10 Questions: J. Spencer

As his NASCAR career extends into its third decade, Jimmy Spencer hasn't been going quietly.

Spencer, who holds a place on the select list of drivers who have won in all three of NASCAR's national tours, continued to be a contender in 2005 in the Craftsman Truck Series, while also racing a partial schedule in Nextel Cup and balancing a media role as a commentator on SPEED.

	Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Jimmy Spencer in the NCTS Starts 31 Wins 1 Top-5s 4 Top-10s 11 Poles 1 Avg. Start 16.9 Avg. Finish 15.0 Spencer in the Busch Series Starts 212 Wins 12 Top-5s 44 Top-10s 93 Poles 3 Avg. Start 17.2 Avg. Finish 17.1 Spencer in the Cup Series Starts 476 Wins 2 Top-5s 28 Top-10s 80 Poles 3 Avg. Start 24.4 Avg. Finish 22.4

Spencer sat down during a break at Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway to answer 10 questions not necessarily related to his racing career.

1. What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?

Spencer: That I don't own (laughing)? I don't know, but I guess the McLaren Mercedes would really be the hot ticket, you know? It's just a really awesome convertible, or a hardtop -- it's just got it all.

I think that would be pretty cool.

Q: Is that truly a dream, or have you had a chance to test drive one of those?

Spencer: I was in the Mercedes store looking at it, and when I saw the price tag -- the salesman asked me if I wanted to test drive it, and I said, 'Not hardly.'

2. If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?

Spencer: Dogs. I love dogs, and when my wife, Pat is with me we bring our dogs sometimes on the road, but I could never change. Our ideal pets would always be dogs.

Q: Any particular breed you favor?

Spencer: There ain't a bad one.

3. What's your biggest pet peeve while driving on the road?

Spencer: Stupid people in the left lane. They don't pay attention to what's going on. If you're going to pass somebody, pass somebody and get out of the way.

If you're not in a hurry, or whatever, you always try to plan ahead, but that's the dumbest thing I've seen people do, is just to not know where they're at and to just be riding down the road at 52 or 53 mile an hour in a 65-mile-an-hour zone.

It doesn't make any sense and it causes traffic jams.

Q: I know that's a universal problem, so have you found any good solutions?

Spencer: Yeah, a big push bumper on the front of a truck and you just start beating and banging -- sort of like what Richard Petty did, one time.

4. You've had a lot of years in racing, raced a lot of different divisions and traveled all over the country, so what's your worst hotel experience?

Spencer: Michigan (laughing). I'm not going to mention the name of the hotel, but God almighty.

The bunch of people that owned it were from across the water, so to speak, and it was absolutely the most -- it is almost hard to describe how filthy the room was, and how it stunk.

I knew we were in trouble when we walked in the lobby and it stunk in the lobby. I would not even allow my dog to sleep in that room.

Q: But unfortunately you had no choice, did you?

Spencer: No, I did have a choice. I left and I slept in my rent-a-car and I found a room (for the next night).

I would not -- would not, ever -- and I know they lost the franchise name because I did call and report it, and the lady said that was about the 10th person that had called on this certain hotel, so it was very, very, very awful.

5. I hate these transitions, but what's your favorite food?

Spencer: By the size of me, you can tell I can eat anything -- but when it comes down to food, I love meat. I love steaks, without a question, but probably my favorite food is roast beef, mashed potatoes and a vegetable.

I can eat that seven days a week.

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Q: Does Pat's roast beef rule, or do you have a favorite place out on the road to get that kind of fare?

Spencer: My mom started me on that and my wife makes it just as good as my mother did. I'll put her roast beef up against anybody's.

It's hard to find a good family restaurant on the road. That's why I guess you find good restaurants, and yes, it costs a little bit more money, but usually they have better meals.

6. If you had to choose, would it be being honest, or being nice?

Spencer: I'm a nice person, but I always am honest. The truth hurts anybody and it hurts me when somebody says something truthful to me.

But I would rather the truth be known or to talk to that person one-on-one about the truth than to be nice to somebody (and lie about it).

My theory is if you ask me my opinion of the color of your house, the color of the carpet, what do I think of your car? I'll tell you the fact.

You asked, and I'm going to give you the answer.

7. What's your fondest childhood memory?

Spencer: God (laughing) -- there are so many of them. You know, my favorite childhood memory is -- I mean, I raced bikes, I raced around two evergreen trees with my brothers -- there are just so many.

