Ever meet anyone famous ( preferably racing or non-racing)? Lets hear your story and if you have a picture, post it. Tag! you're it.

Not racing but for years I belonged to an antique car club that held an annual show in Franklin Lakes, NJ.  One year I was manning one of the admission gates and there was a guy hanging out close by who was wearing nondescript sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers and enjoying a cigar.  He was wearing a Yankees baseball cap but lots of people do.  I wound up chatting with him for quite a while about the arriving cars.  Only after the show at our next club meeting did I learn that I was talking to Reggie Jackson who lives in Franklin Lakes or at least did at the time.

1975 AT DAYTONA ON RACEDAY - WAXING DON CRANMERS #66 MODIFIED IN THE MODIFIED GARAGE AREA

WITH KENNY CRANMER , AND SOME GUY WALKS BY AND SAYS 

"KEEP WAXING THAT RACECAR,BOY " WE BOTH LOOK UP AND IT WAS KING RICHARD WITH HIS TRADEMARK GRIN !!--

BLESSINGS !!

BILL

was sitting in the tudor in when richie evans sat down next to me. to say i was thrilled is a under statment what a down to earth great guy. i still miss him.

same tudor in one year met mitch miller yes follow the bounceing ball mitch miller very nice man.

dont know if kevin eyers is famous but he tells me he is hung with him many times.

Back in the late 1970's I worked what they called "communications" in the pits at the Trenton Speedway.  The infield had a really horrible men's room that had one shower stall in it.  It happened to be right next the one and only urinal.  I went in to do my business and poof someone turned the shower on in the shower stall which created a downpour right on me.  OK, I thought who in the heck was this person taking a shower right before the race???  I waited few minutes and out of the shower walked Wally Dallenback.  It sure made for an interesting moment.

I was in the Target in Stroubsburg when I saw Paul Sorvino walk by. I found my wife and asked if she saw him, and she did. I went to the area where I thought he was and ran into him. He turned to me, asked I could get a phone for him. He then said, “you don’t work here, do you”. I said no, but are you...he finished my question by saying “yes I am”. It was pretty cool.

Talked to Al Unser, Sr at the meadowlands.

Went out with a bunch of Giants players 8 times during their 1986 season.

Scott

1964 and we're staying at a nice hotel in Atlantic City. J. Edgar Hoover, and lots of guys in suits (he was wearing a man's suit too!) were at the table next to us in the fancy restaurant there.

I don't remember the year, but it was Motorsports out at King of Prussia. King Richard Petty. He was pretty cool. He sat on a stool out front and signed anything and everything you put in front of him and took pictures with you. You don't see that anymore.

I've met Glenn Sullivan on a number of occasions.

I was at a Andretti/Hanna ( I think that was the name) car wash on rt 191 & rt 22 in Bethlehem and met Mario and Michael there and got BOTH of their autographs...prolly early '90's me thinks...

When I was involved with teaching Automotive Technology back in the 90's, I was asked to be a judge a few times at the Javit's Center in NY for the Skills USA Auto Tech Troubleshooting competition for Vo-Tech students. They always had a celebrity judge to join us, and one year the celebrity judge was actor Craig T. Nelson who had a show called "Coach" at the time.  Another year the celebrity judge was Greg Biffle.   It was a good setting to kind of hang out with them and also be working together with them as they also were part of the judging process and kind of relied on us for the rules/proceedures.

Also back in the 90's, I got to talk to Johnny Rutherford one year at the SEMA show in Las Vegas as I happened to stop by the Good Guys Car Club table/booth and Johnny came over and started talking to me as I guess it looked like I was kind of manning the booth.  Real nice guy.

Had a Business Meeting with Hall of Famer Art Monk (Washington Redskins as they were called then) when I worked with Canon (early 2000's) and our Washington DC rep had set up a meeting with Art as the marketing company that he was running (after retiring from football) was looking to replace their imaging equipment.  Again, good guy... but not sure if he bought our copiers!

More recently, I got to meet Joe Klecko (NJ Jets - soon to be Hall of Famer) when at Kevin's repair shop (On Track Auto) in Matawan NJ.  That was pretty cool.  I learned that Joe had spent a lot of time with Hal Needham/Skoal Bandit Race Team.

Speaking of Automotive Technology (top paragraph), I was teaching the NJ Emissions Control Program (it was called ETEP, but don't remember what the letters stood for...) at the Audi facility on Cranbury Road near Monroe (the course had to do with doing emission repairs as part of the NJ Inspection program for private garages.)  It was at least 3 nights... maybe 6?....  Freddy Dmuchowski (who owned Country Club Sunoco up by Bridgewater at the time) was one of my students....  Not sure if Fred remembers the class, but I sure do.  Seemed like I should have been the one sitting and Fred should have been standing up there telling us racing stories!  Now that's as famous of a person you could ever meet in my world!  Great guy, but I think you guys already knew that....

