ExxonMobil Convention
Sept 10-12, 2002
Las Vegas, NV
On a poster in the hallway and inside the convention center near the Mobil 1 Race Team trailer:
Sept 11th – “Meet NASCAR Drivers Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman” 10am-12:30pm
Ed and I arrived at the convention around 11:30 and made a beeline to the trailer since we knew where it was since yesterday. There wasn’t a big crowd or any security dudes surrounding every square inch or anything. We see Rusty by the Mobil Racing car wearing a tan shirt and khaki’s and looks like every other Joe Schmoe there. We stood back watching in amazement that we are standing no more than 15 feet away from RUSTY. We were going to see about getting autographs, but noticed that the Mobil girl who coordinated this little shindig shooed the last gentleman in line (geez, poor guy). “Rusty is very busy. I’m sorry. He’s very busy. I’m sorry”. Most people are probably wondering what time zone 12:30 they meant. So off goes Rusty and stops to hug some blond girl. Not sure what that was all about. More people arrive to find out that Rusty is done. They are disappointed. Oh well doesn’t matter that we’ve missed our opportunity…we have lunch with Rusty and Ryan thanks to some Mobil people who pulled some strings for us!
Lunch starts at twelve. Ed and I arrive 10 minutes early to find the conference room and go to open the door. Well, out pops Rusty on his cell phone “Hi guys!” as if he already knew us or something. Whoa! We almost bumped into Rusty…cool!
We go to sit down at a table and find Ryan sitting at the next table. Hehe…this is too cool. At the convention, we got 2 Mobil Racing posters. We see Rusty reappear in the conference room (now clad in a Mobil 1 shirt). Not quite sure if there is an official “autograph session” or a “speech” so we just sit back and watch others make their moves. Others are asking for autographs on little white hats so Ed asks Rusty to sign the posters. After that, we see that the Mobil girl is passing out those hats and ask to give us some. We walk over to Ryan and ask for an autograph and a picture. I remember just saying “Hi Ryan”. He said hi back. He’s very quiet. During the picture taking, I wasn’t sure if he was going to put his arm around me or not, so I kept my arm back just in case, and found myself not knowing what to do with it. Well, he didn’t put his arm around me, so I was lowering my arm and in the process of doing so, brushed against his butt!
Next on my autograph list is Rusty. I take my hat over and say “Hi Rusty, nice to meet you”. He said enthusiastically, “It’s nice to meet YOU too!” Then Ed asked if he could ‘take a picture of you and my wife’. Rusty said “Sure thing!” and put his arm around me (although I didn’t see it on the picture itself, might have been hiding a bit back, perhaps on the shoulder blade).
We had a nice informal lunch, buffet style. Salmon and chicken with other stuff, along with Butter Pecan cheesecake. Ryan was eating his meal, very quiet person. I glance over at Rusty’s table and he’s over there blabbing away.
After the meal, Ed went to get Rusty’s autograph and asked if he could ‘bug him’ for it (Rusty is talking or munching on something?) since we know lunch will soon be over. We wanted the other white hat signed. Rusty sighed. Guess he’s a little cranky for whatever reason. Kinda like me without coffee.
More chatter, autographs, and pictures are happening in the room. A little while later, I tell Ed to get a picture of me with both Ryan and Rusty because at that time, they were standing together. I was next in line (if that’s what you want to call it? You just kind of went right up there) and Ryan was on his cell phone, next thing I knew, both men disappeared. Oh well.
It was a great experience.
That's me with Ryan Newman...
..and Rusty Wallace