Daytona 500 heroes meet SI Swimsuit Issue models

By USA WEEKEND
February 10, 2009
11:41 AM EST

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It looks like a scene at a high school dance. Boys huddle in a corner, joking while trying to ignore the unignorable on the other side of the room: beautiful girls waiting for an introduction.

Soon, those introductions are made and the "boys" -- NASCAR stars Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. -- mingle with the girls. After all, it's not every day that you get to meet top Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue models like Brooklyn Decker and Julie Henderson for USA WEEKEND's annual NASCAR cover/poster issue.

Online at SI.com

Spirits are high, given what's kicked off this week: the Budweiser Shootout and other racing events leading to the Daytona 500 on Sunday, and the swimsuit issue, which hits newsstands on Tuesday.

Earnhardt confesses that, like the 500, the swimsuit issue was an irreplaceable part of his formative years.

"It's an icon," Earnhardt said at the shoot, which took place at the Richard Petty Driving Experience headquarters in Concord, N.C. "A lot of women have become very famous because of it. My all-time favorite would have to be Tyra Banks."

Both events could not come at a more opportune time: It's cold. The Super Bowl is history. March Madness is a month away. Then, for one wonderful week, we get a reprieve as welcome as a beach blanket under the Florida sun: fast cars, beautiful women and tropical beaches.

"You can bet that it was a great day in Kansas when that issue arrived," said Bowyer, who hails from Emporia, Kan. "You went right to your mailbox to see who got on the cover. But whether they made the cover or not, every model looked great, and the photography was always excellent. The swimsuit issue is just a great tradition."

Added Truex: "It was a huge honor. They only chose three drivers and I was happy to be one of the three. I didn't know what to expect working with super models and it ended up being really cool. In fact by the end of the shoot they were just one of the guys."

Raised in Charlotte, Decker realizes how big this week is for race fans. "Cars get decked out with the drivers' stickers and flags," she says. "All the storefronts would get decorated, and the kids in school get their faces painted in their favorite racer's color scheme."

So start the engines, folks, and break out the sunscreen while you're at it. It's going to be a great week.

Factoids

• About our models: Brooklyn Decker is making her fourth appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She is engaged to tennis star Andy Roddick, who also attended our photo shoot. This is the third appearance in the swimsuit issue for Julie Henderson.

• About our drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer made NASCAR's championship run, now known as the Chase for the Sprint Cup, last year, and Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. made it in 2007. Earnhardt has received the Most Popular Driver Award -- as voted by fans -- six consecutive times.

• About our photographer: USA WEEKEND is honored to have Sports Illustrated photographer Walter Iooss Jr. shoot our annual Daytona cover/poster this year. Iooss, a legend in his field, has shot 10 swimsuit issue covers.

• Who's been on the swimsuit issue cover: Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley, Rachel Hunter, Kathy Ireland, Heidi Klum, Beyonce Knowles, Elle Macpherson, Marisa Miller, Petra Nemcova, Paulina Porizkova, Rebecca Romijn and Cheryl Tiegs.