Sprint Cup drivers should follow Jeff Burton’s advice

By Mike Smith (contact)

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 | 8:49 p.m.

Last week Jeff Burton, who is often referred to as the mayor of the garage area, stated that Sprint Cup drivers need to do more to reach out to the fans. Burton believes this would help the sport make it through the current rough economic climate.

“I think we’ve been spoiled,” Burton was quoted as saying in scenedaily.com. “I think this is a wakeup call for all of us. We as drivers, we have to find a way to do a better job of interacting with the fans, of including the fans in things.”

He hit the nail on the head. People want to feel included. Whether it’s government or sports, people become disenfranchised when they feel left out and when they think institutions aren’t attentive to their concerns.

So how do you fix this? Well, if I had the answer to that I could go work for NASCAR. But a few small things do come to my mind.

First, take off those ugly sunglasses. Drivers need to let the fans see the whites of their eyes when they are interviewed. I don’t care how much money these guys are being paid to wear those things. Sunglasses send a message that you are unapproachable. And don’t tell me they need the sunglasses to shield their eyes from the sun. These guys drive a race car at 200 miles per hour just inches from the wall and they’re worried about a little glare after they exit the car? That’s one thing that I appreciate about Carl Edwards. He usually takes off his sunglasses when he’s interviewed.

Second, drivers shouldn’t walk with their heads down, surrounded by an entourage so they only have to sign as few autographs as possible on their way to hiding in the trailer. Here’s an idea. Every so often, stop and actually talk to a few fans. Ask them where they are from. Make a little small talk for three minutes.

I know drivers fret about fans demanding too much attention in the garage areas. But, hey, that’s the price of fame. Besides, there’s a way to handle that. Just be honest when talking to fans. Talk for a minute or two and then tell them, “I’ve got to get back to work if I want to win this race.” Most fans will understand.

I once attended a practice session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and there were a number of fans in the garage area who had obviously taken the day off from work to get a glimpse of their favorite drivers. Most of the drivers scampered from their cars to their trailers so quickly they looked like gerbils frantically running in a little wheel. But not Rusty Wallace. As he walked from his trailer to his car, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a few fans who seemed a little shy about approaching him. Instead of putting on his game face and marching to the garage, Rusty turned and walked over to the fans and offered to talk, briefly, and sign autographs. I guarantee you that those fans are still talking to this day about the time they met Rusty Wallace.

…

A few blogs ago, I posted directions on how to draw NASCAR’s Mike Helton. One reader, who goes by the screen name rocket_car, took my advice and drew his own version of Mr. Helton.

This week's StockcarToon

Purchase your copy of "Nuts for Racing"