This week’s fan comes from the Spartan State of Michigan. It was tough for him to hold up his hand and show us exactly WHERE he’s from in Michigan, but we liked his answers.
Because he’s a part-time college student, we gave him an A for his submission. As far as the penguin in his picture, we don’t know if that’s one left over from the winter up there, or something he made in art class.
Name: Daniel Glinski
From: Adrian, Michigan
Age: 21
Occupation: Full-time college student and part-time retail associate.
How long have you been following racing: I first started following the sport in 1997.
How did you get started: My father watched occasional races and my uncle introduced me to following the races each weekend with loyalty to a particular driver. It originally started out with Dale Earnhardt and I now follow his son, Dale Jr. I was also influenced by driving past Michigan International Speedway and longing to watch a race there. I finally accomplished that in 2002
Who was your first favorite driver, and why: My first favorite was Sterling Marlin in the Kodak car. Since I was about eight-years old at the time, I thought the yellow Kodak car looked neat.
Who is your favorite now, and why: Dale Jr.- after following Sr. until 2001 - I like his style of driving. He never intentionally wrecks another competitor and his lifestyle outside the track is one of greatness. He seems very humble; always thanking his fans and his team/crew for his success, doesn’t seem to make the news by getting in a fight with this or that driver this weekend, or getting pulled over for a DUI or something like that. That, and he has great skill with his profession both with driving and owning his personal race team.
What is your favorite driver’s best racing moment: I can’t say that I would pinpoint it down to just one race; the 2000 race in which Dale, Kerry and Dale Jr. raced at MIS is special because it only happened that one time at the track that is the most influential to me, personally. Any time that Jr. wins is a best moment to me. The 2004 Daytona 500, four in a row at ‘Dega, first rookie to win the All-Star race, those are the few that stick out in my mind.
How many races do you attend a year: I get to two races a year.
Best race you ever saw on TV or in person: The 2004 Daytona 500. It didn’t seem as though Jr. was going to win there towards the end following Stewart, but he got around him and held off the 20 for the win. The celebration with the crew in the infield grass will be remembered for years to come, especially remembering how hard it was for Dale Sr. to win finally in 1998.
What is your favorite track for racing: Talladega Superspeedway
If your favorite driver came to your town, where would take him and what would you do: I might show Jr. around town just to see what there is around here. This is a small town, so he might not see anything to particularly spectacular. I would probably just let him chill considering how much publicity and how busy a person he is and let him stay away from the constant spotlight for a while.
If you worked at DEI, what would you like to do: I would probably most appreciate the hard work that comes from a successful racing organization. It would be neat to work along side Tony Jr. and learn from him during a day’s time to see how he and his team build a car. I’d like to see what exactly goes into making 3,000 pounds of metal and rubber go fast and win races. What comes to mind is a day full of learning not so much doing.
If you ran NASCAR for a day, what rule would you change, add or delete: I would make the racing more affordable for the smaller teams like Shelmerdine’s that have little to run on and rarely make the race because of money issues. I would try to limit the amount of teams that one particular owner can have and try to make it more fair for the “little guy.” I have read about the hard work that goes into making a race, let alone a big race like the Daytona 500, for a small team and I would try to give them a fair advantage, one that currently I do not see happening.
