One of the biggest complaints, if you can call it that, of NASCAR fans about their heroes inside the racecar is: "we never get to see them outside the racecar."

It's true, in a sense, because today's Sprint Cup drivers have many things to do and many obstacles to getting them done; hospitality appearances, meetings with crew and crew chief, and, oh yeah, driving the racecar.

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To a certain extent, it has to be that way because there's no way a driver could sign all the things thrust at him during a race weekend or stand still for photographs with each fan who wants one. They try, but many fans go home feeling left out.

One driver, sponsor and team has gone outside the box -- and the garage area -- to improve this situation.

Chip Ganassi Racing and sponsor Wrigley have done a "Bring Juan to the Fans" program this season at the races where either Big Red or Juicy Fruit is the primary sponsor of the team's No. 42 Dodge.

That's the plan. They bring Juan Montoya to the fans. Sometimes they race radio-controlled cars, other times they just shoot the breeze. Montoya likes to get out with the fans, considering it part of the NASCAR experience.

"It's fun," Montoya said. "I like NASCAR, the atmosphere and the places we go, and I like the lifestyle. The fans are great to get to know."

Montoya goes about his days at the track with his family in the motorcoach lot among all the other drivers' families, and that makes him happy. Asked what the wildest thing he'd seen on one of his journeys to the people, Montoya grinned and said, "Talladega Boulevard was pretty wild."

Kidding aside, he's serving a purpose. He goes out among the fans and spreads the word that the best buy for your money is Wrigley's family of chewing gum and other products. He interacts for a while, then goes on about his morning.

At Martinsville earlier this month, Montoya got a weekend off, but his crew stepped up and carried on the tradition.

“

We all pitch in on things like this. We're all race fans too, and it's nice to be up here and doing some good.

”

-- CHIP GOODE

Pit-crew coach Chip Goode led a squad that included crew members Trevor Lysne and Rich Macco, who then marched across the track, up into the grandstands and into the concession stand, where they stepped in for the workers there and served food to fans on the way to their seats.

Sounds like fun, right? Crew guys have a rough time on race days, with a lot of pressure and a lot of work. Yet, Goode, who is second to crew chief Brian Pattie in the team hierarchy, was right there slinging hot dogs and nachos. Lysne is a tire changer, one of the toughest and most unappreciated jobs in the garage, and he was there as well.

It helped that the food was free of charge, of course, but that's not the point. The point is, it was free AND it came from a real, live "player" in NASCAR's big game.

For the record, Martinsville race fans scarfed $500 worth of concessions in just seven minutes.

One mother, who got hot chocolate for both her sons and hot dogs to boot, was shocked.

"Well, race fans don't get a whole lot of things for free," she said. "That surprised me, and then here are the No. 42 pit crew guys doing the serving. They also gave me some Big Red gum, which was nice because we all chew Wrigley's anyway.

"It was something I won't forget, I'll tell you that, especially since I know they have to go to work today."

Wrigley's, which will be back on the No. 42 next season in some form or fashion, has developed a unique fan-attraction concept that's as refreshing as a stick of Doublemint or Winter Fresh.

The fact that a real, live NASCAR driver is out among the fans on a regular basis is impressive enough; the fact that a company is deriving benefit from it is secondary, but important.

"We all pitch in on things like this," Goode said. "As long as we get our wheels glued before we go, we're good. Wrigley's is a cool sponsor, and we enjoy the experience. We're all race fans too, and it's nice to be up here and doing some good."

Wrigley's, in utilizing Montoya's charm and popularity as a popular pitchman, is doing some good, and is doing it in a way designed to help race fans make the correct choice when it comes to the products they buy.

Isn't that what it's about?