ONMC member cheers for Kurt and Kyle, loves Vegas

LAS VEGAS -- Davis Rosen doesn't live in Las Vegas, but he might as well.

Rosen, a local chapter president in the Official NASCAR Members Club, is based out of Quicksburg, Va., some 2,360 miles from Sin City, yet he makes the trip out here every spring to watch a couple of the city's finest exports do battle on home turf.

Rosen is the unofficial chapter president of the Brothers Busch fan club. The Busch brothers are, of course, Las Vegas natives.

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Davis Rosen

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"My wife, Mary Beth, and I were married in Las Vegas in 1997, and I've been there about 15 times," Rosen said. "We really love the city. Last year was the first time that I went out for the NASCAR race, and I really enjoyed it."

Rosen is one of those race fans who simply can't get enough information about the sport, whether it's the Busch brothers or drivers like Rex White, car owners like Raymond Parks or any of the other pioneers of NASCAR. He travels as much as any NASCAR fan ever could -- and more than most -- hitting 10-14 races a year.

He remembers meeting both Kurt and Kyle, right down to the date, and he has raced against Kurt on one of the NASCAR SpeedPark tracks around the country.

"I met Kurt on Nov. 7, 2002, in Las Vegas," Rosen said. "I didn't know much about him, but I was very impressed with him, and I started following his career. I met Kyle on May 14, 2004, at Richmond, and he won the race that night for his first NASCAR victory. I had the chance to meet them both and get their autographs, and both of them made a very good impression on me."

The Busch brothers have had their share of detractors over their time in NASCAR, something that frustrates Rosen to no end.

"I don't like the fact that there's so much of that," he said. "I don't see that side of them at all. There are a lot of drivers where you could pick out some moments they've had, on and off the track.

"I'm out there to watch talent on the track, not a popularity contest."

In his support of both Busch brothers -- he's always attired in Kellogg's or Miller Lite apparel, when he isn't representing the ONMC as a local chapter president -- he's also made a few friends.

"This time, I'm going to meet a couple of people that I got to know through the Kurt Busch Web site," Rosen said. "One of them is Mike Hennessey, aka 'new2,' and he's from Michigan. We both had planned to be going to this race even before we met online, and since Las Vegas is the home track of the Busch brothers, it is kinda neat we would finally meet in person there."

Of course, Rosen has already talked to Hennessey about the Official NASCAR Members Club, like any good LCP will do.

As for his schedule on the ground, Rosen has an idea where he's going first.

"The inaugural meeting of Kyle's fan club is set for Thursday night at a go-kart track in Las Vegas, so I'm going to take that in while I'm out there," he said.

So if you see a gentleman wearing Kellogg's or Miller Lite apparel on TV this weekend, chances are it could be Rosen, acting in his unofficial role as a Busch fan, or in his official role as a local chapter president.