Q&A: Pate

What is your favorite word?
• Volunteer

What is your least favorite word?
• Sorry

What turns you on?
• During my first date with my wife, she asked me, "Do you like NASCAR?" Sold!

What turns you off?
• A loud cell phone ringing in a public place and the owner stares at the phone trying to decipher the number, refusing to acknowledge the level of annoyance.

What sound do you love?
• Banjo

What sound do you hate?
• Silence

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
• Teaching. Without a doubt, teachers should be among the highest-paid workers in America -- at least for 10 months out of the year.

What profession would you not like to participate in?
• Policeman. When you're not around, everybody needs you. But the moment you show up uninvited, not that many people are appreciative.

What was the first car you owned?
• A 1978 Jeep CJ5 Renegade, three-speed, red with black top. Yeah, it's a lifestyle.

Which city is your favorite on the circuit?
• Bristol. It's 10 minutes away from my family and friends in Elizabethton, Tenn., and seriously, what else compares?

Most memorable race you've attended?
• The 2003 Pop-Secret 400 at Rockingham. It was absolutely the coldest I have been in my life, but it was worth every shiver. Extra credit to those who know why this awesome day tops the list (and it has nothing to do with Matt Kenseth clinching the title).

Most enduring memory of your career?
• In 2005 I wrote a freelance article on Jamaica villas that are accessible for people with disabilities. From the time my wife and I stepped off the plane, we were treated like royalty (bribery, I'm sure). Anyway, it was the best vacation ... uh, job assignment I'll ever have in my life thanks to Reggie and the villa staff. Ire mon!