I drove down for the day to watch the BGN and the Truck series practice and qualifying. Like last year, I bought myself a pit pass. So it was off down into the pits for me. First I walked to pit road where the truck driver’s garage was. This year it was more crowded because for the first time, the BGN guys were there on Friday to run practice and qualifying. Last year they ran that stuff on Saturday. So walking around I didn’t really see any of the drivers. I did end up meeting Scott Riggs, who at the time of writing this was the current Craftsman Truck Series points leader. At that point it didn’t seem to be looking good for me. It didn’t seem like I was going to meet any drivers. I found Kurt Busch and I ended up having him sign a picture of him and me from the race last year. Then later on I found Greg Biffle. I handed him the picture of him and me from last year and when he looked at it he was like “Why am I looking and your not” and he kind of looked and I said because the person taking it snapped it too soon. Then I found a place to sit and the BGN guys were out for practice and I sat along on a little wall and sat right there as the cars drove right past me, just within reach. It is way awesome to be that close to them cars.

After a while of practice it was time for truck qualifying so a lot of fans waited in line by the BGN garage when it opened. While waiting in line this guy came up to me and said I looked like I needed someone to talk to. I wanted to ignore him but he said he was from a Milwaukee radio station and something about playing a joke on a co-worker and he asked if I would call the station and help him. I was like “I will call the station if u get me in there to meet Hank Parker Jr.” He said sure and asked me where Hanks hauler was and we walked over to enter the garage area and the security guard actually let me through since this guy showed the security guard his media pass. I was getting shocked and nervous. We walk over and this guy asked one of Hanks crew members where Hank was and the crew member went in the hauler and the PR director came out and him and this radio guy were talking and the PR director went back inside and next thing I know he’s sticking his head out of the hauler waving for us to come inside” I about fainted. My heart was beating a million miles a minute. I was actually going inside HANK PARKER JR’S HAULER.

So we entered and there stood Hank. I was introduced to the PR director and the sponsor guy for Hanks team. This was getting way cool. There stood Hank Parker Jr., just within feet of me. I must have been dreaming. Well this radio guy was going to do an interview with Hank but his phone ended up not working. In the mean time while they were doing that I was talking to the PR director and the sponsor guy. I had a card I wanted Hank to sign and the PR director (I’m sorry I cant remember his name) saw it and he looked at it and said he never saw that one before and was wondering if that was Hanks rookie year and we were just talking. Then I asked if they had any of the handouts of Hank and the PR guy said sure and he gave me three of them and then asked if I was going to get Hank to sign them and I asked Hank and he signed all three plus the card. I didn’t mean for him to sign all of them but its cool that he did. I hope he didn’t think I was being greedy because I wasn’t. Then I asked him if it was ok to get my picture with him and he said sure. Hank was very sweet and polite but probably wondered how the heck I got in the hauler. The PR guy and the sponsor guy were both very nice too. I talked to both of them and Hank about how Hank ran in practice and they said he did pretty good and then we talked about his brother Billy too a little and about Hanks win in California. I was in the hauler about 10-15 minutes. It was a very fun experience. I made sure while I was in there I thanked Hank and the other two guys and told them I really appreciated it and told him I really hoped he would win the race. Sadly he didn’t though but he did get a top 15.

After that we walked out of the garage area and to the concession stand and this guy asked me if there was any other drivers I wanted to meet and I was like “Kevin Harvick” So it was off to Kevin’s hauler but he wasn’t around so we walked around to the pits and along the way I got my picture taken with Jeff Green and Matt Kenseth. Then we left the garage area again and when we were going to re-enter a bit later (So I could find Jimmie Johnson or Scott Wimmer) the security guards wouldn’t let me back in because BGN qualifying had started so me and this radio guy went back and sat by the concession stand area and he kind of left for a bit (I hoped he wouldn’t come back) and while I was sitting there Hank Parker Jr. was walking right past because he qualified first so he was walking down with his dad and his mom and the PR director and sponsor guy so I walked over and instead of bothering Hank while he signed some autographs (I wasn‘t going to be greedy and get more) I went over and talked to the PR guy. I asked him how Hanks lap was and he said it was pretty good and it would probably hold up to make the top 15. (He ended up being correct as Hank qualified 11th. I tried to get a father son picture but a guy walked in front of me so it didn’t turn out so well.

