BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – As NASCAR drivers prepare for race weekend in Bristol, some racers spent the day at local Food City stores to meet their fans.
People lined up early Friday morning for the chance to meet the NASCAR drivers. Joey Logano and Kaz Grala set up in Blountville, while Kevin Harvick set up in Piney Flats.
For the local fans, meeting the drivers at their hometown Food City was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I’ve been a big fan of Joey Logano since he was in a TV show, and I’ve always loved Joey,” said local resident Logan Hott.
For those from out of town, meeting these drivers was another eventful stop on their Bristol race weekend checklist.
“We always look forward to it,” said Randy Stalter, a fan from Sharon, Tennessee. “We try and see who’s out there. Later on, we’ll go to the fan zone and see Corey LaJoie and whoever else is going to be there.”
The drivers said they also appreciate and look forward to the time they are able to spend with their fans.
“It’s always fun to meet the fans,” said Logano. “There’s always a lot of stories that come along, and that’s the fun part.”
“The fans are so excited for the race,” said Grala. “It’s great to kind of come out of your bubble and see what the weekend’s all about.”
“I think for me I’m fortunate to have a very loyal fan base that has been very supportive throughout the years,” said Harvick.
Harvick, who is preparing for his final race with NASCAR, said this is exactly how he wanted to celebrate his last time on this track.
“And it’s really one of the reasons that we that we decided to do the final season in the way that we’ve done it,” said Harvick. “So that each market that we went to, we could celebrate with the fans and the sponsors and the racetrack and the people at the event.”
Both Logano and Harvick will take to the track Saturday at 6:30 p.m. for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
