Moment 3: “Meeting the Man” (Friday, July 24, 2009)
For years I had dreamed of this day. For years upon years I had watched a guy I considered to be my childhood idol, role model and hero drive a car around a racetrack. I had always dreamed of meeting him. Never did I ever think it would go down the way it did.
As a sports intern at WCPO Channel 9 in Cincinnati I had an opportunity to go to Indianapolis with a media pass. I was closer to NASCAR’s stars than I had ever been in my life. This was a dream.
So when I had the opportunity to ask Mark Martin a few questions during his media availability, I was more than nervous. “Mark have you talked to your teammates about the testing they did here and have you or Alan gathered any notes from them?”
“Alan has done a little bit of research from the testing and put a lot into our test,” Mark said. “We were here a couple days I guess and we ran very well. We’re just drawing on that and the things we’ve learned together this year.”
‘OK,’ I thought. ‘This is way cooler than I ever imagined.’
I had just a few minutes to run to the garage area to film and shoot some photographs of the cars in the garage stalls. I made a beeline for the Kelloggs/Carquest No. 5 area. There was no way I was leaving without getting some pictures for my online family of Markaholics.
And there sat Mark Martin, chatting with a crew member. ‘I’ve got one shot at this,’ I thought to myself. ‘Don’t mess it up.’
I didn’t know if I’d ever have another opportunity to meet Mark Martin, so I took the chance to walk up and meet the man I’ve considered one of the biggest influences in my life.
“Hi, I’m Adam Niemeyer with WCPO in Cincinnati,” I said, trying to hide the nervousness of meeting my childhood hero for the first time in my life. “But, I’m also a huge fan of yours.”
(Read more about the encounter from the day I met Mark: http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2009/07/mark-martin-im-blessed-to-have-so-many.html)
He told me about his museum and shop in Batesville where they were selling commemorative t-shirts from all of his wins that year (there were four at the time). “I’m so blessed to have a lot of great fans,” he told me, before I thanked him, wished him luck and walked away.
Back in 2009, Twitter wasn’t that big of a deal, and I was just starting to tweet, but I immediately reached for my phone as I exited the garage area and tweeted, “Dreams really do come true.” The responses from all of the folks on the Markaholics message boards were positive.
To this day, I can’t think of a more memorable moment at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway than that day in 2009 where I finally had an opportunity to meet Mark Martin. Before that time I had thought to myself, ‘Gee I really would love to have Mark Martin’s signature.’
After meeting Mark though, I got more than I ever wanted out of a two minute conversation with him. It’s something that no signature could ever replace, ever.
I’m glad I’ve been a fan of Mark Martin my entire career, and even happier that I had the opportunity to meet my childhood idol in Indy.
I over quote Carrie Underwood’s “Crazy Dreams,” but the lyrics and song message fit so well with how I felt on that day, and many other days in my life.
Another "Crazy Dream" came true last year when I found this photo of me (right, in the aqua shirt) standing by Mark during his Friday media availability (IMS.com Photo)
There is no doubt that meeting Mark Martin was one of the highlights of the past four years. There are only two days left now in the countdown to graduation. Tune back in tomorrow for the moment I consider to be the second most impactful moment in my undergraduate career.
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If you’ve missed anything from moment No. 10 on, check out the links below to read up on my top ten list:
No. 10- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/10-days-until-graduation.html
No. 9- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/nine-days-until-graduation.html
No. 8- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/eight-days-until-graduation.html
No. 7- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/one-week-until-graduation.html
No. 6- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/six-days-until-graduation.html
No. 5- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/five-days-until-graduation.html
No. 4- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/four-days-until-graduation.html
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