But Easter Sunday, my mom would work hard to get all seven kids dressed in their Easter uniforms and their Easter clothes and to go to church and to have dinner.

And that's a memory that, every time I go home, especially around the holidays, I think about that. I'm very fortunate that the good Lord still has my mom and dad on the earth.

I think about those days, and to see us all grow up and we're all healthy and we're happy for that.

But to think back to those days, with all my sisters in their dresses and all of us with our sport coats and ties on -- that will always be a memory that I'll never forget.

Q: You know, I think of dad racing Modifieds at Evergreen and everywhere else, and that's a pretty neat contrast you paint and a pretty neat thought in this holiday season.

Spencer: Yeah, my dad was something. I was telling Kenny Wallace today, that my dad would not race on Sundays, because he and my mom would always take us to the park.

Seven of us would load up in an old station wagon -- whatever my dad could afford -- and we'd always go to McDonald's. You know, for a dollar you could buy a lot back then.

So he'd hand us all a dollar and after that, we'd go to the park. My dad could have made it in big league racing, without a question.

But he gave up so much for his family. I don't think you appreciate that until you hit 30 or 35 years old. I don't think you appreciate it until you start seeing your own kids growing up, if you have kids.

I think a lot of people today get married, especially when they're younger, and I don't know why they do. Do they really, truly love one another? And then they have a kid, and then you hear divorce.

It's awful how society has changed from back when our parents were born in the '30s and the '40s and it's a shame that we're losing that family value so much today.

But that's something I can be very proud of -- my mother and father.

8. What would your dream date be? Where and with whom?

Spencer: My dream date? Hmmm? I don't really have any particular woman that is a dream date for me.

A man? I always admired Johnny Carson, though he's dead and gone, now. I've been fortunate to have a couple of my heroes -- Junior Johnson and Bill France -- I've had dinner with those guys.

So I really don't fantasize about anything.

But I do really enjoy when I get the chance to take my wife, or when she takes me, for a birthday, or our anniversary and it's just her and me -- that's a pretty neat time, but I don't really have a fantasy.

There are a lot of great people -- I like Garth Brooks -- and so many other entertainers. But there's nobody I really fantasize about and say, "I'd like to go to dinner with them."

9. Racing and pranks seem to go hand in hand, so what's your worst prank, either perpetrated by you, or done to you -- and I think back to the late, great Richie Evans, when I imagine some of those?

Spencer: Oh, yeah. I think the greatest prank is, and I love NASCAR racing, but Harold Stott, who used to be a crew member with Bud Moore; and Phil Thomas and now even Tony Glover -- but they just dread snakes with a passion.

I've never in my life seen guys get so scared of them. And I didn't pull the prank, but I had heard about it, and I waited, and Harold Stott was inside of the 15 car -- Bud Moore's car, one time -- and the snake was put inside the car.

And he turned around to work on a certain part of the car, and he touched it. And I've never in my life seen a guy come out of a car as quick as him -- and as white as he was.

I'll never forget that and the look on his face. It was the worst that I've ever seen. And Henry Benfield was another one who was absolutely one of the best pranksters of all time, especially in the garage area.

Q: Yeah, his name has come up a few times.

Spencer: Oh yeah. And I don't even want to talk about the one that he told me that he did to Herb Nab, because Junior wanted him to do it to him.

Something about a dog and don't get run over or don't be down licking something -- believe me, it was a funny story.

And a certain official at Riverside who somehow ate something he shouldn't have ate the day before and he got the runs the next day and he dirtied his white pants.

There are so many of them, and I've been part of them but a lot of people don't know what I did -- and they still don't know (laughing).

10. What would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR" moment?

Spencer: It was being called-in to the NASCAR office trailer by Bill France, and being explained to how the sport works.

I always respected people and I still do, to this day, but that set me straight on how NASCAR runs this business.

And the most famous saying that Bill France said, was that 'this sport will still be going, with or without you. What part of that do you want to be?'

Right then and there you had to realize that the sport is a lot bigger than you are, as an individual.

Q: When did that meeting take place?

Spencer: Early in my career. I was driving in Winston Cup, and I learned at a pretty young age in Winston Cup what to do and what not to do.

Some of these guys today didn't have that luxury of being talked to by Bill or maybe by Dale Earnhardt or Richard Petty, or whatever.

Some of these kids that are coming into this sport today -- including crew members -- I still don't think they realize how this sport operates.