I’m a NASCAR fan. Anyone who spends more than an hour around me will hear a reference to a race, a driver or a track. Most of the time my comment is met with a blank stare from a well-intentioned friend or colleague who’s kind enough to pretend to care. And I really value these people, even though I see right through it like a poker player who can’t stop staring at his cards. And more than that, I appreciate their effort, because I know it’s not easy to be around me when NASCAR is on my brain.

I love it so much that it fills the majority of my DVR. It’s the reason I wear Crown Royal logos with an otherwise designer outfit. It’s what I put on TV when I can’t sleep at night. And it’s the reason why I try my best to follow 240+ people on Twitter.

But as I mentioned before, my love of NASCAR goes way back, and like a fine scotch, it’s only gotten stronger (and more sophisticated) with age. This is why I get offended, no horrified, when someone says either A) I’ll never make it in the industry because I’m too much of a fan, or worse yet, B) I’m a NASCAR groupie.

Let me address the last one first. I am not a groupie. If you check Wikipedia, you will see the definition of a groupie is about as far away as one could get from the female empowerment I preach, and it’s so gross to me to even think about. So, this leads me to question why someone would flippantly even call me that. And the answer comes easily. I’ve been fortunate enough to have some amazing access at races (thank you, friends — you know who you are), and I like to take pictures with the NASCAR elite.

Those things don’t make me a groupie, but they do make me a fan. And if I was a man, well, let’s be honest. Nobody would think twice about my very classy (yet fan-driven) actions. They would just say, well, she’s a fan.

And as for the comment that I need to par down being a fan to make it in the sport I have one thing to say. Well, two. Hell. No. Just because a Sports Illustrated reporter was fired for clapping after Trevor Bayne was the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500, it doesn’t mean I, someone who wants to work in public relations for the sport and convince others why it’s so darn special, would need to hide the fact that I’m a fan. After all, from what I hear it’s a sport that burns people out quickly, so if it’s one I want to get into, I better not just love it, but live for it.

So, when I put a photo of Chad Knaus (crew chief to No. 48 Jimmie Johnson) up on Facebook I’m sure people thought, “She’s such a fan.” But I have to say, that photo was about so much more than being a fan. It was tangible proof that I’m that much closer to my dream. It’s not lost on me that just a year and a half ago I was tweeting someone I didn’t know who worked at ISC hoping beyond hope that he would take five minutes with me on the phone. (He was kind enough to give me 30!) And now, I have a photo standing next to the only NASCAR crew chief with five consecutive championship wins. I consider the guy I met on Twitter to be one of my mentors, and I trust his advice like no other. I’ve also met the CEO of NASCAR, my favorite driver, and oh ya, I had the rare opportunity to eat dinner with a NASCAR spotter who’s been to victory lane more than any other, and then he was kind enough to let me feature him on my website. If those aren’t seeds that have been planted and have started to peek out of the ground, then I don’t know what is.

I write this to let you know that you, too, can bring your dreams to life if you dream hard enough and start reaching out to people to learn. People want to help other people. It’s inherent to our nature. And if you work at it, I have no doubt that you, too, will meet the Chad Knaus of your industry.

Just be sure that when you do, you know what you’re going to say. Because chances are if you’re like me, you’ll be bold enough to go up to him but shy enough to ask what’s really on your mind. (And that, my friends, is why asking for a picture comes in handy.)

And next time I see Chad Knaus? Well, I’m going to ask him about where he sees the sport in five years, where he sees himself, and how he stays so focused. (Gee, I’m sounding a little like Oprah.) Because more than a photo, I’ve wanted to pick his brain for years. OK, I’ll admit, I wanted the photo, too.

“I always turn to the sports section first.
The sports page records people’s
accomplishments; the front page
has nothing but man’s failures.”
-Earl Warren

Photo By • Christa Thomas