Camping World Truck Series Driver Posters

THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES // BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODE // THORSPORT RACING // THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES //

BEN RHODES

THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACIN G BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING // B E / / BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING // BEN RHODES // THORSPORT RACING //

N RHODES THORSPORT RACING BEN

AUSTIN HILL

// A USTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTE N HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES // AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING RPRISES // AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES // AUSTIN HILL // HATTOR I

// HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES // AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTER // HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES // AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTE

R ACING ENTERPRISES // AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES // AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING EN ERPRISES / AUSTIN HILL // HATTORI RACING ENTERPRISES / AUSTIN T HILL

CHECK OUT MY COLLECTION! THESE NASCAR FANS HAVE TURNED THEIR PASSION FOR WATCHING NASCAR INTO A HOBBY AND ARE BUILDING MEMORIES ONE COLLECTIBLE AT A TIME.BY VAN COX

Ever wonder how NASCAR collectibles stack up against memorabilia from the other major sports? Believe it or not, there are still those who mistakenly believe motorsports collectibles lag behind traditional stick-and-ball souvenirs and artifacts in terms of demand and availability.

Longtime collector Jason St. Pierre is quick to dispel that notion.

A resident of Leesburg, Florida, St. Pierre is a seasonal employee at Daytona International Speedway, currently serving as head usher for the Rolex 24 Lounge. St. Pierre is living proof that the NASCAR arena affords its loyal followers countless opportunities to show their devotion to their chosen sport via collecting. And if you shop smart like he does, you can amass an impressive collection without breaking the bank.

“Most sports memorabilia collectors scoff at us NASCAR guys,” said St. Pierre, “but our collections are as nice or often times nicer than theirs because our niche is a bit more affordable. I’ve been collecting for more than 20 years, and I have a massive NASCAR collection, wall to wall in my entire apartment. The key is to just collect things you like.”

St. Pierre has a little of everything in his inventory, but the focus of his collection is 1:64 die-cast cars, autographed and race-used memorabilia trading cards, and race-used sheet metal.

More than 100 replica cars make up St. Pierre’s 1:64 die-cast collection. A broad variety of drivers are represented, though he admittedly favors those who have driven for the Wood Brothers.

St. Pierre’s massive trading card collection numbers around 50,000 – including 800-900 race-used memorabilia and autograph inserts.

As we all know, collecting often spawns more collecting. Such has been the case with St. Pierre as his affinity for race-used memorabilia cards has morphed into a desire to acquire even larger pieces of sheet metal. Consequently, the walls of his apartment now boast all the colors of the rainbow. He found a reliable source for sheet metal in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area and has been a loyal customer ever since. St. Pierre says there is one piece of sheet metal that looks even better on his wall. “I’m a big Jeremy Clements fan,” he said “He’s from Spartanburg, South Carolina, and that’s where I’m from originally. Plus, his car was sponsored by The Racing Warehouse in this particular race. That’s where I buy a lot of my sheet metal. I have a real connection to this piece, so it’s my favorite of all my sheet metal.” In addition to his other gems, St. Pierre owns a couple of standalone pieces that have earned a special place among his memorabilia. One is a rare cardboard poster commemorating Tony Stewart’s double duty in the 2001 Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600. “That was a historic day,” said the hardcore collector. “Tony finished sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte – and he completed every lap in each race. The following year, Tony was at a car show in Greenville, South Carolina, and autographed it.”

Now, in that time-honored tradition of saving the best for last … Jason St. Pierre owns an item that has been on every serious collector’s Holy Grail list for more than 20 years: a 1998 Press Pass 50 Greatest Drivers of All Time signed lithograph /250.

“Press Pass had them all autographed by the living drivers the night before the ’98 Daytona 500,” said St. Pierre. “The top and bottom rows were images of drivers who were already deceased, but the drivers in the middle row were alive at the time and signed in pencil. Bill France Jr. signed at the bottom. That is absolutely my No. 1 prized piece!”

There is a lot more to collecting NASCAR memorabilia than simply acquiring items of interest and putting them on display. It’s a chance for race fans and their families to build memories. Such is the case with 31-year-old Treavor Chavis and his 11-year-old son, Addison.

In just a few short years, this pair has laid the foundation for a race-used sheet metal collection that will provide a lifetime of fond recollections for each of them.

“There’s a lot more to it than just getting pieces and hanging them on the wall,” said the elder Chavis. “Every piece has a story behind it and memories connected to it. And as we’ve gotten more involved in it, the sentimental value of each piece has become more important to us.”

Much like his young son, Treavor Chavis was introduced to NASCAR at an early age. Growing up in Red Springs, North Carolina, he attended his first race at Rockingham when he was only 12 years old. One race was all it took, and he was hooked.

