any one famous ?

[bob paeth]

Because of my previous life with Revell, I had the opportunity to meet many famous people in the 1/1 automotive world. My first encounter occured in 1965 while attending the Grand Prix races in Watkins Glen, NY.

Watkins Glen, at least then, was a wide spot in the road. When the sun went down, the city crew rolled up the side walks and the citizens simply dissapeared into the night. The cabin I was in had only window screens, no windows and the temperature was in the low 40's. There was a tavern up the road about twenty miles and the engineer that I was with, and I, decided that was the place to be ( just to warm up )........... We pulled in and the place was jumping. Everyone was having a rip-roaring good time and we eventually helped close the bar for the nite. We had spent about three hours celebrating ?? with Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill and Skip Hudson, along with the other race drivers who were racing the next day. Live hard and drive hard, Saturday nite was for playing and Sunday was for racing. these drivers never let one interfere with the other.

Now, with all of the members here on board, there must be some more experiences with the famous. Lets hear it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob :shock:

[Billy Kingsley]

I've got nothing, I guess I don't go out enough*, but, my mom has been in Jackie Gleason's car, had lunch with Joe Namath and the rest of the team he played for. Visited Walt Disney's house. Met many celbritys I can't remember due to them coming to her grandparents house for dinner, I know Dave DeBusshere of the New York Knicks is the only one I can remember. I'll ask her more.

My father's father served in the Battle of the Bulge.

There's a very strong chance that I am actually related to Elvis Pressley, though he died before I was born, my family does have ties to the Pressley family in Mississippi.

*- I do know lots of famous modelers, either quite well or just from reading posts. But every modeler I've ever met, no matter how well known they are, are so dang humble it's amazing! I've never met a more kind group of people!

In the TNMCC we have at least 7 people who have contributed to Model Cars and other magazines. I have Rick Hanmore on my cell-phone speed dial

I also have Larry Greenberg programmed in too, but my speed dials got full before I started talking to him on the phone...

This may very well be the first footnote used on the board

[Guest zebm1]

A coupla years ago, after tha Nascar final at Homestead, FL I get a call at about 1 a.m. from my slightly innebriated (did I say slightly), who is in Key West. My daughter asks, "Daddy, is Roger Penske famous?" hehehe, She says..."Roger thinks I look like Sandra Bullock and he's been buying drinks for everyone. So I gave her tha brief rundown, racecar driver, racecar owner, owns Penske rental trucks, etc., etc.....I say, "Where's his wife?" Daughter says..."oh she's here and she's cute."

Later I found out Roger was driving a Mustang convertible as they whooshed past my very hung-over daughter and soon-to-be Son-in-Law, coming back from Key West.

So it seems Bob, that racecar drivers, even ex-racecar drivers are like military pilots....that first pitstop is always tha closest waterhole to tha track.

[JAFFA]

i was talkin to somone about the design of the volvo 850, n she was

showing me all theese blueprits n stuff on it n describing the shapes,

and i said all that i thought about VOLVO, (that means bad things),

especially the 850, preeeetty insulting words, while looking back at it,

and it turns out, SHE was the main designer of the ###### thing.....

[crispy]

As a boy I grew up in Brainerd MN. My Dad actually got to pit for Bob Sharp racing, but not Paul Newman. It was a gal that I cannot for the life of me remember.

However as he was in the pit area I was able to join in. I helped push Paul's Datsun from the truck to the pits. We were able to sit on the transporter and shoot the breeze with Paul Newman. IT was very surreal to be able to sit their and see all of his fans point and yell. You almost felt like a star yourself.

I was also able to meet Danny Ongias and a few other cool drivers that, again, I cannot remember.

This was the late 70's early 80's time period. If I have any memories that were good, those were the ones. I loved going to the track with my dad.

Chris

[Steve H.]

I've had the pleasure of meeting both Carlos Santana and Kirk Hammet (Mettalica) at car shows. Carlos is an absolute gentleman, seriously one of the nicest people I've ever met. Kirk, on the other hand, is a Metalhead and hot rodder, with the personality to go with it! I've also met and chatted with Chip Foose, but wasn't there when he picked a model of mine as his celebrity pick!

Among other famous people I've met there is Matt T., Pat Redmond, Bob Downie, Bob Paeth and a few others that I keep threatening to meet if I ever get to a midwest show!

[customplassic]

I watched a Tyson fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr in late 96? He wasnt as famous of a boxer as he is now, so I only knew his name from being in the newspaper about winning in the olympics.

Took me by suprise, went to a friend of a friends house to watch the fight and this guy walks in with a US olympic team coat and I said...who is that? And my buddy says "its so and so's cousin....Floyd Mayweather Jr"

And that is probably the only celebrity I have met, besides autograph sessions.

