U Want Some Racing

Our friend Shirley spent a day at Daytona watching the Rolex Sports cars test and walked away with some great memories…..

Roar Before The 24 – Grand Am Testing At DAYTONA

By Shirley Buttacavoli

Rewind to 2009:

As a season ticket holder for the Daytona 500, I received a ‘complimentary ticket’ to the Grand Am/Rolex “Roar Before The 24” test at Daytona International Speedway this past Friday, January 8, 2010.

Last year was the first time I attended the Grand Am test in the Fan Zone, so wasn’t really sure where I could go, and what to expect. The Turn 4 Tunnel opened at 9am for fans to drive and park in the infield.

When I walked into the garage area, the first two people I saw were Richard Childress and Chip Ganassi talking by the Ganassi hauler. I was dumbfounded. I could not believe I was that close to such royalty. I guess other ‘fans’ did not feel the same way. They went running toward them – literally – with whatever they could find to get an autograph. I stood and watched, took a couple pictures, and appreciated the opportunity presented before me.

After exploring the Fan Zone and garage area, I headed back toward turn 3 to Monte (my ’87 Monte Carlo SS). On my way there I noticed cars parked by the fence, between the infield grandstands at the first U-turn of the road course (I believe it’s called infield turn 1). I asked the security guard if I could move to a vacant spot. Not only did he say, yes, he saved it for me. I spent the next 2 hours watching Grand Am and KONI divisions drive past me less than 30 feet away.

It was a beautiful Florida-like winter day, and I left DIS a very happy and satisfied motorsports fan.

Fast Forward to 2010:

When I drove through the Turn 4 Tunnel this year, I headed directly for the infield grandstands and found the same parking spot I had last year. However, the weather was not as pleasant. Most of the state was dealing with freezing temperatures, and the rest would within hours.

As I made my way toward the Fan Zone, I noticed there were very few spectators compared to last year. I’m assuming it was due to the weather, because even without a complimentary ticket, the cost was only $10/person. Not a bad deal to watch 8 hours of Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring cars, along with the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) series run on a 3.56 mile, 12 turn track, even if they were only testing.

It worked out perfectly for me, because it provided opportunities I never would have expected to happen.

Once again, the first person I saw was Chip Ganassi, however, this time he was with Juan Pablo Montoya. After they were done talking, I said a quick hello to Juan Pablo. He smiled and made his way to his garage area.

As I turned and started walking the garage area, I almost walked into AJ Allmendinger. I don’t think either of us said anything, but he reached his hand out to sign an autograph. I told him, I didn’t have anything to sign, but thanked him for DingerWorld on twitter. (Found out when I got home, he probably doesn’t know anything about the fan that authors the DingerWorld account. Since then, Tracy H and I have become twitter-buddies – if that’s a term.) I wished him luck in both series and we both went out separate ways.

After a lap or two around the garage area, I saw AJ walking toward me again. We made eye contact and I said: “One more thing. (he nodded) Please tell Lynne (his wife) thank you for the Sex In A Pan recipe.” (which I can provide for you if you’d like) He laughed and asked me if it was “as good as mine” (hmmm?). We talked about the weather, his interviews on Sirius NASCAR channel 128, and I wished him luck in both series. (I know, how lame!)

Within minutes, the weather had changed to a freezing mist and had caused teams to bring their cars into the garage area.

I found this quote from AJ the next day, Saturday, January 9, 2010:

“It was really cold out there. These are conditions you normally don’t race in. I’ve been at Daytona before when it was cold, but this was like ice out there. When the tires were cold it was nuts trying to hang on.”– A.J. ALLMENDINGER, NASCAR.com

It was after 12:00 noon and I thought my day was over. However….