“I went to three races for three straight years,” Chavis noted. “As I got older, my interest in NASCAR grew. And then Addison came along, and a couple of years ago we started going to races together – which makes it a lot more fun. He enjoys attending the races in person more so than watching them on TV. We go to Darlington pretty often, especially for the throwback weekend. I went to Charlotte for the 600 this year, and we’re going back for the fall race.”

So, how did this passion for motorsports morph into an enthusiasm for collecting race-used memorabilia? It all began with a tire.

“We were at Darlington back in 2017, and I got a tire that came off Jimmie Johnson’s car,” Chavis explained. “To me that was something extra special. To own a piece off a car that was actually used in the race. That’s how I got started.”

Chavis quickly learned there is a healthy market for race-used artifacts and began making contacts within the hobby that would allow him to grow his collection.

“I met a man whose son had previously worked for Joe Gibbs Racing,” he said. “I was able to pick up quite a few pieces from him off JGR cars that had been driven by Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth, plus a tire off Denny Hamlin’s car.”

As the Chavis family’s network of fellow collectors and vendors continued to expand, their inventory grew exponentially. A sampling of their most coveted artifacts includes: 2020 Tyler Reddick No. 8 autographed tire; 2018 Daniel Hemric No. 8 nose piece; 2021 Kris Wright Darlington NCWTS rear quarter panel; two Jimmie Johnson deck lids from two retired cars that were repurposed as show cars; and 2020 Jimmie Johnson No. 48 Ally rear quarter panel and tire.

“It isn’t a huge collection right now, but it’s growing all the time,” said Chavis. “I’m a big Hendrick Motorsports fan, so I guess those pieces are especially important to me.” Indeed they are, but there are a couple of other pieces that hold immeasurable significance to both father and son. Addison and Treavor attended the Darlington Throwback Weekend in the spring. After Sheldon Creed was victorious in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, he immediately presented the checkered flag to young Addison, who was seated near the foot of the flag stand. Since that memorable moment, Chavis has acquired the rear bumper/tailgate from that victorious truck, and now has it on display along with the flag. “It was pretty incredible the way everything came together,” Chavis acknowledged. “Sheldon Creed was running a Jason Leffler throwback paint scheme for that race, and I was a big fan of Jason’s before he passed away. Then for Sheldon to give that flag to my son, and me to be able to get that rear bumper. That created the kind of memories that hopefully Addison will be able to share with his own kids some day.”

Chavis is quick to point out that the positive interaction he and Addison have shared with other race fans has truly enhanced the NASCAR experience for them.

“It has been great,” he said with a smile. “We’ve met quite a few people, and they have all been so nice. My son is at that age where he is basically shy. But everyone we meet interacts with him in a positive way. One man saw him online and actually sent him some trading cards. Addison was blown away that somebody would do something so nice without expecting anything in return. I told him that’s just the way NASCAR fans are. It’s like a big family where everybody looks out for one another. With all the crazy stuff going on in the world today, I think it’s great that we’ve found a place among the NASCAR community.”

Hero cards – also known as handouts or simply postcards – are arguably the oldest and most enduring form of NASCAR memorabilia.

Virtually every fan of stock car racing has owned at least one at some point, and the handout has been the first step in launching other collections. Indeed, vast assemblages of die-cast cars, trading cards and what-have-you began with the acquisition of a hero card. That is all it took to spark the interest.

“Collecting is addictive, and especially collecting postcards because it is so affordable,” said David Sherrill, a 68-year-old enthusiast who has been on a quest for that next elusive handout for more than 50 years. “I like to compare it to collecting coins or stamps. You can get the new stuff cheap because it is new. In many cases you can get them for little or nothing. Then, over time, you can add the older cards by trading for them or buying them as you find them. And you can decide how much or how little you want to spend.”

While a few versions of Indy car postcards had been around for decades, the first NASCARthemed handout surfaced in the early-to-mid-1950s. Fonty Flock, Tim Flock, and Frank Mundy were among the first subjects featured on a handful of issues. Seizing on the burgeoning popularity of the sport, Racing Pictorial Magazine began producing postcards of some of NASCAR’s top drivers in 1962.

The venerable publication would be the primary source for handouts over the next dozen years. They were true postcards, with a designated area for correspondence and postage. More drivers were added to the lineup each year.

As NASCAR grew, so did the recognition of handouts as an effective and inexpensive marketing tool. Consequently, the production of hero cards now covers all three NASCAR national series, as well as a good portion of support divisions and other series. These days, the number of different handouts published for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series totals well into the hundreds per year.

“It sure is different than when I first started collecting,” recalled Sherrill. “Back then, it was only Cup drivers, and there were less than 10 a year. Now, there is a new card coming out about every day. It’s hard to keep up sometimes. I don’t even try to keep track of the total number of postcards in my collection anymore. It’s in the tens of thousands though.”

