THE YEAR WAS, I BELIEVE, 2000, and I was at Charlotte Motor Speedway and doing a feature for Racing For Teens (which has now been defunct for many years).
This would-be bridegroom was waiting for his preacher to show up (he was stuck in race traffic; imagine that), and the prospective bride was hiding before the ceremony.
While we were chatting, I asked his favorite driver and how he became a fan. His answer: "The 8."
I thought, Who the hell is the 8? I didn't remember an 8 car in Winston Cup.
Turns out that rookie Dale Earnhardt Jr. was driving the 8. After that, I knew exactly who was driving the 8 car.
This fan never did say why he was a fan of Junior.
I did go around and ask a couple dozen other fans about their favorite driver and how they chose him (there were no female drivers named). Overall, it was a great day.
Oh, I never found another 8 fan that day.
Oh, I never found another 8 fan that day.
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