[bob paeth]

Good start, gang, here is another tale:

Sometime around 1967, in Southern California, the Orange County Raceway opened. I was fortunate enough to get a press pass for the initial opening day. As I recall the track, was to have

Datsun sports cars for use by students of the Bob Bondurant school of driving. Everyone in attendance got a chance to first, take a couple of hot laps with a driving instructor and then a few with you driving. I remember asking how fast could I go and the instructor replied " how fast can you go" ?

I didn't set any records but I didn't spin out either.

The high-light of the day, other than the food and open bar, was to get a ride around the course in a big block Corvette. After standing in line for about a half an hour, It was finally my turn to sit in the Vette and buckle in. After making sure my lap belt and shoulder harness were secured and my crash helmut was on tight, the driver turned to me and said" remember, what scares you scares me". With that said, James Garner put the pedal to the metal and we flew around the track, drifting in the corners, wailing down the straightaway and negotiating a set of traffic cones like they were not even there. Paul Newman, step back. You have a competitor.

A little background on Mr. Garner:

He was one of the stars in the movie "Grand Prix". The movie used many profesional drivers in the race scenes and many scenes had to be re-shot because the professionals couldn't keep up.

Bob :shock:

[Matt T.]

Among other famous people I've met there is Matt T...

WHAT?! I'm famous? I hope my agent doesn't read this, she'll want more money. Thanks for the name-drop, Steve. I was glad I got to talk to you during your visit to the right coast a few years ago.

Back in '91 I had the privelege of "crashing" the Winston Cup Awards banquet press junket the day before the banquet down in NYC. We rode up in the elevator with Harry Gant, Geoff Bodine, and the late Alan Kulwicki. Once in there, I "pestered" Dale Earnhardt for his autograph and met a bunch of other drivers during the autograph session. You probably can't get into that uninvited anymore. (Thanks Doug!)

I also got to meet Mario Andretti when he came to the local wine store promoting his line of wine about 5 years ago. Really nice guy.

[62rebel]

I don't wanna swell any heads but on this forum there's plenty of "famous" names. and i'll stop right there; you guys know who's who!

[Steve H.]

Oh yeah... I've met those two guys that run the joint... Whatisname Jairus and that other guy, Gregg... just normal people like us (well, Jairus is normal...)

[Lyle Willits]

I've met and talked with Don Garlits several times. I sat in Don Nickleson's trailer for about an hour and talked with him at Super Chevy in the early 90's. I've met George Barris several times, Gene Windfield, Joe Bailon and Ed Roth. Somewhere I have pictures I took of Ed Roth with Norm Veber at an indoor car show in D.C. (Don't know why I didn't get Norm to take a picture of me with Ed.) I grew up about a mile from Bob Harrop (Flying Carpet super stocker/ later A/FX) and used to ride my bicycle to his house and watch him work on his car when I was about 14.(Right about here, Dan Peterson would ask,"They had cars in the 1800's?")

When I was 17, hanging out at the Dairy Queen in Smyrna, Delaware, The Rascals stopped and asked me directions to the Harrington State Fair. I was very thankful that I had witnesses to the fact that I talked to Felix.

Kids - The Rascals were a major rock group in the 60's. That made me kind of a hero, for about a week, in high school. And, last but not least, there's my buddy Pam Hardy.

[oldcars]

Back in 1964 a friend and I were in Le Mans at the track for night practice. We were with a fellow from Austalia. This rather tall person came up to us thinking the Australian person was on one of the pit crews and was telling him his pit crew was looking for him. The rather tall person turned out to be Dan Gurney. All I said to him was UUUHHHH! Was 18 then and will never forget. (dad was stationed in France).

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

My Mom literally bumped into Donald Sutherland at a grocery store in my hometown.

One of my cousin's has shook Keifer Sutherland's hand at a local movie theater back in the '80's.

My then current Minister (back in the '80's) married Slyvester Stalone at MY Church.

Is there a reason for all these celebs. in my little (maybe 15,000 folks back then) hometown? Yup. The scenery. Honestly.

[Steve H.]

Pamala Anderson's my cousin. :wink:

But can she build models?

[Casey429]

I met Verne Troyer (aka Mini Me) at a car show, nice guy. Other members of my family have met famous people. My grandfather and uncle once owned a bar that Franco Harris and Jack Lambert visited on separate occasions. My grandfather also tailgaited at Steeler games back in the 70's with a local celebrity, John Connelly, the owner of the Gateway Clipper Fleet. (Funny story about that, but I'll save that for later.) My dad also met Dale Earnhardt Sr. at the Pocono Raceway back in the mid 90's.

[Guest Anthony Oteri]

The 2 most famous people I ever met was Richard Petty back in 1987 at the World of Wheels show and Billy Kingsley at Masscar in April 06. I have come to realize that I know more people that know Billy than those who know Richard Petty so I guess that makes Billy famous!

