03-16-2006 | TruckSeries.com Report
You just never know where NASCAR® Craftsman Truck Series driver JC Stout and his team may appear next. This time the familiar red and yellow #91 Chevy Silverado race truck, Stout and crew members showed up at the largest racing themed exposition in New York State as they attended the CARQUEST Motorsports Expo in the huge Cargill Building at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY. As the only NASCAR® Craftsman Truck Series team domiciled in the Northeast, The #91's appearance was rather special to many of the thousands of Expo-goers during the three-day event which ran March 10th, 11th and 12th. This year's event was the 20th anniversary edition of the Empire State's biggest and best motorsports show and was very heavily attended. Proudly displaying NFL Pro Hall of Famer, Jim Kelly's Hunter's Hope Foundation on the hood and sponsors DJ Beardsley & Sons, Inc., WCJW Radio 1140 AM, Go-4-It Graphics, McClurg's Dealerships, Sedam's Tire Center, American Classic Outfitters, Ott's Collision, Unidex and Burt's Lumber, the sleek looking race truck and sharply uniformed crew members occupied a high profile, highly accessible location for all to see and visit. Approximately 1,800 signed fan cards were given out by the team including several hundred during three hours of autograph photo sessions with NASCAR® great and two time NASCAR® Craftsman Truck Series Champion, Ron Hornaday. "It was real special to be sitting and signing with one of my racing heroes. Ron was handing out his fan cards and I was handing out ours and it was amazing what types of items our fans asked us to autograph... everything from T-shirts to a gas dump can filler neck. Even though he's a fierce competitor on the race track, Ron Hornaday is a great guy who was very accommodating to everyone who attended the Syracuse show", Stout said. Between autograph sessions, JC's team had something unique for youngsters, handicapped individuals and even complete families. Stout posed for instant digital photos, signed them and gave them to those people in the picture. This unique gift brought out a lot of smiles from truly appreciative attendees. One wheelchair bound gentleman said, "I hope when you get really famous, I can see you again and you'll remember me." "That was really gratifying to me and makes me even more determined to realize my dream of becoming a full-time, professional race car driver. Meanwhile, if I can make someone feel better or bring a smile to their face, it's a bonus to me", JC said. Stout and his team are finalizing plans to run a limited schedule in 2006 while trying to secure sponsorship to expand their racing season. It's fair to say that JC gained quite a few new fans this past weekend to cheer him on when he hits the asphalt in April.