On my way out, I walked by the media center and saw several cameras. It turned out SPEED Channel and Fox51 were interviewing Patrick Dempsey. As you will read below, I’m not a Grey’s Anatomy fan, but follow Patrick (I can call him that now) and his efforts to field his own race team (Hyper Sport/Dempsey Racing), while fulfilling his Hollywood acting responsibilities. I also appreciate the contributions he and his wife, Jillian, provide to cancer patients and their families at the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing.

I watched and took a few pictures. (Notice a recurring theme?) If the opportunity presented itself, I was going thank Patrick for his charity efforts and tell him I wished talk show hosts (i.e., Ellen DeGeneres, Ophra) would acknowledge his racing career when they interviewed him.

My chance looked bleak until the gentlemen from WOGX Fox51 Ocala/Gainesville noticed me standing by quietly. I told them the reason I was waiting, and before I knew it, they brought Patrick back to meet me AND do a live interview. I thanked him, mentioned the talk show hosts, and he reminded me that “Letterman does” and both agreed, it is due to the fact he’s been a team owner.

I also did a one-on-one interview with the reporter, who could not believe I only knew Patrick Dempsey as a racecar driver.

I’ve never met anyone from “Hollywood” before, and was surprised that I was shaking. Patrick shook my hand when he introduced himself, was polite, seemed to care about what I had to say, treated me with respect and did not rush our ‘conversation.’ He seemed genuinely surprised that I did not watch Grey’s Anatomy and told me he was going to send me the boxed 5 year history of Grey’s. (I don’t think it will happen, because no one asked me for my address – but it was the thought that counts!)

I don’t know if the video interview(s) made the Fox51 airwaves, but I did find the printed interview on the WOGX website (www.WOGX.com):

Look out ladies! “Dr. McDreamy” is at Daytona! “Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey is at the track right now for “The Roar Before the 24.” It’s three days of testing ahead of the “Rolex 24″ endurance race later this month. Dempsey is co-owner and one of the drivers for the team that bears his name.
Dempsey is on break from the medical drama TV series to take part in the Roar Before The Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
To many, Dempsey is an icon of goofy 80s movies. To millions of women, he’s Dr. Shepherd, but to Brooksville resident Shirley Buttacavoli, he’s an up-and-coming driver in Grand Am racing. She was thrilled when we introduced her to the star during testing at Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24.
She told Dempsey, “It kills me when you’re on Ellen or whatever and they don’t bring up your racing career!” By the way, Shirley had no idea what we were talking about when we asked her, “Who is ‘Doctor McDreamy?’” (Dempsey’s character on “Grey’s Anatomy”) “Is that his nickname? Okay, I didn’t even know that so, no I am definitely a race fan!” she told us.

For the complete article:

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/sports/nascar/010810-patrick-dempsey-racing-at-daytona

Okay, now I truly thought my day was complete, but decided take one more lap around the garage area. While passing the media center, I saw another interview, this time with Colin Braun. Again, I stood and waited.

No one was there to guide him toward me, but it was only a woman with a microphone, a guy with a camera, Colin and myself. I wanted to introduce myself, because he’s been kind enough to respond to me on twitter. I know, I’m not the only one he responds to. However, I helped promote the ‘bee suit contest’ he and Matt Kenseth’s spotter, Mike Calinoff, were doing before the Performance Racing Industry event in Orlando this past December. Whoever got the most followers on twitter in a 10 day period – won. The loser had to wear a bee suit the entire weekend of PRI. Mike lost.

Again, he had the automatic reach as if to sign something. I told him I had nothing to sign, mentioned the bee suit, thanked him for responding, and wished him success in 2010. He smiled, thanked me, and went on his way.

NOW, my day was beyond complete. And it’s a day I won’t soon forget.

I know it probably sounds trivial to most, but to this race fan, it was the day of a life time. And it only cost the fuel to get there and back. Thank you International Speedway Corporation! (Never thought I’d write that!)

I hope each of you have as much fun as I did the next time you are at a race track. Or, if you already have a story to tell, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity. Let’s go racin’ boys!