi and asked how we were doing. I told him I never knew you played football and that I'm a Steeler fan so not familiar with guys on the Browns. He said that's alright. I'm a Cowboys fan, I grew up in Texas. For the next 2 years we never mentioned football again. We helped him set up his huge tent and talked about racing but never about football. When I met him he had just retired. Last time I talked to him was about 2012 or 2013.

Funny thing was at the track nobody followed these guys around trying to get autographs or anything. They were treated just like everyone else and never a big crowd around them. They probably liked that.

There were about 10 other racers we had met but didn't spend much time with them. Josef Newgarden, Sage Karam (I have talked to Sage's dad several times), Spencer Pigot, Matt Tifft, Austin Self, Conor Daly, and Santino Ferruci. Never spent enough time with any of them so can't speak to their personality but have heard Santino Furruci is a real jerk but no personal experience there. Sage's dad was real nice (Jody Karam). Sage was about 10 at the time we knew him and his dad.

Dale Jr was at my uncles house years ago. TJ Majors grew up in my town and my uncle was god friends with TJ's dad. Heard of a few people in town that met Jr when he was here and they all said he was down to earth and cool to talk to. No attitude there. TJ was Jr's spotter and is now Loganos spotter. I have never met either unless I met TJ when we were little but I don't remember and even then we would have been little kids.

Surprised Mario was like that. Had heard he was cool.
 
boatman37 said:
Surprised Mario was like that. Had heard he was cool.
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Michael Andretti lives around the corner from me. I run into him all the time, been to his shop a number of times, he is a very humble, down to earth guy and so is his son Marco. Marco is probably the most unassuming person out there. We also have Scott Dixon as a neighbor, He took a liking to my son and always stops when he sees him to see what modification he has done to his truck, another very down to earth person.
I have never met Mario, I too was very surprised he treated my daughter that way... It was pretty bad. I have told the whole story many times and I always get your reaction. Another reason not to act like an ass when your out in public.

My point though is we live in a racing town. I have had 20 tickets for the Indy500 for years and host a party at the house and run vans back and forth to the track all memorial weekend... and here is my youngest 19yr old daughter doesn't know who Mario is. After this happened I talked to her friends and I got the same reaction, they know what the Indy500 is but know nothing about it...Times are changing and I think this younger generation is just not interested.
 
Gofirstclass said:
In my life I've personally met two movie stars. Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood.
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If your going to meet two celebrities... That's the jack pot right there.
The only time I have met a celebrity was in the bathroom at the Indy 500.. Standing at the urinal I looked over and beside me was Grizzly Adams (Dan Haggerty) We talked for a second, he was pretty nice and funny as hell... You could just tell a good guy
 
Jaybeaux said:
Man Rule #1.....NO TALKING AT URINALS!!!!
Man Rule #2.....See Man Rule #1
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LOL ... But it was Grizzly Adams!!... At the track you pee in troughs... Here was this monster guy and a tiny space between him and the next guy.. I pushed in and at 6' looked up... He looked down at me And I said to myself wholly crap.. grizzly Adams. I probably said it out loud... At that point you have to start a conversation....and he was pretty cool about it
 
The Admiral and I have been laughing for 10 minutes! She said even girls know those rules! The jokes just write themselves.....

So you're saying it was exciting talking to Grizzley Adams with your Johnson in your hand? ;)

I bet Dan went back to his group and told them about the cool guy he just met at the trough!:cool:

We're not going to discuss toe-tapping!:eek:
 
Ok. That’s a wrap for this thread!
 
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