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.