A native of the foothills of North Carolina, Sherrill saw his first three NASCAR Cup Series races in 1962. He attended events at the old Concord Speedway, Darlington Raceway and North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“My dad was a mechanic, and he went to a lot of races,” he said. “But daddy wouldn’t take me with him until I was 12 years old. I got my first three postcards at North Wilkesboro. They were Fireball Roberts, who was my favorite, Joe Weatherly and Fred Lorenzen. I still have all three of them.” Of course, handouts have changed dramatically over the years. The traditional three-by-five and five-by-seven postcards have given way to eight-by-10 (sometimes larger) issues. The posed car and driver images have been replaced by hero cards that boast the latest and most creative graphic imagery. Sherrill considers himself an old-school NASCAR fan. Consequently, he favors the traditional look of the 1960s-’70s postcards. But he readily admits his most treasured finds are from later years, but are coveted because of their extreme rarity. First of his “Big Three” as he calls them, is his 1981 Stan Barrett No. 22 Skoal Bandit Pontiac. “That was the original Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham Skoal Bandit before the team added the No. 33 for Harry Gant,” he explained. “Stan Barrett only ran about 10 races that year. I don’t know why that postcard was always so hard to find but it was. I actually bought a whole collection from a guy back in the 1990s just to get that one card. The rest of his collection didn’t have anything of much value. But I really wanted that card, so I bought him out.” No. 2 on Sherrill’s Hit Parade is the rarest of all Dale Earnhardt handouts. It is a 1981 card promoting Wrangler Aviation. It depicts Earnhardt’s No. 2 Wrangler Pontiac being loaded onto a Wrangler Aviation cargo jet.

“I stopped in at a racing collectibles store that used to be across the road from Charlotte Motor Speedway,” Sherrill remembered. “It was in 1989-’90, I think. The guy there had two left. I had never seen them before, so I bought both of them for 50 bucks apiece. Of course, I kept one. People kept telling me how rare they were, so a couple of months later I put the second one on eBay just to see what it would bring. I sold it for $375. I guess that was a pretty good return on investment.”

While it ranks third on his list of all-time favorites, arguably the rarest and most unique handout in the Sherrill collection features not a driver, but a country music star. In 1976, singer/songwriter Del Reeves sponsored the car driven by Neil Castles in a handful of races. An eight-by-10 hero card with an image of the Grand Ole Opry performer sitting on the fender of Castles’ familiar No. 06 race car at Charlotte Motor Speedway is arguably one of the scarcest handouts ever produced.

“I found that thing at a flea market in Tennessee,” said Sherrill. “And it wasn’t with racing stuff. A guy had a scrapbook filled with pictures of country music entertainers, and that was among them. I’ve not seen another one. That just shows how you never know when something will turn up. So you have to keep your eyes open. Sometimes, it’s all about the chase.”

It has been nearly three decades since the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series made its debut. After a few exhibition races, the green flag officially waved for the series’ inaugural season in February 1995 at Phoenix Raceway.

Back then, there were those who predicted truck racing would fizzle out after a few seasons. Of course, they were wrong. Not only has the NCWTS survived, it has flourished.

It is where newcomers cut their teeth on the way up the NASCAR ladder. It’s the place where veterans looking for a more relaxed venue can enjoy racing that’s more about cubic inches and less about cubic dollars. Of NASCAR’s top three touring series, it is arguably the one that consistently has the healthiest car counts. Oh, and along the way, it has built a devoted fan following all its own.

“I think it’s the best racing,” said Judy Burke, a fan – and collector – from Ansonia, Connecticut. “The competition on the race track is very intense. And I guess because there is less pressure on them, the drivers and crews are a lot more fan-friendly. I’ve met a lot of them, and they are great. Of course, I follow the Cup Series too, but the trucks are my favorite. It’s been a totally enjoyable experience for me.”

Burke has been a race fan since the 1970s, but her interest in the sport shifted into overdrive with the emergence of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“Growing up, I was a Richard Petty fan, and also Benny Parsons,” she recalled. “Then in about 1994-’95, I started pulling for Kenny Schrader, who was running quite a few truck races at the time. I became more and more of a truck fan. Eventually, I became a big Jack Sprague fan, and he’s probably still my all-time favorite.”

Burke’s comprehensive knowledge of the series is clearly evident as she recounts with pinpoint accuracy specific incidents from individual races over the years. She has a number of favorites among the current crop of truck racers, including Jennifer Jo Cobb, Timothy Peters and Matt Crafton. Ryan Newman, Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr. and Matt DiBenedetto rate among her picks in the NASCAR Cup Series.

