James, 72, is from Wendell, North Carolina, and he’ s been a fan of drag racing since 1967. He said he first met Rickie Smith and followed his career and fell in love with the horsepower and the people, and now he goes to as many events as he can. He will attend PDRA, NHRA, Big Dog at Piedmont, Pro Mods

at the Rock, and any other events he can fit into his travels.

I asked him if he could spend an hour with one person involved in drag racing, past or present, who he would choose and why?“ Oh, there are so many great ones, but if I’ m going to have to pick, there are three that I would have to choose. First, Eddie Hill, who ran NHRA Top Fuel and was the first to run 4 seconds in the quarter mile. I would also choose 10-time NHRA world champion in Pro Stock, Bob Glidden. But the one I want to spend time with every chance I could is Roy Hill, the colorful racer from the Carolinas who has some amazing stories to tell. Spending time with Roy is always full of laughs.”

I asked James what class was his

favorite and he said Pro Mod because they are the fastest, wildest cars on the track at any event.

I do not know many people who have been to more dragstrips than James. He is a frequent fan at all the tracks in the Carolinas, and the list of others is longer than the space available for this column.

James’ favorite part of going to the track is the family atmosphere and the people.“ I’ ve met so many crew guys and race families who have become my friends and who I enjoy visiting during the races,” James says.“ I am very blessed that many teams have invited me into the pits and treat me as family.”

James said his favorite place to watch the racing is from the starting line, but he loves to be in the

pits and staging lanes seeing how the crews interact and how the cars are put together, as well as chatting with the crews and drivers.

When he is not at the drag races, James enjoys spending time with his wife, his two adult children, and his four grandchildren. He likes to keep up with the latest news through Drag Illustrated, Competition Plus, Drag Race Central, and numerous other sites dedicated to all things drag racing.

I asked James what is the one thing that you have to do when you’ re at a drag race. He said visit the Mountain Motor Pro Stock pits and spend time with his friends.

My goal with this column is to celebrate the fans in the stands. James is definitely one of those people.

If you have a special“ fan in the stands” story, reach out to me on social media or send me an email at Denise @ DragIllustrated. com. DI