Will Ferrell made an appearance at Talladega and is at Chicagoland this weekend. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Ferrell enjoying his time as a NASCAR superstar

Fans already identifying actor/comedian by movie character

JOLIET, Ill. -- Will Ferrell was struggling to climb out the passenger side of the TNT stock car following a few laps around Chcagoland Speedway on Saturday when a fan in the stands yelled, "[Expletive] yeah, Ricky Bobby!"

	"Talladega Nights" opens Aug. 4.
	TWO THUMBS UP Sure, it exploits every stereotype that NASCAR has worked so hard to overcome. Sure, the plot hardly is worthy of an Oscar, but at the end of the day, if you're a NASCAR fan, "Talladega Nights" does its job.  •   Complete story, click here

Behind a nearby fence fans were yelling, "Ricky! Ricky!"

Ferrell's new movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, is almost a month from its Aug. 4 release and already the actor/comedian is being identified by his character.

Ferrell, who is in Chicago promoting the movie and serving as grand marshal for Sunday's Nextel Cup race, said that's a unique situation for an actor.

"People are already quoting lines for the movie," he said. "There is a Ricky Bobby hauler with all of my stuff. I saw a guy yesterday standing around with a Ricky Bobby T-shirt."

But Ferrell is far from being a Cup driver. He's more comfortable running down the street naked as he was in Old School and kissing Sacha Baron Cohen as he does in Talladega Nights than he is running 150 mph with TNT commentator Wally Dallenbach for Sunday's pre-race show.

"I survived," Ferrell said after his experience in "Wally's World." "I almost threw up doing the donuts. A mixture of G-forces and burning rubber after eating eggs is not the best."

This wasn't Ferrell's first ride in a stock car. He participated in the Petty Driving Experience at Lowe's Motor Speedway before filming the movie.

"Yeah. I went on a ride-along and then [I] drove, even though we almost left we were so scared after the ride-along," Ferrell said. "I think 135 mph was the tops.

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"We all went from wanting to leave after we got done with our eight laps to wanting to go again. Pretty cool."

But Ferrell wasn't so good behind the wheel that they let him do his own stunts in the movie.

"I did a lot of driving to and from the movie set," he said with a straight face. "And I got it up there. Sometimes 40 [mph] in a 35. I messed with those Charlotte police. They didn't know what hit them."

Ferrell would have left NASCAR officials wondering what hit them a few years ago with the way his new movie makes fun of everything from the drivers to their wives.

Many were upset with the way the sport was portrayed in the 1992 film Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise.

"We're way past that," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's director of corporate communications. "Besides, this is just a spoof."

Ferrell said the film shows how secure NASCAR is with its footing in the sports world, adding the film will only attract more fans.

He said the reaction from those in Hollywood that aren't familiar with NASCAR has been, "Wow, you guys make this sport look great, like I want to go see a race now."

"Also," he added, "it's a comedy movie, so you want to go laugh at stuff involving NASCAR and that sort of thing."

And Ferrell enjoys making people laugh. He stood on the TNT car window and set up as though he was going to imitate Carl Edwards' backflip to get a laugh from nearby spectators.

Asked what he learned about the NASCAR culture while making the movie he said, "There's more tube tops per capita than any sport. Tubes and tanks."

Reminded of how the women and men stretch the material to the limit, he smiled and said, "It's NASA technology."

It took a bit of technology to get Ferrell into the driver's uniform worn by TNT pit reporter Marty Snider.

"It fits me with a pair of jeans," Ferrell said. "I go extra, extra layer. I go jeans underneath and a denim jacket. Safety first all the way."