So here’s how this interview came about: My brother-in-law’s brother works with a childhood friend of Chip Ganassi’s. My BIL’s brother told his coworker about me and my blog, and it just so happened that the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway was coming up, and he, Chip’s friend, was going to be at the race and could introduce me to the team owner.
I am super grateful to both men for making this happen. I was excited that I could meet Chip, especially this year when so many wonderful things have happened for Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, winning the Daytona 500 with Jamie McMurray, the Indianapolis 500 with Dario Franchitti and the Brickyard 400 with Jamie McMurray.
Incidentally, yesterday was my birthday but it was also declared “Chip Ganassi Day” in Pittsburgh, PA.
I was very nervous meeting Chip, but he was nice and had a good sense of humor about the ITAS questions as you’ll see below. (more…)
Meeting and interviewing Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Stanley Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports, was fun. Plain and simple fun. He’s a funny guy, very personable and clearly in love with his 5-month-old son, Wyatt. In addition to asking him those same 10 questions from ITAS, I asked him about being a new father and how, if at all, it’s changed his approach to racing.
“No,” said Elliott. “My feeling about racing has not changed at all other than I’m more determined now than ever because I don’t want my son to think I’m a failure. That’s the biggest thing. I take more things to heart. When we run bad I take it a lot worse now than when I did before he was born just because I don’t want him to think that his dad couldn’t do this or shouldn’t do this.”
When he said that I had, like, 50 internal responses going on at the same time. First, I wanted to tell him that his son is going to love him no matter what place he finishes in a race. Then at the same time I was, like, “For the love of god please let him win a race!!” It broke my heart a little bit, if I’m being honest. I wasn’t expecting him to be that candid. I know Elliott can win and maybe getting back with his former crew chief Todd Parrott will help that happen sooner than later. (more…)
At Infineon I interviewed fellow Bay Area native AJ Allmendinger, asking him ten questions from Inside the Actor’s Studio and he had some good answers.
AJ drives the No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports and he was a very nice & very funny guy. There is a photo of me with AJ but I have made an executive decision to not post it for the very simple reason that I look like crap in it. My eyes were closed too. So I’m sure you all understand why I can’t post it. But wait till I post my interview with Elliott Sadler, that photo came out great. I look respectable in that one. 
Without further adieu, here are AJ’s answers: (more…)
Regan Smith drives the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and I got to meet him during the race weekend at Infineon Raceway. Unfortunately, his first road course in three years didn’t end very well, he got caught up in that gnarly crash on the frontstretch and walked away with a fractured wrist. He’s currently 30th in the points standings but hopes to end the year at least in 25th. It may not sound like a big deal but for a team that’s growing and learning to work together ending the year with a slew of top-20, and hopefully top-15, finishes would be great accomplishments.
“Where we started at to where we are now we’ve made some huge gains and we knew that’s what we needed to do coming into this year,” said Smith. “We’ve had a lot of changes, a lot of new people and a lot of stuff that was different for us than last year. So I feel good about where we are right now. I feel like the coming weeks are really going to be good for us, step us up another notch in the garage from where we are right now.” (more…)
On Friday at Infineon my first questioning of the day was with David Reutimann, driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine for Michael Waltrip Racing. David is dad to his 8-year-old daughter, Emilia, and since it was Father’s Day weekend I thought it only fitting I should ask him a bonus question about what he thought was the best part of being a dad. “I don’t think there’s any downside to being a father,” he said. “I think having an opportunity, especially early on when they start talking, to show them everything that’s completely new to them, like a bird, is the most rewarding thing. And I miss it, too.”
That was such an “Awww” moment. It’s always fun to hear people talk about their children and what it means to have them in their lives. So without further adieu, here are David’s answers to the ten questions. He was a great sport, and I loved his emphatic response at the end (the first!) that Heaven does indeed exist.
—
What is your favorite word? No
(more…)
I didn’t interview Martin Truex Jr. in person this past weekend at Infineon Raceway, but he was able to answer the questions and email ‘em to me. He’s got some very fun and interesting answers.
—–
What is your favorite word? Sweet
What is your least favorite word? Uber
What turns you on? Fishing
What turns you off? An obnoxious person
What sound or noise do you love? A V-8 engine
What sound or noise do you hate? A 4-cylinder with no muffler
What is your favorite curse word? Shit
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
What profession would you not like to do? A clammer
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Your granddad is waiting to meet you.
*
