Matt Yocum's Mailbag

Q: Matt how did you become a TV pit reporter?

Jeff from Florida

Yocum: Jeff, It's a long story, but aren't they all. I'll give you the Cliffsnotes version.

I grew up in the sport due to my mom's career (1968 to '02) on the business side of racing, so I was always around it. In fact I missed 56 days of school in 5th grade traveling to races with her. I spent my high school and college summers working for IROC (International Race of Champions).

After college I worked for a couple NBC affiliates in Orlando, Fla. and Bristol, Tenn., before landing a job at TNN in March of 1995, working on their show RACEDAY.

• Send Matt your questions

In the fall of '96, I used up a bunch of comp days traveling up to New Hampshire for a huge weekend of two modified, two Busch North, and a truck race. Unfortunately for the TV production crew and fortunately for me, a hurricane swept through the southeast dumping major rain on Richmond. Jeff Fuller was suppose to travel to New Hampshire to work pit road with Glenn Jarrett, but due to a Busch rainout, he couldn't come. Glenn said to the higher-ups at TNN, let Matt work pit road with me, after all he's a reporter on your network. They said yes, Glenn jokingly said to me, just don't screw up Saturday because I don't want to work pit road alone on Sunday. Everything went well and the rest is history.

Q: What is your favorite track?

Jack from Georgia

Yocum: I break it down more to events than tracks. My favorite race is the Daytona 500, followed by the Bristol night race, then both events at Richmond. I love old school stuff, so you can include both Martinsville races in there as well.

Q: Matt, what was the craziest thing you have ever seen a fan do?

Kris from California

Yocum: It's hard to say what the craziest thing is because the years all roll together, but I'd have to throw my vote to Talladega. In 1985, before the race with the cars lined up on the grid awaiting the command to start, a fan jumped in the pace car which was running. He took it for almost a lap before the sheriff's blocked him. The funny part, at first they couldn't get him out of the car because he was hung up inside due to wearing the seat belt.

Q: Who is the funniest driver and why?

Jason from Iowa

Yocum: Ironically, some of the funniest guys in NASCAR aren't funny on TV. Bobby Labonte and Matt Kenseth are very funny away from the camera. They have a dry, David Letterman-type humor. They always come up with great one liners. On TV, there is a group of about five guys who you can always count on for laughs, but Kevin Harvick would have to be the most quick-witted and humorous.

Q: Matt, you do a weekly Sirius radio show with Tony Stewart. I am a big fan. What is he like when the cameras aren't rolling?

Jim from Michigan

Yocum: If you get a chance to listen to the radio show, that is Tony away from the track. The kind of guy that is fun to have a beer with or shoot pool. Although, many of us are still wondering why he likes to drink Schlitz beer, but I guess everyone has at least one quirky thing. Personally, I prefer Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Q: What was the most embarrassing moment for you on TV?

Steve from Ohio

Yocum: It wasn't on TV, but if the camera had been on about 30 seconds earlier, it would have been. I was working a TNT Busch race at Bristol in '05. I walked through some oil by accident on my way to Dale Jr.'s pit. I climbed up on the pit box ladder to interview Pete Rondeau, Junior's Busch crew chief that weekend. My foot slipped, I fell off the box, about a four foot drop. It was one of those, I hope no one is looking, but when I looked up everyone had fear on the faces. Then when I got ready to do it, the crew guys were still laughing. When they asked Pete to come down on the ground, they didn't want me to make it two for two.