Thanks for the thread Lenny -

One more...

When traveling for Canon one time flying back from Orlando to Newark, I got upgraded to first class (hardly ever happened....) and didn't realize it until about mid flight that the guy seated next to me was Joey Fattone who at that time I think was done with the band Nsynch, and maybe was doing a broadway play or something??  Nobody recognized him cause he was the last on the plane, and pretty much the first one off, and I'm not big on eye contact when sitting on a plane because I've found it can sometimes start a 3 hour conversation that you just can't end unless you change your seat!  Nothing fancy about his clothes...., had a ball cap on kind of pulled down low.... except I noticed the sneakers he had on had some kind of gold stuff on them or something, which is what first got me thinking, "Who's this slacker sitting next to me in 1st class with the fancy sneakers?" That's when I started thinking maybe this guys somebody famous....  (Turns out, maybe I was the slacker!)

Nice guy - was nice enough to write a little note and sign it for me to give to my daughter who was kind of into the whole Nsnych band stuff back in the day.  Last I saw of him was on Impractical Jokers a few year's ago, and I think he might have been hosting a gameshow at some point too.

WOLFGANG JACK
We were on our honeymoon and eating at a hot-pot place when Wolfgang Jack came in and sat at the table next to us.  I remember he had on this huge cowboy hat with feathers and this glitzy vest over a button-up shirt.  It was cool to hear his unmistakable laugh coming from the table next to us as he was cutting up with his friends while eating dinner.

ROGER PENSKE
I went to see an indy race at Nazareth, and while wandering around the infield walked up some steps that were somewhere near pit road.  I decided I didn't want to go that way and did an about-face and physically went chest-to-chest with Roger Penske; almost knocking him down in the process. I apologized for the gaff and he smirked at me and said that's alright.  I stepped aside and he went on his way.

In the early 90's, met Paul Newman in the infield at Indianapolis.  I new he normally didn't sign autographs but my son Steve was with me, 11 or 12 years old at time, and I thought he might sign something for him.  When asked,  he was nice and polite, put his hand on my sons shoulder and said,  "Sorry but I don't do autographs, but thanks for coming to Indy and enjoy your day." 

Worked in Manhattan, would take the bus get off on 34th street and walk past madison square garden.

It was 80 or 84 and they were having a presidential national convention at the garden. Made a big stink about keeping all the homeless out of midtown to make a good impression. I'm walking past a hotel across the street from the garden and I spot this scruffy looking guy in beat up jeans. I laugh to myself that they wanted to keep the homeless away and here's a guy right across the street.

Took another step and realized it was Willie Nelson. He'd song the national anthem at the convention the night before

Saw Jackie Kennedy Onassis in the Oldwick General Store.

Saw Lawrence Taylor at the Golden Nugget in AC, went over and shook his hand. Couldn't have been nicer.

My wife met James Gandolfini at a Rutgers football game and shook his hand. She was totally twitterpated.

When I worked at Mr Gasket I got friendly with Linda Vaughn. She called my wife her little sister, lol.

I can think of two.  My wife and I were waiting for a flight to Vegas at Newark Airport and she said that looks like Chris Economaki over there.  I walked over and asked Chris Economaki?  And in that famous Economaki voice he said "guilty as charged".  After a few minutes it was time to board our flights.

The other, driving home from work one afternoon on Monmouth Street in Red Bank past the old Big Man's West, I saw Bruce Springsteen and the entire E Street Band out on the sidewalk eating popsicles during practice for the Born In The USA tour.  I grabbed a small notebook and got everyone to sign a page.  Still have that page in one of my auto racing photo albums.

The most intense eyes I ever seen.

The late Scott Brayton at the Meadowlands GrandPrix.

I have a letter from Pat Nixon ,president Nixon 's wife.  Tried to sell them Christmas cards, the Nixon's had there own personalized cards. 

As far as racing personality, Mike Joy at New Hampshire International, Richard Petty at North Wilksboro, sat across from Bill Elliott at a western sizzles restaurant, but the most memorable one is having dinner with Junior Johnson. Brought up to him that I knew Frank Schneider. Then the conversation got long.  He said he hadn't heard that name for along time, asked how he was doing and told us about the argument Frank had with NASCAR over tire deal that went Down at Trenton Speedway.

