Celebrity Autographs And Celebrity Addresses

Fans thrill at meeting drivers

By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer

Last update: January 13, 2005


DAYTONA BEACH -- An excited New Jersey boy collected several autographs from racecar drivers late Wednesday afternoon during Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona International Speedway.

As dusk started to fall on the infield, a long line of hungry fans waited for more hot dogs to be cooked after the vendor temporarily ran out.

And during what may prove to be the latest, greatest thrill for race fans, retirees stood for hours braving a loud rock 'n' roll band while they awaited what they really came for -- an array of their favorite drivers on stage.

"When we came in I thought we would end up standing," said Arlene Wahlheim, 64, an Illinois snowbird who has been coming to Daytona Beach and the Speedway with her husband Michael since 1966.

Hundreds of people were seated, but there weren't enough outdoor picnic tables for the several thousand who showed up for an event that will be repeated for Craftsman truck, Nextel Cup and Busch fans during the coming weeks.

Judy Patterson of Edgewater brought her own chair. She did stand in line to get two hot dogs. Then she stood in another line to get nachos.

"I like the whole hustle and bustle of being among the drivers," she said of Fan Fest. "You feel like you are a part of it. They did a good job with it."

Scott Voges of Ormond Beach said he thought the Fan Zone was a fabulous idea and the area accommodated Fan Fest much better than the hospitality tent did last year.

"It gives you a much closer view of what's going on," he said.

Red-shirted representatives of The Checkered Flag Committee, a group of locals who serve as fan ambassadors during race festivities, handed out goodie bags to the people pouring into the new infield Fan Zone area.

"We have enough goodie bags for more than 2,000," said one member of the committee. The containers were running low and the line of people trailed along the fence as dark set in, but the fans in line seemed happy to wait as long as the goodies were still coming.

No one seemed happier than Anthony Faccone, 13, of New Jersey. He had come with his parents, Sam and Eugenia, a few hours earlier, before the driver forum. He had just enough time to get several driver autographs at the garages, like the one from Kurt Busch, NASCAR driver of car 97.

"If we had known that we could actually see the drivers, we would have come sooner and spent more of the day," Eugenia Faccone said. "We were pretty excited."