As we’ve often said before, being a fan automatically makes you a collector. It just goes with the territory, and Burke is no exception. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more diverse assemblage of memorabilia than the one she has amassed. Die-cast cars, figurines, autographed photos and handouts, pennants, books and DVDs. You name it, chances are, she has it.

Burke’s most cherished NASCAR artifact is a piece of sheet metal from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry that Sprague drove for Kevin Harvick Inc. in 2008.

“They took one of their trucks that had been crashed, cut it up into small sections, and sold those pieces,” she explained. “I got the piece from the right-side headlight area. It’s autographed by Kevin and Jack. A few years later, I got it signed by Rick Carelli, who was competition director at KHI back then. They were all great about making sure I got the piece I wanted and the signatures. So that makes it special to me.”

The vibrant Burke designed one – actually two – items that are our personal favorites here at NASCAR Pole Position. She came up with the idea of creating two handcrafted quilts and having them autographed by a multitude of NASCAR personalities. Both quilts are punctuated by images of the six flags used by NASCAR on race day. Every block on the quilt is filled with autographs. In fact, each quilt is adorned with 250 to 300 signatures. How is that for a humongous undertaking? Imagine trying to get that many autographs. Only someone with Burke’s tenacious drive could pull it off. “I had a lot of help,” said Burke. “We got the blocks signed before we put the quilt together. So anytime something was going on where I thought I could get some signatures, I tried to be there. I’d try to take a friend or two with me to autograph sessions so we could get in different lines. That way we could make the most of our time.” A broad cross-section of the NASCAR family signed Burke’s quilt: Tony Stewart, Wendy Venturini, Mike Helton, Krista Voda, Bobby Allison, Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and the list goes on and on.

“Everybody was great about signing it,” she acknowledged. “After we got all the autographs, my sister sewed the blocks together to complete the quilt.”

Burke is one of those unique NASCAR fans who always strives to give something back to the sport she loves. She often works in and around the track in various capacities, including volunteering with Speedway Children’s Charities. So it should come as no surprise that she found a very special home for each of her quilts. One is on display at Victory Junction Gang Camp in North Carolina, while the other hangs in the USO Sports Room at the U.S. Naval facility in Bethesda, Maryland.

“I wanted them to be where they can be seen by as many people as possible,” she said. “That’s the reason I came up with the idea in the first place. I wanted to create something that other fans would enjoy.”

One of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of my work over the last several years has been writing “Where Are They Now?” stories that catch fans up with what some of their favorite former drivers are up to these days. This year, I’ve done a number of what I like to call “WATN?s” for NASCAR. com. Here’s excerpts from three of my favorite pieces and links to read the full original story.

BY JERRY BONKOWSKI

MARCOS AMBROSE

cos Ambrose went from behind the wheel to behind the front desk as he owns and operates the very successful Thunder Lakes Lodge resort on the island of Tasmania.

“I got out of racing, it was just time for me to stop, really,” Ambrose said. “Raising a family was really important to me and being a good dad and a good husband.”

But after walking away, Ambrose is back in racing to an extent, shepherding the blossoming careers of daughters Tabitha (15) and Adelaide (13).

“Tabitha and Adelaide getting into racing has reinvigorated me in the sport,” Ambrose said. VISIT NASCAR.COM TO READ THE FULL STORY ON MARCOS AMBROSE.

DARRELL WALTRIP

following the 2019 season. But in a way, he’s still broadcasting and telling it like it is. Only instead of talking into a microphone, these days he talks back to the TV set in his Tennessee home.

“I do it all the time,” Waltrip said with a laugh. “I’m constantly saying, ‘Tell ’em this, tell ’em that.’ Why? I’m a race fan at heart and if there’s a flat tire or a wreck, I’ll say, ‘Why do you want to sugarcoat it? Tell it like it is.’”

Now 74, Waltrip remains as popular as ever – but admits he’s also developed somewhat of an identity crisis: “A lot of people don’t know I ever drove.”

That’s right, one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history is known by many of today’s especially younger fans more for how he wielded a microphone than how he wheeled a race car.

“It’s amazing to me the number of people that think all I’ve ever done is TV, and I’m only famous for saying ‘Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Let’s Go Racin’ Boys,’” Waltrip said.

MARK MARTIN

hard to picture the way Hall of Famer Mark Martin is today.

“I’m retired,” the 62-year-old Martin said emphatically. “I mean, I know less about what’s going on than the average fan. I love racing with all my heart. It’s just something that I’m not interested in doing (anymore).

“40 years of competing at the highest level, and digging as hard as I could possibly dig with every ounce of focus I had, I’m done with that. I’m not interested in competing in anything. I don’t even like to play cards or games or anything that requires competing.” VISIT NASCAR.COM TO READ THE FULL STORY ON MARK MARTIN.