Category: Fan Profiles

This is the latest in a series of 12 Questions-style NASCAR fan profiles, which is part of a reward tier on my Patreon page.

Name: Lee Anne Fuller
Location: Alexandria, Va. — but formerly Martinsville.
Twitter name: GFTLFAN (GTFL stands for “Go fast, turn left”)
Age: 58

1. How long have you been a NASCAR fan?

Since 1976.

2. How many races have you attended?

Too many to count.

3. Who is your No. 1 favorite driver?

If you’re talking about all time, it’s David Pearson. But now it’s Denny Hamlin.

4. What made you a fan of those drivers?

I became a Pearson fan after the finish of the 1976 Daytona 500. As for Denny, I was a Dale Jarrett fan — and when he retired, I picked Denny because he’s from Virginia.

5. Who is your most disliked driver?

At one time it was Tony Stewart, but I got over it.

6. Why didn’t you like Stewart?

He was not a fan of my hometown track, so I wasn’t a fan of his.

7. What is your favorite track?

Martinsville Speedway.

8. What is one thing you would change if you were in charge of NASCAR?

Go back to the vendor trailers for driver merchandise. That big tent (the Fanatics tent) is a disappointment.

9. What is one thing you would keep the same if you were in charge of NASCAR?

The interaction between drivers and fans.

10. How often do you yell at the TV during a race?

So much that it’s embarrassing.

11. Do you have any advice for other fans? 

If you can’t attend the race or be somewhere to watch, then Twitter-watch it. The Twitter feeds are faster than TV sometimes anyway. It helps to follow a driver’s spouse or significant other on Twitter.

12. What else do you want the NASCAR world to know about you?

Even with all the rule changes and the playoff changes, when I hear the engines fire, smell the rubber coming off the tires, feel the thunder of those cars coming down the straightaway and see that green flag drop, I’m still a GFTL fan for life!

This is part of a series of 12 Questions-style profiles of NASCAR fans. All of the people featured here are $25 or higher patrons on my Patreon page, which comes with this profile as a reward.

Name: Steven Lindon
Location: Saint Clair Shores, Mich.
Twitter name: @sclindon
Age: 41

1. How long have you been a NASCAR fan?

Since 2005.

2. How many races have you attended?

I’ve attended 15 Cup races, six or seven Xfinity races and six or seven Truck races.

3. Who is your No. 1 favorite driver?

Jeff Gordon, although I’ve adopted Chase Elliott as my new favorite.

4. What made you a fan of his?

My brother was a big fan of Gordon’s and he took me to my first race in 2005. I like who (Gordon) is as a person and he was a great driver.

5. Who is your most disliked driver?

Kyle Busch.

6. Why don’t you like him?

He’s arrogant and cocky and a dirty driver.

7. What is your favorite track?

Good question. I’ve only actually been to two in person. Michigan is my home track, but sometimes those races get boring. I really enjoy Martinsville and hope to see a race there someday.

8. What is one thing you would change if you were in charge of NASCAR?

I’d make the races a little shorter. They should be three hours or less.

9. What is one thing you would keep the same if you were in charge of NASCAR?

The fan access. No sport gives you the fan access that NASCAR does.

10. How often do you yell at the TV during a race?

It depends where my driver is running. At least two or three times, but if the 24 is in the mix, it can go up exponentially.

11. Do you have any advice for other fans?

I would recommend going early enough to go to a tweetup. It’s very cool to meet other Twitter users who love NASCAR.

12. What else do you want the NASCAR world to know about you?

I’m married, we have a 14-year-old and I’m left-handed — just like Dale Jr.

This is part of a series of 12 Questions-style profiles of NASCAR fans. All of the people featured here are $25 or higher patrons on my Patreon page, which comes with this profile as a reward.

Name: Billy Mashburn
Location: Bakersfield, Calif.
Twitter name: @billy_mashburn
Age: 24

1. How long have you been a NASCAR fan?

My entire life — since 1993.

2. How many races have you attended?

Three. My fourth will be next week at Fontana.

3. Who is your No. 1 favorite driver?

Kevin Harvick.

4. What made you a fan of that driver?

I grew up a Jeff Gordon fan, but in 2001, I became a Harvick fan. He is from Bakersfield. He grew up near where I grew up. He went to school with my mom, and I actually know his mom. We talked about his first win at Atlanta the day after it happened.

5. Who is your most disliked driver?

Kyle Busch.

6. Why don’t you like that person?

I have never liked his attitude. I wasn’t entirely fond of the fact that the Chase format allowed someone to miss multiple races and still win the championship.

7. What is your favorite track?

Bristol.

8. What is one thing you would change if you were in charge of NASCAR?

I do not like the final race being “straight up.” I am a fan of the new format because it rewards consistency once again, but being better at Homestead is still what will technically crown the champion.

9. What is one thing you would keep the same if you were in charge of NASCAR?

Race lengths. The endurance required is one thing that makes the races so exciting. If they were much shorter, it would take away from that fact.

10. How often do you yell at the TV during a race?

Quite often!

11. Do you have any advice for other fans?

Find people who love the sport. They may not love it at first, but if you see even an inkling of hope that they may grow to love NASCAR, cultivate that hope! Expose them to NASCAR as much as possible. You know how amazing NASCAR is, so it is just a matter of time before they know that as well.

And do not be discouraged by those who say it is “boring” or they are “just driving in circles.”

12. What else do you want the NASCAR world to know about you?

NASCAR has been my main passion my entire life. I love absolutely everything about it. Even as a young kid, I would spent countless hours on Jayski.com reading articles, trying to understand a new rule or looking at paint schemes.

I love NASCAR. I will never stop watching it. I love watching it, reading about it and talking about it with others.