These days, there’s often a disconnect between drivers and NASCAR fans. Drivers have become multimillionaires backed by mega-sized corporations, while many NASCAR fans remain working class folks.
Denny Hamlin Remembers What It’s Like To Be A Fan
So it’s refreshing to hear a driver say he remembers what it was like to be a fan – and mean it.
Denny Hamlin grew up near Richmond International Raceway and got his first taste of NASCAR at RIR. His family has had season tickets on the frontstretch for “probably 20 years or so,” Hamlin said recently.
His memories of being a fan at Richmond:
I just always remember getting there about three to four hours before the race started and going to all the souvenir haulers. I would always go to Bill Elliott’s hauler and make sure I got a shirt or hat of his. Each race, my mom would let me get that.
That’s just what I remember about it, is watching (Elliott), lap after lap. I never watched the lead if he wasn’t in it. If he was running 30th, I’d watch him. My mom said I would just be fixated on wherever Bill Elliott’s car was.
That was a great experience for me, and I just couldn’t believe the atmosphere. Even a couple years ago, I went up and watched a Nationwide race at Richmond that I wasn’t in. And it was still as exciting as it was when I was a kid.
You know, I think this is one of the best sports as far as having an event, not just the race.
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