Well then the radio guy ended up showing up again and he started getting weird but I saw some more drivers and ended up getting my picture taken with Jeff Purvis, Kenny Wallace, and met Jason Keller and just about got Kevin Harvicks autograph but that didn’t happen. Kenny Wallace was as pleasant and friendly (even as word was getting out he lost his WC ride) as he has always seemed to be the other two times I have met him. Just like earlier in the day with Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle, I pulled out a picture that was taken in 1999 of me and Kenny at a casino in Green Bay. I felt even though I look like a major dork in the pictures, I figured it would be neat to have these pictures autographed. It would mean more to me especially since I have like 4 or 5 other things signed by Kenny and I will be meeting him again at the end of this month. Well I handed him the picture and he looked at it and I said it was taken in 1999 and he asked where then he was like “Oh wait I know. That was at the Oneida Casino,” He remembered even though it’s been a couple years. He was pretty cool. I got another picture taken with him so I will have him sign that one when I meet him at the end of the month.

Well after this I figured I have to ditch this radio guy. He was started to get weird and a little rude towards the drivers so I had to ditch him before I got myself in trouble. It was heading that way because this guy was being way weird. So when he turned his back to talk to someone I took off to the bathroom and stayed there for a little while until I saw he was gone and I never saw him again thankfully. I was thankful he got me into Hank Parker Jr.'s hauler but it was time to get rid of the guy. I ended up seeing Jason Keller walking around and went up to get his autograph and when I walked up to him he was like “Hi how ya doing” Wow. A driver who just got out of his car after making a qualifying run and he was still polite to a fan. I was shocked. He gained a little respect from me.

Well Kevin Harvick ended up winning the pole and after he made his run Nascar checked that car over pretty good. Especially since he broke the track record by like a mile. I felt Kevin seemed a little stuck up and kind of think this whole thing has gone to his head since he took over for Dale Earnhardt. I’m sure if I knew him better he’s not really that way and I’m sure he does get sick of all the autographs but still, this is the impression I got of him and until I see different, this is the opinion I will always have of him. He did sign a couple of autographs but just the attitude he seemed to have is what caught my attention more. After taking a couple of pictures of Kevin walking to the media center, I ended up leaving the track. No race this year for me though. Wasn’t able to make it. I didn’t buy any souvenirs from the track but I did get one souvenir I wish I hadn’t, that would be a really bad sunburn. I have a second-degree sunburn, which is bubbling up pretty bad and looks terrible. If u look at me in the pictures you can see the sunburn I got and it doesn’t look pretty. A lot of people made comments about it. It hurts quite a bit though. It’s all worth it though since I got inside Hank Parker Jr’s hauler. *sighs* Believe me though, that air-conditioned hauler was nice. It was very hot in Milwaukee.

Also when in the garage area, watch where you’re going. I understand why the crews hate fans in the garage. While sitting and watching the cars come through the garage area, there were a lot of fans that nearly got run over. Once a team was pushing another car down pit road and some fans a little ways over and Chad Little came flying in and almost hit the car plus a bunch of people. He actually looked like he was driving rather recklessly though anyways but still. I actually got in the way too. This was for a crewmember though. I wasn’t paying much attention and was walking through the fenced in area to enter into pit road and a crewman came up behind me with a cart of ice and he was like “excuse me” and I turned around and I was kind of embarrassed so I apologized for it but I guess I was having a bad day because later I was walking around when I heard the words again, “Excuse me Miss” so I turned around and there was a team pushing there car up right behind me so I almost got run over. I was like “Oh, excuse me, I’m so sorry. He was like “Its ok and they kept pushing.

So this was my Milwaukee Mile 2001 edition. Hopefully if there is a 2002 edition, I will remember to wear sunscreen. “If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.“