What NASCAR people drive

[HawkeyeScott]

I live just outside Charlotte, in NASCAR country. I live in an area that has a lot of NASCAR people in it. So it's not uncommon to see drivers and other racing people out and about. It's always interesting to me what they drive. I thought of sharing this after I was pretty sure I saw Paul Menard at an intersection yesterday driving a Vette.

The Vette seems to be the drivers' #1 choice. I'm pretty sure Stewart has one, as well as either Bowyer or Harvick (one was parked in between their haulers at CMS during a test session I was at a few years back). I'm sure there are many more.

At one time or another, I've seen Kenny Francis in a souped up Charger, Johnny Benson in a Tundra, Steve LeTarte in a Sequoia or Lexus SUV, Frankie Stoddard in a Lincoln LS, and Ryan Newman in an old 4-door, sky blue grocery getter I did not recognize. It was something from the 50s. The Pemberton in charge of competition drives a white Jaguar.

You never know where you will see these people. I saw Stoddard at Dunkin Donuts. Johnny Benson was picking up dry cleaning near my house. I saw LeTarte at a nearby coffee shop. I saw Stewart once at a sushi place. The SpeedTV Pemberton (cheap old Blazer) and I crossed paths at a gas station. I've seen other NASCAR media folks too and they don't seem to place the same emphasis on their rides as the drivers and crew chiefs do. Some of them actually drive some $#%* boxes.

Anyway, thought I'd share.

 

[Drew99GT]

Cool! I really like Johnny Benson - wish he still had a cup ride.

 

[Johnny]

Interesting. When I was at the 24 Hours of Daytona I saw the president of NASCAR driving around town in a civilian version of the London Taxi. Believe his name is Mike Helton.

 

[HawkeyeScott]

Benson was very polite. I was walking the dog and he said hi to me. I struck up a conversation with LeTarte in the coffee shop...He was fine but I was kind of bothering him. It was in the morning as he was on his to the track for the fall Charlotte race that night.

The crew guys drive some nice cars. My neighbor is a Cup gas man and drives an Escalade. Others though, like truck and Nationwide guys, vary a lot more. Some have hunks of junk. Others have nice trucks, Jeeps, etc. Like I said, it's interesting to see.

 

[postjeeprcr]

That is very interesting.

 

[mikered30]

I know Toyota gave Lexi to the Gibbs drivers, not sure about the other toyota drivers. I believe Hamlin got his stolen out of his garage.

 

[FXjohn]

you'd think there would be at least one Ariel Atom

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: mikered30
I believe Hamlin got his stolen out of his garage.


Good. Serves him right. Dude is an [censored] hat.

 

[HawkeyeScott]

I have seen Gibbs in a Lexus sedan. Very nice car. He was also at a city council hearing I went to a few years ago, It was over a large proposed development near my house. My guess is he had a financial interest in it.

I also saw Hamlin once at a bar in Charlotte before a UNC Tar Heel basketball game. (He's a big fan, though he's from VA.) After a few and on our way out of the bar, I walked by him and told him I needed him to do well in Martinsville since I'd just started him on my fantasy roster. He wasn't quite sure what to think of that. Most drivers I woudn't have bothered, but I don't think much of Hamlin. A friend saw him at another bar and said just that - that he's an [censored] hat.

 

[Drew99GT]

His little tyraid against RCR was totally out of line, as is his continuing feud with Kyle Busch. He has no class at all.

 

[bretfraz]

Great insight, Hawkeye. Having worked a little in the NASCAR world, allow me to add some of my observations to further the conversation.

Most of the top teams (probably all) get demo cars from their respective mfr. They get the use of them for free and can buy them after the contract is up. Chevy teams have access to pretty much any GM car, and most employees on the deal drive stuff like Tahoes, Silverados, etc. Guys like Tony Stewart are going to get free Corvettes to drive for the season. Same with Toyota team drivers and owners (Gibbs, Hamlin, Benson, M. Waltrip, etc) and the other mfrs.

Race team employees are eligible to buy at a discount. For GM teams they can buy on the GM Supplier Discount. The GMC Sierra I own was bought that way. I am sure the other mfrs offer the same type of discount to their race teams.

Mechanics, fabricators, and "guys at the shop" drive whatever. Unless they buy new using the team discount, there is no incentive to buy the brand the team is racing. Drive past the parking lot at most race shops and you'll see beater Chevy S10's (the unofficial truck of the NASCAR race shop worker), big trucks, sporty cars, a few motorcycles, etc. Guys who work on race cars like full size trucks. Ladies who work in the office drive just what you'd think they drive.

As for drivers themselves, most are wealthy enough to own a fleet of cars. Ryan Newman is well known for owning old cars. Stewart has everything from a Lamborghini to a tricked out Cadillac hearse. A lot of drivers own custom choppers. Many have Ferrari's or other exotics. Others have muscle cars and other classics. And every driver has a $1 million motorcoach which he lives in at the track.

 

[jaj]

I think they all drive "real nice cars" which, with the right accent, comes out as "reyall nass carrz".

They all drive "NAS CAR"s - get it? Naw, I knew it wasn't funny but I had to try anyway.

 

[cbear]

Not NASCAR, but I remember in an interview Shirley Muldowney said she drove a diesel Volvo wagon. Her reason was if she drove anything else, she'd get a ticket.

 

[mercuryblues]

Originally Posted By: cbear
Not NASCAR, but I remember in an interview Shirley Muldowney said she drove a diesel Volvo wagon. Her reason was if she drove anything else, she'd get a ticket.


That's funny! As far as I know, she's one lady you don't want to mess around with.

 

[willix]

Helicopters is where you are most likely to see any of these guys. I did see David Regan in Kannapolis but i forget what he was driving, and Ricky Craven was at the Food Lion on Dale Earnhardt Blvd one day. You just don't see any of these guys around, very shelterd lives. I did see Dale Jr. driving his red PU on Beth Page road. I watch the corporate jets drop in to Concord every sunday night from 7:00pm to 9:00 from my porch in Kannapolis. I just don't see any reason to bother any of these guys with trivial excitement. Tony Stewarts shop is about 2 mi.away as the crow flys. I might have to say something smarta-- if I ran into him.