NASCAR Faux Pas

I’ve never been a big fan of auto racing.

Nothing riveting for me about a bunch of guys taking a left, then another left, then another left…for hours on end.

The only exciting part is when there’s an accident, and I feel guilty watching guys only to see them crash.

Years ago, my son Josh and I did the TV commercials for Dover International Speedway. They were a great client, and we did a bunch of ancillary work for them including producing a TV show featuring the chef at the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, and even a billiards competition between NASCAR drivers.

We got to attend the races, and I shot a couple of times in the hot pits. I don’t recommend it. Looking through a viewfinder as guys wheel in and out with zero regard for someone in their way is not my idea of fun. It was one of the most stressful things I ever shot. A couple of times the ads we produced ran on Fox during the Daytona 500. That was fun.

One time I got a call from Gary, the marketing director at Dover, asking if I could grab a talking head for them. A talking head, in videospeak, is one person on camera wearing a mic and talking.

I was to meet a NASCAR driver at 9 am at the Lowes store near the racetrack. He was sponsored by Lowes, and they needed him on camera with the Lowes store and sign over his shoulder as he spoke. Gary told me his name was Kyle Busch, and that he would know his lines. But - he would only have about 5 minutes so it was imperative that I was set up and ready to go when he got there.

Got it. Record a NASCAR driver named Kyle and be ready to go by 9 when he arrives.

I scouted the right spot in the Lowes parking lot, set up my tripod, camera, a light, and tested the audio. I was ready to go when they wheeled in right on time.

Two guys got out of the car and, knowing they were tight on time, I walked over to greet them. I nodded at the teenager as I shook the hand of the NASCAR driver. I assumed the teen was his son.

I introduced myself and as I started to put the mic on him he started laughing. He said, “No, that’s Kyle over there.”

I felt like an idiot.

I looked back and this kid was about the age of my youngest son, who at the time was 15. And he’s a NASCAR driver?! That’s not even old enough to have a driver’s license in Delaware and he’s driving 160 mph, three wide, on the Monster Mile?

Sure enough.

It was his rookie year, I think.

He nailed the lines for the Lowes commercial and headed off to the track with the older guy driving…probably because he really didn’t have his drivers license.

It’s a funny story because now everybody knows Kyle Busch.

He currently holds 232 career victories across NASCAR’s three national series—which is the all-time leading total.

• 🏁 NASCAR Cup Series: 63 wins

• 🏁 NASCAR Xfinity Series: 102 wins (all-time record in that series)

• 🏁 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: 67 wins (another series record)

That adds up to 232 total NASCAR national series wins—the highest combined total in NASCAR history.

He’ll be back at Dover for the Cup Series on July 20th.

He’s 40 now and probably looks old enough to drive.