Richmond International Raceway, GA
I work with a guy who is a huge NASCAR fan and NASCAR memorabilia collector. He was juiced that our company sponsored some Meet and Greet with some drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He was sure he would score some autographs.
The drivers appeared on a stage and were asked questions from the audience. A local rock station DJ was the MC. I have no idea who the guy was or what station he was with. Richmond has such bad radio that I do not even listen. The guy kept going on about NOT asking for autographs. NO autographs. DO NOT ask the drivers for autographs. I had no interest, but give it a break small market/low ratings guy. He goated me into a challenge.
My co-worker was pissed. I went back to a cooler that I had filled with Budweiser cans which happened to have Dale Jr's car featured on the can. I grabbed one, found a Sharpie pen lying on our table and muscled my way back to the front. Bad DJ guy once again grabs the mike while Junior just stood there and repeated "DO NOT ask the drivers for autographs". Junior was right in front of me so I handed him my can and Shapie and he graciously signed it. My co-worker flung his picture to him as the DJ went ballistic. He signed the photo for him then was ushered off stage.
He was so proud of his picture. In the pandemonium he tucked the photo and we went back to our table. Like a little kid at Christmas he pulled the photo out to gaze. Junior signed it upside down. He was PISSED. I pulled my can out of my pocket, looked at the signature. It was perfect. That made him more pissed. I kept the can and still have it today. The other 11 in the 12 pack are no longer with us.
The race we went to was a Busch Series race. This was back in the day before NASCAR went fem and dropped alcohol and tobacco sponsorship.
Jimmy Spenser won the race. Matt Kenseth was on the pole.
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