Five things about ... the track VP and GM of NHMS

He is the executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but Jerry Gappens said he could've been the first Jeff Gordon.

A native of Kokomo, Ind., the track promoter -- in between his stick-and-ball seasons -- raced non-wing sprint cars at Kokomo Speedway as a teenager in high school.

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However, one time he and his father attempted to run an event at Eldora Speedway, the track across the state line in Ohio known for its high speeds. That's when mother and wife, Opal Gappens, threatened to throw their belongings on the front lawn if they made the trip.

They made the trip -- only they went as spectators not participants, Gappens said.

"She told me to quit driving race cars and I enrolled at Ball State University," Gappens said. "I retired my racing career at the ripe old age of 18. I told her she may have stymied the first Jeff Gordon."

Fortunate for Opal Gappens, her son went on to develop a fulfilling career in motorsports off the track. Here are five things about Jerry Gappens, the track promoter with a Disney-like imagination.

1. His wish list for New Hampshire Motor Speedway ...

In his second season as vice president and general manager of NHMS, Gappens is making his own mark on the 1-mile oval located in Loudon. And hailing from the Midwest where state fairs are the summer's main attraction, his personality is shinning through.

"I created a midway and thought it would be neat to have a Ferris wheel at the speedway. I tried to bring in some elephants but state officials said I needed a special permit to bring elephants across state lines. Unfortunately we didn't know that until shortly before the race weekend last year but we'll come back and take a look at that again.

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Bruton Smith told me once to never call my job work, work is a four-letter word, so when you think about the fair, everyone has a good time. This year will have a casino tent and the proceeds will go to Speedway Children's Charities. The message I try to get out is that this is more than just a race and we try to find entertainment that will appeal to all ages and walks of life. One day I'd like to see this track become like Disney World, the Disney of the Northeast."

2. The life of the party...

Gappens has an outgoing personality, very personable, so it may come as a surprise to some that the 48-year-old former sports journalist wanted to be an undertaker.

"I spent two years in New Jersey working for a funeral home. I thought about becoming and undertaker and planned to go to Vincennes [Ind.] University. I worked part time and drove a hearse. I picked up people from nursing homes and hospitals. I also worked the visitations greeting families. Some people ask me, 'What does that have to do with track promoting?' I tell them funeral homes are the ultimate service industry when dealing with people. I use that experience to look people in the face with strong compassion. And I always tell my staff, 'A bad day at the speedway is still better than a good day at the funeral home.'"

3. His people ...

Gappens makes it a point to know the audience he is trying to cater to year in and year out. He likens his job to hosting one of the most diverse and largest parties in the state of New Hampshire.

"Our job at the speedway is to bring people in for three or four days or three or four hours, however long they are with us, and give them a chance to step outside of their black-and-white lives and put some Technicolor in their lives. Almost like a make-believe world where they can watch a car-eating robot on the frontstretch this weekend.

Gappens

"They don't buy tickets to come see Jerry Gappens, they come to be entertained, but I do make it a point to take a day and visit the camping lots and thank them for coming and listen to their feedback. The same thing goes for the grandstands."

4. Family man ...

At the track, he may have hundreds of folks answering to him but at home Gappens is the yes man.

"All men are yes men at home, right? I'm a huge family man. This winter I coached my 8-year-old daughter's basketball team. I have two sons who both graduated from college, and I was active in their sports. I really enjoy that aspect of my life, being a father and a husband and it's important for me to have a strong balance. I also have a close relationship with my parents who still live in Indiana. In the early 1990s we brought back the Terre Haute Action Track to life. We ran it for two years and then ran out of money. That was all the Gappens family could afford to do but that was my first promoting job."

5. His new BFF...

Premiering this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is Gappens' new best friend, Milo.

"Milo is the track's new mascot. He is a friendly moose, the friendliest moose since Bullwinkle. We did an American Idol-style casting call for someone to play the part of Milo and I was a judge. The moose will drive around the facility on a four-wheeler but he doesn't have a speaking role."