[bob paeth]

Anthony, I couldn't have said it better myself. It puts everything in perspective.

Bob :shock:

[PatRedmond]

Hmmm..........before he was really big, racer Ron Fellows was a customer in my store ..... he gave me the tour of his Trans Am pit at The Detroit Grand Prix. Used to be a big autograph hound in the 70's & 80's. Met LOTS of racers and hockey players.

Larry Alexander of car customizers The Alexander Brothers of Detroit is in my model club. STILL building! He's even given me a tool from the old shop and claims he "Probably used it on the Deora..."

I was an acting student in the early 90's at Second City in Toronto. I met various SCTV performers including Eugene Levy and Martin Short.

I met Steve Hinson.

[Brian Nehring]

My brush with fame started back in 2005 when my uncle invited me out to the Detroit Autorama. He knows Chip Foose through Wes Rydel (owner of the '35 Chevy Grand Master '02 Ridler award winner). Chip's latest creation was being unvieled that year at the Autorama , the '36 Ford Impression which also won the Ridler .When I got to the show I briefly got to meet Chip along with Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy, I also got to meet Charlie Hutton that use to be Boyd Coddington's painter now working for Chip. On saturday morning of the show my uncle came up to me and asked If I'd be intrested in being involved witha project of theirs, Chip had designed a paint scheme for a company jet for the Rydel company and they wanted me to pant a scale model of the jet first to get a good idea of what it would look like. I was handed a sketch that Chip had laid out for the jet and was put to work as soon as I got home from the trip.

A couple of months went by and I got the CJ3 model painted and sent out. It first went to the Rydel company then out to Chips shop, my uncle told me everyone including Chip were very pleased with the results.

Another 8 months went by and I recieved a call from my uncle telling me the jet was painted and that as a little reward I was invited to Sioux Falls, SD to a private lunchon where Chip would be unveiling the new Foose Stallion Mustangs along with a benefit for Progeria . I got there and after lunch there was a car show held in downtown Sioux Falls and from there I flew out of Sioux Falls with Chip and Luc DeLay of Marcel's Metal Shop( also seen on American Hot Rod) on the custom painted jet to California and got to check out Chip's shop. A couple of days later Chip got me on the set of Overhaulin. I got to fly back with Chip to St. Paul, MN where we attended the Back to the 50's car show. It was one hell of a trip and I'm still in shock that it even happend.

Brian

[Ron L]

At a trade show I worked I went to lunch and there was only one person in the lunch room. So we had lunch together and chatted for a while. You could say she's famous, depending on what you like to read. I had no idea who she was at the time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marliece_Andrada

A few years ago as we were leaving SFO after picking someone up we ran for an empty elevator. We held the door open for another two guys, and it was Danny Glover his driver. He looked dead-tired so I decided not to talk it up with him.

I've met some Steve guy at NNL West who swore he was famous. I almost spent my last $20 on his autographed picture but I bought a Palmer kit instead.

Oh yeah I live about a mile from Brizio's shop so we hit him up for some T-shirts every now and then for our school raffles. Nice guy.

[bob paeth]

Boy, Ron, You picked the right lunchion partner so far as I'm concerned. Marliece is much better looking than skip Foose.

Bob :shock:

[bob paeth]

Brian, if this were a contest, my vote would go to you. What a fantastic, all-around experience that you had. I've got a lot of memories behind me but I think you have them all beat.

Bob :shock:

[Billy Kingsley]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Anthony but I dunno if I'm famous (I know I ain't!) but I have been on TV 3 times, the cruddy local station. Been on the radio 6 times, most recently did an impromto interview last month!

John Hall of Hall and Oates won the election for some political thing this year and knocked on my door in October, I think.

He lives in Dover Plains (IIRC) and mom has met him at the grocery store. Says he's conceited and a stuck-up snob.

We didn't answer the door though, not because of that but because it was political junk.

As far as local celebritys, well, there's some infamy here. Another polical dude is also a Radio DJ and he knocked on the door as well. He became somewhat infamous locally because he's 35, however his myspace page says he's in his 20s and had a partially naked 14 year old girl on there. (I didn't look, I hate myspace) and that caused a big stink. (He still won the election though, go figure!)

I've met a couple other local Radio DJs who are semi-famous, I went to school with one of them.

Oh, and, more infamous stuff...The cop that commited suicide because of the Tawana Brawley case back in the late 80s/early 90s ( :?: ) Lived (and did that to himself) just two streets over from where I live. I was too young to remember much of that time, I was born in 84.

My mom has met, and has been hit on by Peter Max and, IIRC, Dennis Hopper in the 60s.

[Lyle Willits]

See below