1on1: The Nature Boy brings 'Wooo!' to NASCAR

Ric Flair, now a supposedly retired professional wrestler who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, has signed on as honorary race director for the 25th running of the All-Star Race at Charlotte. The event will be held May 16.

Flair, who once was spotted cutting his own grass in wrestling tights in a middle-class Charlotte neighborhood before he made it really big, says he can relate to NASCAR fans and drivers. He talked about that and much more ...

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Q: What do you like so much about NASCAR?

I love the entertainment factor and I really appreciate what these guys do as athletes and drivers, and how courageous they are. I've been living in Charlotte my whole life, but I've been pretty much on the outside looking in. So this is great.

Q: You seem to like the idea of Kyle Busch kind of taking on "just about everybody else" in the sport. Why is that?

I think he's great for the sport. Tony Stewart had that reputation for a while, but Kyle has kind of pushed him aside. I think it's great to have one guy who doesn't get along with anybody.

Q: Do you have a favorite driver?

For me, it's who I know the best. I really like David Ragan a lot. David's really a great guy and we've become fairly good friends. My favorite driver right now -- and I know a lot of people will hate me for it -- but it's Jeff Gordon, just for what he's done for the sport. I think Jeff, even though he hasn't won a lot the last couple of years, I think he and [Dale] Earnhardt are really the two that put the sport on the map.

Q: Have you met Jeff Gordon?

I've met him many times. I don't know him well, but I respect what he's done for his sport. I can't help but love him, because he's done so much for the sport -- just as Earnhardt did. I love the old-timers like Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough, too, for the same reason. You've got to love the old-timers. I've been around that long.

Q: What kind of driver do you think you would have been if you had pursued that instead of pro wrestling?

I would have been like Kyle Busch. You try to win. You don't get along with anyone in a sport like that. You can't. It's nice to have teammates, but at the end of the day, you want to win regardless of whether you're driving for the same owner or not. You just want to win, and you'll do whatever it takes to do it. That's what he's like, and that's what I would be like as a driver.

Q: How are you going to bring your brand of excitement to the All-Star race?

I'm going to really put a lot of energy into the promotional end of it. I really love the sport. ... The great thing about NASCAR and wrestling is the cross-demographic appeal between the fans. But I really think wrestlers -- and our company, World Wrestling Entertainment, is huge and around the world -- but I think the wrestlers and these guys, meaning the drivers and owners and the people who run these race tracks, really understand the importance of fan appreciation. The NBA, NFL, they don't care what the fans think. They're making too much money through television and all that. But with us and racing, the fans make or break us with their loyalty for the sport. So you give the fans all that you can, and that's what I'm going to try to help out with.

Q: Are you afraid they may ask you to do something kind of crazy?

No, I'm up for anything. I'll drive if I have to. I would want a few lessons first.

Q: Maybe you could coach the drivers on what to do if someone ticks them off?

Yeah, I could teach them what to do if someone bumps them out of the race. I could help with that. I'm going to help them learn how to be more aggressive after something happens. No. 1, they don't fight with their helmets on; they take 'em off so they can really get punched. (Continued)