Met Joe Namath, my football idol, at the opening of "The Wiz" in Bridgewater some years ago...absolutely gobsmacked...total gentleman.

Met many NASCAR drivers over the years while married to Ken...Chad Little & Harry Gant were the nicest.

Had my picture taken by Ace Lane at a CFFC banquet years ago with Mario Andretti...WOW!

Thru my involvement at Lead East on Labor Day weekend, I got to meet Chip Foose & Al Sapienza of The Sopranos...Al is fun & loves all kinds of cars...very down to earth.

Before he died, I met Boyd Coddington at a Goodguys car show in Hershey, PA.

My "nephew" worked at GMA years ago & took me to the show so I could see Richard Gere, who was a guest with Robin Roberts & Diane Sawyer.  While I didn't actually speak to Richard. I was close enough to tell you he's as handsome as he appears onscreen; wearing a navy pinstriped suit was icing on the cake.  Yeah, he's been my favorite actor for a very long time.

Wish I'd been with Cathe McCaughey when she saw James Gandolfini...that may have topped seeing Richard Gere.

Then again, think of all the dirt racers we're fortunate to be friends with!

That would be pretty cool, John. Joe Namath let me try on his SuperBowl ring..that thing was massive & full of diamonds. Wish he were still in the game!

Met all the members of the rock group The Band.  After a concert in Philadelphia at the Tower Theater. Waiting out side for my wife, the group came out the stage entrance.  Talk to them for awhile and what it was like to tour with Bob Dylan and if they still get together now and then.

Was painting a hair salon in Peapack/Gladstone years ago when then govenor Christie Whitman came in to have her hair done. Was first told by her guards that i would have to leave the premises until she was finished but then was told I cold stay as long as I sat in my work truck. She introduced herself and was very nice. Then years later spoke with her again at NES and she remebered me from that first meeting.

Have also talked with Joe Picopoe as his kids went to school with mine. Still bump into him in Shoprite here in Washington every now and then. 

Coming back from the Brickyard 400 Phil Simms former QB for the Giants walked into the Airport in Indy. He just finished broadcasting a football game. Pointed him out to my buddies as he approached the are we were sitting. The Air Lines quickly had him board the plain as the autograph seekers started getting up. He was on the same flight as mine.

Coming back from Upstate New York the Statler Brothers. They sat across from the table we were eating at, in a restaurant off I-81 

Plenty myself in racing, but my late father Kenny had a good one. Syracuse 1985, we always camped right by the fourth turn gate. There was a huge traffic jam leaving the track, traffic totally stopped. Pretty soon here stands Bobby Allison in his Miller High Life fire suit. Big Miller van full of people, he got out. Of course Dad walks over and started talking to him. After a couple minutes he asked Bobby if he was thirsty "damn right I am"! So Dad reached into his pocket (had his hunting coat on with beer in each pocket, hands him a Schmidt's. Bobby takes a big sip, said Damn that's good! What is it? Schmidt's, never had one! Thanks pal! Of course, nowadays we'd have pictures!

Me and Smokin Joe Frazier partying.

My local family restaurant (Stacys of Denver) attracts a few Name people from racing bussiness' in the area. Had lunch a couple times with Waddell Wilson. What great stories that guy has from Nascar Tech..His grandson Zac worked at our shop for year and half..(not a car nut)..Bobby Allison was another one in that restaurant about 5/6 yrs ago.

When I was in Fl back when they had a Craftsman truck race at Orlando Fl. I went to watch..Billy Pauch. and Keith OToole were there.. Keith was changing oil on Kozlowskis fathers truck..Pauch was running the Red Dodge truck from Trenton? I was walking away from talking to Keith and was looking back and almost knocked over Richard Petty.. Hat fell off but he caught it.. He laughed and I was embarrased but I got over it.. Keith told Pauch what I did and Billy said "what are you doing trying to kill the KING"..

Theres a few more but gotta dig deeper...Thanks HtH

Another couple famous people, Tony Eury Jr and Sr...(Earnhardt jr's Crew Chiefs for many wins in Nascar.. We were delivering parts we make for them but now they pick them up most of the time. Boss tries to keep me in shop..My boss Kevin Steinmetz is good friends with Greg Biffle..Biff is building and selling off road FAST side by sides and we make a few items for him..

Have met and been with the entire LaBonte clan. Justin, Bobby, Terry, and their Dad Bob Sr..(Long Horn Chassis)..They sold the business last winter and Bobby is racing pavement Mods in the local Smart Mod Tour, not sure what Justin is doing.. Gotta go...back to watching elections. HtH

Got Don Garlitz autograph at Island dragway.